Spring training is here! Yes! That means winter might be over soon ... maybe ... hopefully.
The Blue Jays pitchers and catchers reported on Wednesday, and the position players are trickling in. The off-season has been on the surface underwhelming without any big name additions, but that does not mean we can expect a repeat of last year’s disastrous season on the heels of two straight trip to the ALCS.
Let’s take a quick look at what the Jays have done:
Arrivals: Aledmys Diaz, Yangervis Solarte, Randal Grichuk, Curtis Granderson, Jaime Garcia
Departures: Jose Bautista, Dominic Leone, a bunch of really bad starting pitchers
Notable Spring Training Invitees: Al Alburquerque, John Axford, Craig Breslow
If there is one thing we learned last year, it is that depth matters. The Jays were decimated with injuries to various segments of the roster. They used fourteen starting pitchers last season (one year removed from using only seven .. SEVEN!), and Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins combined for over 800 plate appearances. Not a great strategy for a team competing for the post-season, especially when many of those starters sported ERAs north of 6.00.
The additions of Diaz and Solarte (and to a lesser extent Gift Ngoepe) give the Blue Jays some insulation up the middle which is paramount considering the fragility of Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis. As much as we would love to see both players play 140+ games, and get 500+ plate appearances, the stark reality is that the Blue Jays cannot seriously expect either player to reach those plateaus. Solarte and Diaz represent improvements over Barney and Goins, and while they may not be big splashes, both of these acquisitions addressed a major need for the club.
As far as addressing starting depth, the late addition of Garcia gives the Blue Jays five bona fide MLB starting pitchers, and, if healthy, one of the top rotations in the American League. Garcia isn’t Alex Cobb or Jake Arrieta, but he doesn’t have to be. The top four of Stroman, Sanchez, Estrada, and Happ can keep up with most other teams. Garcia is a fine number five starter who will eat some innings and hopefully give them a reasonable chance to win every fifth day. Adding that he is a lefty and had the fifth highest groundball rate in all of baseball last season makes him a fine addition to the back end of the rotation.
The addition of Garcia makes Joe Biagini’s situation much more interesting. He was pencilled in as the fifth starter, but the late addition of Garcia will change that. With Dominic Leone going to the Cardinals in the deal for Randal Grichuk, it may become more prudent to put Biagini back in the bullpen. I expect the Blue Jays will stretch him out in the spring and see what he can do as a starter. His fate will also undoubtedly be influenced by how well Axford, Alburquerque, and Breslow pitch. If any of those guys look like they can be effective in the bullpen then we may see Biagini in Buffalo to start the season as a starter.
The outfield is an interesting situation. Depth abounds with Grichuk, Granderson, Kevin Pillar, Steve Pearce, Ezequiel Carrera, Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Alford, and Dalton Pompey all in the mix. As it stands right now, I would guess it will look something like Grichuk in right, Pillar in center, and a Pearce/Granderson platoon in left. Carrera could start with the Jays as the fifth outfielder, and Solarte could get some limited time there as well. As great as Hernandez and Alford have both looked with limited reps at the big league level, both will likely start the season in Buffalo for some seasoning, but either could easily take someone’s job at some point during the season. None of the projected starters have a history of injuries (with the possible exception of Pearce), but should there be any, the Blue Jays are in a good position to cover those.
Is anyone seeing a pattern here?
There are plenty of options on the infield as well. Diaz and Solarte as previously mentioned give the Jays insurance up the middle. Solarte can also spell Josh Donaldson at third. Justin Smoak will start at first with Pearce and (sigh) Morales able to step in. The one place the Jays have some uncertainty is behind the plate. Russ Martin is getting old, and catcher is the one position where the effects of age tend to be amplified. Luke Maile, while good defensively, leaves something to be desired as the backup catcher, and the Jays will likely be counting on him to catch at least 40-50 games this season. Danny Jansen and Reese Maguire will likely start in Buffalo and either could take Maile’s job if they perform well early in the season, but it would have been nice to see a MLB capable catcher backing up Martin.
The bullpen is another area where it would have been nice to see some more tangible improvements given that beyond Roberto Osuna, Ryan Tepera, and Aaron Loup, there not a lot of proven options. Even if Biagini ends up there as a multiple inning type guy, there are still a lot of unknowns. They are going to be counting on guys like Matt Dermody, Carlos Ramirez, Danny Barnes, or Tim Mayza, guys who have had some success in limited time. The good news is that finding bullpen guys can often be as easy as throwing a few guys into the fire, and seeing who can handle the heat. It also wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see one or two of Axford, Alburquerque, or Breslow contribute. Of all the places to simply roll the dice with what you have and hope for the best, the bullpen is probably the least perilous. A more reliable lefty like Tony Watson would have been nice, but cobbling together a bullpen isn’t terribly difficult over the course of a season.
So, to summarize, here’s how I project the Opening Day roster:
SP: Stroman, Sanchez, Estrada, Happ, Garcia
RP: Osuna, Tepera, Biagini, Loup, Breslow, Barnes, Ramirez
LF: Granderson/Pearce
CF: Pillar
RF: Grichuk
3B: Donaldson
SS: Tulowitzki
2B: Travis
1B: Smoak
C: Martin
DH: Morales
Bench: Solarte, Maile, Carrera
Although none of the additions jump out at you as being significant, I think the depth that has been added and the current talent puts the Jays in a position where they could compete for a wild card spot. Yes, there are a lot of ifs, probably the largest of which is the health of Aaron Sanchez. It isn’t hard to imagine that even 20 starts from a healthy Sanchez last season would have made a significant difference to the Blue Jays fate.
The other key I think is Devon Travis. Even though the Jays have insulated against another injury riddled season, Travis is one of the best hitters on this team when healthy. He has the potential to hit north of .300 and is really the only leadoff candidate that projects to be on the MLB roster.
Overall I think the Jays did improve this off-season. They added some good depth players and addressed some of the problems that plagued the club last off-season. Most importantly, they were able to do so without moving any of their top prospects. The added MLB depth will only help the team going forward, especially considering the injury history of some of their key players. I still think a better option behind Russ Martin will go a long way, and one or two more reliable bullpen arms would help solidify the late innings, although the bullpen arms could very well materialize over the course of the season.
This is going to be a very interesting season for the Blue Jays. I think they will be in the mix for a wild card spot, but in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline it’s going to be interesting to see how much confidence the front office has in this group if the team is in the dreaded middle ground 5-8 games out of a wild card spot. Do they pull the chute and get ready for the coming of Bo and Vlad Jr., or do they try to add pieces and go for it? Here's hoping we don't have to find out because the Jays are solidly in a post-season position.
I’m ready, bring on baseball!
(well, I'm always ready)
Monday, February 19, 2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
The Drive to the Rink
Saturday
5:45am
The alarm goes off. My eyes spring open and I quickly reach across to the night table, grab my phone, and after three tries, manage to shut the alarm off. I slowly roll to my right, swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and sit up. After a deep breath I stand up and stretch my arms before slowly making my way across my room to start getting dressed.
5:52am
I’m in the elevator. Bundled up in anticipation of the frigid temperatures sure to continue from the past few days, I’m on my way to the parking garage where I will get into my car, containing my hockey gear, and head to the rink for an early morning game of shinny.
The feeling of regret in the back of my mind for agreeing to play so early on a Saturday is largely drowned out by the anticipation of strapping on the pads and stopping some pucks.
I get into my car, start it up, and roll out of the parking garage.
5:58am
The neighbourhood Tim Horton’s is almost invariably a bustling hub, especially on a Saturday morning. It is not unusual for the line to be out the door, but on this trip I’m too early. While probably not really necessary, the pre-game coffee has become part of the routine this season. Because my ice times are either late at night or early in the morning, that extra jolt has become an expected part of the process.
The lady that always seems to be working calls me to the counter and I order my large dark roast, one cream and one sugar, hand over some money, and not a minute later it is ready and I’m on my way out.
6:06am
I’m on the highway. It is nearly deserted. While a bit disorienting, it is also relaxing cruising down the freeway with only a handful of cars in front of me. There’s a strange sense of calm that is never present when faced with the usual bumper to bumper traffic. I can say that I enjoy the drive to the rink for the 7am skate on Saturdays.
6:32am
I arrive at the rink. It’s been a while since I’ve played here and for a moment I can’t remember which side of the building the entrance is on. Then I see my friend’s dad waiting for me and park next to the other cars on the west side of the arena. I hoist my bag on my right shoulder, grab my stick and pads with my left hand, pick up my coffee with the right, and find my way into the arena and the dressing room.
6:35am
I’m a bit late, but it’s okay. Over the years I’ve settled on aiming to arrive at the rink 30 minutes before hitting the ice. When I make it, I feel relieved. I feel like I have all the time in the world. I can take my time. When I don’t make it, I feel rushed, like I’m in the middle of a race. I only really need about ten minutes to get my gear on and get on the ice, but there is something about being there early, chatting with the guys, cracking jokes. It allows me to relax my mind before I play.
The usual dressing room banter is in full force when I sit down on an empty section of the bench on the left side of the narrow room. I mostly keep quiet since it has been a long time since I’ve played with these guys, most of whom I don’t fully recognize. I sip away at my coffee and slowly put my gear on. Jock. Knee pads. Pants. Left skate. Right skate. Left pad. Right pad. I stop there for a few minutes, lightly stretching out my hamstrings as I continue to listen to what’s going on around me.
6:52am
It seems like a long time has passed, but it’s only been a few minutes. The first few guys fully dressed grab their sticks and leave the room. It’s time. I put on the last of my equipment, chest protector, sweater, catching glove, blocker, mask, then grab my water bottle and stick, and head to the ice.
It’s a short walk, made a bit awkward by the flat blades of my goalie skates, but it’s a maneuver I’ve become pretty good at. As I approach the door I see there are six or seven guys and the other goalie skating around the ice. I get to the door, push off my right foot still on solid ground and glide onto the fresh ice on my left.
6:58am
Most of the guys are on the ice now, skating, shooting pucks, stretching. I’m finishing my skating drills along the boards on the far side of the rink just barely on my side of center. I’ve done two laps, tossed my water bottle on top of the net, and gone through my usual stretches. It’s all very ritualistic, but in the past few years I’ve purposely tried to alter the sequence just a little. It helps me to relax not thinking about doing everything in the same order and prevents me from getting uptight if the routine is somehow interrupted. Just get it done.
I start with a quick push to my left and quickly stop, then back to the right again. I repeat this five or six times, focusing on keeping my elbows tight to my body and altering my stance as little as possible as I move. That’s been the focus this season, keeping my arms tight to my body as I move. No goals through me I’ve been telling myself.
Then I angle out a little bit, take two C cuts backwards and butterfly slide to my right, again focusing on maintaining proper position with my arms and keeping my butterfly tight. I repeat it on the other side. I keep going until I’m satisfied, then get in the net.
7:06am
Warmups are done. The extra pucks have been tucked into the back of the net. The teams have been evened out. The extra guys are on the bench. It’s time to go.
I take one last gulp of water, turn to center ice, tap the shaft of my goalie stick against the crossbar then my right elbow, clap my blocker and catching glove together, skate to the top of my crease and fall into my ready stance. The puck is dropped and the game starts.
Any fatigue I felt at getting up early or driving to the rink is gone. Any wandering thoughts that were floating around in my head are gone. My focus is completely on the black rubber disc sliding along the ice and keeping it from entering the net behind me. I follow it with my eyes as it goes from stick to stick in the other end while leaning against the center of the crossbar, and then spring into action as soon as it crosses the centerline. Without any conscious thought my body moves to follow it around our zone, trying to stay square and on angle.
7:11am
We’re about five minutes in, and it has quickly become very clear that I need to speed up a bit. My usual Thursday game doesn’t move quite this fast. After a second goal on a rebound that I was a bit slow reacting to, it’s painfully obvious.
“I can't cheat, not even a little” I tell myself. “I gotta be ready as quickly as I can and I need to react as quickly as I can.”
It’s been a while since I’ve played in a game this fast. But I know I can do it.
7:29am
I’m almost halfway. I’ve settled in with some good saves and proper plays on routine shots. I’m starting to remember some of the tendencies. The guy in the old Leafs jersey who’s not quite as good with the puck as he thinks he is. The guy who can skate like the wind. The guy with the quick release on his shot. I start remembering and it reassures me a bit.
7:48am
The game is nearly done. Tired defenseman are half a second slower while the guy who hasn’t scored yet is half a second faster and a bit more tenacious. The chances are a bit more frequent, but I hang in there. Someone yells out the score after a goal on a broken down play. I’m not really interested. When I walked into the rink my main goal was to not hurt myself. I’m about five minutes away from reaching that.
I’ve made some good saves. I’ve had a couple of goals I’d like back. But after I had adjusted to the speed of the game I felt like I played pretty well.
8:04am
I trudge through the narrow dressing room back to my spot. My mask and gloves come off immediately followed quickly by my sweater and chest protector. I arrange them in my bag and sit down.
The trash talk begins: reminders of missed scoring opportunities and accusations of goondom after an inadvertent trip, all in jest. I sit quietly and smile.
I go back over the game in my head quickly and reassure myself that I had a good game. I feel good.
Sometimes I don’t have good games. I don’t like the feeling I get after those games, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to accept that those games are going to happen. I don’t let them get to me like I used to.
I stretch out my legs a bit, then start taking off my equipment: left pad, right pad, left skate, right skate, pants, knee pads, jock. I drink some water and stretch a bit more before getting dressed. Some of the guys linger for a bit, but I take off once I’m ready after a chorus of “Hey man, thanks for coming out” rings through the room.
8:22am
I’m on the road again, this time retracing my path and heading home. The highway is still pretty deserted. The sun isn’t quite up yet. My thoughts again turn to why. Why on earth would I get up so early to play hockey? There’s the practical reason. It’s great exercise, but I can get exercise any number of ways. Why hockey? Is it because I’ve always played hockey? Nah, that’s not it, not quite.
Is it the challenge? The mental challenge of staying focused on a black puck? The physical challenge of making the correct movements with many different parts of my body to be in position to make the save? The challenge of overcoming that tiny, but ever present fear that the next shot might find a chink in the armor and hurt? There are few things that challenge me the way goaltending challenges me. Few things challenge me as completely as goaltending challenges me.
Yep, I think that’s it. That’s why I get up at 5:45am and drive to the rink.
5:45am
The alarm goes off. My eyes spring open and I quickly reach across to the night table, grab my phone, and after three tries, manage to shut the alarm off. I slowly roll to my right, swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and sit up. After a deep breath I stand up and stretch my arms before slowly making my way across my room to start getting dressed.
5:52am
I’m in the elevator. Bundled up in anticipation of the frigid temperatures sure to continue from the past few days, I’m on my way to the parking garage where I will get into my car, containing my hockey gear, and head to the rink for an early morning game of shinny.
The feeling of regret in the back of my mind for agreeing to play so early on a Saturday is largely drowned out by the anticipation of strapping on the pads and stopping some pucks.
I get into my car, start it up, and roll out of the parking garage.
5:58am
The neighbourhood Tim Horton’s is almost invariably a bustling hub, especially on a Saturday morning. It is not unusual for the line to be out the door, but on this trip I’m too early. While probably not really necessary, the pre-game coffee has become part of the routine this season. Because my ice times are either late at night or early in the morning, that extra jolt has become an expected part of the process.
The lady that always seems to be working calls me to the counter and I order my large dark roast, one cream and one sugar, hand over some money, and not a minute later it is ready and I’m on my way out.
6:06am
I’m on the highway. It is nearly deserted. While a bit disorienting, it is also relaxing cruising down the freeway with only a handful of cars in front of me. There’s a strange sense of calm that is never present when faced with the usual bumper to bumper traffic. I can say that I enjoy the drive to the rink for the 7am skate on Saturdays.
6:32am
I arrive at the rink. It’s been a while since I’ve played here and for a moment I can’t remember which side of the building the entrance is on. Then I see my friend’s dad waiting for me and park next to the other cars on the west side of the arena. I hoist my bag on my right shoulder, grab my stick and pads with my left hand, pick up my coffee with the right, and find my way into the arena and the dressing room.
6:35am
I’m a bit late, but it’s okay. Over the years I’ve settled on aiming to arrive at the rink 30 minutes before hitting the ice. When I make it, I feel relieved. I feel like I have all the time in the world. I can take my time. When I don’t make it, I feel rushed, like I’m in the middle of a race. I only really need about ten minutes to get my gear on and get on the ice, but there is something about being there early, chatting with the guys, cracking jokes. It allows me to relax my mind before I play.
The usual dressing room banter is in full force when I sit down on an empty section of the bench on the left side of the narrow room. I mostly keep quiet since it has been a long time since I’ve played with these guys, most of whom I don’t fully recognize. I sip away at my coffee and slowly put my gear on. Jock. Knee pads. Pants. Left skate. Right skate. Left pad. Right pad. I stop there for a few minutes, lightly stretching out my hamstrings as I continue to listen to what’s going on around me.
6:52am
It seems like a long time has passed, but it’s only been a few minutes. The first few guys fully dressed grab their sticks and leave the room. It’s time. I put on the last of my equipment, chest protector, sweater, catching glove, blocker, mask, then grab my water bottle and stick, and head to the ice.
It’s a short walk, made a bit awkward by the flat blades of my goalie skates, but it’s a maneuver I’ve become pretty good at. As I approach the door I see there are six or seven guys and the other goalie skating around the ice. I get to the door, push off my right foot still on solid ground and glide onto the fresh ice on my left.
6:58am
Most of the guys are on the ice now, skating, shooting pucks, stretching. I’m finishing my skating drills along the boards on the far side of the rink just barely on my side of center. I’ve done two laps, tossed my water bottle on top of the net, and gone through my usual stretches. It’s all very ritualistic, but in the past few years I’ve purposely tried to alter the sequence just a little. It helps me to relax not thinking about doing everything in the same order and prevents me from getting uptight if the routine is somehow interrupted. Just get it done.
I start with a quick push to my left and quickly stop, then back to the right again. I repeat this five or six times, focusing on keeping my elbows tight to my body and altering my stance as little as possible as I move. That’s been the focus this season, keeping my arms tight to my body as I move. No goals through me I’ve been telling myself.
Then I angle out a little bit, take two C cuts backwards and butterfly slide to my right, again focusing on maintaining proper position with my arms and keeping my butterfly tight. I repeat it on the other side. I keep going until I’m satisfied, then get in the net.
7:06am
Warmups are done. The extra pucks have been tucked into the back of the net. The teams have been evened out. The extra guys are on the bench. It’s time to go.
I take one last gulp of water, turn to center ice, tap the shaft of my goalie stick against the crossbar then my right elbow, clap my blocker and catching glove together, skate to the top of my crease and fall into my ready stance. The puck is dropped and the game starts.
Any fatigue I felt at getting up early or driving to the rink is gone. Any wandering thoughts that were floating around in my head are gone. My focus is completely on the black rubber disc sliding along the ice and keeping it from entering the net behind me. I follow it with my eyes as it goes from stick to stick in the other end while leaning against the center of the crossbar, and then spring into action as soon as it crosses the centerline. Without any conscious thought my body moves to follow it around our zone, trying to stay square and on angle.
7:11am
We’re about five minutes in, and it has quickly become very clear that I need to speed up a bit. My usual Thursday game doesn’t move quite this fast. After a second goal on a rebound that I was a bit slow reacting to, it’s painfully obvious.
“I can't cheat, not even a little” I tell myself. “I gotta be ready as quickly as I can and I need to react as quickly as I can.”
It’s been a while since I’ve played in a game this fast. But I know I can do it.
7:29am
I’m almost halfway. I’ve settled in with some good saves and proper plays on routine shots. I’m starting to remember some of the tendencies. The guy in the old Leafs jersey who’s not quite as good with the puck as he thinks he is. The guy who can skate like the wind. The guy with the quick release on his shot. I start remembering and it reassures me a bit.
7:48am
The game is nearly done. Tired defenseman are half a second slower while the guy who hasn’t scored yet is half a second faster and a bit more tenacious. The chances are a bit more frequent, but I hang in there. Someone yells out the score after a goal on a broken down play. I’m not really interested. When I walked into the rink my main goal was to not hurt myself. I’m about five minutes away from reaching that.
I’ve made some good saves. I’ve had a couple of goals I’d like back. But after I had adjusted to the speed of the game I felt like I played pretty well.
8:04am
I trudge through the narrow dressing room back to my spot. My mask and gloves come off immediately followed quickly by my sweater and chest protector. I arrange them in my bag and sit down.
The trash talk begins: reminders of missed scoring opportunities and accusations of goondom after an inadvertent trip, all in jest. I sit quietly and smile.
I go back over the game in my head quickly and reassure myself that I had a good game. I feel good.
Sometimes I don’t have good games. I don’t like the feeling I get after those games, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to accept that those games are going to happen. I don’t let them get to me like I used to.
I stretch out my legs a bit, then start taking off my equipment: left pad, right pad, left skate, right skate, pants, knee pads, jock. I drink some water and stretch a bit more before getting dressed. Some of the guys linger for a bit, but I take off once I’m ready after a chorus of “Hey man, thanks for coming out” rings through the room.
8:22am
I’m on the road again, this time retracing my path and heading home. The highway is still pretty deserted. The sun isn’t quite up yet. My thoughts again turn to why. Why on earth would I get up so early to play hockey? There’s the practical reason. It’s great exercise, but I can get exercise any number of ways. Why hockey? Is it because I’ve always played hockey? Nah, that’s not it, not quite.
Is it the challenge? The mental challenge of staying focused on a black puck? The physical challenge of making the correct movements with many different parts of my body to be in position to make the save? The challenge of overcoming that tiny, but ever present fear that the next shot might find a chink in the armor and hurt? There are few things that challenge me the way goaltending challenges me. Few things challenge me as completely as goaltending challenges me.
Yep, I think that’s it. That’s why I get up at 5:45am and drive to the rink.
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