The off-season has started, but that doesn't mean we are going into hibernation, as enticing as that idea sounds. It looks to be an interesting winter for Jays fans.
Today the Jays have to either pick up or decline the options on Edwin Encarnacion (I'm sure they will take the option) and Jon Rauch (I'm hoping/figuring they will decline).
November 7 is the last day teams have exclusive rights to talk to their own free agents. For the Jays that would be Shawn Camp, Frank Francisco, Kelly Johnson and Jose Molina. I'd like to see Kelly back but all 4 figure to be Type B free agents, so, with Alex's love of collecting draft picks, they may all be leaving.
November 23 is the last day teams can offer arbitration to their free agents. I am very curious to see if David Ortiz gets offered arbitration.
Winter meetings are December 6-8 in Dallas. Alex loves to trade.
The Rule 5 draft is December 8.
Arbitration numbers are exchanged between teams and players January 18 and hearing go from February 1 to 21.
Players have to report to Spring Training by March 1.
Throw in that, at some point, the Yu Darvish silent auction should be happening.
Around here? We'll have all the news and rumors that fit. Also I'm going to be redoing the Top 50 Jays list. Lots of changes in it. I promise not to take 2 and a half years to post it all this time. The fun of the list is that from about number 30 to what would be 75 or so, are a group of players that are so close that they could go in any order and it would be ok. We will likely have a 'just missed out list' too.
In January we'll redo our Top Prospects list. Hours of fun to be had, arguing over who goes in and who misses out.
So we should have lots to talk about between now and the start of the 2012 baseball season. No rest for the wicked or criminally insane, which ever group we fall into.
As always, if you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the Bluebird Banter world, write us up a fanpost or a fanshot.