Post by dougiejays on Dec 10, 2017 11:16:55 GMT -5
The Toronto Blue Jays took a step back in their second year of existence. After flirting with .500 for much of their inaugural season and then falling back to the bottom of the pack towards the end of the year, the Jays shipped out some veterans and focused on a youth movement in Year 2. The on-field results were ugly, especially on the pitching side, as the team carried an ERA of 5.73, good for second-worst in the majors. No pitcher on the team managed an ERA lower than closer Mike Garman’s 4.28. Dave Hamilton, Charlie Hough, and Francisco Barrios turned in semi-respectable campaigns out of the rotation, but five other pitchers ping-ponged back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen with disastrous results.
Things were better on the hitting side of the ledger, as the team ranked ninth in the majors in runs scored, propelled by a solid OBP across the board and a breakout campaign for 27-year-old center fielder Rich Coggins. Coggins blended some speed and power in with a .377 OBP and excellent CF defense as the left side of a platoon with Jay Schlueter. First baseman Jason Thompson didn’t quite replicate his Rookie of the Year season from a year ago, but remained a dependable cog in an offence that received contributions from almost every position.
As for the coming year, what is the plan?
“Get better,” GM Simon Broder says. “I really like some of the young pieces we have in place. It’s a long-term process, what we’re trying to build here.”
And next year?
“Well, obviously when you look at our pitching staff, there’s a lot of room for improvement. But it’s my hope that some of that improvement can come from within, whether it’s from players who improve from one year to the next or guys we call up from the minor leagues. We really think Ken Kravec has a chance to be a good pitcher if he can recover from this back issue. And we think Dave Stewart in AAA has a chance to be really special.”
So what are they targeting in the offseason?
“As for our focus, I think we’d really like to upgrade the defense and maybe bring in one more arm who can be a reliable piece long-term – whether that’s through trading a veteran, or just seeing what’s out there on the market remains to be seen.“
It remains to be seen what moves they make, but after a season in which the team barely missed out on a hundred losses, it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some improvement coming.
