Storyline: It’s hard to contain the excitement in Canada right now. Adding Tulowitzki and Price makes this the best Jays’ team since ’93. Bring on the postseason!
The Blue Jays won the trade deadline.
Courtesy: totalprosports.com
They nabbed the best shortstop in the game (Troy Tulowitzki) and one of the best starters in baseball (David Price). And they didn’t have to pay a hefty price for Tulowitzki, either. Jeff Hoffman has A+ potential, but a player like Tulo only comes around once-a-decade.
After hearing of the trade, I was shocked and a bit upset. I believed that the Hoffman chip should be dealt only for pitching–something the Jays sorely needed. I envisioned the Jays having a dynamite offence, but one that could be shut down by great pitching. You see that outcome time and time again: pitching always wins in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter how many big bats that you have. They can be silenced.
Courtesy: Vancouversun.com
Then, the unthinkable happened: David Price was dealt to the Blue Jays. He’s an AL East beast! Not only is he one of the best starters in the game, he has been in pressure-cooker situations and has pitched in the AL East for nearly his entire career. The Jays can win a one-game playoff. In a wide-open AL that might be the edge to make a serious run at the pennant.
But, more than anything else, the mindset has shifted on this team. You now have ‘gamers’ up and down the lineup–players that give their bodies up to make a play. With that, the Jays are now the most exciting team in baseball.
You have to give GM Alex Antholopous credit. The major moves he made a few years ago backfired in his face, But, now, he has made changes on the fly to shift the identity of the team. The team has gone from the “happy-go-lucky” Jays to the “intense, never give-in” Jays.
Three years ago it was about either being ‘done wrong’ by the umps or having bad luck with injuries. It’s not about making excuses today. I don’t hear the “We’ll get them next time” attitude that I used to hear after a tough loss. I hear this: “We should never lose a game like that!” And that’s what you always hear coming out of the Cardinals’ and Giant’s dressing rooms. It’s a refreshing change.
Courtesy: Toronto Blue Jays
Infused leadership by Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin can’t be overlooked. And the Jays have filled in the gaps and plugged the holes with plywood instead of bubblegum. They’ve upgraded every single weakness.
Consider these changes:
Tulowitzki offensively and defensively is superior to Reyes.
Mark Lowe and Aaron Sanchez, instead of Loup and Delabar, are on the backend of the bullpen.
Price is a known ace, a serious upgrade in comparison to waiting for Hutchison to pull it all together.
Expectations for this team are now at an all-time high. And, after watching the Jays take 3 of 4 from the Royals (it should have been a sweep), it looks like this team is ready to make the playoffs. They aren’t just going to take a run: they will be there. This team feels different.
Courtesy: news.sportslogos.net
The Jays are making moves that are usually made by the Yankees and the Red Sox. We’re going for it now! I predict a one-game playoff with the Houston Astros. I’ll take the Jays all day in that situation.
It’s hard to contain all the excitement in Canada right now. This is the best team we’ve had since ’93. And it’s the best offence in baseball.
A top 5 starter is queued up for Game One: Price versus Keuchel.
Bring it on!
You hit this article out of the park!