Minor league action gets going next Thursday. Teams were scheduled to be announced today with most teams flying out to their host cities on Monday. We learned today that Chip Cannon and Sergio Santos will be headed to New Hampshire to start the season. The Blue Jays also recently signed Wayne Lydon's return and released several players. Luke Hopkins, Danny Hill and David Hicks retired.
News and notes as we get ready for the season:
Matt Michael reports in his blog that Sergio Santos will play in AA while Rey Olmedo will play AAA. Santos has never mastered AAA and this is a make or break year for him. The Jays have three other shortstops whose fate is uncertain, Ryan Klosterman, Manny Mayorson and Raul Tablado who is back after missing all of 2006. Klosterman has been playing a lot of second base this spring so he could play there in AA. Russ Adams has the position covered in AAA.
Kevin Gray from the Manchester Union-Leader reports that Chip Cannon is headed back to New Hampshire. Chip is not thrilled but is taking it OK. Kevin Barker (who recently became engaged to Hazel Mae) has the first bag in Syracuse. Gray also confirms that David Purcey and Ricky Romero will return to New Hampshire too. Cannon's return to AA is not a huge surprise, his performance in AA last season was average, good power but a low batting average. Chip hit much better in the Arizona fall league and will need to find that form again to force a move to AAA.
Wayne Lydon left the Jays after the 2006 season and hoped to get a shot at a major league job with the Washington Nationals. He didn't get a shot and was released. Lydon has just resigned with the Jays but will have to play in AA as the Jays signed Jeff Duncan to play AAA.
Scout.com has reported that Luke Hopkins retired this off-season as did David Hicks and Danny Hill. Hopkins retirement is a surprise as he was drafted last season. Hill had been promoted up to AA but had appeared to plateau there. With the pitchers Toronto added in the off-season Hill might have been forced back down to single A. Hicks was stuck in the lower end of the system.
The Jays released eleven players with Eric Arnold and Chris Snavely having reached the highest level, AA.
Stay tuned for more.
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