Monday Bantering: Baseball America’s Top 10 Blue Jays Prospects

The World Cup is underway. It drives me nuts that the organizers will allow a place as morally bankrupt as Qatar to host it. I know money talks, but there should be some limit on what you will do for a dollar.

But then baseball isn’t all that much better. The New York Times has a long look into sports gambling and how they aren’t being taxed nearly enough, how there isn’t enough regulation and the issue of problem gambling. As always, spreading money to politicians will buy an industry anything it wants.

The Hall of Fame ballot is out. Jeff Kent is on for the last time. It will be interesting to see if his vote numbers get a bump. And Carlos Beltran is on for the first time. A 20-year career with 435 home runs will get him consideration, but then he was never thought of as the best player in baseball at any point. And rarely thought of as one of the top 10 in the game.

Beyond those two, Andy Pettitte, ARod, Scott Rolen, Gary Sheffield and Billy Wagner have legitimate arguments for the Hall. Maybe Mark Buehrle too.

We’ll have our own polls going up soon.

Baseball American has their Top Ten Blue Jays Prospects list up. The list:

1. Gabriel Moreno, C
2. Ricky Tiedmann, LHP
3. Yosver Zulueta, RHP
4. Brandon Barriera, LHP
5. Addison Barger, Infielder
6. Orelvis Martinez, SS
7. Tucker Toman, SS
8. Cade Doughty, 2B
9. Hayden Juenger, RHP
10. Nate Pearson, RHP

In my world view, Pearson, at 26, has aged out of the prospect status. But I’m still hoping we’ll see him fulfill his potential one day.

Their list of top prospects of the decade is a look at some hits and some misses. Well, with one hit, some misses and some, we might still hold out some hope.

• 2023: C Gabriel Moreno
• 2022: C Gabriel Moreno
• 2021: SS Austin Martin
• 2020: RHP Nate Pearson
• 2019: 3B Vladimir Guerrero
• 2018: 3B Vladimir Guerrero
• 2017: 3B Vladimir Guerrero
• 2016: OF Anthony Alford
• 2015: LHP Daniel Norris
• 2014: RHP Aaron Sanchez

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame has its Holiday Silent Auction opened today. It runs until December 12th.

There are a lot of items worth bidding on, and it is a good cause. I got a Ferguson Jenkins signed bat a couple of years ago. I’m unsure which things I’d like to bid for this year. But, after being shut out last year, I don’t think I’ll share what I want. I don’t want to inspire someone to outbid me.

Cody Bellinger doesn’t excite me, but he would be a better glove in center than we’ve seen lately. He is just 27. But he is a few years removed from his last good season.

MLB.com has a post by Mark Feinsand listing one free agent each team should sign. For the Jays he suggests Jameson Taillon. I’d be ok with him.

Really? That seems like a long, long time.