Please give me reasons why they will or won't be able to compete.
2007-12-03 06:37:54 · 9 answers · asked by Frizzer 7 in Sports ➔ Baseball
I don't think they have any chance of competing in 08.
While they do get B.J. Ryan back, they just don't have the firepower the Red Sox and Yankees do.
My opinion might change if they make a few acquisitions, but as of now I have to say no.
.
2007-12-03 06:44:32 · answer #1 · answered by Kris 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They can compete, but it would be a heck of a lot easier if we didn't have Boston and New York in the division. To end up anywhere above third will require everything to fall exactly right.
If they're to have a chance, they need to have the kind of excellent pitching they had in 2006. They had the league's second-best ERA, and the rotation again looks very good. Halladay and Burnett are a potent 1-2 punch, while Dustin McGowan really matured into an outstanding third starter (3.42 after June). Shaun Marcum cooled off a little late in the season, but should be able to improve slightly this season. The fifth spot is a bit of a question mark. Jesse Litsch did very well for a 22-year-old (3.81 ERA), but I'm not sure how he'll fare over a full season. The bullpen remains very solid with Accardo, Downs and Janssen in the middle, and a healthy B.J. Ryan will be a huge help.
My biggest concerns are at catcher and shortstop. The Jays are committed to Gregg Zaun through this season, which means subpar offfense behind the plate. Zaun's OBP is decent, but he's 36 and likely to continue his decline. At short, we have the smooth-fielding John McDonald, whose defensive exploits can't cover up for the ..279 OBP and one homer in 300+ at-bats he put up last season. They signed Marco Scutaro in the offseason, and I'm hoping he at least splits time there. He's not exactly a star himself, but is an offensive upgrade.
The Jays will also need a bounceback year from Vernon Wells, who was just horrible last season. His slugging percentage dropped about 150 points from the previous season, and he killed the team on many occasions. Having Troy Glaus play at least 140 games would help, too, and the same goes for Overbay.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome is the fact that the Sox and Yankees keep getting better. Whether it's bringing along kids like Hughes, Ellsbury, Pedroia and Chamberlain, or chasing stars like Santana, it makes it difficult for Toronto. I'd predict a third-place finish as the most likely scenario, with a chance to do better if everything falls exactly into place.
2007-12-03 06:52:10 · answer #2 · answered by Craig S 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Losing BJ Ryan last year caused enough games to be lost that they may have had some meaningful games in September and 'could' have had an inpact on that wild card race.
The Jays haven't gotten any better, just a year older (for the older players) and a year more experience (for the younger players)
If they stay healthy, they will do ok, but in the AL East the playoffs need a lot of things to happen.
(imho) The Yankees haven't gotten any better either, despite some of their fans suggesting by resigning players, they have.
They have the same team, minus Clemens so far and they need guys like Hughes and Kennedy to step up.
2007-12-03 07:03:39 · answer #3 · answered by brettj666 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think that they need a lot of stars to line up for them to compete with the Sox and the Yankees for the division. Both teams ahead of them are reloading and reloading, they are not rebuilding but just reloading. Who ever gets Johan gets the leg up in the race. The Jays still need one more bat in the lineup, whether it is a healthy Frank Thomas or signing LoDuca to play Catcher and give them a bigger bat in the line up. The other thing that they need is a little more relief pitching...but doesn't everyone! They need a consistent bullpen to pull them through a healthy BJ Ryan will always help.
I still am not a big fan of the Man in Charge; I think Gibbons is a guy you keep in there only to keep you in the mid pack.
2007-12-03 06:46:17 · answer #4 · answered by bdough15 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's very unfortunate for the Toronto Blue Jays, because they play in the American League East.
However, If they get some good guy this offseason, stay healthy, and their pitching has a good year, they could maybe beat out the Yankees for the Wild Card. It's unlikely because of the power in the East and West, but it could happen.
However, here are my predictions:
East-Red Sox
Central-Indians
West-Angels
Wild Card-Mariners
2007-12-03 06:54:39 · answer #5 · answered by Chris Stewart 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. If you go position by position, the Red Sox and Yankees have them beat at almost every turn. A-Rod is better than Glaus. Jeter is better than Macdonald. Paplebon is better than Ryan. The list kind of goes on and on like that. I like the Blue Jays, but it's a darn shame they play with the two titans of the MLB in the same division.
2007-12-03 07:37:03 · answer #6 · answered by baseball_is_my_life 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sorry. they're going to end final. They lost Scutaro, Halladay, Barajas, Rios.. Yeah it somewhat is going to wreck.. Hill and Lind is in basic terms not waiting to place this group on their shoulders and carry them to 4th.. The Orioles truly stronger with the help of having Millwood, Tejada (improve over Izturis), Atkins (improve over Huff, atleast i think of that's.) and that they nevertheless have Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and so on. and so on. and so on. Sorry.. No uncomplicated thank you to assert it however the Blue Jays can not win 70 without Halladay. useful they have D'Arnaud, Drabek, Wallace, and multiple different youthful gamers, yet they at the instant are not waiting yet. they are unlikely to be waiting to accomplish on the MLB point until eventually they get some minor league time to alter. they at the instant are not great heroes to keep the final Canadian MLB franchise. beginning rotation : a million. Ricky Romero 2. Marc Rzepczynski 3. Brett Cecil 4. Shaun Marcum 5. Dustin McGowan Eh. they have like 60 beginning pitchers that could start up familiar yet they have not got any shown studs like Halladay. Romero isn't the suitable #2 and is not even on the ingredient of a reliable #a million SP... Sorry yet it somewhat is how that's. i understand i'm going to take multiple hate for it in spite of the undeniable fact that it somewhat is real. additionally how are they going to enable Jose Bautista bat lead-off? stupid, stupid, stupid!
2016-10-02 06:08:33 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure they do......as long as they get another starter to go with Halladay and Burnett. Can you say Dan Haren or Dontrelle Willis? Santana is probably to expensive for them. Not enough talent to compete in the sweepstakes. If they get another pitcher they can maybe shut down the Yanks/Sox lineups. They have a good lineup to go with the Yanks/Sox.
2007-12-03 06:52:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not being in the same division with the Yankeez and the Red Schlocks.
2007-12-03 10:17:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋