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TSN Baseball Analyst Steve Phillips on where Marcus Stroman fits on the Blue Jays roster, Jose Reyes’ unhappiness with his playing situation and the surprising number of job openings there might be this off-season.

1) Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman is throwing simulated games and is scheduled for two minor-league appearances. If he's healthy enough to contribute down the stretch and into the playoffs, where do you think his best fit in the current pitching staff would be?  Considering how well they are playing, is there any concern that adding him to the mix and changing someone else's role could upset the team's momentum? 

It sure seems that the Jays are on a mission to get Marcus Stroman ready to pitch in some capacity this season.  Put me in the column of being against the idea. My reluctance has nothing to do with not liking the young righty.  Who doesn’t love this kid?  He is competitive, tough and talented. I would want him in my starting rotation for years to come. I just don’t understand the desire to rush him back in 2015. The risk far outweighs the reward. I would not risk 2016 for a few innings this season.

But, so far, nobody in the Jays’ organization has asked my opinion on the matter.  So I accept they are going to do what they are going to do.

The Jays are stretching him out like a starter, which is a good idea.  As a starter he gets more opportunity to throw all of his pitches and get as much work as possible. The minor-league season is coming to a close, so there are only so many innings and opportunities to have him throw on rehab assignment.  After that, all that is left is the major leagues.

It sounds as though their intention is to pitch him in the bullpen if and when he is ready to return to the majors this season. I agree with that as well.  If he were to return as a starter and either get injured in a critical game or struggle to get hitters out, removing him from the game would put a huge burden of innings on the rest of the bullpen. 

Unfortunately, the Jays may not have enough minor-league playing opportunity left to prepare Stroman to pitch from the bullpen. It would make sense to have him do it on his rehab assignment. He does have a handful of major-league relief appearances to his name, but it would be ideal to remind him how different it is to prepare to enter the game as a reliever versus as a starter. 

As the bullpen is currently constructed, it has been difficult to find innings for some of the relievers. The starters have performed much better since the All Star break, so middle relief innings have been few and far between.  Of course, there will be opportunities at some point. Extra-inning games always call for relievers who can go multiple innings. 

There is always a risk that assimilating a new player on to the roster can have a disruptive impact. I don’t believe that will be a problem though for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, Stroman is known to his teammates, respected by them and his return will be highly anticipated. The guys will feel like they got dramatically better even if he doesn’t throw a pitch. Secondly, John Gibbons and Pete Walker have done an amazing job of creating an environment where change has propelled the team, not broken it. 

As a GM I am programmed to avoid a catastrophe.  So my inclination is that I would not rush Stroman back to the majors this season. That being said, the Jays would get a great arm and a great guy back on the team who will be readily accepted.  Maybe it is worth the risk.

But maybe not.

2) Jose Reyes made some noise this week about how unhappy he is playing for the Colorado Rockies (or more specifically a team out of a playoff race) while the Jays are thriving. He's cleared waivers and could be traded to any team willing to take on all, or some, of his contract. If something gets done before the end of August, he could be eligible for a playoff roster. Do Reyes' comments make a team less likely to trade for him, especially before the final deadline, or do they show that the player still has the fire in him to want to win? 

The clock is ticking for deals to be made before the end of August, which would allow a player to participate in the postseason for his new team.  I will be shocked if Jose Reyes gets moved.  Maybe he can make enough noise and become enough of a disruption to force the Rockies hand, but probably not. 

When players squawk that they want to be traded it may chase some interested parties away.  Usually, it depends upon the player and his circumstances.  If it is understandable why he is upset, interested parties tend to allow for a little complaining. The risk the player runs is that teams will realize that, two months, five months or a year from now, the same player may eventually be saying he wants out of their organization. Reyes has a great reputation around the game, so a little complaining won’t hurt that. 

The complicating factor for Reyes is the $56 million or so that he is still owed on his contract.  The Rockies didn’t want him; they took him to offset the money the Jays added in Troy Tulowitzki. Jose needs to understand where he is in his career.  Players always seem to be the last to know their true value in the market.  No club will trade for Jose right now unless the Rockies pick up a significant portion of the contract. His performance at this stage of his career doesn’t match his salary.  There is no shame in it.  It happens to plenty of players who get long multi-year deals.

If Reyes wants to be traded, his best chance is to keep quiet and play great baseball. The better he plays the better all of his options will be.  If he accepts his fate he may realize he is in a great place for his career.  He can put up huge numbers while he is in Colorado, and that may entice someone to trade for him.  The more he focuses on his defence the better his chances of getting moved are as well. He should ask to play some second base there too.  The more versatile he makes himself, the greater number of teams that could consider his services.

I can’t imagine who would trade for Reyes in the next several days.  His contract makes a deal too complicated.  The transfer of money or bad contracts will be much easier to accomplish this off-season. Reyes needs to use the next month to market his skills and abilities. 

3) Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Gomez and the New York Yankees had an incident during a game this week.  With his team up 9-0, Gomez reacted to missing a pitch and the Yankees got upset, leading to the benches clearing. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Gomez needs to "play the game the right way." This isn't the first time Gomez has had on-field problems with opponents, or the first time the Yankees have tried to police baseball's many unwritten rules. Who's in the right here? 

Carlos Gomez has had moments in his career where his emotions have gotten him in trouble.  He has a tendency to over-celebrate and over-complain at times that others don’t think is appropriate.  He is one of those guys that you love when he is on your team and dislike as an opponent.

His passion for the game is what makes him an exciting player, but it is also what gets him in trouble on occasion. When he overreacts to the situation he doesn’t initially do it to disrespect the opposition. He is just emotional. But once he evokes a response from the other club he can get defensive and reactionary.  Honestly, he used to drive me crazy, but I have grown to really like him. 

In the game against the Yankees, Gomez did throw a fit when he missed a pitch he thought he should have driven out of the ballpark. Normally, when you are embarrassing your opponent it is inappropriate to act that way. That is the unwritten rule. It gives the impression that you want to further humiliate them.  It contradicts the golden rule of treat others like you want to be treated.

In my opinion, Gomez didn’t slam the bat down because he was mad that he couldn’t further bury the Yanks. He did it because he is a competitor and always wants to do his best.  So his intent was pure, but the interpretation should have been expected.  He knows how it feels to be on the zero side of a 9-0 score.  No one wants to be embarrassed.

The Yankees response was a bit extreme from where I sit, but I understand why.  Brian McCann was in the Yankees dugout, not starting that day.  McCann and Gomez had a well-documented confrontation when the catcher played for the Braves. Back then, McCann took offence to the over-celebration by Gomez on a homer in a lopsided game. In that game, McCann stood in front of home plate and blocked Gomez from completing his trot around the bases.  Words were exchanged and there was pushing and shoving.

Baseball players have long memories. Gomez’s antics at Yankee Stadium were added to what he had done in the past, and the Bronx Bombers reacted to all that Gomez has done wrong in his career. They hollered at him from the dugout.  They antagonized him and he got defensive. John Ryan Murphy, who was catching for the Yankees, was the surrogate for McCann in the confrontation on the field. 

In August everyone is on edge.  It has been a long season, and often players look for opportunities to vent their frustrations. Gomez gave the Yanks an opportunity to release their anger of the big loss. 

Gomez doesn’t quite have a handle on the unwritten rules of baseball.  He doesn’t mean to show up the opposition. He lacks that filter between his brain and his mouth and reacts sometimes without thinking.  His emotion drives him, but it can be inappropriate sometimes. 

The Yankees doth protest too much too. I don’t see them call out David Ortiz of the Red Sox when he does exactly the same thing as Gomez. He gets a free pass.  Now maybe Ortiz has earned it because he has had a lengthy successful career, but facts are the facts. 

Managing Gomez is tough because you don’t want to put a bushel over his light.  Reining him in may rob him of his necessary passion to play the game. He just needs to be reminded that his behaviour doesn’t just impact him, it impacts his teammates too. Neither the Yanks nor Astros can afford a brawl that can risk suspension or injury. 

Gomez can play for my team any day.  He loves the game. He plays hard.  He is tough. He is competitive and talented.  I will gladly deal with the rest of the nonsense. 

 

4)  With the news that Jack Zduriencik was released from his position as general manager of the Seattle Mariners on Friday, speculation is rampant on what other positions will open this off-season. 

Here is a list of key jobs that are or could be available:

Manager Jobs (currently available)

San Diego Padres - Pat Murphy replaced Bud Black on an interim basis and will be a candidate for the full-time job.

Miami Marlins - Dan Jennings will almost assuredly move back to the front office.

Philadelphia Phillies - Pete Mackanin replaced Ryne Sandberg on an interim basis.  Expect new club president Andy McPhail to have his fingerprints all over the next hiring.

Managers’ Jobs (possibly available)

Boston Red Sox, John Farrell - It would be a tough firing considering Farrell’s health but it is a consideration. Dave Dombrowski is the new decision-maker.  He is a compassionate man which could help Farrell.

Chicago White Sox, Robin Ventura -Ownership is immensely loyal, but the team has significantly underachieved.

Cleveland Indians, Terry Francona - He is loved by the front office and is well-respected around the game, but the team did underachieve again.  He may get another year to get it headed in the right direction.

Detroit Tigers, Brad Ausmus - He only has two years’ experience, but he has received a ton of criticism for his handling of the bullpen. Al Avila is the new GM, so it will be interesting to see if he makes a dramatic change or sticks with the young manager. This could go either way.

LA Angels, Mike Scioscia - He survived the internal strife as owner Artie Moreno sided with him and allowed general manager Jerry Dipoto to step down.  But things haven’t gone all that well since then for the Angels.  Scioscia probably survives but it won’t be a shock if they make a clean break and start over. 

Seattle Mariners, Lloyd McClendon - He had a great first year with the M’s, but this year everything collapsed amid huge expectations.  His boss lost his job and there is no guarantee that a new GM will keep the manager. 

Washington Nationals, Matt Williams-If the Nats don’t make the playoffs Williams will probably not survive.  His club had a ton of injuries, but the results were disappointing with huge expectations.

Cincinnati Reds, Bryan Price-Ownership has given him a vote of confidence until the end of the season.  He is unlikely to survive beyond that.

Los Angeles Dodgers, Don Mattingly-If the Dodgers don’t make the playoffs or don’t advance to the World Series he will probably not survive.  It won’t be fair, but it is what it is.

Colorado Rockies, Walt Weiss-The Rockies are a last-place team again.  New GM Jeff Bridich will have a year under his belt and I suspect will want to give the organization his own identity.

Toronto Blue Jays, John Gibbons-If the Jays don’t make the playoffs (which seems remote right now), then Gibbons probably doesn’t survive as his boss would likely be out as well. 

That is 14 potential managerial changes that could happen this off-season.  WOW!!!

As far as general managers go, there could be substantial change there as well.  Here is what could happen:

GM lobs (currently available)

Los Angeles Angels - Bill Stoneman is filling in on an interim basis, but the job is open

Seattle Mariners - Jack Zduriencik is out and the search has already begun.  My guess is they reached out to Dave Dombrowski before he chose to go to Boston.

Milwaukee Brewers - Doug Melvin is moving up to become a consultant to the team and give someone else a chance. 

GM Jobs (possibly available)

Washington Nationals, Mike Rizzo - ownership believed the hype as well they should have.  They may want to clean house completely and start over after the huge disappointment of 2015.

Philadelphia Phillies, Ruben Amaro - new team president Andy McPhail will take over after the season. Amaro has received a ton of criticism over the last year-plus because of his reluctance to pull the trigger on deals.  He could be reassigned and McPhail could bring his own decision makers on board. 

Cincinnati Reds, Walt Jocketty-If he wants to keep doing the job he will likely be retained.  But Walt may want to follow the Doug Melvin path and move to a consultant’s role.

Toronto Blue Jays, Alex Anthopoulos-if the Jays don’t make the playoffs for some reason then he will likely be out.  The Jays are hiring a new president this winter which may or may not impact Anthopoulos. 

This has a chance to be an epic off-season with a round of musical chairs.  There will likely be unprecedented change at very important positions.

Make sure you get a seat before the music stops!