There is depressingly little for Blue Jays news. There is the vague rumor that the Jays (along with everyone else in baseball) are interested in Vlad Guerrero Jr, but I couldn't figure a way to pad that out to a 200 word post. .
Shi Davidi tells us that it is going to be tough for the Jays to pick up anyone for the bullpen, with Shi's guesstimated $5-7 million left in the budget (that ends any hope we might have had that Shields might fall to us and it makes if even more doubtful that we'll sign Takashi Toritani). It is really starting to look like we are going to be trying to improve the bullpen by using the the same guys as last year, minus Casey Janssen.
There is the $5 million that Dioner Navarro is owed. The team might be able to move him during spring training. and save that money, but I don't see them being able to spend the savings by that point. I thought that we'd be able to get a good bullpen arm for him, but, if we could, it would have happened by now.
At the moment the bullpen looks like it will be Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup from the left. Chad Jenkins and Todd Redmond from the right.
Plus some combination of Marco Estrada, Kyle Drabek, Steve Delabar, Rob Rasmussen, Bo Schultz, Ryan Tepera, Colt Hynes, Cory Burns and Andrew Albers. And then what ever Alex can put up cheaply, most likely passing the hat around.
The wild card is Aaron Sanchez, who, I would think, would almost have to be in the pen if no other moves are made.
The other guy who becomes very important, if no other moves are made, is Steve Delabar. If he can pitch like he did in 2012 and 2013, he'd be the guy I'd like as closer. Beyond that, maybe Tepera could surprise, he did strikeout on a batter an inning in Buffalo. And I'm sure Estrada could fill a long man role with no problem.
I really hate that Alex stated, at the start of the off-season, that improving the bullpen was his number one priority and then did nothing about it. I really would like to trust that he means the things he says, but he keeps making it harder.
What would you do, if you were Alex, and you had $5 to 7 million to play with? Other than give yourself a $5 to 7 million pay raise? Would you hold on to the money, to use it at the trading deadline?