Blog Archives
There He ‘Gose’ Again: The Future of Base-Stealing Blue Jays’ Prospect, Anthony Gose
Tuesday September 20, 2011
April Whitzman (Blue Jays Writer – MLB reports): A native of Paramount, California, outfielder Anthony Gose was the Philadelphia Phillies second round selection in the 2008 Draft. Although a top prospect with the Phillies organization, Gose found himself in Toronto by the end of the 2010 season after a three team deal also including the Houston Astros.
PRE-BLUE JAYS
Glancing at his numbers from 2009, Anthony Gose led all minor league players with 76 stolen bases while hitting .259 with 20 doubles, 13 triples, seven home runs and 27 RBI. His walk-to-strikeout ratio was a bit cumbersome, however, as he walked 45 times, but struck out 132 times. After the season, MLB prospect writer John Sickels rated Gose’s performance, stating the following: “[I] Love [his] speed, youth, and the athleticism. Don’t like the high strikeout rate for a guy without much power. Most advanced of the uber-tools players collected in this system in recent drafts.”
In 2010, at 19 years old, Gose appeared in 103 games with Clearwater and 27 games with the Dunedin Blue Jays (A+). The 6-1, 190 lb., left-handed hitter collected 20 doubles, 13 triples, and seven home runs with 27 RBI while adding 45 stolen bases. While 45 steals sounds impressive, it should be noted that he was thrown out 32 times that season. That’s only a 58% success rate.
BLUE JAYS
Joining the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2011, his first full season with the Blue Jays organization, Gose worked to improve his greatest asset – speed. This year he successfully stole 70 bases, only getting caught 15 times, going 23-for-24 in his last 24 attempts and increasing his stealing percentage to 82%. He then started to learn about when to steal, having the majority of his failed attempts coming at third base.
What’s more, along with base stealing, Gose saw improvement in the batters box, as he increased his power totals for the third straight year hitting 16 home runs, 20 doubles and seven triples. Unfortunately, his average has remained around the .250 mark (.253), comparable to the rest of his career in the minor leagues.
Another improvement for Anthony Gose this season was his patience at the plate. While only taking 41 walks in 2010, Gose took 62 walks in 2011 in a similar number of at-bats. He also saw though an increase in his strikeouts this season, as he had 154. Nevertheless when Gose doesn’t strike out and he does put the ball in play, he is batting .339, nearly 80 points higher than his regular average.
Not only has he improved at the plate, but Gose has also seen a rise in his game in the field. His
fielding was phenomenal in 2011, committing only three errors, giving him a .992 fielding percentage. Discussing his play in the field, Sal Fasano, the manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, stated: “Gose has enough arm to play right or left in the majors. He caught a ball on the warning track in the right-centre, near the 375 sign, and threw out a guy at third — in the air.” Looking at the numbers, Gose had 15 outfield assists in 2010 and 14 assists this season. That can all be attributed due to his phenomenal range, as thanks to his speed, Gose is able to cover ground smoothly and regularly, making continual exciting plays in the field.
IN THE FUTURE
In late July of this year, 24-year-old center fielder, Colby Rasmus was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays from the St. Louis Cardinals in a blockbuster deal that also involved the Chicago White Sox. The trade left many wondering if Gose still had a future with the Jays. Fasano’s response: “[Gose is] arrogant enough to think they will move players to make room for him.” However, many baseball analysts were not as optimistic and still wondered where he would fit.
There is no doubt that the Blue Jays have a deep farm system. Most would agree that the team has key players that they would be willing to move if the price was right. If nothing else, the Jays’ GM has shown a willingness to be aggressive in the trade market. With the addition of a strong and powerful first baseman, a dominating starting pitcher, and/or a ‘lights-out’ closer, the Blue Jays are likely to contend by 2013, the year that Gose will likely make the majors.
With Colby Rasmus at centre, Jose Bautista in right, and any one of Travis Snider, Eric Thames, Adam Loewen, and Rajai Davis to play left and/or be the fourth outfielder, it is anticipated that a trade will be coming during this off-season.
With the Blue Jays’ need for a first baseman, the Jays could consider a trade
with the Cincinnati Reds who are in dire need of an outfielder. Could Yonder Alonso be the future first baseman for the team in blue and the speedy Gose the future Reds’ centerfielder? With the Astros also needing outfield depth, would it not be ironic if the Jays traded Gose for Brett Wallace? (While this is a very unlikely scenario, it would fill the needs for both teams). The Pittsburgh Pirates are another team in need of a solid outfielder. Thanks in part to a deep farm system, a trade with the Pirates could work. The Jays are also in need of a top starting pitcher and a closer, so any future trade could package off other prospects as well, including, but not limited to, Travis Snider and/or Eric Thames.
The future for Anthony Gose will surely become clear this off–season by recognizing what trades Alex Anthopoulos, deemed as the ‘Silent Assassin’, will make. Along with teammates Yan Gomez and Adeiny Hechavarria, Gose is also heading to the Arizona Fall League to work even more on his skills. Until a trade is consumated, it is evident with Gose, that the Blue Jays have a solid prospect that has a rare combination of top-notch speed, excellent fielding ability and top tools at the plate.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you. Comment below, email MLBreports@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter at @Alleycat17.
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Colby Rasmus and Mark Teahen to Jays, Jason Frasor and Zack Stewart to White Sox, Edwin Jackson and Octavio Dotel to Cardinals
Wednesday July 27, 2011
MLB reports: We first discussed a Colby Rasmus trade to Toronto about a week ago here on the Reports. The trade as we proposed would have included Rasmus to the Jays and Travis Snider and Jason Frasor to the Cardinals. It looks like we got half of the players right, as a Rasmus to Jays deal is complete and ready to be announced. However, in typical Alex Anthopoulos fashion, the trade is a 3-way deal. Going to the Jays is pitcher Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen in return for reliever Jason Frasor and pitcher Zack Stewart to the White Sox. The Jays are then flipping Jackson, outfielder Corey Patterson and relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski, as well as three players to be named later or cash to the Cardinals for Colby Rasmus, relievers P.J. Walters, Brian Tallet and Trever Miller. From there, Miller may be on the move to the White Sox to complete the Jackson swap.
Here is how the trade breaks down team by team:
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Kenny Williams can never sit on his hands come trade deadline time. As hard as he may try, Williams loves to tinker with his team and this year is no different. Speculation had Williams eyeing Rasmus for himself. But with the need to maintain a strong bullpen, it appears that the White Sox are adding Frasor while keeping Matt Thornton. As the Sox are also deep in the rotation and Jackson was essentially redundant for a team that is unlikely to make the playoffs. Frasor is having a solid year, with a 2.98 ERA and 1.252 WHIP. The White Sox may choose to hold onto him or let him go and receive compensation as a type “B” free agent. Teahen, at one more year and $5.5 million left in salary was an expensive backup at best. Zack Stewart, one of the Jays better pitching prospects, is currently at 24-year old AA starter with a 4.20 ERA and 1.410 WHIP. Stewart, who came to Toronto in a package for Scott Rolen, showed very solid numbers until this year, with a lifetime 3.05 ERA in his minor league career with a 1.343 WHIP over four seasons. The White Sox wanted to stock up their system and Stewart should be a bright addition.
VERDICT: White Sox win their end of the deal. Although the addition of Colby Rasmus would have been nice, he was likely a luxury that the team could not afford. The White Sox end up freeing salary, receiving a useful reliever that could turn into a draft pick and a prospect starting pitcher in a system screaming for prospects, in exchange for two spare parts from their team. They may even get Trever Miller to boot.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Alex Anthopoulos, the Jays wheeling and dealing GM, is quickly becoming the master of the 3-way trade. AA’s first big move was trading Roy Halladay as part a of a three-way move with the Phillies and Mariners, with the Oakland A’s joining in shortly after in the Michael Taylor and Brett Wallace swap. The Houston Astros then traded Roy Oswalt that summer to the Philadelphia Phillies for a package including Anthony Gose, who was then flipped to Toronto for Wallace. Vernon Wells then this offseason went to the Angels and a couple of days later the Rangers were involved in the Mike Napoli for Frank Francisco trade. AA is now back in a big way. With the MLB non-waiver trade deadline a mere four days away, AA has shocked the slow-moving trade market with the biggest swap of the season. Toronto parts with Jason Frasor to Chicago along with Zack Stewart and then move recently acquired Edwin Jackson with relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski, as well as outfielder Corey Patterson and three players to be named later or cash to the Cardinals for Colby Rasmus, as well as relievers P.J. Walters, Brian Tallet and Trever Miller. Mark Teahen then stays in Toronto from Chicago as a backup infielder.
Breaking down the deal for Toronto, they move three middle relievers in Dotel, Rzepczynski and Frasor. Dotel and Frasor could have either stayed in Toronto next year or been type “B” free agents with compensation picks coming back. Rzepczynski, a former starter has been steady in the Jays pen this season but does not project to be more than a middle reliever. With the Jays having such strong starting pitching at the majors and minor league levels, Jackson was a pitcher who actually would not have been able to crack the Jays rotation. Teahen, whose last decent season in the majors was 2007, is another Juan Rivera salary dump pickup for the Jays who could hang around for season or be cut loose with salary eaten. At the end of the day, the Jays at most have traded away three middle relievers/draft picks, a prospect in Zack Stewart to the White Sox and about $5.5 million in salary to acquire Colby Rasmus. With the logjam in the outfield, Corey Patterson was expandable. We are not sure yet who are the three players to be named later but apparently the Jays may move cash to the Cardinals instead. The three relievers received by the Jays, Walters, Tallet and Miller are all spare parts at best, with Miller apparently on his way to the White Sox. Tallet though enjoyed his best years in Toronto and a Jays reunion may give his numbers a boost.
How good is Colby Rasmus? Best prospect in baseball good before getting the call to the majors. A first round pick of the Cardinals in 2005, the 24-year old Rasmus has not seen eye-to-eye with manager Tony LaRussa for some time and a change of scenery was in order. Once he realizes his potential, Rasmus has Gold Glove and Silver Slugger potential. He is really that good. Under team control for another three seasons, Rasmus gives the Jays the center fielder they have desired for so long and a top of the order bat. Rasmus will perfectly slide into the second spot of the batting order and give the Jays power, speed and the ability to get on base.
VERDICT: If the measure of a trade is by the team receiving the best player available, then the Jays win this trade overall hands down. They have acquired Colby Rasmus, one of the best young outfielders in the game by giving up essentially middle relievers, a prospect starting pitcher and taking on salary. While Zack Stewart may develop one day into a solid number 2 or 3 starter, for a team that is filled with pitching prospects, Stewart was an arm that the team could afford to move. AA could actually get arrested for stealing Rasmus from the Cardinals. This is what you call buying low at the right time. The Jays should thank LaRussa for his recent comments that Rasmus was not listening to the Cardinals coaching staff. Playing for John Farrell, with Jose Bautista as a teammate and Cito Gaston as a Jays advisor, Rasmus should be able to quickly realize his potential in Toronto. Even with the trade of three of their middle relievers, the Jays are still left with Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch in the pen with more call-ups available at AAA. With the Jays bullpen blowing saves at an alarming rate this year, moving some of the relievers for a star outfielder is a no-brainer. This trade will also increase the Heath Bell to Toronto rumors, as the Jays continue to pursue the Padres star closer.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
There aren’t many positives to say here. The Cardinals if they make this move, would be trading away one of their best players for not so magic beans. The 27-year old Jackson, while filled with potential has never performed fully to his capabilities at the major league level. Now on his sixth major league team and eligible for free agency at the end of the season with Scott Boras as his agent, the Cardinals will need to overpay to retain his services. With a 3.92 ERA and 1.422 WHIP on the season, Jackson is as middle-of-the-road as they come. The Cardinals are hoping that Dave Duncan can work his magic but with less than half a season left, there may only be so much that their pitching coach can do. The 37-year old Dotel has also been steady this season, sitting at a 3.68 ERA and solid 1.091 WHIP. The team will also have an option to bring Dotel back next year. Rzepczynski at 25-years of age broke out this year with a 2.97 ERA and 1.093 ERA. He remains under team control for four more seasons. Good numbers, but not enough in my estimation. For a player of the caliber of Colby Rasmus, I would have expected the Cardinals to receive a top starter and closer back. Rather, the Cardinals are esentiallly receiving a number four or five starter and two middle relievers. For a team in dire need of pitching, I would have expected a much greater return. Corey Patterson is at best a fourth oufielder for the Cardinals and the trio of relievers they sent to Toronto, Miller, Tallet and Walters are of little consequence.
Verdict: GM John Mozeliak and manager Tony LaRussa must really dislike Colby Rasmus to be giving him away in this fashion. After both Rasmus and his dad have spoken out by the team in recent years, the LaRussa comments the other day likely sealed the deal. As the team likely does not want to face Rasmus as an opponent, a move to the American League makes sense. One would think that other teams, including the Angels, Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers could have offered more. But it appears that Jays GM Alex Anthopolous was in the right place at the right time and is on the verge of acquiring the Cardinals’ outfielder. The Cardinals are the big losers in this trade and it is not even close. In the event that both Dotel and Jackson are type “B” free agents and leave St. Louis at the end of the season, the Cardinals will be left with two months worth of rental players, a middle reliever and two draft picks as compensation. That is all they will have to show for trading away one of the best young hitters in the game. Considering the prospects the Tampa Bay Rays have in their system, if Toronto can pull this swap off, it will be a loss felt in St. Louis for many years to come.
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Revisiting: Brett Wallace, Matt Holliday, Michael Taylor, Anthony Gose: 4 Players, 4 Teams, 3 Trades
Tuesday May 31, 2011
MLB reports: Brett Wallace has experienced a baseball odyssey like few others ever have. Drafted twice, traded three times and playing in 4 different baseball organizations before his 25th birthday. The man with the golden bat, Wallace has been coveted by many MLB teams yet somehow managed to move in three separate transactions over his short career. Usually in these scenarios, we would consider the player to be more of a role type player and not likely to be a superstar in the making. But considering the players and transactions involved, it is clear that Wallace has been in demand all along. Now finally entrenched in Houston and playing every day in the big leagues, Wallace is finally fulfilling his early promise and making a name for himself as a future All-Star and possibly batting champion in the National League.
Wallace first hit our radars in 2005 when the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 42nd round. Unable to sign him, Wallace went on to start playing college ball for Arizona State University. From there, Wallace blossomed into a 1st round pick, 13th overall for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008. Playing in the Cardinals minor league system at third base, Wallace was touted as the next Cards superstar hitter in the making. With Pujols entrenched at 1st base and up-and-coming slugger Colby Rasmus also in the picture, the Cardinals appeared to be set offensively for years to come.
The plan was changed on July 24, 2009, where the Cardinals making a playoff push, traded Wallace to the Oakland Athletics with Shane Peterson and Clayton Mortensen for slugging outfielder Matt Holliday. The plan worked as the Cardinals were able to make the playoffs and proceeded to sign Holliday to a long-term deal as protection in the lineup for their main superstar, Albert Pujols. Wallace, played out the season in the A’s organization and the debate started as to whether his long-term future was at third or first base.
Part of the mystery Wallace was solved as Toronto finally landed its prized target on December 15, 2009. As part of the Roy Halladay swap, the Jays acquired outfielder Michael Taylor from Philadelphia. One quick transaction later, Alex Anthopoulos and Billy Beane followed through on a Taylor for Wallace trade. Wallace was moved permanently to first base with an eye towards joining the Blue Jays as their new first baseman by 2011. Or so we all thought. As Alex Anthopoulos started to show the baseball world, he was not afraid to make multiple trades to get the players he wanted.
The Houston Astros in mid-2010 finally started their fire sale. Franchise player Lance Berkman was traded to the New York Yankees and ace pitcher Roy Oswalt was moved to Philadelphia. As part of the Oswalt trade, the Astros received young speedster outfielder Anthony Gose. The Gose acquisition actually led to two further moves. The Jays apparently were keen on Gose for sometime and were unsuccessful in originally prying him away from the Phillies in the Halladay deal. The Astros with this knowledge, were able to trade away Berkman knowing that his replacement would come from Toronto if Gose would be a part of the equation. Trade #3 was then consummated and Wallace found a home in Houston.
Sitting 1/3 of the way into the 2011 season, it is time to look at all four players involved in the three Wallace transactions and get a glimpse as to how each is performing. In the process, it is interesting to note which teams ended up benefitting from being a part of each Wallace trade. Let’s look deeper into the numbers of Brett Wallace and the Astros, Michael Taylor and the Athletics, Anthony Gose and the Jays, and Matt Holliday and the Cardinals.
Brett Wallace – Astros
So far, so good for the young Astros slugger. Having made the team out of spring training, Wallace currently has a .308 AVG, .379 OBP, .442 SLG, 19/39 BB/K, 3 home runs, 22 runs and 16 RBIs. For a young team in need of offense, the Astros could not ask more from Wallace. For a kid that always known to be able to hit, the numbers back up the hype. Having watched him play this year live, I can attest that he plays a fairly solid first base defensively as well. With the Astros now having their future cleanup hitter getting his feet wet in the majors, they look to have benefitted as a team by acquiring Wallace.
Matt Holliday – Cardinals
Despite paying a heavy price to acquire Holliday in the first place, one cannot argue with the results. A contending team that has made the playoffs with him on its roster, the Cardinals have been a better team with Matt Holliday. Since joining the Cardinals, Holliday has since 2009 had an OPS each year of 1.023, .922 and .981. Holliday hit 13 home runs in 63 games in 2009 and 28 home runs last year. As Pujols protection, the Cardinals were able to sign Holliday to a long-term contract and bring stability to its lineup and clubhouse. If the Cardinals had not traded for Holliday, he would have not as likely signed with the team as a free agent as his time playing in St. Louis played a large role in his decision to sign. The other components of the trade, Peterson and Mortensen turned into expandable spare parts, role players at best. While the Cardinals could have used Wallace’s bat, there was no room for him at first base and his glove did not project to allow him to stay at third. The trade turned into a good win for the Cardinals, as strong of a return as the team could have ever expected.
Anthony Gose- Blue Jays
Once we get past Wallace and Holliday, the return on the last 2 Wallace trades still remain relatively unknown. We start with Anthony Gose of the Jays. Seen as a strong defensive player and future stolen base champion, the Jays acquired a player known more for tools over the refined and polished bat of Wallace. So far in 2011, the 20-year old Gose at the advanced AA level has held his own, with a .272 AVG, .375 OBP, .391 SLG, 4 home runs, 22 RBIs, 33 runs, 27/41 BB/K ratio. Having stolen 76 bases in 2009 in the minors, speed is clearly a big part of Gose’s game. On the season, Gose already been successful 22/27 times on stolen base attempts. With Adam Lind entrenched as the new first baseman for the Jays, the team appeared to have indicated by trading Wallace that there was no room for Wallace and that the potential of Gose had a higher value to the team. With the Jays offense being up and down all year, I think the bat of Wallace rotating through first and DH would have been very useful for the team. Time will tell on this swap, but at the moment all the Jays have is potential and hype in Anthony Gose while the Astros have defined production from Wallace. Until proven otherwise, the Astros have the advantage over the Jays in the last Wallace swap.
Michael Taylor- Athletics
The last player to be reviewed is Michael Taylor of the A’s. A highly considered outfielder once upon a time in the Phillies system, some analysts rated Taylor higher than current Phillies prospect Domonic Brown. Since joining the A’s organization, Taylor has been sidelined by injuries and has not been able to fully get himself on track. In 2010, Taylor hit .272 in AAA with 6 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 127 games played. This year, Taylor has only played 15 games with 1 home run, but has hit .333 with a .795 OPS. The potential is still there for Taylor but at 25 and in his second full season at AAA for Oakland, Taylor will have to produce to justify the A’s swap of Wallace for him. Considering that the Athletics have one of the worst offenses in baseball and could desperately use Wallace’s bat in their lineup, it is clear that the A’s came up with the shortest end of the stick, so to speak, among all the teams involved in the Wallace swaps. Considering the price that the A’s paid to get Holliday originally, including Carlos Gonzalez and Houston Street, losing Wallace and having Taylor stuck in AAA makes all of their trades look even worse. I still hold out h0pe for Taylor, but another lost year could result in a required change of scenery for him.
It will be interesting to catch up with Wallace, Gose, Holliday and Taylor in another year and then five years from now and see the stage of each player’s career at that time. Wallace and Holliday should still be proven commodities. It will be Gose and Taylor as the wild cards that will either blossom or fail as prospects. The future is bright and still unknown for both of these players. Until then, we will continue to enjoy watching Brett Wallace as he continues to develop as a player in Houston.
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E-MAILBAG: Ask the Reports, Wednesday May 18th
Thank you for reading the E-mailbag. Please send all your questions to mlbreports@gmail.com and please include your first name and City/Country.
We will be compiling a list of your questions from our e-mailbag and posting the responses on Wednesdays.
Wednesday May 18, 2011
Q: Have the dimensions of Citi Field been to the detriment of the Mets franchise? From Yair, Bat Yam, Israel
MLB reports: Great question Yair and shalom (hell0) to you in Israel! With the lacklustre play of the Mets the last few seasons, its great to see that they still have so many fans, even internationally. Getting to your question, the topic of Citi Field has been a continuous one since its opening back in 2009. The $850 million structure replaced Shea Stadium and has not played out in the same way that new Yankee Stadium has to say the least. At a capacity of 41,800, the stadium holds 15,000 fewer fans than Shea and was meant to be more intimate. Citi Field has some interesting features in its design. Citi Field’s fences are not the same size, ranging in height from being 15 feet in left field and 18 feet in right. Shea Stadium had outfield fences that were all 8 feet in comparison. The dimensions overall are not far different from Shea, with approximately 335 feet to the field lines and 408 feet to center. Shea was never a great hitters ballpark to begin with and Citi Field is no better. I would attribute the height of the fences as being a major issue for the team in terms of hurting the amount of home runs in the park. As well, the shortage of quality hitters on the current Mets squad is the main reason for any offensive issues. As a ball park, Citi Field ranks 11th currently in terms of home runs but 27th last year. It will be interesting to see how the field plays out this season. But the bottom line, is that the Mets have the same advantages and disadvantages at Citi Field as all opposing teams. As a pitcher’s park, the team needs strong pitching and defense to remain competitive on its home turf, with good timely hitting. This may sound obvious, but team talent and not the stadium will decide the team’s fate at the end of the day.
Q: Ok how about this? I am not yet dropping Derek Jeter from fantasy team. Can I drop Brett Wallace or Mark Trumbo for Yunel Escobar as insurance for Jeter? From Maury, Boston
MLB reports: Hell0 Maury and no, you cannot make this move. As much as Jeter is struggling, dropping talents like Wallace and Trumbo do not make sense at this point. Wallace is hitting .321 in 2011 with 3 home runs and .869 OPS. Trumbo, while starting to struggle somewhat with a .244 AVG has 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. If you must make this move, then drop Trumbo and grab Escobar, who is hitting .295, with 3 home runs and .775 OPS. Quality numbers for a shortstop. But Jeter is still Jeter and will rebound in my estimation. Keep plugging the Yankees captain in your lineup and expect a rebound soon.
Q: Can the Cubs please just leave Starlin Castro in a fixed spot in the lineup? Like, say, leadoff? Hitting him 3rd is (^*&&*%$! From Reuben, parts unknown
MLB reports: I can’t argue with Castro’s numbers to start the season. .327 AVG, .789 OPS, 23 runs scored, 18 runs driven in, 4 stolen bases and 6/14 BB/K ratio. As a leadoff hitter or hitting in the second slot, Castro has strong abilities to get timely hits and create runs. I couldn’t agree with you more that batting Castro in the third slot does not make sense. With one home run this year and three all of last year, the power is not there for the Cubs shortstop. The move to hit him third would be out of desperation than anything else. It is a relection on the Cubs for a lack of other options, than Castro as a new power guy. As the Cubs continue to gel through the season, expect Castro to have a permanent lineup slot soon. Leadoff appears to be most likely his destination.
Q: Do you think Aaron Hill might be enough to protect Bautista in the Jays lineup? I obviously don’t mean full protection, but maybe just enough for the Blue Jays to be a force. Another great article by the way, I enjoyed reading your feature on Jose Bautista! From Nolan, parts unknown
MLB reports: Thank you for reading the reports, I always appreciate the feedback. The Bautista article was a lot of fun to write and I enjoyed giving the readers a look into the Jays home run king (You can click to read our piece on Bautista). As far as AaRon Hill coming back and providing good protection in the lineup, I will admit that I have my doubts to say the least. Hill has missed several games this year due to injury and when he has been able to play, has hit to the tune of a .237 AVG, no home runs and .573 OPS. If you take aside 2009, Hill has never shown to be a really good hitter and in my opinion, that season has been an outlier rather than the standard. Aaron was actually the subject of the first ever article on MLB reports. If you would like to read more about Aaron and his future on the Jays, please click here. But if you want the brief synopsis: Hill is more likely a candidate for a trade/release over the next year than any guarantee of production. I do not have very much faith in him and neither should you.
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