Blue Jays

Argh!  Price went to the Red Sox!  That he was going to go somewhere was clear as the Jays do not have enough cash to hire him (especially with the Cdn dollar worth only $0.75 to the Greenback), but with a 7 year contract, the Jays will face him about 35 times in the next seven years.  The Cubs would have been great, where maybe the Jays would have met him occasionally in inter-league games, and the playoffs at a World series, but otherwise not at all.  Price with the Red Sox is a problem.

The Jays have a very average starting rotation - Stroman, Dickey, Estrada, Happ and likely Chavez.  This should be competitive coupled with the massive offensive power that the Jays have. Nonetheless, this probably won't do it.  The Jays have slim hope of making the playoffs in the American League East with this line up as the perennial favourites - Red Sox and Yankees - are guaranteed to load up with talent over the next few months.  Price's signing is only the start.

Given that major league teams will go through about 12 starters in an average year, the Jays need more depth.  They need another quality starter (Chavez can start in the pen), and preferably at least one and maybe two pitchers who can also start in the pen but provide at least average results as a starter if need be. Who are these guys?

Henderson Alverez seems to be leading the pack as the quality starter.  The list of guys who may be worth a look for the middle relief/starter role include former Blue Jays pitchers Shawn Marcum, and Brandon Morrow.  Both may be reclamation projects, but this is where the Jays will have to go to fill this spot.  They may both balk at a reliever/reserve starter role - if so, wish them luck elsewhere.

The tons of offence that the Jays have make a trade mid-season a real possibility.  The new management team will have to start thinking about who they can lose from this offence to strengthen the pitching at some point.  Given how tight knit this group is, the decision will be a hard one.