Each year I've taken a look at where the team might be in five years. This time, well, there is a lot of guess work. we have a ton of good prospects in out system who could be part of our team in five years.
Paul Beeston told us, at the state of the franchise, that the Jays will make the playoff 2 or 3 teams in the next five seasons, so by 2016 we will be looking back at a couple of playoff runs.
I'm not going to try to out guess Alex on trades or free agent signings, but if the past couple years are any indication, he'll be making a number of trades which will mess up this prediction, but that's life.
I think this will be a pretty good team.
Our 2016 starting line up:
Catcher: Travis d'Arnaud/A.J. Jimenez
The catcher position could shake out in a long of different ways, but Travis would be 27 for the 2016 season. Jimenez would be 26, they would make a pretty decent pairing at catcher.
First Base: Jose Bautista
The Jays have a team option on Adam Lind for 2016, but I have my doubts that the team will pick it up. We also have a team option on Bautista, I think Bautista is enough of a fan favorite that they would want to keep him. His range in RF isn't great now, I'd think by age 35 his range will have dropped to the point where the team would have to move him. I'd think they would want him to be out on the field, not in the DH role.
Second base: Yunel Escobar
Yunel's current, incredibly team friendly, contract runs out in 2015. With his bat, I'd would be surprised if he doesn't get another contract afterwards.
Third Base: Matt Dean
He'd be 23 and I'm giving him the third base job in his rookie season. I'm hoping he becomes a power hitter by then.
Shortstop: Adeiny Hechavarria
He would be 27. I'm hoping that his bat becomes at least good enough to get his glove in the lineup. That's yet to be seen, but word out of spring training is that he is looking good.
Left field: Brett Lawrie
I'm moving him to LF, not because I don't think he'd still be a good third baseman, but because I am thinking Matt Dean will be making the team. Lawrie's bat is easily good enough for a corner outfield spot. He would be 26 going into the 2016 season, just moving into his prime.
Center Field: Anthony Gose
Will turn 26 in August of 2016. If Gose flames out somewhere along the way, Jake Marisnick could be in this spot, but with Gose's speed, defense and arm in the outfield, he could be a valuable major leaguer even if he doesn't hit .275.
Right Field: Jake Marisnick
Jake would turn 25 just before the start of the 2016 season. Power, speed, knows how to take a walk and has lots of range. I think we'd have a pretty terrific outfield.
DH: Travis Snider
I'm really thinking that the DH will be someone not in our system now, but I'll put in Snider's name as a place holder. Snider would be 28 and we'll still be waiting for that season where the Jays let him have 500 at bats.
Starting Pitchers:
Ricky Romero, 31
Brandon Morrow, 31
Kyle Drabek, 29
Henderson Alvarez 26
Drew Hutchison 25
Noah Syndergaard 23
Justin Nicolino 24
We have a number of pitching prospects so this could turn out a few dozen different ways. The Jays have a club option on Romero for 2016. Morrow has a club option for 2015, I'd like to think that he'd earn another contract. I'm still hopeful that Drabek will overcome last year's hiccup. Cecil, McGuire, Daniel Norris, Chad Jenkins and a horde of others could in the rotation.
Bullpen:
Sergio Santos: We have club options on him up until 2017, I'm hoping he proves worth having that long. He'd be 32.
Casey Janssen: 34, I'm hopeful he'll still be around.
Evan Crawford: 29
Joel Carreno: 29
And some of the starter prospects that don't make the rotation. Actually this one will likely be totally wrong. The way Alex is doing things, the pen will mostly be guys that he signs as free agents that off season.