How many games is that?

Great article on how the big trade came together over time:

Anatomy of the 12-player Blue Jays-Marlins trade | Blue Jays | Sports | Toronto Sun

Josh Hamilton is heading to the Los Angeles Angels, this means the Jays will have a harder time winning a wild card spot the only realistic way the Jays can get into the playoffs. The Jays really missed out on a real opportunity here and it was only money keeping them from making the move. Real shame.

Division Winners

Yankees
Tigers
Angels

Wild Card
Texas

??? host of teams

2 wild card spots, and BAL showed that any team can win

actyper;341967 wrote2 wild card spots, and BAL showed that any team can win

I agree, that's why I disagree with those think the Jays are virtually a shoe in for the playoffs are sadly mistaken. To get in the playoffs is going to take 93 wins to make the playoffs. I don't think the Jays are there yet. Not going after Hamilton was a big mistake.

The Prophet 22;341968 wroteI agree, that's I disagree with those think the Jays are virtually a shoe in for the playoffs are sadly mistaken. To get in the playoffs is going to take 93 wins to make the playoffs. I don't think the Jays are there yet. Not going after Hamilton was a big mistake.

Care to make a wager? If playing in wild card game is considered in the playoffs ill bet you $20.

Jacen299;341969 wroteCare to make a wager? If playing in wild card game is considered in the playoffs ill bet you $20.

I LOVE the Jays and want them to make the playoffs. But I will take the bet. Payable the day the all American League playoff berths are decided. i'd even go the same with 4 others.

Prophet22

im starting to get super tilted

all these acquisitions of late are great, and make me :) but the fact that our pitching is fucking terrible makes me :mad:

also super tilted that the josh hamilton signing makes it super hard for us to get a play off birth.

we have no bonafide #1, (or #2 for that matter), our bullpen sucks dick and casey jansen =

I love the ridiculous over reaction to "names" ITT.

The Angels have signed Josh Hamilton (my god did you see him demolish the HR contest at the all-star game a few years back??), give them the World Series.

So this winter a team that was below average in pitching and tied for the AL in blown saves (I'm talking about the Angels not the Jays....and they were tied the the Red Sox in blown saves), has lost Grienke, Haren and Santana from their starting rotation and replaced them with Ryan Madsen (closer coming off Tommy John surgery) Joe Blanton and Tommy Hanson (2 NL starters that now have to face an extra hitter each game)...oh and Josh Hamilton. For their sake I hope he has worked on his slider this off season.

No GM in their right mind would have made those moves other than out of necessity, and when you factor in they now have basically shut the door on Peter Bourjos and his upside because they are paying Wells 20 million to play left field are things really that rosey?

The Jays aren't perfect, but complaining about their pitching is ridiculous. Buerhle and Johnson instantly add 2 top of the rotation guys and their bullpen will be one of the best in baseball next year regardless of the role Janssen plays. It was trending that way late last season and they have only added more depth.

Every team has warts but I like the look of the Jays better than most right now.


EDIT: And Brent, listing Texas as an automatic wild card AFTER losing Hamilton? They choked up a huge lead in their division last season when they had Hamilton. Now they lose him, Napoli and Michael Young and are talking about moving Kinsler to first to fit in a rookie with a great possibility they will be starting a rookie in CF too?? Hardly sounds like a playoff contender to me.

It's December people. Anything can and will happen this season.

I'm über happy that at least this year the Jays made serious moves to improve. This team is miles better then last years.

I tip my hat to AA and to to Rogers for opening up the parole. Even if we missed the playoffs, at least the Jays management didn't sit with their thumbs up their asses this offseason.

I don't think there's a single lock in baseball anymore, its getting a lot more competitive like it should be.

Hellmuth's Mole;341994 wroteI love the ridiculous over reaction to "names" ITT.

The Angels have signed Josh Hamilton (my god did you see him demolish the HR contest at the all-star game a few years back??), give them the World Series.

So this winter a team that was below average in pitching and tied for the AL in blown saves (I'm talking about the Angels not the Jays....and they were tied the the Red Sox in blown saves), has lost Grienke, Haren and Santana from their starting rotation and replaced them with Ryan Madsen (closer coming off Tommy John surgery) Joe Blanton and Tommy Hanson (2 NL starters that now have to face an extra hitter each game)...oh and Josh Hamilton. For their sake I hope he has worked on his slider this off season.

No GM in their right mind would have made those moves other than out of necessity, and when you factor in they now have basically shut the door on Peter Bourjos and his upside because they are paying Wells 20 million to play left field are things really that rosey?

The Jays aren't perfect, but complaining about their pitching is ridiculous. Buerhle and Johnson instantly add 2 top of the rotation guys and their bullpen will be one of the best in baseball next year regardless of the role Janssen plays. It was trending that way late last season and they have only added more depth.

Every team has warts but I like the look of the Jays better than most right now.


EDIT: And Brent, listing Texas as an automatic wild card AFTER losing Hamilton? They choked up a huge lead in their division last season when they had Hamilton. Now they lose him, Napoli and Michael Young and are talking about moving Kinsler to first to fit in a rookie with a great possibility they will be starting a rookie in CF too?? Hardly sounds like a playoff contender to me.

Maybe. but by your own argument so do our new pitchers after leaving the NL. As long as TO has to play Red Sox, Yankees, Tampa, and a Baltimore team that made the playoffs 18 x's each, while teams like Texas and the Angels get to face of Seattle and now Houston, the Jays have a harder schedule. They were 20 wins from tying for a wild card spot. And adding Hamilton to our roster would have helped in what I still believe is the hardest division in baseball.

I love baseball and the Jays, don't want to change division. I believe in second chances, but who really knows how Melky will do without the juice. (hopefully) Santos how he will react after his surgery.

AA made some things happen for sure, and seems like he is "all in" why not spend money on Hamilton and Dempster as well.

It is going to be fun for sure walking up every morning and turning the game on.

I stand by both predictions. Jays won't make the playoffs and won't hit 87 win. Hope I am wrong!

JohnnieH;341995 wroteIt's December people. Anything can and will happen this season.

I'm über happy that at least this year the Jays made serious moves to improve. This team is miles better then last years.

I tip my hat to AA and to to Rogers for opening up the payroll. Even if we missed the playoffs, at least the Jays management didn't sit with their thumbs up their asses this offseason.

AA has taken a page out of the Leafs playbook and just "window dress" the roster by changing a few faces. Where is our Trout or Harper that AA has promised us?

The Prophet 22;342002 wroteMaybe. but by your own argument so do our new pitchers after leaving the NL. As long as TO has to play Red Sox, Yankees, Tampa, and a Baltimore team that made the playoffs 18 x's each, while teams like Texas and the Angels get to face of Seattle and now Houston, the Jays have a harder schedule. They were 20 wins from tying for a wild card spot. And adding Hamilton to our roster would have helped in what I still believe is the hardest division in baseball.

I love baseball and the Jays, don't want to change division. I believe in second chances, but who really knows how Melky will do without the juice. (hopefully) Santos how he will react after his surgery.

AA made some things happen for sure, and seems like he is "all in" why not spend money on Hamilton and Dempster as well.

It is going to be fun for sure walking up every morning and turning the game on.

I stand by both predictions. Jays won't make the playoffs and won't hit 87 win. Hope I am wrong!

a) Buerhle (was in AL for 12 of his 13 seasons)/ Johnson > Hanson/Blanton

b) Red Sox have already fallen off the map, Yankees are ready for their descent, Baltimore was smoke and mirrors and Tampa spent all last season unable to score for their fantastic staff. This division is not the powerhouse everyone thinks.

c) Hamilton and Dempster were everything the Jays didn't need to spend on. Spending on Fielder last year would have made this team the stone cold nuts. Lind is the only real black hole on this team imo.