With the traditional, but unofficial second half about to get underway following the all-star break, look for the AL East standings to close up even more as the O’s schedule is brutally tough and the Jays have been playing brutally bad. The division is not a bad division, just decidedly mediocre. What that means is that with any kind of a win streak, the Yankees, Red Sox or Rays could get right back into it. It would seem that no wild-card will emerge from the East and it’s not just looking at the numbers, it’s looking at the teams. One thing is certain, the Jays need a solid homestand right now to reverse the trend of the West Coast trip where they went 2-8, including Tampa. Unfortunately, the Jays are headed out on another 10-game road trip shortly to New York, Boston and Houston. On to the Mailbag.

Q-Richard,

With the trade deadline approaching, what would the trade value of Colby Rasmus be at this point? Reason I ask this is that he is a free agent at the end of the season and he might not net a single asset if he walks. If the Jays are not going to sign him why not net some assets? In saying that if they haven’t extended Melky Cabrera at this stage, who is the table setter and is a key piece in the top four of the lineup, wouldn’t you want to have your key pieces signed through your competitive years?

If the Jays are in a salary flux and can’t keep your key pieces why would they let them walk without maximizing their return?

Scott Cochrane, Niagara on the Lake

A-The trade value of Colby Rasmus at this point in time is negligible in terms of helpful talent and the Jays don’t need a salary dump, so they might as well hang onto him. Sure there are teams that would take him for the final two months, but the Jays would receive nothing of value in return. He has been injured and he has been ineffective as a hitter. Look at it this way. If you are a contender, is Rasmus going to be better than the centre fielder that you already have out there? Rasmus has not taken advantage of his free-agent year to this point and if the thought in Blue Jays camp, at one time, was to let him finish the year then extend him a qualifying offer in order to at least get a draft pick in return and be able to continue negotiations, that is likely not the case anymore. He will not be offered $15 million (the 2015 qualifying amount) by any team in a multi-year or one-year deal.

It says here that the Jays at the end of the season, wil just let Rasmus walk without seriously negotiating unless it is at their price. Such is not the case with Melky Cabrera. Melky has played like the man they believed they had signed back in Nov. 2012 and they will at least extend him a qualifying offer and see what his market is before giving him any sort of a long-term deal.

Q-Hi Richard!

I’ve got maybe a thought or two on the Jays this year.

First off, I’m a diehard fan. I have been since I was in kindergarten. Tom & Jerry used to be my lullabies and in almost every picture of me from my childhood I have some iteration of a Jays hat on.

I do have to say, as disappointing as the last eight or so weeks have been, I don’t remember the last time so many people cared about baseball in Toronto. Not even in the fun year of 2006 with all the splashy signings of A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan and the acquisitions of Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus were the Jays this popular. It’s been a hell of a ride so far and I hope it continues.

Despite the recent woes, I think it’s been very interesting to see how well the starters have been doing. By all accounts, if you had said that at the beginning of the year that Dickey would be below .500, Buerhle would lose five in row, Morrow would hit the 60 day DL AND the Jays would STILL be within striking distance at the All-Star break not a soul would have believed you. I give credit where credit is due and Hutch, Stroman and (much more shockingly) Happ have been nothing less than spectacular in keeping the Jays afloat. Good on them. I’m glad all the talk of needing a frontline starter has gone by the wayside. I will say that the bandwagoners (wagoneers?) need to give it a rest. They are the ones that are here today and gone tomorrow. I’m done with all the fantasy type trades (Sanchez, Stroman and Anthopolous’ left arm for Price/Samardjza/Cy freaking Young). Why would they in their right minds decimate the only good thing coming in the not too distant future to sell some extra tickets now? What guarantee do they have that that would even work? Come on bandwagoners, you’ll have to do better than that.

What this teams needs is to get healthy and get back to basics. Play some small ball, hit a few long bombs and throw some strikes. Play the game day to day and forget about the last at bat or the last pitch. Just go out there and do what it is you do, which is how you earned your place in the league in the first place. This is a talented team that is not believing in itself right now. When they are on, oh boy are they on. They’re not all that far off right now, either. A few hits here and there and we’re talking about a 4-6 or 5-5 road trip instead of the skid they’re on.

I’ll be keeping faith in this team until the bitter end, whether or not I’ve got rose-tinted glasses on.

I’m having fun. Should have given you a soapbox warning first.

Love the work Griff. Keep it coming!

My Ref Nut

A-I scoured your mailbag letter and didn’t come up with too many questions that needed to be answered. Lots of solid opinion. One good point that you make is that if someone had said at the end of March that at the all-star break, the Jays would be four games out and a couple of games above .500 then, at that time, most fans, not knowing the roller-coaster fashion that would see the Jays arrive at that record, would have taken it. The pain and angst is felt in because they once were 11 games above .500 with a significant lead that historically, in the years 1985-89-92-93 has meant that they have made the playoffs. They need a turnaround and good health to continue that streak.

Q-Hi Richard

Does this years Jays season bring back memories of the 1989 Expos? Aug. 2 the Expos were cruising at 19 games over .500 with a 63-44 record. Mark Langston for Randy Johnson was looking like a brilliant trade at the time. Then they imploded and went on to lose 11 of 14 games and eventually ended the season with an even record of 81-81. As a fan, 1989 has to remain one of the most frustrating seasons in Expos history. This season with the Jays is giving me that feeling of deja-vu.

Thanks,

Todd

A-Yes, that ‘89 season was unbelievable. For some reason being there and a part of it, it did not feel frustrating, but simply unbelievable watching it fall apart and watching Langston’s desire to stay in Montreal on a long-term deal disappear day-by-day. GM Dave Dombrowski made the Langston deal with the M’s early in the season without any guarantee that he would stay, but the belief was that he would learn to enjoy Montreal and the winning atmopsphere that was there at the time and would sign.

Langston was part of a solid five-man rotation that included Dennis Martinez, Pascual Perez, Kevin Gross and Bryn Smith, that started 148 games and won 58. Even as late as Sept. 6, after Langston beat the Pirates, they were 11 games above .500, just 2.0 GBL. From that point, they lost seven of the next eight to drop eight games back and the free-fall did not end until they lost the final five games of the season to finish 81-81. Langston decided he wanted more Big A than Big O and signed with the Angels. This season for the Jays has some of those same traps and trappings, but the crumble began earlier. Tim Burke as Expos’ closer is similar to Casey Janssen as Jays’ closer and Buck Rodgers was folksy and considered a players’ manager like John Gibbons, but was a better in-game strategist.

Q-Hi Richard

While trying to find the all-star game on my MLB app last night on my iPod, I instead stumbled upon a cache of classic games, and ended up watching Game 6 of the ‘93 world series instead.

Despite being 21 years ago, it was riveting. Despite knowing exactly what was going to happen most of the way (how could I have forgotten about Lenny Dykstra’s monster homer off Stewart in the 7th?) I was nervous with anticipation as the 9th began.

One thing struck me. These 93 Jays were so much more focused and intense than our current band of chest pumping, complicated-high-fiving underachievers. Granted, game 6 of the world series isn’t exactly the same as game three of a 10-day road swing through California and the North-West, but one got the impression, after watching the way Devon White seemed to celebrate with his entire being after every ball he took, or the way he sprinted to first on a walk, or the way way Joe Carter stared THROUGH the left field fence, or the way Olerud looked downright angry as he rounded second for a stand-up double, that this was the way they played ALL YEAR.

They were only about winning. Not about haircuts or sculpted goatees or ten minute homerun celebrations. You want a home run celebration? Watch Carter rounding the bags, jumping for joy, pumping the air with his fists.

I think the 2014 Jays could learn a lot from watching that game, over and over and over again.

Paul Lessard, Montreal

A-The sport has changed and the athletes have changed. It’s not simply the difference between the ‘93 Jays and the ‘14 Jays, it’s the difference between ‘93 athletes and ‘14 athletes. Yes, there are some teams today that don’t stage the elaborate home-run choreography, but actually the Jays have toned it down from last season and that’s good. Watch some vintage clips from World Series of the ‘70s and ‘60s and you’ll see guys cross the plate after a home run and actulally shake hands with the on-deck hitter. The Yankees don’t have a lot of that staged celebration stuff, mainly because of their captain Derek Jeter and the way he learned to play as a youngster winning multiple World Series in the ‘90s. But I agree with you. I have seen the ‘93 World Series video and, like you said, even though you know the end result, it’s still compelling and dramatic because of all the details that were forgotten with time.

Q-Richard,

With Alfonso Soriano now on the free agent market and the Jays in need of a RH bat that can hit Lefties, why wouldn’t the Jays take a flier on him? He has a Hispanic background, which would fit nicely into the locker room, he can play multiple positions, LF, RF, 3B, which would fit the mold of what Gibbons likes lineup flexibility. I know that he has been having a down year and his body might not like the beating it will take on the field turf, and he could be signed for the league minimum (the Jays wouldn’t need to pass around a hat), if he is willing to make the move north, why wouldn’t AA take a chance on him? He could do no worse then the other waiver wire claims he has made throughout the season.

Scott Cochrane, Niagara on the Lake

A-The reports are that Soriano’s skills have gone off a cliff. This season, as a part time player, vs. lefthanders, Soriano posted a .247 average and a .269 on-base mark with three walks and 30 strikeouts. He is 38 years old and will be a free-agent at the end of the season. He has made $160 million over the course of his career and gets paid whether he signs with another club or not. What would you do?

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Q-Hi Richard,

Long time reader but first time writer. I have a statement followed by a question. It always amazes me that even though the Jays sit 4 games out of the division lead and 2.5 games out of a wild card spot at the All-Star break, many fans seem to have one foot over the edge of the cliff yet again. Since the “glory days” of the early 90’s, a bona fide pennant race – even this early in the season – has been scarce. Oftentimes the team has been much farther out of it by now. The Jays are still in the race, and have an excellent chance of playing meaningful late-season baseball.

Baseball, more so than any other team sport, requires that the long view be taken of the season. It’s where you end up after 162 games, and the inevitable peaks and valleys are just part of the journey. People should stop for a moment and enjoy the ride.

Having said that, I wanted to find out your views on the likelihood that John Gibbons and/or Alex Anthopoulos return if the season ends in disappointment (not necessarily not making the playoffs…but if the team continues to fall further back). I remain a fan of Anthopolous. He has made many shrewd moves over the years and I believe that the roster he has put together (when healthy) is a strong one. I am slightly more lukewarm on Gibbons but acknowledge the uncertainty regarding exactly how much impact a manager has on wins/losses. How much rope do you believe Rogers has given them? It seems unlikely that AA would be allowed to hire a third manager. Hiring Gibbons was a ballsy move that no one expected and it felt as though AA was putting all of his chips in the middle of the table on this one. What do you think? Love the column!

Matthew, St. John’s, NL

A-Hiring Gibbons was the opposite of a ballsy move. It was AA choosing the comfort food, the pizza of managers. The Jays believed that with the roster they had put together over the ‘12-‘13 winter that anyone could manage the team to the playoffs, thus Anthopoulos chose someone that he knew he could communicate with, walk into his office without feeling a negative vibe on a daily basis and not be shut out of the information highway like he had been at times with John Farrell.

Like an earlier letter in this Mailbag, I agree with you that over 162 games every team will have its ups and downs, but because of the injuries and the ineffectiveness of their batting order against lefthanders, this one doesn’t show any signs of turning back around. That can change. As for AA and Gibbons returning for another go-round, I would suggest that if the Jays finish at .500 or below they would seriously consider replacing both men.

Q-Hey Richard,

I write to you a frustrated Blue Jays fan. Even though we have one biased Sports Channel (And biased writers and radio talent) owned by the Blue Jays it absolutely surprises me that Rogers isn’t going through a similar backlash that the Teacher’s Pension Plan went through when they owned MLSE. I don’t see a difference. It is clear as day that AA doesn’t have a dime to spend ( Or the guts to make a move) and all that commitment that we Jays fans showed this year and last year through attendance, apparel and TV numbers is taken for granted. The Jays were in first place for the first time this late in the season in 20 years. Through injury and a string of losses we see additions of Nolan Reimold (Already on the DL) Brett Wallace (Dropped by the worst team in the league last year Houston Astros) and watch a team with one of the smallest payrolls in Baseball add TWO above grade pitchers.

I for one am tired of this farce. The Jays and ownership in this city have taken us for granted and now we are looking at another lost season where we had the opportunity to win the division with as little as 87 wins winning the east.

My question to you is this. Am I wrong here? Why isn’t there a backlash from the fans and finally... Please tell me this collapse will cost AA his job. He fears making a trade for proven talent as much as he fears his own shadow, 2012 was two years ago, he hasn’t make a significant move since! I don’t care if we win in Vancouver, Lansing, New Hampshire, Dunedin or wherever we store our young talent, I want to win in Toronto!

Best,

Marc Oliver, Frustrated Loyal Jays fan, Toronto

A-And what backlash did MLSE go through, exactly? The ACC is still sold out for every game as the team continues, in full seasons, to miss in a playoff system that generously includes 16 of 30 teams, with fans lined up to snap up season tickets if any one had the “I’ll show them” conviction to cancel. The Jays would take that kind of backlash in a heartbeat.

To me, the 2013 bump in Jays apparel, ratings and attendance did indeed show Rogers ownership what was possible with a winning team. I think that ownership’s backlash is against their own GM as in, “Show us a winning product before we give you more money to spend.” They were headed in that upward direction at the end of May, but then the wheels fell off and now it’s a struggle to convince them to add parts. The Nolan Reimold addition was a good one. He has a track record when healthy and the O’s were trying to slide him through waivers because they had replaced his bat at the major-league level while he was injured (twice). As for, Brett Wallace, that was strictly to help AAA-Buffalo because the Jays had been stripping away some of their bats and AA wants the Bisons to have a winning team because of a relationship and promises of competitiveness made to ownership.

Q-Hi Richard,

I like the MLB All Star Game, unlike hockey and football it still has a pretty competitive edge. It brought back memories of my first (and only) visit in 1985 to the old Metrodome. A pretty good AL side got taken to the cleaners by some really good pitching (Goose Gossage for one). I also had the pleasure of meeting a less than pleased Bobby Cox who was one of the coaches..

I also enjoy the HR Derby despite it’s detractors, and to be fair it doesn’t make rivetting television. But watching it live was great fun. It gives the fans a chance to get to get close to the players in a relaxed atmosphere. How do you rate it on entertainment value?

On a separate note what can be done to fix the replay fiasco (apart from scrapping it altogether)? It’s been a disaster for breaking up the game. Perhaps restricting reviews to home runs and home plate outs and restricting managers to just one or two challenges.

Frank Taker, Prescott

A-It’s funny you say the Home Run Derby is better in person. I thought the other way around that it’s better on TV. But I guess if you’re there, you can watch whatever you want, like the interaction of the players as they sit together and watch and the cute antics of the children. But to me, like going to an NFL game in person, there’s far too much down-time in an attempt to flesh out the three-hour telecast.

As hard as it is to believe, the managers are already restricted in the number of challenges. But if they are correct they are awarded another. To me, the terrible part of what replay has done to baseball is that every time there is a close play, fans instead of looking to the on-deck circle to see who has the next chance to mount a rally, are looking up in Pavlovian fashion to the top step of the dugout, wondering whether their manager is going to challenge. And even if he doesn’t challenge, odds are that he will at least step out onto the field to let the umps know he’s pondering and delay the proceedings until the clubhouse can get word to the bench coach. It ruins the flow of what was once a beautiful game.