Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the Toronto Blue Jays?


The Toronto Blue Jays have easily the best offense in the American League East and may have the best offense in all of Major League Baseball, we all know they did in 2015 anyway, and we also know they have one of the best young starting pitchers on the planet in Marcus Stroman but will it be enough to capture the AL East Division crown once again in 2016? That remains to be seen but the way they will do that is the same way they did it last season, they will use their farm system to bring in the pieces they need via trade and they will use their core of young guys to fill in the gaps. The Blue Jays have plenty of reinforcements up inside Rogers Centre but in the spirit of Prospects Month here on the blog do they have enough reinforcements down on the farm to get by if needed?

Toronto will get a bit of pass here because during Prospects Month we’ve not only covered prospects but we’ve also covered the young guns on the team as well and showcased how they can help you win your fantasy baseball drafts and leagues this season. Most of the Blue Jays offense will be gone by at least the second round but I’m not sure if people know what to do about Marcus Stroman. Sure he went 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA in September last year after recovering from what was supposed to be a season-ending knee injury but surely he can’t keep up that torrid pace… can he? I’m honestly on the fence about him because part of me feels like he is a true ace in the making and is a 20-game win threat even without the Toronto offense behind him. With it, who knows how many he can win.

Roberto Osuna is another that I’m on the fence about because I’m not quite sure of his position with the club. You have to think the Blue jays acquired Drew Storen from the Washington Nationals to have him as their closer but the young right-hander did struggle after his former team acquired Jonathan Papelbon. Was that because he felt slighted and needed a change of scenery or is the proof simply in the pudding and we’re too busy making excuses for him to see it? That answer won’t only affect Storen himself but it will affect Osuna as well. Osuna isn’t as valuable in fantasy as a set-up man as he is as a closer so keep him on your watch list this spring training and during your draft. If he falls far enough he may be worth it anyway.


Finally you have the combination of Devon Travis and Ryan Goins. Goins will start the season at second base while Travis recovers from a shoulder surgery that derailed his rookie season in 2015. Travis is expected to be ready around the April/May timeframe so if you have the room on the roster he may be worth grabbing and hold onto for a while. If you can’t afford to wait then Goins might be a suitable replacement, but honestly I doubt it. Someone will likely grab up Travis, especially in the deeper leagues, and sit on him and wait so why not make that person you, you know?

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)