Are the Blue Jays capable?

[canucks_bertuzz]

With the blue jays making so many changes in and out field do you think they can improve from last year and maybe even come close to a playoff spot. The blue jays are the only Canadain team left and are well out numbered by every team when it comes to payroll. But a high payroll is not what wins a World Series, its a team with chemistry and always tries there best. I think the Blue Jays will most likely NOT make the playoffs but its not because they dont have a good team its because they are in a division with the Yankees and the Red Sox which Im sure most of you know that they have many powerful players and are top candidates for the World Series! My question is do you think that the Toronto Blue Jays can improve from last year, maybe even make a playoff spot.

[Billy D]

The Jays are only about a dozen freak injuries (to the BoSox and Yanks) and a few career seasons (from their own guys) away from contending this year. So, yes, they have a chance. Not a good one though.

[Alex]

Improve- yes. I picked them to finish third behind the Yankees and Sox.

Play Offs- no. If the Jays were in the AL Central they might be a favorite. In the AL East they're going to have to fight Baltimore and Tampa Bay for third.

I really like the make up of Toronto's starting line up, especially the signing of Corey Koskie and move of Eric Hinske to first base. However, I see too many question marks in the rotation and bullpen for them to be considered a legitimate play off contender. Will Roy Halladay bounce back from an injury-plagued season? Can Ted Lilly remain a viable #2? Will Miguel Batista be successful as a closer?

Best Case- 85-77
Worst Case- 70-92

[catman]

I have to agree with Alex to a point. If the Jays were in the AL Central, they would finish behind the Twins and Indians. They cannot contend in the division they are in because they will not be as good as the Red Sox and Yankees. They simply don't have the payroll capabilities to get and keep the talent required to do so at this time.
The Jays will be a better team than they were last year, if their pitching is solid. Their offense should be OK.

[Billy D]

Well, as far as the Blue Jays' payroll goes, i wrote a column about that once... (sorry, can't link due to rules, you'll have to find it yurselves)

[Alex]

Didn't the Blue Jays owner recently announce that there would be a $20 million increase in payroll? While still not enough to compete with Boston and New York, it would nice to see a smaller market (in terms of baseball) stepping up to put the best team possible on the field. Toronto, just like Cleveland, is a city where fans really get behind the team when they're winning.

[doublee]

I don't know about the Jays. Their bullpen is still suspect and they need to find a bat to replace Delgado as well as having Hinske get back to swinging the bat the way he did in '02.

[G-MenNMetsfan]

Jays I think will finish in last place. They have some good young players on the team, Rios, Hudson, and Heinske(sp?).

Looking at the division they are in, they are in for a long season.

[Heathen]

They'll finish 3rd or 4th I think. But it'll be great to see them at least come close.

[BurghGuy]

Who honestly thinks (voted yes) the Blue Jays will be able to make the playoffs? So you're saying that they will either beat out the Yankees or the Red Sox? Or Both? Come on...Not this year...

[Billy D]

Sure, the Jays could make the playoffs. It will require injuries or ineffectiveness from most of the Red Sox and Yankee rotations and maybe a couple position players, but if that happened (not completely out of the question given the pitchers' ages) and the Blue Jays played well, they could contend. Yankees farm system lacks ready-to-go young studs, so injuries could cripple them.

The poll question was "Do they have a chance?" I would've answered differently if the question was "Do you think it will happen?" or "Do they have a chance if everyone's healthy for all teams?" I'm actually predicting the Jays will finish 4th or possibly 5th

The only other "yes" vote, I believe, is a delirious Jays fan from Toronto

[doublee]

Basically the Red Sox team plane would have to crash into Yankees Stadium for the Blue Jays to beat either one of them in the standings this year.

[Pimpbot]

The're capable alright. Of what though, who knows?.

[#99]

Toronto deserves a lot of credit. They're a franchise on the rise and in a year or two they can be serious contenders. Their GM (his name escapes me at the moment) learned from the best there is in Billy Beane and I think you'll find that he's applied that savvy into maximizing the talent he can afford. It's just their bad luck that they're in the same division and Boston and the Yanks. Now, if they played in the AL Central...

[Billy D]

JP Riccardi

Yeah, they should try to trade divisions with the Indians or Tigers.

[Spikedmace]

With all due respect... not with the Yankees and Boston in their division.

[fan05]

B jays have no shot- No way No how. Not even if joe Carter came back