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The oddsmakers are predicting a big year for the Toronto Blue Jays.

They are currently the favourites to represent the American League in the World Series with only the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League having better odds of winning it all. It is always great when the expectations are huge for a team and it is an acknowledgment of the talent level and readiness of a franchise to move from a competitive team to a championship-level team.  

I asked around Jays camp about these expectations and to a man they all said the same thing. They acknowledged that they are a good team with momentum after the last couple of seasons. It isn’t a World Series-or-bust mentality however.

The New York Yankees start off every season believing it will be a failure if they don’t win the championship. There is an arrogance to that which doesn’t recognize the quality of other teams. There is no arrogance in the Blue Jays clubhouse. Just confidence. Every member of the organization that I spoke with recognizes what a great division it is and how difficult will be to win it all. But they believe they can win it all.

The additions of Kevin Gausman, Matt Chapman, Yusei Kikuchi, Yimi Garcia, and Raimel Tapia have everyone enthused about Toronto. Other clubs I visited this spring rave about the Blue Jays and they respect the extraordinary young talent, depth and balance of the roster. It is not often that a team loses a Cy Young Award winner (Robbie Ray) and an MVP finalist (Marcus Semien) and excitement grows.  

Fans and the media like to focus on run production. And this Jays’ lineup is going to score a ton of runs. It is not nearly as exciting to talk about run prevention but Toronto has improved in that area quite a bit and the defence is going to be much better.

Chapman is a human vacuum cleaner at third base and Toronto’s third basemen had more chances than any other team last season. Chapman’s great range will complement Bo Bichette’s strength of going to his left. Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are both growing and improving defensively on the right side of the infield. 

The outfield defence will be better with a full season of George Springer in centre field and the growth and maturity of Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the newly-acquired Tapia.  

The pitching staff is as deep as any in the game. The Jays will run a starter out to the mound every day with the capability to shut down the opposition. The bullpen is stockpiled with power arms and different pitching styles. They will throw more quality innings than any other team in the AL this season.

So, I completely understand why the Jays are picked to represent the American League.  

A lot has been made of Toronto’s right-hand dominant lineup. They have been searching for lefty bats to balance the offence. That desire was the nexus of the trade with the Colorado Rockies acquiring Tapia for Randal Grichuk. It is also is why they signed switch-hitting outfielder Dexter Fowler to a minor league deal trying to see what he might have left in the tank coming back from a knee injury at the age of 36.  

Another candidate trying to make the club is lefty-hitting first baseman Greg Bird. The 29-year-old played for the Yankees from 2015-19. He was thought to be the long-term answer at first base in the Bronx but injuries have hampered him and made it difficult to stay on the field. He has light-tower power as he has shown with his two homers already this spring. He went from being a top prospect to a suspect over the years and the Jays are trying to see if he can resurrect his career.  

So far, he is hitting .333/.478/.722 in his 18 at-bats. But I am not putting too much stock in those numbers just yet. Bird has hit quite well in the past in spring training; in 2017, he smashed eight homers. He is one of those guys that can mash a fastball but it is the pitches with the wrinkle that cause him trouble. In spring, pitchers throw more fastballs as they stretch their arms out to build stamina. Bird capitalizes on that.  

I don’t believe he is a long-term answer as that consistent lefty batter, because he has a track record of struggling at the majors after an initial major impact in his career.  

Spitting Seeds

- On Friday, the Blue Jays announced a contract extension for manager Charlie Montoyo. He's now signed through 2023, with two option years as well.  It's a fitting reward for a well-liked and well-respected manager. His demeanor and disposition are perfect for this young team. He lets the players be themselves and have fun, while being very professional.

- Major League Baseball announced today that umpires will now use a microphone to announce the decisions after replay reviews. This is a great decision. Now fans are not left wondering what was being reviewed and why the decision went the way it did. This is a terrific in-game enhancement that is long overdue. It will also help the public perception of the umpires as often fans scream and yell when they are left in the dark. 

- The Blue Jays are the coolest team in baseball. They have a swagger that oozes confidence. They are stylish and fashionable. They are a collection of young studs who love to play the game and respect and appreciate one another. The Jays' clubhouse feels different than every other one I have been in this spring. They feel like a travel baseball team that doesn’t care about who or where they play. They just show up and play their game. They are not intimidated by anyone. 

- Speaking of intimidation; there has always been an aura around the Yankees and Yankee Stadium. There was a feeling of anxiety when teams played the Yankees. But not anymore. It has been interesting that clubs think the Yankees are very good but a number of team executives have said that nobody is intimidated by them anymore, even when playing in the Bronx. Even the Yankees acknowledge the shift.

- Twins coaches and front office executives are extremely impressed by Carlos Correa so far. He signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with opt-outs after the first two years of the contract. The former Astros shortstop has brought his vocal leadership and advanced understanding of analytics to the Twins' clubhouse. He is talking baseball all the time and is sharing his knowledge and experience. I also spoke recently with a couple of execs whose owners would not grant them permission to negotiate with Correa’s camp, because they believed he was not apologetic or humble enough after the Astros sign-stealing scandal.  

- It seems that the changes in the CBA regarding service time manipulation may be working as desired. In the new deal, clubs that promote young players on Opening Day have a chance to earn additional draft picks if their players are among the top vote-getters in Rookies of the Year, MVP and Cy Young awards prior to arbitration. Also the top two players in the ROY votes get a full year of service time. The Detroit Tigers will likely start the season with their top two prospects Spencer Torkelson (1B) and Riley Greene (OF) in the majors. The Phillies have said the same about their top prospect shortstop Bryson Stott and it is expected that the Royals’ best prospect shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. will be on the Opening Day roster as well. The inducements in the new deal seem to be working.