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★★★
Marcus Stroman is out for 2015 thanks to a torn ACL suffered during a bunting drill, and this is terrible news for the Blue Jays. They aren’t doomed from the start or anything like that -- the season is too long and full of too many unknowns to say that -- but Stroman represented a hope that no other pitcher in their rotation had. Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey’s days of leading a rotation are likely behind the aging vets. Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris don’t project to be that kind of arm. Stroman, though, had the stuff to be a front of the rotation hurler, and while whether he realized that potential or not is an entirely different story, the chance to do so has been taken away from him and the Jays for this season.
So, what now for the Jays? They added Marco Estrada to their rotation this winter in the Adam Lind trade, but he’s no real answer, as he’s never thrown more than 150 innings and isn’t likely to give up fewer home runs in everyone’s favorite Canadian bandbox. Kyle Drabek still exists, but he hasn’t made a big-league start since 2012 and wasn’t all that impressive in the minors in the two years since his return from Tommy John. A trade sounds good in theory, but the Jays have made a point of letting the media know they are short on available funds. If Johan Santana is healthy, then there might be a silver lining to this Stroman injury after all, but betting on Santana to actually be healthy is something only a gambler with a problem would do.
Luckily for the Jays, Buehrle and Dickey should at least be league-average arms who soak up 400 or more innings between the two of them, and the pair of Hutchison and Sanchez do have potential, even if it can’t match Stroman’s. The lineup is also looking great, as Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin were added to a group that already included Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. If the Jays were considered the AL East favorites, that might have changed, but they’re still in the mix for both the division crown and a wild card, for sure. It’s a long season, folks, and even someone with Stroman’s potential is just one guy.
- Stroman’s injury is a reminder that baseball hates you. Yes, you especially.
- Infielder and free agent Hector Olivera changed agents on Tuesday, and more concrete offers started to come in. The Braves made an offer with an unknown dollar figure attached to it, while the Padres are now considered potential favorites since they are reportedly willing to go to $50 million for the Cuban veteran. For what it’s worth, both clubs have given Olivera a physical already, so maybe that busted UCL rumor was off-base.
- Will Ferrell is going to travel around the Cactus League via helicopter in order to play all nine positions in one day. He’s doing it for your attention, yes, but that attention is supposed to be focused on a cancer awareness special that will air on HBO.
- Sorry, National League fans, but you are eventually going to get the designated hitter. Will you still claim baseball with a DH isn’t actually baseball, or will that argument seem silly when you have no alternative to devote your summers to?
- Jon Daniels has tough decisions to make as the general manager of the Rangers. Let’s all pretend we’re Daniels for a moment, and figure out whether the Rangers should buy, sell, or whistle loudly while sitting on their hands now that Yu Darvish is hurt.
- MLB still has not decided what the punishment for Josh Hamilton will be. This piece on dealing with addiction in a sport that wants to punish drug use should help shed light why this is such a complicated matter for Baseball.
- Cliff Lee has a torn flexor tendon, but since surgery means his 2015 will be over, his 2016 option won’t vest, and his career could be at its end, Lee is going to attempt to pitch through the injury.Ruben Amaro wants everyone to know this doesn’t change the plan with Cole Hamels, though, and he actually makes some good points as to why that’s the case.
- 30 baseball parks in 30 days. Will Leitch is a man with a plan.
- Yasmany Tomas: not a third baseman after all! It’s not his fault, he just has the feet of an outfielder, okay?
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