So I was looking out back this morning and there hopping around, under this big evergreen tree in our yard, was a blue jay. A bird not a player. And I'm thinking, don't they know enough to fly south for the winter? I mean it's been a cold cold winter. I was happy to get away from it for a couple of weeks. But then I realized, we are in the home stretch. It may just be January but we get a bit more daylight every day.
The first spring training game is less than 2 months away, March 3rd to be exact. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a little over a month, around February 17th. Alex Anthopoulos is back at work after his wedding trying to finish getting the team in shape for the season.
What's he got left to do? Well, it still would be nice to have an outfielder. Seeing the suggested starting nine in the Star, I wasn't too unhappy with things, except for the 1 and 2 spots in the order. Jose Bautista, leading off, with that career .316 OBP vs. RHP is one of those things that screams 'don't lead me off'. In fact don't play me at all against RHP. Then Alex Gonzalez's career .294 OBP (though he has the same number against righties as lefties) really doesn't suggest he should be a top of the order type either.
There are a couple of things I don't understand. Why would you move Hill and Lind down a spot in the order to have these two batting in front of them. I mean, I understand Hill has more power than you'd traditionally like out of your number two batter, but why take away roughly 18 plate appearances from each of those two for the fun of having Alex Gonzalez hit in front of them?
But I'm still hopeful that AA will find us another outfielder before the start of the season. We do have some starting pitchers to spare and I had been under the impression that Lyle Overbay would get traded before the start of the season so that Brian Dopirak could get a chance to show what he can do, before Brett Wallace passes him by and take the starting job at first in 2011.
Not that I'm against the idea of Snider in right and Lind in left with Ruiz DHing but Cito seems strongly against the idea. Since he is manager I think we have set limits to work within.
Anyway, all this was a roundabout way of asking: Do you think Alex Anthopoulos will make any more moves before the start of the season? And if so what do you think he will do? What would you like him to do?