Mr. Anthopolous keeps interrupting me while I am pondering what area of the Jays to cover next. Yesterday I was mulling it over, about to go get all-you can-eat ribs with the wife (not a metaphor), when news dropped that Napoli's stay in the Jay's organization was only a long weekend.
Napoli, you're out, Frankie Francisco, you're in.
This makes a lot of sense to me. I attempted to explain the move to bring in Napoli, and did it damn well, i thought, but ultimately it didn't fully fit with their youth movement, and I expect the keys to home plate to be fully handed over to J.P. Arencebia next season. He's not going to catch 130 games, but he'll be given ample opportunity to make the job his for a long time to come. Napoli goes to an organization that has no obvious need for him, having signed Torrealba for 2 years, but he's the type of guy it's very nice to have on a team. The Blue Jays are not at that place yet.
In Francisco, we get a power arm. Not Jason Frasor power, real power. Frankie's not going to diddle on the corners. He comes mid 90's, and he comes with a good split. Aside from Accardo, which I don't reeaaaally count, we haven't had a relief chuck on the team with a decent split since Henke. Frankie Francisco will not walk home the tying run. He comes at you.
Okay, so we have brought on 3 guys with former experience closing. Some of my fellow Blue Jays enthusiasts have said to me "Great, why the hell are we bringing in so many closers?". Let's be clear. This is not a spring competition for one spot and the other two guys go home. This is gathering powerful arms to replace some of the production we lost in Downs and Gregggg (good god I'm glad he's gone). Hopefully one of the guys does indeed emerge as our closer for the season and we don't have the rotating door we had unsuccessfully for many years here, but what a luxury; to have 3 guys comfortable in pressure late inning situations, especially during the course of a long season when someone invariably gets hurt. And not just on our team. Contending teams (I'm not saying we won't be this year, but... c'mon) are willing to dispense with solid prospects for late inning help should they lose an integral member of their bullpen, be it the closer or setup man. No one wants to step into the playoffs with a glaring gap late in games.
I have a feeling it will be Francisco coming in for the ninth. Dotel strikes me as more of a setup guy in this juncture of his career, but there is something to be said for experience, and he could certainly step in if need be. And don't count out Rauch: He's 6'11. 290 lbs. That's large. I'm not feeling particularly comfortable in the batter's box staring up at a mountain.
Also, it's not at all as if these guys are purebred closers who will be unfamiliar with the 7th and 8th innings. Francisco only had one real season in Texas with the closer's stamp while Rauch has spread his saves around and Dotel has yo-yoed in and out of that role his whole career.
Francisco also has been very tough on Lefties throughout his career (.214 BAA), something that cannot be boasted of Rauch and even less of Dotel, who last year had a BAA of .301 vs. lefties (ewww). This is even more important given the fact that the Jays do not have any real shut down lefties on the team since the departure of Downs.
Plus they free up another $2 or $3 million dollars, depending on where Napoli lands with his arbitration. And Francisco is another one year contract guy, so they could be looking at compensation picks if he performs well and then takes his show elsewhere. Mind you that was true of Napoli too, but he was probably not going to be getting everyday playing time to build up the numbers required to be a class A or B free agent.
OKAY, so...... how do you feel if you're down 2 runs vs. the Jays going into the 7th or 8th inning? I'm not really looking forward to seeing ANY of these guys, let alone the impossible to lift Shawn Camp and the streaky Jason Frasor, who I'm never confident in, but seems to get it done. Add Casey Jannsen and Villanueva for some long relief and Purcey spraying his 93 mile per hour fastball ALL over the place like a batting cage with a glitch, and I think the Blue Jays will find their bullpen to once again be a strength this year.
And with a starting rotation this young, we might very well need it to be.
No missteps yet Alex A, keep the good work going.
No comments:
Post a Comment