As the 2009 season winds down to its depressing conclusion the only possible cure is to focus on 2010 and look for positive signs. It goes without saying that the Jays need to do what we, the knowledgable fans, think they should do. So let's try and see if Batters Box can use the wisdom of our crowd to come up with a prioritized to-do list for the 2010 team.
All of you are invited to submit your top five ideas for improving the 2010 team. The results will be tabulated and we will come up with our top to-do items for JP or the new GM. In order to get similar to-do's that can be tabulated simple and comparable to-do's are required. Here are the ground rules:
1. Submit your top five to-do's in order
2. Points will be awarded 5-4-3-2-1 so the order does matter
3. This is limited to on-field suggestions only, so no to-do's relating to JP Ricciardi, Cito Gaston or the coaches
4. Your to-do's should only have the names of Blue Jay personnel. If we get into specific trade suggestions there will be no ability to tabulate the results.
5. Your to-do's will most likely start with the following: "trade"; "release"; "re-sign" or "acquire".
6. Assume the budget is similar to 2009's. There is no reason to believe it will be higher and if it is assumed it will be higher all the suggestions will be to sign a bunch of free-agents.
7. Be realistic. If one of your suggestions is to trade Brian Tallet and you expect to acquire a starting top-prospect shortstop in return you will be disappointed. It takes talent or dollars to bring in talent and the Jays are short dollars and none too rich in tradable talent, unless you think the Jays should trade young pitching which does have value.
8. When #4 and #5 are combined it means if you think the Jays should trade Roy Halladay your to-do's could be "trade Roy Halladay" and as a separate to-do "acquire a shortstop". The word acquire is used as the GM might be able to get his #1 need through a trade and his #2 through signing a free-agent or vice-versa. By saying "acquire" the flexibility of acquiring the player will be left to the GM but, as the results are tabulated, the wisdom of our crowd to determine where the need is will be left intact. Similarly you can say "re-sign Marco Scutaro" but if you think the shortstop should be someone else you would say "acquire a shortstop".
So have at it bauxites, what would you do? To start things off I will post my five below.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20090921164359865