We know for a fact that the Jays have at least 3 post-season games and as many as 19. And you know what we need? A roster. This isn't going to be easy and there are going to be some hurt egos.
The first thing we need to consider is eligibility for the roster. Here are the rules as simply stated as possible. On or before 11:59pm on August 31st a player must:
- Be on the active 25 man Major League roster. OR
- On the 7, 15 or 60 day disabled list. OR
- On the suspended list. OR
- On bereavement leave. OR
- On active military duty.
So the long and short of it is that you need to have been part of the club prior to September 1st. The Jays currently have 36 men in their dugout. They need to get down to 25. Shouldn't be hard right?
Assumptions:
1. Tulowitzki is back, healthy and able to play every day.
2. There are no significant injuries being hidden.
Lastly, this roster ONLY matters for round #1. You can change between rounds and teams often do.
STARTERS:
1. David Price. Doesn't need a lot of explanation does it? He's on the short list for the Cy Young. Enough said.
2. R.A. Dickey. An 11-11 record with a 3.91 ERA may not scream #2 starter in the post season. Consider the following. In the 2nd half of the season he is 8-1 with a 2.80 ERA and a WHIP of 1.0003. On top of that he's getting 3 1/4 strike outs for every walk, best of his career. And you can control where he starts and he's 9-3 with a 3.11 ERA at home. No brainer.
3. Marcus Stroman. 4-0 with a 1.67. Not much to think about. All of the runs he's allowed in 4 games (5) have been on home runs. Do you care? Me neither.
4. Marco Estrada. Anyone realize just how good this guy is? He'll get Cy Young votes. Not many, but he'll get some. He led the entire league for fewest hits allowed over 9 innings at 6.663. Walks + Hits per inning pitched? 2nd in the league. ERA? 5th. These are stud numbers.
RELIEVERS:
5. Roberto Osuna. He closes, every chance I get. Forget the recent losses. A 2.58 ERA? Tom Henke was 2.67 for his career and he didn't come out of the gate at that number. The kid has game, No worries.
6. Mark Lowe. He's my 8th inning guy. I don't have a lot rationale here except that I like his demeanor and I also like that he completely dominates right handed hitters with a .196 batting average against. Also his 4 - 1 strike out ratio is terrific!
7. Brett Cecil. The 7th is in good hands with Cecil. So is the 8th if you want to flip them. Righties his .198 against him. Lefties .195. That's not over the last week or month...for the entire friggin' season. He's equally dominant home or away and his strike out to walk ratio in the second half is 18 1/2 to one. Ridiculous. Oh, his ERA over 30 games in the 2nd half? 0.00.
8. LaTroy Hawkins. He doesn't look much different that when he came up 20 years ago with the Twins. He might throw better though. He may seem kind of 'average' but he has an uncanny ability to work out of trouble. I like him in tight situations.
9. Liam Hendricks. Lets start with the fact that he brings post season experience. Then his 5-0 record. And over his career he's held batters to a .207 average. He's better than solid. Don't know when or where I'd pitch him, but I'm comfy when he's on the mound.
10. Alex Sanchez. I'll say I'm not a fan. Sure, lots of movement on the fastball, but its always the same movement. I think they're figuring him out. Giving him the 8th? I'll have an ulcer for sure. But if you need a rear-back-and-throw buy for one batter, this might be your guy.
11. Jeff Francis. With the first 3 pitchers above, you only really have need additional pitchers to a) step in for a starter that gets shelled or b) to avoid one of the above players going 3 days in a row. This spot comes down to Francis Vs. Loup. Two lefties, neither of which are particularly effective against left handed hitters which is odd. However Francis gives you flexibility, cunning and experience. If you want to bring him in for one guy, he can do that. If you need him to eat a couple of innings, he can do that too.
We're at 11 pitchers. Now....the infield.
INFIELD
12. (C) Russell Martin. Does not need commentary.
13. (C) Dioner Navarro. Because you obviously need a 2nd catcher.
14. (2B) Ryan Goins. Not because he's the best option. But because he's awesome. His bat has come alive in the second half hitting a solid .274 over his last 68 games. Watch for this in the post-season, when he has 2-1 count he's hitting .476 for the year. Oh, and he's a .500 hitter in Texas. Hitting aside, his defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is 9th overall in the entire league. He's an elite defender.
15. (SS) Troy Tulowitzki. Obvious.
16. (3B) Josh Donaldon. Obvious.
17. (1B) Justin Smoak. Lots to like. He's very good defensively, but not as great as Buck and Pat would have you believe. But still probably the best we've had there since Upshaw. He's a power threat, he can run well, he's actually learned to hit the off gap, career high in RBI (59), career high OPS (.768) and hit a cool .303 with runners in scoring position. But the best part? We're playing Texas, the team that gave up on him after his rookie year. And how's this for "not a coincidence"? His best career batting average against any American League team? The Texas Rangers.
18. (1B) Chris Colabello. The 2nd half of the what turned out to be a good first base tandem for the Blue Jays. For me he's just a great story. His major league debut was at the age of 29 in 2013. He was up with Minnesota for 55 games in '13 and 59 games in '14. The Twins left him unprotected after last season and the Jays picked him off waivers on December 8th for nothing. 101 games, 15 homers and 54 RBI for nothing. Add him and Smoak together and you have deadly 1B offense. Chris is over .300 against righties and lefties; at home and on the road; and is a .500 hitter with runners on 2nd and 3rd.
OUTFIELD / DH
19. (LF) Ben Revere. Again, what's not to like? 8th in the National League in stolen bases and he hasn't been there for 2 months. 3rd in the Majors in ABs, 7th in the Majors in fewest strikeouts (per at bat), Plus he's a leadoff hitter that's hitting .314 leading off games with a .340 OBA.
20. (CF) Kevin Pillar. What a year. Made the team as a 4th outfielder and guess what? 6th in the league in games played, 5th in stolen bases, 4th in stolen base percentage, 4th in games played as a center fielder (he started in left), 3rd in put outs by a center fielder, And most importantly, his defensive WAR is 2nd in the entire league.
21. (RF) Jose Bautista. I hear he's kinda good.
22. (DH) Edwin Encarnacion. Despite only getting 39 HRs.
Good Lord this is easy! 22 players, we've got 4 starters, 7 relievers, 7 infielders and 4 outfielders / DH. We still have 3 left. What to do with those 3?????
The Bench
About the bench. The Jays led the Majors in runs, led the Majors in doubles, Home runs, Total Bases, RBIs., 1st in On Base Percentage, 1st in Slugging Percentage, 1st in OPS, 1st in Walks, 1st in Stolen Base Percentage, 1st in Sacrifice Flies, 1st in Extra Base Hits and for good measure, we're 2nd in batting average (by a single point). These stats are across the entire league.
The point is that this team no help on offense. What it needs are specialist. And here they are:
23. (IF) Cliff Pennington. Lets start with the fact that you can not play without a back up infielder. In close games with lots of pinch hitting and pinch running, you'll need someone coming off the bench to back fill. So your choices are Pennington or Munenori Kawasaki. I'll take Pennington. He has 28 career games at 3rd base, 119 games at 2nd and 560 at short. The good news is that he can play all over the diamond. The GREAT news is that he has a Short Stop's brain. Despite what some may think, Short Stop is the most important position on the field. They have to be good, obviously. They have know their responsibilities, obviously. But Short Stops have to know what EVERYONE's responsibilities are. You can not have confusion on the diamond. You can't have communication issues (and I'm not talking about language either). This is an easy pick.
24. (OF) Dalton Pompey. Wait, What?????? Ya. Starting with, "IF" you have an injury in the outfield, you have an above average glove taking their place. If you don't, you still need a 4th outfielder. If someone pinch hits for Revere or Pillar late in a game, you'll need someone to finish the game in the field. If Colabello or Encarnacion are the tying or winning run late in the game, you need a fleet of foot pinch runner who can swipe a bag. This is your guy.
25. (C) Josh Thole. Well if the last one didn't catch you off guard, this one probably did. Thole? Yep. First and foremost, we don't need offense, so if he catches Dickey's start I'm more than happy with that. I think Dickey is that much better with Thole catching, particularly with runners on base. But, this gives you flexibility with a 3rd catcher. Its too easy for a catcher to get dinged by foul tips or bats or slides. Also, if you switch catchers and have a 3rd in the hole you can still pinch hit or pinch run should the need arise.
There's my 25. Who would take out and put in?
1. David Price. Doesn't need a lot of explanation does it? He's on the short list for the Cy Young. Enough said.
2. R.A. Dickey. An 11-11 record with a 3.91 ERA may not scream #2 starter in the post season. Consider the following. In the 2nd half of the season he is 8-1 with a 2.80 ERA and a WHIP of 1.0003. On top of that he's getting 3 1/4 strike outs for every walk, best of his career. And you can control where he starts and he's 9-3 with a 3.11 ERA at home. No brainer.
3. Marcus Stroman. 4-0 with a 1.67. Not much to think about. All of the runs he's allowed in 4 games (5) have been on home runs. Do you care? Me neither.
4. Marco Estrada. Anyone realize just how good this guy is? He'll get Cy Young votes. Not many, but he'll get some. He led the entire league for fewest hits allowed over 9 innings at 6.663. Walks + Hits per inning pitched? 2nd in the league. ERA? 5th. These are stud numbers.
RELIEVERS:
5. Roberto Osuna. He closes, every chance I get. Forget the recent losses. A 2.58 ERA? Tom Henke was 2.67 for his career and he didn't come out of the gate at that number. The kid has game, No worries.
6. Mark Lowe. He's my 8th inning guy. I don't have a lot rationale here except that I like his demeanor and I also like that he completely dominates right handed hitters with a .196 batting average against. Also his 4 - 1 strike out ratio is terrific!
7. Brett Cecil. The 7th is in good hands with Cecil. So is the 8th if you want to flip them. Righties his .198 against him. Lefties .195. That's not over the last week or month...for the entire friggin' season. He's equally dominant home or away and his strike out to walk ratio in the second half is 18 1/2 to one. Ridiculous. Oh, his ERA over 30 games in the 2nd half? 0.00.
8. LaTroy Hawkins. He doesn't look much different that when he came up 20 years ago with the Twins. He might throw better though. He may seem kind of 'average' but he has an uncanny ability to work out of trouble. I like him in tight situations.
9. Liam Hendricks. Lets start with the fact that he brings post season experience. Then his 5-0 record. And over his career he's held batters to a .207 average. He's better than solid. Don't know when or where I'd pitch him, but I'm comfy when he's on the mound.
10. Alex Sanchez. I'll say I'm not a fan. Sure, lots of movement on the fastball, but its always the same movement. I think they're figuring him out. Giving him the 8th? I'll have an ulcer for sure. But if you need a rear-back-and-throw buy for one batter, this might be your guy.
11. Jeff Francis. With the first 3 pitchers above, you only really have need additional pitchers to a) step in for a starter that gets shelled or b) to avoid one of the above players going 3 days in a row. This spot comes down to Francis Vs. Loup. Two lefties, neither of which are particularly effective against left handed hitters which is odd. However Francis gives you flexibility, cunning and experience. If you want to bring him in for one guy, he can do that. If you need him to eat a couple of innings, he can do that too.
We're at 11 pitchers. Now....the infield.
INFIELD
12. (C) Russell Martin. Does not need commentary.
13. (C) Dioner Navarro. Because you obviously need a 2nd catcher.
14. (2B) Ryan Goins. Not because he's the best option. But because he's awesome. His bat has come alive in the second half hitting a solid .274 over his last 68 games. Watch for this in the post-season, when he has 2-1 count he's hitting .476 for the year. Oh, and he's a .500 hitter in Texas. Hitting aside, his defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is 9th overall in the entire league. He's an elite defender.
15. (SS) Troy Tulowitzki. Obvious.
16. (3B) Josh Donaldon. Obvious.
17. (1B) Justin Smoak. Lots to like. He's very good defensively, but not as great as Buck and Pat would have you believe. But still probably the best we've had there since Upshaw. He's a power threat, he can run well, he's actually learned to hit the off gap, career high in RBI (59), career high OPS (.768) and hit a cool .303 with runners in scoring position. But the best part? We're playing Texas, the team that gave up on him after his rookie year. And how's this for "not a coincidence"? His best career batting average against any American League team? The Texas Rangers.
18. (1B) Chris Colabello. The 2nd half of the what turned out to be a good first base tandem for the Blue Jays. For me he's just a great story. His major league debut was at the age of 29 in 2013. He was up with Minnesota for 55 games in '13 and 59 games in '14. The Twins left him unprotected after last season and the Jays picked him off waivers on December 8th for nothing. 101 games, 15 homers and 54 RBI for nothing. Add him and Smoak together and you have deadly 1B offense. Chris is over .300 against righties and lefties; at home and on the road; and is a .500 hitter with runners on 2nd and 3rd.
OUTFIELD / DH
19. (LF) Ben Revere. Again, what's not to like? 8th in the National League in stolen bases and he hasn't been there for 2 months. 3rd in the Majors in ABs, 7th in the Majors in fewest strikeouts (per at bat), Plus he's a leadoff hitter that's hitting .314 leading off games with a .340 OBA.
20. (CF) Kevin Pillar. What a year. Made the team as a 4th outfielder and guess what? 6th in the league in games played, 5th in stolen bases, 4th in stolen base percentage, 4th in games played as a center fielder (he started in left), 3rd in put outs by a center fielder, And most importantly, his defensive WAR is 2nd in the entire league.
21. (RF) Jose Bautista. I hear he's kinda good.
22. (DH) Edwin Encarnacion. Despite only getting 39 HRs.
Good Lord this is easy! 22 players, we've got 4 starters, 7 relievers, 7 infielders and 4 outfielders / DH. We still have 3 left. What to do with those 3?????
The Bench
About the bench. The Jays led the Majors in runs, led the Majors in doubles, Home runs, Total Bases, RBIs., 1st in On Base Percentage, 1st in Slugging Percentage, 1st in OPS, 1st in Walks, 1st in Stolen Base Percentage, 1st in Sacrifice Flies, 1st in Extra Base Hits and for good measure, we're 2nd in batting average (by a single point). These stats are across the entire league.
The point is that this team no help on offense. What it needs are specialist. And here they are:
23. (IF) Cliff Pennington. Lets start with the fact that you can not play without a back up infielder. In close games with lots of pinch hitting and pinch running, you'll need someone coming off the bench to back fill. So your choices are Pennington or Munenori Kawasaki. I'll take Pennington. He has 28 career games at 3rd base, 119 games at 2nd and 560 at short. The good news is that he can play all over the diamond. The GREAT news is that he has a Short Stop's brain. Despite what some may think, Short Stop is the most important position on the field. They have to be good, obviously. They have know their responsibilities, obviously. But Short Stops have to know what EVERYONE's responsibilities are. You can not have confusion on the diamond. You can't have communication issues (and I'm not talking about language either). This is an easy pick.
There's my 25. Who would take out and put in?
6 comments:
No arguments here, pretty much who I'd have chosen
No arguments here, pretty much who I'd have chosen
Replace Dickey with Farah.
Thank god Karen had an informed comment. :)
Finally. New reading material.
Good picks, awesome team. Kawasaki will still be the first guy on the field after every win. What about Barney? Gold glove winner. Is he not eligible?
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