Stars that have begun the decline to mediocrity:
Jeff Kent
Bret Boone (obviously)
Sammy Sosa
Luis Gonzalez

Stars that will begin their decline in 2005
Jorge Posado
Jason Varitek
Troy Percival
Jeff Bagwell
Mike Mussina

Uhmmm... I would love to say Jason Giambi, since I can't stand the guy, but his is more of injury related mediocrity, so I'm going to say Derek Jeter (another Yankee, I can't stand).

The Jays made some interesting minor league free agent signings, including Matt Whiteside (P), Spike Lundberg (P) and Adrian Burnside (P). Jason Alfaro (IF), Mike Nannini (P) and Jesse Carlson (P) are the most interesting.

Ricciardi has said Alfaro could replace Gomez. Carlson and Nannini are both 24-year-old pitchers. I've been hoping for a few years now that the Jays would trade for Nannini, who was a former first round pick out of high school by Houston. He has moved up slowly through the minors, often struggling the first year at a new level and then dominating the next year (solid K rates as a starter). He struggled this past year in AAA but should be in line for a solid season in 2005 and could be a useful long reliever eventually for the Jays. Carlson is a lefty out of college (another former Houston pitcher, although drafted by Detroit). He offers some good lefty depth, which the Jays sorely need.

Whiteside is likely the next coming of Doug Linton or John Wasdin, and he has had some attitude problems in the past. Lundberg has put up solid numbers in the minors, but never been given a shot at pitching in the majors. Burnside, an Australian, is a lefty and once considered a solid prospect by Baseball America. At 28 though, his star is tarnished and, if anything, he could possibly be a LOOGY.

None of these players will be a star, but they add much needed depth. So far, I give JP's minor league signings an 'A'.

Brian Giles.

The Jays made some interesting minor league free agent signings, including Matt Whiteside (P), Spike Lundberg (P) and Adrian Burnside (P). Jason Alfaro (IF), Mike Nannini (P) and Jesse Carlson (P) are the most interesting.

Matt Whiteside

Spike Lundberg

Adrian Burnside

Jason Alfaro

Mike Nannini

Jesse Carlson

Alfaro certainly looks like an interesting player.

Where's the hijack page? where are the rumours? where are the newspaper updates? What's going on around here????

The best place to go for newspaper rumours is Pro Sports Daily

Jim Acker, A couple of points. Firstly, we ask that posters not use the names of real individuals unless the poster is that individual. Mike Wilner may post as "Mike Wilner", but Mike Green may not. Secondly, the hijack central page is on the sidebar- "Hijack Central- a new beginning". During the off-season, BB does not have a daily roundup page, as there are relatively few stories of note in the print media that merit reporting.

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/tor/news/tor_news.jsp?ymd=20041111&content_id=912727&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp
COMN for a Nice Q&A w/ V-Dubb.

Funny Baseball Memory: "That's a tough one. I guess I have one. Sophomore year in high school, I'm going back for a flyball into left center. And my left fielder is not telling me where the fence is. And I -- with not knowing where the fence is -- ran full speed into a chain link fence. And luckily didn't hit the poles. And I hit the middle of 'em and sprung backwards [laughs]. And my wife now -- was my girlfriend then -- fell out laughing. And my dad somehow held his laugh back. But I'm sure it was pretty funny to watch."

I copied that there, b/c one time playing in Hamilton in one of my junior years of the Intercounty Baseball League, I did the same thing, except I hit the pole straight on w/ my head, and knocked myself out.

Matt Whiteside? What year is this? I didn't know he was still in baseball.

Re Lundberg, he was a 26th-round SP in 1997, pitched very well until he hit a huge wall in AAA. I don't think he ever made the 40-man roster. Switched to relief and pitched well back in AA, then hopped from Texas to Philly as a 6-year minor-league free agent and again pitched well in relief in AAA. Usually has good control, K rate has jumped to the seven-per-nine range as a reliever.

He's only 27. Look slike a smart move both on his and Toronto's parts.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1100128211747&call_pageid=969907739730&col=970081600908&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes
COMN for Coaches of the year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/gammons/story?id=1920544
Gammons reports that Aubrey Huff, among others, is available. COMN.

Mike Green, I was going to give the same advice re: the Hijack thread as you but then I checked it and it seems to be set so as not to allow any more posts. Time for new one? Seeing that teams can start poaching other teams free agents tomorrow things might start heating up.

I also noticed that Hentgen came off the voluntary retirement list. Does this mean he is permantly retired or is he going to make a comeback?

R: Lundberg. He was a frequent contributor to Jamey Newberg's Minor League Report for the Rangers, the approximate Texas Equivalent to da Box. He's very personable and accessible to the fans that way.

I have a note into Jamey to see if I can get Spike's contact information to welcome him to Toronto, and we can only hope, to Da Box as well.

To answer the questions at hand:

1) I'll say Jason Varitek and Odalis Perez (assuming he doesn't re-sign with the Dodgers).

2) "Mediocre" is a little harsh, but relative to his salary... Alfonso Soriano.

Alternately, who's already made that step but the general baseball public won't recognize that fact until sometime next season?

Hmmm...I'm guessing the general public already knows about Piazza, right? ;-)

Nannini got a reference in the BP Dominican Report today. He contributed at least one strong outing is what can be infered from the article.

Re Nannini. I guess the Astros don't buy into the notion of limiting a young pitcher's innings.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3615
Here is the BP article (subscription only). COMN.

Does anybody know where to get the Domincan Winter League stats? I am curious to see Nannini's numbers.

C.