There There: Thursday Notes on B.J. Ryan, Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum, Justin Jackson, David Cooper

by hugo on Apr 30, 2009 11:30 AM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays News

Well, we'll have an article later looking at what's going on with the Jays. For right now, let's take a quick look around the organization.

We had some speculation that the B.J. Ryan injury was a fugazi. If that's true, the Jays are going the extra mile. Ryan had an MRI in Dallas and was instructed not to throw for a week due to inflammation around the trapezius muscle. Sounds like maybe late May for Ryan to return? I'm hoping that his problems with command were caused by the injury, and it sounds reasonable.

As for Ricky Romero, he played catch yesterday and felt fine. Arnsberg's plan is to incrementally build Romero up to doing some long toss and then starting bullpen work. It's a conservative approach, which is appropriate given the nature of oblique injuries.

Shaun Marcum has a bullpen session scheduled for today. Marcum will throw 35 fastballs and changeups.

Justin Jackson appears on a Baseball America list. Unfortunately, it's a list of prospects who are struggling:

He works deep counts at-bat, he plays slick defense and he's only 20 years old, but the high Class A Dunedin shortstop has gotten off to perhaps the worst start of any minor leaguer. His performance this week is a perfect example. Jackson went 0-for-25 with 16 strikeouts, and he leads all batters with 27 for the season. Jackson's only positives from the week that was: he walked twice, stole a base and somehow managed to drive in a run.

Ouch. Jackson was 1-3 with a walk yesterday.

The Union Leader, a paper I was in back during the 2004 Democratic New Hampshire Primary (but that's a story for another day) has an interview with Dick Scott, Jays director of player development. Among other things, he says not to worry about David Cooper.

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The law firm of "Marcum, Romero, Cooper and Jackson"...

Marcum. Great news! BUT – all it means is he’ll be SURE to be ready by next spring.

Romero. Great news. We needs him – ever so much.

Cooper. OK – it’s his first full year and they’ve got him in AA – I understand. What I don’t understand is how a guy that can barely play first and CLEARLY without the power of a “corner” guy or DH is going to be much use almost regardless of his batting average. I see him as Lind – only with half the power – UGH.

Jackson. SERIOUSLY – I’d introduce him to ARod’s cousin. OR – at least have him take infield drill BUT keep him out of games and beef him up – build up his wrists. This kid is going to make JMac look like HE’S taking roids. The guy can’t see the ball or hit the ball.

As a bonus comment – Campbell. I see where we’re letting him flail away at third. Apparently, he wasn’t a very good 2nd baseman and is clearly not a very good 3rd baseman. AGAIN – he is another guy that just doesn’t hit enough for a “corner” job.

More exciting bonus comments – The only FOUR bats in the minors doing anything exciting these days are Thames, Chavez, Sierra and Emaus. I think going forward I’d look at trying Chavez, Thames and Sierra at third – see if one of them can learn it – I think all three may end up having the bat for a “corner.” As to Emaus – I like his bat – I’d try him at 2nd and then – since Jackson looks like a no-go – I’d switch Hill to SS while he’s still flexible enough to do it. Clearly Hill’s got the range and arm for the job.

I see OVER 20 pitchers!!! 20!!! Ready to contribute at some point in 2010. Halladay, Marcum, McGowan, Romero, Janssen, Richmond, Tallet, Purcey, Cecil, Mills, Rz-p-ski, Ryan, Downs, Frasor, Carlson, League, Camp, Bullington, Murphy, Romero (Davis), Tim Bit Collins and OTHERS.

by Mylegacy on Apr 30, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions

Jackson can see the ball

his walk rate is solid. He wasn’t all that bad last season at Lansing, so he deserves a lot more than a handful of games at Dunedin before writing him off. But I agree he’s not close to the bigs.

As for Campbell, I think you’re pretty far off. It’s way too early to tell whether he’ll make an adequate third baseman. I also think the move to third was more about having Hill entrenched at 2nd than Campbell’s defense, I heard conflicting reports but never understood it to be too bad. And I do know that while he doesn’t have great slugging numbers, he was squaring up on everything in spring training – I’m not sure he won’t hit enough to play third IF he’s a good enough defender there. His hitting has started to come on after a slow start to the season and he’s a line drive machine with an excellent eye at the plate. That sounds like it could be something decent.

For Cooper, I can’t see how, as you say, he CLEARLY doesn’t have power of a corner guy – he’s a few weeks into his first full pro season and the Jays think the power will come. According to Scott, his defense is improving at first. The idea that you have to hit 40 home runs to play first base is silly. Until he was a 26-year old in AAA, Kevin Youkilis never slugged over .500 in the minors, and he never hit more than 8 home runs any season in the minors, and he’s not such a bad first baseman.

I do also like the idea of moving Hill to SS, but it just doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards. So it makes sense to see what guys like Campbell and Emaus (who by the way isn’t doing anything special at the plate so far this season, though he too was great in the spring) can do at third base. Their first chance in the bigs may come in backing up or succeeding Scott Rolen – I don’t think Bautista is the long-term option at third and Ahrens is far off.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Apr 30, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Hugo my friend....

I agree with you about Jackson’s walk rate…that would seem to imply he can “see” the ball. I stand corrected – he can see it – he just can’t hit it. AND – lets face it defensively the guy can pick it! BUT – he is a loooong way away from the bigs (if ever).

Campbell is like Emaus only with less power. I see Emaus and Campbell MAYBE being the back-up utility guys if they can play a little of this and a little of that.

As to Cooper – Youk at Cooper’s age now – 22 – in the 2001 season – according to Baseball America’s Almanac – was 6’ 1" 220 pounds! Cooper is 6’ 175 pounds. TODAY – Youk is 6’ 1" 220 pounds. Youk ALWAYS had the size to be a power hitter he just never had a power hitters swing. Cooper is going to need the swing and 45 or more pounds to get the power. For a guy that can hardly play DH now – I don’t see him being able to even walk if he bulks up.

Aherns still is an intriguing prospect. Watching him this spring he looked good and comfortable at 3rd. He might develop the bat.

Having said all that I’m VERY optimistic about the Jays going forward.

by Mylegacy on Apr 30, 2009 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

but the fact that

Cooper is smaller means there is plenty of room for him to add power. Cooper and Youk is a little bit of a silly comparison since they don’t even hit from the same side of the plate, but Youk, in his first year of professional ball (he was 22), saw about the same amount of plate appearances that Cooper saw last season. Cooper was a year younger and slugged .502, with an ISO of .169. Youkilis slugged .446 with an ISO of .138.

How about Adrien Gonzalez? He’s not too much bigger than Cooper (two inches taller, but similar build, probably weighed the same in the minors), and he slugged .448 in the minors over his years there, never slugging over .500 until his last season (he was 23). Yes, he was young for his level, but so is Cooper. At 22, the same age Cooper is this season, Gonzalez slugged .457 in the Pacific Coast League, a power paradise, with an ISO of .153. Of course, it would be fantastic if Cooper could field like Gonzalez, but Adrian is a pretty great hitter too (3 straight seasons of OPS+ over 125). I’m just saying there’s plenty of room for Cooper to develop. The fact that he’s not huge doesn’t mean he can’t be an above-average hitting first baseman.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on Apr 30, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions