Dust Settles, Time to Peer into the Future and Get Things Wrong

So the press conferences are done and the Roy Halladay era is over. All in all I am thankful that he is gone to another league for a couple of years at least, and next year won't be some kind of "we suck but here's Roy until we trade him" farewell tour.

So obviously there is a lot to do, to put it mildly, and that must mean you the reader want me to predict what I think will happen next so I can be wrong! So here goes, mixed in with some advice to the Management:

First off, this team will suck next year - 100 losses suck - just get over it now. Anybody suggesting that any move be made to make the team better next year that might create a negative impact in future years needs to be smacked in the back of the head.

1) The only mildly interesting things I got out of the djf's excellent summary of yesterdays press conference (what you thought i would actually watch that thing myself? ahahahaha!) was that they see Wallace as a 1b no question, and that he will start at AAA, Drabek at AA and the musketeer will start in Dunedin. I guess that would be open to change if Drabek and Wallace wow in spring training, the musketeer is years away. I can't see Drabek making it to the majors before next September unless he is ridiculous. Why start his clock? I think Wallace actually has a good chance of making the team out of spring training, if they think there is no chance he can be a 3b and he can hit major leaguers in the spring, what's the point of keeping him back?

2) I think this means that Edwin Encarnacion probably sticks around for at least another year and they really see whether or not he can play 3B, stay healthy and post an +800OPS. I think the guy really has some potential and could be pretty good over the next couple of years while he is in his "prime". I think he could actually make a decent #2 hitter in a power/OBP/no speed offence, which seems to be what the Jays are building. It would be good if they can find a 3B for the next couple of years, because the only thing worse than trying to find a good ss is trying to find a good ss and 3B at the same time.

3) I think the Jays are trying to move Overbay, but I don't think they will do it just to do it. If he can pick it up next season and get back to what he was before the hand injury he could make for a very nice trade deadline deal, especially as he is coming to the end of his cheap deal. I can't see getting much for him right now, especially for just him.

4) I think they should keep all their young pitching unless something special can be gained by including some of it in an Overbay trade. Otherwise keep all those guys and give Marcum and Romero a full season and everybody else as close to 20 starts as you can, even Purcey and Mills. By everybody I mean Litsch (if he get's back), Cecil, Rzep, Ray and the other 2. Richmond I'm not so sure about. I honestly doubt McGowan is ever going to pitch again, sad but true.

Get these guys as much experience as you can and gather as much information as you so can to try and make intelligent decisions for 2011.

If they do take a flyer on a cheap free agent starter (Bedard? somebody RH?), then obviously that's going to cut into everybody else's opportunities, but I don't really see that as likely.

5) Trade Accardo. If he is with the team again next year and they jerk him around again, I can't see him staying nice and quiet about it. I don't think they have the option to send him up and down again so if they just never use him in the MLB bullpen it would suck if the only news they generate next year is some kind of incident with him. The chances are probably low but still, it's not the kind of press they need. If they actually plan on letting the guy pitch and show what he's got then fine, but I just don't see that happening for some reason.

6) Find a way to go back on this Cito farewell tour thing. Really, what is the good of letting him be a lame duck for a year even if you know you are going to suck. Unless somebody on the staff is really the new Manager in waiting and will really be running things, can't we just be rid of him? I wouldn't care who the guy was that they were doing this with, I would not publicly ride out a season like this unless my team was a stone cold lock veteran world series contender. I know I usually say I don't care who the manager is, but in this situation the Manager could actually screw up all the things that do matter for a rebuilding team. I mean i'm sure there will be a message from on high to play young players with a future over veterans who suck, but why should that message even need to be sent. I worry, I see no upside to this, only down.

7) Find a shortstop of the future. This should be atos's prime goal until he finds one. There should be no stone left unturned. They should draft like 5 ss's in the draft. If he can find 2 that would be great, because one can then play 3B. Until he has one he should wake up thinking ss and go to sleep dreaming about one.

8) Stop whining about attendance or ratings. Fire anybody who does. You sucked as an organization. You blew the last 5 years by not going for it when the opportunity was there. Whether that was JP or upper management getting in his way or whatever, you blew it and you are responsible for the fact that nobody wants your product. Stop blaming them for your mistakes. If anybody asks anybody then the answer is "we know things will get better when we play better", that is that. If the media wants to make a point of it, which of course they will, then don't get involved and again: "WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE PLAY BETTER THINGS WILL GET BETTER". If you do anything else but this, I will not believe that you are serious about building a contender. I will not believe that atos is anything but a diversionary tactic while you try to make as much profit as possible while spending as little as possible. In short I will not believe that you care at all about the final product on the field.

The Jays are not the padres, nationals, royals or (shudder) pirates. They have talent, and especially pitching talent. And they have ownership that can spend when the time is right. There is no reason the team can't be 500 again in 2011 and a legit contender in 2012-13. Now buck up and don't worry about next year.