The long, wintry nightmare is almost over, and that means baseball is nearly upon us.
On Saturday, the Toronto Blue Jays begin their spring exhibition schedule against the Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Jays enter the 2017 season with perhaps slightly diminished expectations, but compared to the years prior to “The Batflip” and “The Slide”, Jays fans have a lot for which to be thankful.
A solid starting rotation combined with a still potent offence should have the Blue Jays contending deep into the season once again.
That said, there are plenty of storylines to pay attention to as we draw closer to Opening Day in April.
Can Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce adequately replace Edwin Encarnacion?
Both Morales and Pearce were signed after Encarnacion (and his agent) didn’t rush to accept Toronto’s initial offer, seemingly intent on testing free agency and earning a larger payday. When EE indeed chose to walk his parrot to Cleveland (for less than the Jays’ offer, it turned out), it left a hole in the lineup that Morales and Pearce hope to fill.
The 33-year-old Morales certainly has pop in his bat, having slugged more than 20 homers in a season five times in his career. And as a switch-hitter, he provides a little more versatility for an often right-handed-heavy Jays lineup.
Meanwhile, Pearce has quietly been an impressive hitter, albeit in part-time, platoon situations. He sports an .852 career OPS against left-handed pitching and can play several positions including corner outfield, first base, DH and even second base in a pinch.
No one is expecting Morales or Pearce to completely replicate Edwin’s production in the middle of the Jays’ order, but as long as they’re serviceable and hit like they’re capable of hitting, the overall offence shouldn’t drop off very much at all.
Who will win the open position battles in left field, first base, and in the bullpen?
If Pearce can hit his way into the everyday lineup, which seems to be what many Jays fans are hoping will happen, then it could be in either left field or at first base. Left field in particular is a wide open race, with Pearce, Melvin Upton, Ezequiel Carrera and Dalton Pompey fighting for playing time. If longtime prospect Pompey can hit well enough to put Upton and Carrera on the bench (and Pearce at first base), that appears to be the best-case scenario from an offensive standpoint.
Otherwise, the incumbent at first, Justin Smoak, will have to improve upon his .222 AVG as a Jay to not be a complete liability at the plate. Manager John Gibbons could also decide that Smoak’s defense gives him an edge over Pearce (or even Morales) and therefore tolerate his below average offence.
In the bullpen, Roberto Osuna, Jason Grilli and Joe Biagini are holdovers from last season, with free agent acquisitions J.P. Howell and Joe Smith likely joining them, barring awful spring showings. The last few spots are up for grabs, and there are plenty of suitors, including Aaron Loup, Gavin Floyd, Ryan Tepera and Mike Bolsinger, as well as newcomers Mat Latos, Chris Smith and Glenn Sparkman. The latter is a Rule 5 Draft selection, as Biagini was last season, and the Jays would no doubt love to catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row with Sparkman.
Will Josh Donaldson and Devon Travis be good to go for the start of the season?
Donaldson’s right calf strain has him on crutches to begin spring training, which is obviously not ideal. However, the strain was diagnosed as a mild one, and the star third baseman should be alright for Opening Day.
As for Travis, things are even less clear. He underwent knee surgery in the offseason and the club is taking things slow with their second baseman. If Travis isn’t ready for April, the Jays have plenty of serviceable depth at the keystone, including Darwin Barney, Ryan Goins and possibly even Pearce.
No team goes into the first week of the regular season with all the answers; that’s what spring training is for. If the Jays can find reasonable solutions to their immediate questions in February and March, it would go a long way towards assuaging Jays fans’ fears that the 2017 iteration of the team is slightly weaker than in the previous two seasons. It would also help if veterans like Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin come out strong right out of the gate. And if the starting pitching doesn’t take a step back. And if Kevin Pillar continues to defy the odds and tracks down nearly every ball hit in his general vicinity.
Spring training is the time where any and all things are possible; it’s why baseball fans endure the cold, miserable offseason every year, hoping that a new season brings new beginnings with it.
And in the case of the Toronto Blue Jays, that it also sows the seeds for another playoff appearance, and perhaps the ultimate prize.
