What a Game, What a Series, What a Comeback, What a Year

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals, 
2011 World Series Champions

Sports Superstar of the Week- Game 6 Edition

by Kelly Bedard

The St. Louis Cardinals had to win this game to force a seventh in the race for the 2011 World Series Title. They were down 5-7 going into the ninth.

Lifelong Cardinals fan and homebred Missouri boy David Freese hit a bottom of the 9th, 2-out, 2-RBI triple that tied the game, saving the series for his team and forcing the Texas Rangers into extra innings.

Then a 2-RBI homer from Josh Hamilton put the Rangers back on top. But the Cardinals loaded the bases and drove in another run in the bottom of the 10th. After Scott Feldman intentionally walked Albert Pujols, a single from Lance Berkman scored one more and sent the game to an 11th inning.

The Rangers did nothing in the top of the 11th, so after an incredible game of ups and downs and great play from both teams it came down to the Cardinals with a score of 9-9 in the bottom of the 11th. A centrefield solo homer from Freese won the game just moments ago, making him the unquestioned hero of the game. A triumphant display at home plate capped the enthralling game at 10-9 for the Cardinals.

On to Game 7 tomorrow at 7pm. As Jamie Campbell put it, "if you've got plans, break'em, 'cause this could be fun". 

Sports Superstars of the Week- Wildcard Edition

It's been quite a fight and it all comes down to tonight- the final game of the regular season.
Rays vs. Yankees, Sox vs. Orioles to break the tie for the AL Wildcard, the prize a ticket to the playoffs.
I'm with the Rays in this one but those Sox just won't die.

Carrying the Jays into 2012

by Kelly Bedard

As the Blue Jays bid adieu to the Rogers Centre for the year and Edwin Encarnacion clinches their perfect record in at-home extra innings (11-0) with a homerun to left field, I thought I'd take a moment to share what I'm most excited about for the team moving forward.

A Fond Farewell

by Kelly Bedard

Aaron Hill and John McDonald may not be the best baseball players ever to don Blue Jays uniforms but they are and always have been, without competition, my favourite players to do so. With their recent trade to the National League Arizona Diamondbacks, it's unlikely I'll be seeing my boys play live again for quite some time. It's been said over and over again that Johnny Mac (and possibly Hill) is looking to come back as a free agent next year but, no matter how short term, losing both is a major blow to my love of the team.

Alex Anthopoulos: Chess Master, Spin Master

by Michael Bedard

Alex Anthopoulos is one of the best general managers in major league baseball. I've often referred to him in previous articles as a "Chess Master". He is someone who sees the big picture and is always thinking three or four moves ahead. This past week however, Alex has proven himself to be a “Spin Master” as well.

Let me explain.

21: the age of this week's Sports Superstar

It's about time the Jays got themselves a Canadian and BC boy/ potential all star 3rd baseman Brett Lawrie will fit the bill more than perfectly. Now playing his 5th major league game, Lawrie's hitting .455 in the majors so far with 5 hits, 2 RBI and a home run. One of those RBIs came in his very first at bat on August 5th against the Orioles.

His call-up also means Jose Bautista's much-needed return to right field without compromising golden glove-level play in the hot corner.

It's been a while since Jays fans have had something to get excited about, but this 21 year old kid is definitely it.

Sports Superstar of the Week- Roberto Alomar

Tomorrow he'll be an official Hall of Famer so we're celebrating by naming the former Blue Jays second baseman our Superstar of the Week, even though he's been retired for years.

Read more about him HERE in our Hall of Fame announcement.

Sports Superstar of the Week- Derek Jeter

by Jess Couture

It may be the obvious choice, but there is only one right choice for  Sports Superstar of last week, Derek Jeter. Now, as a Red Sox fan the idea of naming a Yankee as the sportsman of the week may seem strange, but Derek Jeter is not just a member of the Yankees. Jeter is one of the most respectful sports players out there. His behavior on and off the field makes him one of the few men in sports that every person can say that they appreciate no matter where there affiliations lie.

After a stint on the DL for a strained calf, Jeter came back to become the 28th player in baseball history to accumulate 3000 hits. Not only did he become Mr. 3000, but he was the first Yankee player to hit this milestone and only the second player to do it with a homerun. He was also the first player to achieve this at Yankee stadium, new or old, and the 4th youngest to do it ever. Jeter hadn't hit a homerun over the fence in Yankee Stadium in over a year and this was only his 3rd home run of the season. But after hitting the long-awaited milestone, Jeter went 5 for 5 in a win over the Tampa Bay Rays. After that amazing game I look forward to seeing what this phenomenal sportsman will do next.

Sports Superstar of the Week- Ricky Romero

I've always argued that the reason baseball is better than all other sports (yes, I said it, it's not an opinion I find easy to hide) is that it's a rare true team effort. No matter how great the single superstar on your team (or even the handful of superstars), one man simply cannot win the game alone. In most team sports, a single high-scorer makes or breaks your team. With baseball, even the best of the best only comes to the plate once out of every nine at-bats. The most solid pitching can't win without run support and the best hitting can't overcome mediocre pitching. Unlike any other sport, baseball teammates truly need each other.

There are very few exceptions to this rule. The most recent is Blue Jays LHP Ricky Romero who came as close to putting on a one-man show last Sunday as a baseball player can get. The pitcher tossed a complete game, giving up only 4 hits and no runs.  Mind you, there was the occasional fielder who had to actually, you know, field those outs, but you get the point. Then, in the rarest of rare fashion, Romero backed himself up by coming to the plate in a National League ball park. On a team not known for clutch production (we do love you though Doc, welcome back to town!), Romero ensured himself the win by providing his own run support with a 2-RBI single in the sixth (his first major league hit). The Jays went on to sweep the Cardinals with a 5-0 victory. No, Romero didn't actually score any of those runs, his hit brought in players who'd already made their own way to 2nd and 3rd, and he certainly didn't play defense all on his own. But in the truest of team sports, his effort on Sunday was notably independent.

What Have We Learned?

by Michael Bedard

In baseball, it is often said that you really don’t know what you've got as a baseball team until at least 60 games into the season. Well, the Toronto Blue Jays have now played 66 games so it seems like a good time to see what they've got (or, as their .485 record -32 wins and 34 losses- would suggest, don’t have).

Baseball's Back!

The baseball season is officially under way, you can just feel the world getting a little bit brighter (except for the snow, that's just unacceptable). In preparation for tonight's game here's a video featuring Toronto's starting roster. Ricky, Aaron, Travis, JP, Jose and all the boys- welcome back!

Spring Training is Fun and A Time for Important Questions to be Answered

by Michael Bedard

The Toronto Blue Jays begin spring training on Monday in preparation for what hopes to be a “successful” 2011 baseball season.

Success for the Jays this year can be defined in many ways. The season will be a success if they simply win more games than they lose or can make it through September without losing any of their fine young pitchers to career-threatening injuries. Success would be finding out that Kyle Drabek is the real deal and can become a close substitute for pitching ace Roy Holiday (who left in the trade that brought Drabek to the Jays). Success would be proving that 2010 was an aberration for Aaron Hill and Adam Lind, who really can hit major league pitching consistently, and wasn't an aberration for Jose Bautista, who hopefully was not a one-season-wonder and can be a consistent power threat who hits over .270 in years to come. Success is Travis Snyder fulfilling his potential and playing an above-average left field, hitting with power/average and staying injury-free. Success would be if J.P. Arencibia can hit major league pitching but, more importantly, can catch and handle a pitching staff at the major league level. If Yunel Escobar can shred the “hot dog” label, utilize his athletic potential and become one of the top fielding and hitting shortstops in the majors. If they can have a top-end bullpen without having “the man” as a closer. If John Farrell can manage an entire ball club as effectively as he coached a pitching staff in Boston. Any and all of these things could make the Blue Jays' 2011 season a true success.

None of these “success” benchmarks will or can be achieved in spring training, that determination begins when they start to play baseball games for real on April 1st. Spring training does, however, begin the process that lays the foundation for their accomplishment. So, what are the key questions, the things we should look for when the Blue Jays spring training camp opens and heats up?

First and foremost is who is in the trainer’s room. The Blue Jays played last year relatively injury-free, especially with respect to their pitching staff. Manager Cito Gaston and pitching coach Bruce Walton went to great lengths to protect their young pitchers from throwing too many pitches during a game or throwing too many innings during the season. Hopefully their efforts will pay off and as the pitchers loosen up, lengthen and strengthen their arms, they are not sidelined with any significant tenderness indicating tendinitis or worse.

Second, can Adam Lind move his feet well enough to play first base? A big part of a pitcher's game is how well the team plays defence behind them. If Adam Lind makes the conversion from DH to 1st base effortlessly that will allow him to focus better at the plate. If he slumps at the plate, as he did last year, that, in turn, could affect his fielding and we could see a lot more of Edwin Encarnacion playing first base, a position that he has not played before on the major league level.

Third, which of the three newly acquired, “back of the bull pen” relievers will take charge and try to become “the man”? Jon Rouch, Octavio Dotel and Frank Francisco will all be given a chance to show that they can fulfill this role. If they don’t, then it could be closer-by-committee, which often leads to inconsistency and blown games. This would not be good for the emotional confidence and stability of the young starting pitching.

Fourth, can “small ball” replace “long ball” effectively so the Jays have a more consistent offense? Replacing the 72 homers produced by Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and John Buck collectively last year will not be easy, even if acquired-centre-fielder Rajai Davis steals 50 bases like he did last year. To be productive, the team will have to acquire a new offensive mindset and polish up on the fundamental skills of bunting, hitting behind the runner and taking the extra base. These are the skills that they haven't shown to be very proficient at in the last few years.

Fifth, who will become the new “in the club house” leader? For the most part, baseball players govern and manage themselves. Usually one or two veteran players will step up and set the tone and atmosphere in the club house. They lead by example on how the players will prepare and handle themselves as the season unfolds. By trading away Shawn Marcum and Vernon Wells, a huge leadership void has been created, and over the course of 162 games that void can swallow up and destroy an entire ball club. Aaron Hill and Ricky Romero are the two obvious choices to fill these leadership roles, but that just adds additional stress/responsibility to a player who is trying to rebound from a sub par offensive season and another who is beginning only his third full season as a major league pitcher.

These questions illustrate what spring training is all about: getting in shape but staying healthy; learning new skills; finding out who will step forward and fill in the gaps in the lineup; developing team cohesiveness offensively, defensively and, most importantly, in the club house. You don’t win the World Series in the spring, but you certainly can start putting the pieces together effectively so, when the “boys of summer” begin to play for real, they can make a legitimate run for the playoffs. For this reason alone, spring training is always fun and an important time to watch.

The Chess Master Strikes Again

by Michael Bedard

Less than a week after the blockbuster trade of Vernon Wells, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos (whom I'm now dubbing "the chess master") was at it again. This time he flipped newly acquired Catcher/1st Basement/DH Mike Napoli to the Texas Rangers for relief pitcher Frank Francisco (6-4, 3.76 ERA, 2 saves in 56 relief appearances) and cash. This trade, though surprising, was not completely unexpected. A chess master is always looking a few moves ahead, something Anthopoulos proved yet again to be one of his strongpoints in his news conference this week after the Francisco trade. Knowing that there had been a number of clubs contacting the Angels about Napoli's availability before the Jays acquired him, Anthopoulos made the trade for Napoli with the possibility of another one never far from his mind.

Anthopoulos has made it his mission to protect his young starting rotation from physical burnout and emotional frustration. Last year, the Jays implemented two strategies to physically protect their starters. The first was a ceiling on pitchcount (a starter generally threw no more than 100-110 pitches a game). The second, was limiting the number of innings they would pitch for the season (that's why they shut down Brandon Morrow last September, he reached a pre-determined number of innings for the season).

This year, Anthopoulos has made moves to alleviate the stress of blown save opportunities: he's rebuilt his bull pen. First, he let closer Kevin Gregg and left hand specialist Scott Downs go as free agents to collect draft picks and save money (The Blue Jays now have 8 of the first 80 picks in this year’s entry draft). Next, he's traded for and signed a slew of veteran relievers with closing experience: Octavio Dotel (37, 3-4, 4.08 ERA, 22/28 saves, 75 Ks in 64 innings), Jon Rouch (32, 3-1 3.12 ERA, 21/25 saves, 46 Ks in 57 innings), as well as Francisco. Though none of them are “the closer” all true post-season contenders must have, they do give 1st year manager John Farrell some depth to play with in the pen.

Rouch and Francisco are especially interesting acquisitions. Last year Rouch started as the Minnesota Twins' closer after their premier closer Joe Nathan had season-ending elbow surgery. Rouch did pretty well and that experience should add to his effectiveness this year. Francisco is even more interesting. He was “the closer” for Texas in 2009 and posted 25 saves in 29 opportunities. Though he lost his closer position in 2010 to AL Rookie of the Year Alex Feliz, he is a proven major league closer. An added bonus is Francisco’s effectiveness against left handed batters. Last year, lefties only batted .205 against him and over the course of his career he has held them to a very respectable .215 average. This will complement and relieve some of the load on the Jays left handed specialist David Purcey.

Anthopoulos has also acquired a number of other proven middle inning relievers such as Carlos Villanuva (who had 67 K’s in 52 innings last year). There are holdovers from last year’s team; Casey Janssen, Shawn Camp, Jason Frasor, Josh Roenicke, and Jesse Carlson, as well, as lefty Jo Jo Reyes, (acquired in the Escarbar trade) and Chad Cordero (who is returning from shoulder surgery but posted 47 saves in 2005 with the Washington Nationals).

Though that most sought-after commodity “the closer” remains elusive, the chess master has strengthened and added depth to the Blue Jays bullpen,  something that will definitely serve the team well over the marathon 162-game season. The Francisco trade is just one more example of Anthopulos thinking ahead to fill a void and protect his most-prized asset, his young and talented starting pitching.

Looking ahead, I have to think that Anthopoulos is going to address the third base position next; I think he'd prefer to keep Jose Bautista in right field. Stay tuned, there is surely more to come from The Chess Master.

Thoughts on the Vernon Wells Trade

by Michael Bedard

Alex Anthopoulos did what many people considered impossible, he traded Vernon Wells. The centre fielder is very talented but very expensive ($86 million over the next 4 years), aging (32) but still productive (.273, 31 HR, 88 RBI in 2010) and a three-time All Star. Wells went to the Angels in exchange for 29-year-old Catcher/1st Baseman/DH Mike Napoli (.238, 26 HR, 68 RBI in 2010) and 32-year-old Outfielder Juan Rivera ( .252, 15 Hr, 52 RBI in 2010).

To be sure, this is a salary dump. Napoli and Rivera together will cost the Jays approximately $11 million this year versus $23 million for Wells. After that, Napoli will have one more season of arbitration eligibility which will result in a salary range of $6 to 8 million; Rivera will be a free agent and off the books. This results in a total salary savings of about $68 million over the course of Wells' contract.

Anthopoulos, in his post trade interviews, admitted that financial considerations where a major factor in making this trade. What this means is that he has more financial flexibility to sign two of his young pitchers, Brandon Morrow and Brent Cecil to long term contracts. If we use the contract negotiated with Ricky Romero last summer as a template ($30.1 million over the next 5 years) then theoretically he could sign both these promising pitchers for the amount saved by trading Wells. Smart?? It is if you're an accountant for Rogers Communications (who own the Jays). But, in my opinion, it's not so smart if you're trying to build a team to compete in 3-5 years, the very thing Antropoulos has been touting as his principal goal since he was named General Manager little over a year ago.

Napoli and Rivera are solid, but neither are All-Star-quality position players. They do give the Jays' manager John Farrell more lineup flexibility and depth, which is important... if you're trying to be a contender THIS year. But that's not Anthopoulos’ supposed goal; if it was, he wouldn't have traded Shaun Marcum for a prospect who's at least 1-2 years away from making the team. Anthopoulos compromised himself with this trade to meet budget constraints. In doing so, he's weakened his team this year AND lost an opportunity to continually build the Jays for the future.

Let me explain. First of all, the Jays are weaker this year without Wells in centre field and the middle of the lineup. Second, by trading him for 2 established-but-not-extraordinary major leaguers rather than for 1 of the Angels' top prospects, he lost an opportunity to strengthen his club in the long-term. Anthopoulos has stated that his goal is to build his team for the future, so that he has a potential All Star at each position. This trade does not accomplish that.

If it is true (and I suspect it is since Anthopoulos has been very honest in his interviews in the past) that the Angels and other teams pursued Wells “aggressively”, then it makes sense that the Angels, or another team, would have been willing to give up 1 of their top prospects to acquire him. This would have weakened the Blue Jays this year for sure, but it would have resulted in increased salary savings and a bigger upside in the future.

Alex Anthopoulos has built up a lot of goodwill with the Blue Jays fan base in the short time that he's been GM. He's made a lot of shrewd deals and, to his credit, seems to approach many of his trades and signings like a chess master thinking 3 or 4 moves ahead.

Unfortunately, I don’t see that potential with this trade. It's difficult to believe that any team, near the trade deadline, would be willing to give up a top minor league prospect for either Napoli or Rivera. However, let's cut the guy some slack, it's possible that Anthopoulos is considering his willingness to trade top catching prospect, J.P. Arencibia (who is major league ready) for a top-line minor league prospect who's 2-3 years away from the big leagues. He did this last year when he sent Brett Wallace to Houston in exchange for Anthony Gose, who's still 1-2 years away from being major league material. I've always suspected Anthopolos wasn't convinced Arencibia would be the Blues Jays' future catcher. The Jays are strong in the minors with catching prospects Travis d’Arnaud (double A) and Carlos Perez (high single A). Naploi gives him the flexibility to make this type of trade.

Anthopoulos has earned my respect so far, and you can never truly predict how any trade will work out.  But, until proven otherwise, I'm convinced this trade, was made solely to strengthen the organization's financial bottom line, rather than strengthening the actual team now or in the future.

Alex, prove me wrong!

Alomar Gets the Call

90% of voters in the Baseball Writers Association of America wanted Roberto Alomar in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. Every Toronto Blue Jays fan there ever was agrees. And on July 24th of this year, we'll be getting our wish.

In 17 years in the major leagues, Alomar was a 12x All Star and won 10 Golden Gloves, the record at second base (he's in second place for most second base Silver Sluggers with 4). In his 5 years with Toronto he won 2 World Series, maintained a batting average of .308, stole 206 bases and earned 447 runs.

Though he also played for the Padres, the Orioles, the Indians, the Mets, the White Sox and the Diamondbacks, Alomar considers himself a Toronto Blue Jay and that's the uniform he hopes to wear in the Hall of Fame. If that happens, he'll be the first Jay to make it there.

The Game Loses an All-Star Cub

It is with deep sadness that we report the death of Chicago Cub great Ron Santo. The 70-year-old former player and broadcaster died of cancer yesterday in Arizona. For 14 years Santo manned the hot corner, and if it wasn’t for Erin Banks, might be regarded as Mr. Cub. A 5-time Golden Glove winner, Santo hit 342 homeruns with 1,331 RBI in his career and was chosen for the All-Star team no fewer than 9 times. He was a great ball player and an even bigger ambassador for the great game of baseball. He will be missed.

Heating up the Hot Stove... but not without consequences

by Michael Bedard

The Major League winter meetings are next week in Lake Buena Vista Florida and the Hot Stove League has been heated up as they approach.

Detroit has been a major player so far, signing setup man Joaguin Benoit to a three year 16.5 million dollar contract, big bucks for a setup man. Next, they signed a top free agent in catcher/DH Victor Martinez- a 4 year/50 million dollar deal, more big bucks. Not to be outdone, yesterday the Chicago White Sox signed first baseman Adam Dunn to a  4 year/56 million deal. These are three big and expensive signings before the meetings even begin. And before the Yankees join in the fun.

Next week, the focus will be squarely on who will sign left hander Cliff Lee. Certainly the biggest pitching free agent,  Lee's deal will have a domino effect on the price paid to other free agents as well as trades made by teams that lose out in the bidding. The Yankees, of course, and the Texas Rangers are the front runners to land this big fish. It is reported that Lee is looking for something around $23 million per year for 5 years. OUCH! Once this signing is out of the way, other free agents will know what the market will bear and signing and trades will come fast and furious.

The Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletes and Detroit Tigers will all be active participants next week as they attempt to continually upgrade their teams at, what seems to be, any price. Third baseman Adrian Beltre, and outfielders Carl Crawford and Jason Werth will all be hotly and expensively pursued.

The Winter Meetings and the signing of free agents is exciting to read about and for teams that sign free agents it brings instant gratification and enthusiasm to their fan base. But, for teams that cannot afford this financial luxury such as the Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals or even our beloved Toronto Blue Jays, it becomes a case of the haves and have not’s and more frustration for their fans as it becomes harder and harder for their these teams to compete.  This is the Achilles heal of Major League Baseball. Teams in smaller markets cannot compete consistently from year to year and as a consequence their fan bases shrink. This is not a sustainable business model and will have a significant impact on fan interest in years to come. If the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox or Philadelphia Phillies are not in the World Series nobody cares. Case in point: the dismal TV ratings for the World Series this year between the Texas Rangers and San Francesco Giants. Could anyone name three players on either team before the series began?

Baseball needs parity, financial parity, if it wants to regain its title from the NFL as America’s game. The Winter Meetings are heating up the Hot Stove, but maybe in the process it's destroying what in fact it is trying to build- enthusiasm for this great game.

More Questions than Answers for the Toronto Blue Jays

by Michael Bedard

Alex Anthopoulos, has shown a golden touch in his first year as the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. The signing of John Buck as primary catcher was an excellent move; securing Alex Gonzales as shortstop and then flipping him over for a young potential-All Star shortstop in Yunel Escobar was another. However, heading into this off-season Anthopoulos faces much bigger challenges, none more pressing than the heightened expectations he's established for the fans.

As successful as the Blue Jays were in 2010, there are many big questions lingering over the team as they gear up for 2011. Three of the most glaring questions are:

1) Who will play third base? Encarnacion has been released and claimed on waivers by the Oakland A’s, leaving a hole at the hot corner.

2) John Buck has signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins. Who will take Buck's place as the everyday catcher?

3) Who will shore up the back of the bullpen with the departure of Greg, Downs and Frasor?

Anthopoulos has addressed the first question with yesterday's acquisition of Rajai Davis from Oakland. The 30-year-old speedster will bring a decent (if sometimes wild) arm to right field and solid stats to the plate, batting .285 with 50 stolen bases last year in over 150 games. On the surface this addresses two major concerns. First, it adds speed to a batting order dominated by power hitters, always a good thing. Second, it allows Jose Baustista to shift to third base, giving that position a much needed defensive upgrade, an important thing for a team built around solid pitching. The problem with this trade lies in Davis' sub-average OBP of .330, too low for a leadoff batter. To me, this reads as a stop-gap maneuver, a tie-over until highly touted centre field prospect Anthony Gose is major league ready.

The second question seems like an easy fix. JP Arencibia (the Pacific Coast Player-of-the-Year) could be the man for the job. However, Anthopoulos appears to have some reservations about whether he can handle the young pitching staff the Jays have at the major league level. The starting rotation is the team's strength, I don’t think Anthopoulos wants to jeopardize their development with an inexperienced catcher. But Arencibia had done all he can at the minor league level; it's time for him to show what he can do in the majors. The Jays will just have to bite the bullet as he matures into a proven major league catcher.

The third question is going to be more challenging to address. As mentioned, the starting rotation is solid and in my opinion has the potential to be the best in either league (yes, that includes World Series champions San Francisco Giants). Anthopoulos cannot allow a weak back-end bullpen to regularly jeopardize the quality starts that this group will deliver. As it stands right now, Anthopoulos has potentially two in-house pitchers to replace Downs and Frasor: lefty David Purcey, and righty Casey Janssen. Unfortunately, neither has much experience pitching in the 7th and 8th innings, but both showed enough promise in 2010 that they deserve an opportunity to pitch in more meaningful game situations. The real trick will be to find a reliable closer. Kevin Gregg's lack of consistency isn't ideal, but the market for premium closers is very thin. Anthopoulos has tried to pry young potential-closers from the Red Sox and Yankees over the last year, but these teams realize the value of having quality pitchers late in the game and were not interested in giving them up. Anthopoulos may be forced to re-sign Gregg for another year if he is unable to spring a trade for a top-end closer. Otherwise, the team will have to start the season with a closer-by-committee scenario, which, over the long haul, usually does not fare too well. The ability to shorten a game to 6 innings with a solid back-end bullpen is invaluable. This was key to the Yankees' success last year and will be a major hurdle for Anthopoulos to tackle in the off-season.

Alex Anthopoulos and the Jays have three big questions to answer, the hot stove league is just heating up. Stay tuned, everything can change in a moment. 

The New Blue Jays Manager

John Farrell was named as the heir to Cito Gaston's throne earlier today in a press conference held by GM Alex Anthopoulos. The new manager comes from the Boston Red Sox where he's spent the last 4 seasons as pitching coach.

Click Here to read about it on MLB.com