Jays Fans Looking Forward To 2010

For the last three seasons, Toronto Blue Jays fans have been optimistic about their team's chances heading into the season. Whether delusional or not, this optimism is usually washed away by the All-Star break, and then revived for a brief moment in late August or early September by an unexpected winning streak before it's killed dead by reality.  Continue Reading

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The reality is that the Toronto Blue Jays are in the same division as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the suddenly upstart Tampa Bay Rays. After scaling back their payroll by more than $10 million for the coming season, Jays fans are finally buying into the cruel reality that they've managed to ignore up until now.

It's a bit pathetic, really. Like watching John Henry in an alternative universe realize that a machine does a better job than he can. It's a sad conclusion brought on by an inactive offseason and an ownership group unwilling to spend the dollars it must to remain competitive.

For the first time in years, I can join with opposing AL East fans in saying with utmost certainty that the Toronto Blue Jays will not be playing postseason baseball this season.

However, with this difficult digression comes a certain bit of freedom. The hardcore set of Jays fans who frequent blogs and message boards with their scouting reports, number projections and Pitch F/X analysis will finally get many of their questions answered.

Is Brett Cecil as good as David Price? Can Travis Snider hack it in the big leagues? Is Adam Lind really an everyday player? Will Alex Rios ever hit for power again? Is J.P. Arencibia the catcher of the future? And perhaps most importantly: is Roy Halladay really committed to Toronto even when there's no hope of winning?

Perhaps it's the typical delusional Jays fan in me, but the answers to these questions have the opportunity to prepare the J.P. Ricciardi Blue Jays to finally peak in 2010. As Ricciardi's contract as GM comes to a close at the end of next season, so do the agreements with manager Cito Gaston, Halladay, Scott Rolen, B.J. Ryan, Lyle Overbay and Scott Downs.

Aside from banking on contract year performances, 2010 is also expected to mark the return of Shaun Marcum to the starting rotation where he'll join Halladay, a healthy Dustin McGowan and whatever wheat is left from the chaff removed by this coming season. Throw in the experience gained from a "regrouping" year for youngsters like Lind, Snider and Arencibia, and the future of the Jays doesn't look nearly as dim as the present seems to be.

Then again, I feel the same way about 2010, as I did about heading into 2006, 2007 and 2008. Hopefulness and the resulting disappointment. Such is the life of a Blue Jays fan.

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