Sluggers will start Blue Jays’ dominoes
Although Mark Shapiro took over as Blue Jays president at the beginning of last off-season and Ross Atkins was hired as general manager last December, this offseason will provide the first true look at their vision for the organization and its future.
A year ago, the Jays had most of their position-player core returning, while the groundwork for the most important freeagent signings — J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada — had already been laid by the previous regime, and assistant GM Tony LaCava in particular. The roster needed tinkering, but not a lot of substantial work.
Heading into this off-season, the Jays have nine free agents: Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders, R.A. Dickey, Brett Cecil, Joaquin Benoit, Dioner Navarro, Gavin Floyd and Scott Feldman. So there will be holes to fill all over the diamond. Ahead of Atkins’ endof-the-season news conference on Monday, here’s a look at the team’s top five off-season priorities:
BAUTISTA AND ENCARNACION
The Jays will make one-year qualifying offers — worth about $17 million — to both of their big-dog free agents, Bautista and Encarnacion, who will almost certainly reject them. The qualifying offer ensures that if the players sign with another team, the Jays receive a compensatory draft pick. Saunders is a borderline qualifying offer candidate but, given how dramatically his performance declined in the season’s second half, the Jays may let him walk.
The bigger question is how intent Shapiro and Atkins are to bring back either Bautista or Encarnacion. It almost certainly won’t be both, given not only their respective contract demands, but the fact that they both may be relegated exclusively to designated hitter duty within a season or two. If both players sign elsewhere, the Jays would need to not only fill holes in the corner outfield and first base, but also attempt to replace their offensive production, which won’t be easy.
Almost every other decision Shapiro and Atkins makes this off-season will hinge on what happens with the Jays’ longtime cornerstones.
LEFT-HANDED HITTERS
Whatever happens with Bautista and Encarnacion, the Jays will likely look to add a little more balance to their heavily right-handed lineup. The only left-handed bats currently on the roster are Ryan Goins, Ezequiel Carrera and the switchhitting Justin Smoak, none of whom project as everyday players.
So when the Jays are searching for corner outfielders and, potentially, a first baseman/DH, they will almost certainly prioritize left-handed hitters. Dodgers outfielder Josh Reddick may fit the mould, but he hasn’t hit well since joining L.A. from Oakland. The switch-hitting Dexter Fowler, who posted an .840 OPS this season as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter, may be a better free-agent target because he could also fill the Jays’ needs for a bona fide leadoff hitter and improved outfield defence.
CONTACT HITTERS
Despite scoring the ninth-most runs, the Jays had the 23rd-lowest batting average and the eighth-highest strikeout rate in the majors this season.
While they could outslug a lot of their opponents, their reliance on hitting the ball out of the park in order to score made them particularly susceptible to deep, frustrating slumps, as evidenced in September and in the ALCS against Cleveland.
Look for them to go after less strikeout-prone, higher-batting-average hitters.
BULLPEN REINFORCEMENTS
After the Bautista-Encarnacion quandary, the other biggest decision facing the Jays is arguably whether or not to transition Roberto Osuna and/or Joe Biagini into starting pitchers.
With Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, Estrada, Happ and Francisco Liriano all returning next year, there isn’t a dire need to add starting pitching, but perhaps the Jays will look to deal one of their other starters to add a bat, in which case they may feel more inclined to stretch out one of their young relievers.
But there will be holes to fill in the bullpen, regardless. With the potential free-agent departure of Cecil, the team’s only reliable lefty, the Jays will be looking to add at least one southpaw to their bullpen mix. Benoit, 39, is also a free agent, while Jason Grilli, who turns 40 next month, has a $3million team option with a $250,000 buyout.
BACKUP CATCHER
It’s not the top priority, but with Josh Thole on his way out with R.A. Dickey, the Jays will need to find a backup catcher who can lighten the load on Russell Martin.
The organization’s top catching prospect, Reese McGuire — who was acquired at the trade deadline along with Liriano from Pittsburgh for Drew Hutchison — finished last season in Double-A New Hampshire, so he’s unlikely to make the big-league team out of spring training but could be called up at some point if he fares well in Triple-A.
There are a number of veteran backup catchers on the free-agent market this year, including former Dodger A.J. Ellis, Rockies backstop Nick Hundley and Drew Butera, who caught 51 games for the Royals this year.