J.U.A.N. Just Uselessly Average Now

.252/.312/.409 2010
.287/.332/.478 2009
.246/.282/.438 2008



Those are Juan Rivera's triple slash lines from the past three years. Are you impressed? I'm not. He is currently batting .167 (5/31). He has struck out 4 times (almost as often as he has gotten a hit) has yet to take a walk. Tonight marks the 10th game of the season for the Blue Jays, which means that we should give Juan a break shouldn't we? John Farrell says we should, suggesting that he still has faith in Juan and is going to let him play it out every night. But even if he does get back to form, how good is that form? In 2009 Juan hit 25 hr and drove in 52 runs. He had a similar year in 2006 posting 23 hr and 85 rbi. Other than those two years Juan has never hit more than 15 hr in a season nor has he drove in more than 59 runs. Juan Rivera has never put together a string of two successful seasons. Instead he has flip-flopped between adequacy and above-average talent. I understand Farrell's message: faith in his players, but as a fan I don't care about Juan Rivera. He belongs in the what have you done for me lately category.
So we have a DH who is unable to H. We have a third baseman with a rubber arm but a potentially filthy bat. Is it just me or does it seem pretty obvious that Edwin fits better as a DH and Juan fits better on the bench (of another team). We have a third baseman who everyone said was spectacular during spring and has a ceiling as good as any hitter at his level in the minors. Why aren't we taking a chance? Oh ya so we can wait for Juan to have a hot streak for a month, get his sub-par stats in the books and then watch his aging body stand as a free-out in our line-up. I get it. I totally understand the situation from a Managers perspective. He has to encourage, show faith and gain the confidence of his players. But from a business prospective you have to cut loose the dying horse, sell it for what you can and use the money to build and train a new horse.
I know I have already commented about Brett Lawrie during the off-season, but the numbers just don't seem worth it. The young jays have a chance to do something special this year. I am not claiming World Series Champions. They have the ability to instill within themselves a winning attitude, the mentality that this team can match up with anyone's lineup. The players are bonding, showing a real urge to fight for each other. This is encouraging, you need your team to be like a family so that they can battle for each other and encourage rather than discourage. Juan Rivera is not part of that family. He is more like the boyfriend of a relative that no one likes and hopes wont be part of the family for too long. Lawrie needs to be born into this Blue Jays family and there is no time like the present.

G.

Toronto (2-1) vs Oakland (1-2)

The Blue Jays’ second series of the year begins tomorrow against the Oakland Athletics.

Toronto’s starting pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes, who arrived in Toronto in last year’s trade for Alex Gonzalez, will start for the Jays. In favour of the Jays starter, only four of the Athletics have seen Reyes in the past, and none with any regularity. However, Reyes only made the Jays starting rotation following an injury to No. 2 starter Brandon Morrow, and is expected to return to the bullpen when Morrow returns. Reyes is not a sure thing.

The Athletics’ starter Brandon McCarthy pitched most recently for Texas, and had some success there but has been riddled with injury problems for the past several years. A career FIP differential of only 0.72 suggests a fairly even matchup between these two starters.

In the batter’s box, the Jays will be looking to newly-signed Jose Bautista to continue the strong start he has had to the season, and hoping that J.P. Arencibia can do the same. All eyes will continue be on John Farrell after opening the season with a successful double steal on Friday, but then sacrificing an important out on the Yunel Escobar sacrifice bunt late in the game in Sunday’s loss to the Twins. Although Escobar has a higher than average ground ball rate, he is far from being a serious double play threat, especially considering his speed.

This game should be far from a pitcher’s duel, and should be a nice matchup for Toronto’s hot offense in the year’s second series.

Minnesota Takes Notice of New Look Jays.

Kyle Drabek just finished his first start of the year and is line to pick up the first major league win of his promising career. A single, which due to a misplay by Snider in LF allowed the runner Span to reach second, was the first and only hit the Blue Jays right-handed pitcher gave up. Drabek pitched 7 strong innings while giving up 1 earned run and striking out 7 batters.

The Minnesota Twins have already taken notice of the running game the Jays hope to utilize throughout the year as throughout today's game they were checking runners at first and seemed nervous awaiting double steals, hit and runs and other National League oriented plays. With runners on base Minnesota pitcher Francisco Liriano seemed erratic and unable to keep his composure throwing his well-known tight slider into the dirt on several occasions.

Farrell made fans a little nervous with the projected line-up today but considering how the game played out Farrell looks like a genius. Mike McCoy started the day playing CF mainly due to Rajai Davis and a sore ankle, but Farrell decidedly start Nix at third, Molina behind the plate and sat Travis Snider. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Molina always catches Drabek as the mentoring and confidence Molina brings behind the plate will be a great way to monitor and develop Drabek throughout the year. Newcomer Jayson Nix was slotted to bat 6th and play third and did not disappoint. Nix has good career numbers against Liriano and it showed in the bottom of the fourth when Nix drilled a no-doubter into the LF seats, reestablishing the Blue Jays one-run lead. Farrell's final decision to sit Snider against a tough lefty in Liriano makes complete sense. We have bench players who need to get into the game and there is not need to hurt Snider's progress. Snider is still learning the art of hitting tough lefties but has no problem hitting Slowey. Hist first home-run of his career came against Slowey and when he pinch hit for Rivera in the bottom of the 5th Snider tagged a first pitch change-up from Slowey into the RF corner scoring both Lind & E5.

I'm not sure if Farrell has a DeLorean hiding somewhere in the SkyDome but boy did he look like he could predict the future today. Subbing in Nix and pinch hitting for Rivera both turned out to be game defining moments. Farrell and the rest of the new-look Blue Jays have yet to disappoint. Keep rolling boys.

G.