Alex Rios has been involved in rumors all offseason - where do those stand?

Where They Are Coming From

The 2007 American League East standings saw the Toronto Blue Jays finish where they usually finish – third place, behind the Red Sox and Yankees. They were an all-to-familiar 83-79, once again hovering around mediocrity and wondering how they would fair in a less competitive division.

Ace pitcher Roy Halladay once again pitched like the stud that he is; he remains as one of the top five starting pitchers in the American League. He managed 16 wins despite missing three weeks due to an appendectomy. 

Star center fielder Vernon Wells had arguably his worst season as a pro as his batting average slipped from .303 in 2006 to .245 in 2007. His power numbers were down as well, with 18 home runs and only 80 RBI over 584 at-bats. Though you will not hear him talk of it, he was playing with a bum shoulder most of the season that limited his number. He had surgery in September, and Jays’ fans hope he will have a bounce-back season.

Perhaps the team’s biggest signing coming into the 2007 season was inking Frank Thomas to be the designated hitter. General Manager J.P. Ricciardi had hoped Thomas would repeat his 2006 Oakland totals of 39 home runs and 114 runs batted in, but he cashed in for just 26 and 95 over 531 at-bats. Still, that seems just fine for a 260-pound man nearing in on 40.

Players Added

Though it never happened, some front office personnel were pushing Ricciardi to add some left-handed power to the lineup that included only lefty regular – Lyle Overbay. Bench player Matt Stairs comes from that side, and catcher Gregg Zaun is a switch hitter, but their power will be somewhat limited by playing time and ability, respectively.

In a move just completed in the past week, the Blue Jays completed a deal that sent their power hitting third baseman Troy Glaus to the St. Louis Cardinals for disgruntled third baseman Scott Rolen, 32. Glaus had reportedly asked Ricciardi for a trade a couple months ago so that he could get off Toronto’s home field turf and prolong his career. As is turns out, the Rolen/Tony La Russa rift in St. Louis provided Ricciardi the opportunity to trade a high-priced chip without upsetting the team all that much. They may have gambled a bit in giving up such a power hitter, and Rolen has not even hit 40 home runs over the past three seasons due to three separate shoulder surgeries.

Rolen was not the first Cardinal to head north to Toronto this off-season. The Jays also signed shortstop and 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein to a one-year deal. Eckstein, who is always near the top of the league in swing contact percentage, will bat leadoff and remain an extremely tough out. He batted .309 in 2007 while striking out only 22 times in 434 at bats.

The Blue Jays also brought in utility players for both the outfield and infield. Buck Coats, acquired from the Cincinnati Reds, will be the main backup in center field but can also play either corner spot. Likewise, former Oakland Athletic Marco Scutaro will essentially be in the mix to be a backup at second base, shortstop, and third base. The Jays can also use him at either corner outfield spot if the team were in a pinch.

Players Lost

As mentioned earlier, the Jays sent Glaus to the Cardinals in the hot corner swap that netted them Rolen. Glaus, though he has missed many games over the past few years due to injuries, has been a mainstay in the power department for the Blue Jays. If given 500+ healthy at-bats, he could easily smash 40 home runs and knock in 100 runs given his sheer power.

The team also decided to non-tender pitcher Josh Towers. He had started 15 of his 25 games pitched and had been an admirable bottom-end starter in the rotation the past couple years. With holdovers such as righties Casey Janssen and May call-up Jesse Litsch, 20, the team felt Towers was expendable.

Moves Still To Come

The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the biggest bargaining chips in baseball in right fielder Alex Rios. They have control of him for three more years until he can become a free agent after the 2010 season. This, along with the fact that he is clearly an emerging star in the American League, have teams calling to see what it would take to land the young star. Rios, a two-time All-Star, hit 24 home runs in 2007 while batting .297 in various spots in the order, including leadoff. Trade talks have him linked to the San Francisco Giants and young pitchers Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Though Giants’ General Manager Brian Sabean would love Rios in his outfield, it appears he is unwilling to part with either of his two young stud pitchers. Trade rumors have also linked Rios to the Chicago White Sox in a deal that would land them starting pitcher Javier Vazquez and others, but that deal never made it past preliminary discussions.

Another rumored deal involves starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to the New York Mets for a handful of prospects. Though it would be a good fit for the Mets to add a power pitcher like Burnett, it would not seem all too good for a team like the Blue Jays that wants to compete for a playoff spot in 2008. Although he is always an injury risk, the Blue Jays would rather hang onto him than deal him. He just posted his second consecutive 10-8 season. He struck out 176 batters in 165.2 innings, and batters hit just .214 off him over the entire season.

Lastly, Toronto was one of eleven teams that reportedly talked to the Baltimore Orioles about starting pitcher Érik Bédard. The Orioles want a collection of top-level prospects in return for the lefty ace, and the Blue Jays just did not have what it took to bring the Canadian back north of the border. The best Toronto has to offer is budding outfield prospect Travis Snider, who will be just 20-years-old next season. Also in the mix could be catcher Curtis Thigpen or outfielder Adam Lind. In the line of pitching, the team could give up lefties Brett Cecil and David Purcey as well as righties Josh Banks and Kyle Ginley. Though some of these combinations sound great and may put the Jays into playoff contention if they could net Bedard, Ricciardi does not seem willing to mortgage the future for now.

What to Watch in Spring Training

Vernon Wells’ rehab from shoulder surgery and his production is the key to the whole lineup. When he struggled last season, so did the team. As of this week, he has starting swinging a bat lightly in order to slowly build back the strength he once had. He should be ready for Spring Training.

Closer B.J. Ryan had “Tommy John” surgery on May 10 after pitching only 4.1 innings in 2007, and is on schedule to be ready for Spring Training. Though his rehabilitation is going rather well, most people believe this type of surgery gives the player an 18-24 month window to reach full strength. The Jays would like to think that the five-year, $47 million deal they gave Ryan before the 2006 season would not go to waste. If he is not ready to go by the start of the season the team knows it has a capable replacement in Jeremy Accardo, who saved 30 games last season while pitching 67.1 innings and posting a 2.14 earned run average.

There will be a competition for the fifth spot in the rotation behind Halladay, Burnett, Dustin McGowan, and Shaun Marcum. The spot will likely go to Litsch, who posted a relatively surprising 3.81 earned run average over 20 starts. However, Janssen and possibly Gustavo Chacin, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, will have something to say about it.

Manager John Gibbons likes his 2008 squad. The team has added depth both up the middle and on the corners in hopes that it would soften any potential injuries. There is a good mix of proven playoff veterans and young players with something to prove. With a couple bounce back seasons from the likes of Wells and Rolen there is no reason believe the Toronto Blue Jays cannot improve on their 83 wins of 2007. It will take at least 90 wins to secure second place in the American League East, and that just might be enough for this team to sneak into the playoffs.