So I was browsing the videos on Sportsnet.ca (amazingly I can access it without changing my internet browser to Sportsnet explorer one) and this little gem struck me as very interesting.

Manny to Toronto

It's starting everyone's favourite (ironically or sincerely depending on which pole you're at) Mike Wilner and he makes some good points about how well Manny hits in Rogers Centre (apparently .970 lifetime OPS). He goes on to describe how Manny would take away all defensive flexibility, how he'd put butts in the seats, how, if you do that, you need to also go out and get another OF, and how improbable it is for all this to happen.

My thinking is that if you look at this team next year, you think "Hey with "The Four Guys" leading the rotation, this team could be competitive in every game, if the offense can get there too we may be looking at Playoffs!!!1"

For example, let's say the Jays do go out and get e'rything Big Mike, Arthur and Blair discussed: Manny for 1 year plus an option, Ozzie for however long you want the circus to be in town for, and an outfielder (let's say Crawford) for 2 maybe 3 years. Your 2011 Jays look like this (simply the defensive alignments, I'll let you work out the batting order in your heads):

C Arencibia

1B Lind

2B Hill

SS Escobar

3B Bautista

RF Snider

CF Wells

LF Crawford

Rotation:

#1T Romero

#1T Marcum

#1T Morrow

#4 Cecil

#5 Any number of guys really but let's say Drabek

That, in my opinion is a line-up that could compete in the AL East. And then the next year (2012) you be looking at the exact same lineup but if Manny doesn't get his option picked up you bring up Hechavarria to take his place in the batting order (not the same place but just the fact he's in it) and you mess around with the defensive alignment. Then assuming the world doesn't end in 2012, you go to the 2013 season which is when many people expected to start competing, having already been competitors for the past 2 years.

I realize how improbable this is being as it's counter to AA's The Plan, which I think everyone here agrees with, but it's an idea to kick-start the competitive years, advancing them 2 years, so for that reason, it's an idea worth discussing here.