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	<title>Toronto &#187; Chris Colabello</title>
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	<description>Comprehensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays</description>
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		<title>The Blue Jays and Impending Roster Decisions</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/07/22/the-blue-jays-and-impending-roster-decisions/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/07/22/the-blue-jays-and-impending-roster-decisions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2016 11:24:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Passador]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aaron Loup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Burns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bo Schultz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Colabello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darwin Barney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Morales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jose Bautista]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Junior Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Smoak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan Goins]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=4733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Toronto Blue Jays are playing rather well as of late and have launched themselves back into the upper echelon of the AL East. The team has hit its stride, but will have to shuffle some personnel with a handful of players set to return to the majors. While they should be getting their best [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Toronto Blue Jays are playing rather well as of late and have launched themselves back into the upper echelon of the AL East. The team has hit its stride, but will have to shuffle some personnel with a handful of players set to return to the majors. While they should be getting their best 25 guys on the roster and working the rest out later, there is some wiggle room in terms of who stays, who goes, and who plays where.</p>
<p>There are several routes the team could take in constructing their roster when all these players are ready to go, so let’s take a shot at it.</p>
<h3>Jose Bautista</h3>
<p>Most important is the return of Joey Bats. Adding Bautista to a group that’s clicking on all cylinders could produce the lethal lineup that many expected coming into the season. He homered in his first at bat in a rehab game on Wednesday and will move up to AAA Buffalo today.</p>
<p>Whether he wants to admit it or not, Bautista would do well to transition to first base or DH in the not-so-distant future. The problem is that the newly-extended Justin Smoak and Edwin Encarnacion have those two spots locked down. On days that Bautista DH’s (in a perfect world there’d be many) it pushes EE to first and Smoak to the bench. The other surplus comes in the outfield, as Bautista’s addition (temporarily) makes for five outfielders on the roster. The simple answer is to return Junior Lake to AAA though the team risks losing him on waivers. With all due respect to Lake, that’s a risk the team should be willing to take.</p>
<p>Losing Lake leaves some questions considering both Bautista and Michael Saunders should be spared from playing the field on a regular basis. Ezeqiuel Carrera has been scuffling and injured as of late but has still authored a fine season; barring a complete collapse he fits in fine as a fourth outfielder who’ll play more often than most. Wednesday’s experiment with Darwin Barney in left probably points to the end of Lake although Carerra’s nagging Achilles problem could prompt the team to keep him as insurance and demote Andy Burns instead. Having two regular outfielders in need of days off or DH time isn’t the best thing in the world, but the Jays can certainly patch together a working rotation with four outfielders plus Barney.</p>
<h3>Chris Colabello</h3>
<p>Colabello, set to return from his 80 game PED suspension, will present the most interesting challenge or the easiest out. While he could rejoin the Blue Jays at the end of the month, 80 games is a long time off and it’s doubtful that Colabello could jump right back in and be productive. The team could opt to keep him in the minors to work out the kinks and bring him up later, if they choose to bring him back up at all.</p>
<p>Colabello is ineligible for the postseason should the Jays qualify so they have to put some thought into whether he’s worth playing down the stretch. Do they try their best to get to October, an already projected outcome, at the expense of those who will actually have to play then? Or do they pass up potential gains to get players like Smoak regular at bats that might pay off in the postseason? That’s a delicate balancing act; one that the Jays might not want to deal with. They should be good enough to make the playoffs without adding the wildcard Colabello before September&#8217;s roster expansion, but stranger things have happened. There just aren&#8217;t many ways to fit Colabello unless one of the first base / DH spots opens up via injury (heaven forbid) or transaction (HEAVEN FORBID), making a triumphant return unlikely at this point.</p>
<p>Should the team decide he’s not worth using at the major league level this season it might be best just to release him once his suspension is up. This is a situation full of “ifs” in a year where the Jays don’t have time to mess around with the roster. Rather than have him kick around in the minors he’d be free to look for another job and would remove a source of potential distraction for the organization. Releasing Colabello would be like ripping off the Band-Aid; it’d be a quick end to a situation that could grow increasingly uneasy with time.</p>
<h3>Ryan Goins</h3>
<p>Goins has turned in a tough year, hitting just .176 / .216 / .308 to go with his 0.00 ERA. While he probably deserves to be in Buffalo based on merit, he seems to have carved out a spot in Toronto. If the team didn’t send him down during his struggles at the plate he’ll likely return to the big club at the expense of Burns (or Lake, depending on the Carrera business). That gives the Jays two backup middle infielders, though Barney can give Josh Donaldson a break at third base every once in a while.</p>
<h3>Franklin Morales</h3>
<p>Morales will have to be activated or released today; hopefully sometime after this is published. If forced to guess, I’d bet that he comes up for Aaron Loup. The Blue Jays have kept him on a rehab assignment for the maximum 30 days, so either they’ve either been killing time in hopes of a spot opening up organically or he’s really been struggling to get back to form. The smart money is probably on the former, as the only relievers with options remaining are Aaron Loup and Bo Schultz; neither of whom have played their way out of a job. Both have been adequate lately and it doesn’t seem like the Jays will carry three lefties. As a result, it’s pretty much a toss-up between Loup and Morales.</p>
<p>It might make the most sense to give Morales a chance to outperform Loup in the lefty specialist role. If he ends up being better, the Jays get improved production while keeping both in the organization. If he’s worse, they can release Morales and bring Loup back up. He’ll be kept on a short leash and the Jays will at least know what they’ve got before getting rid of him.</p>
<h3>Marco Estrada</h3>
<p>The staff ace will be activated on Friday, likely taking a spot from the bullpen. Bo Schultz probably gets sent down in the corresponding move, returning the team to five starters and seven relievers.</p>
<h3>The Shuffle</h3>
<p>To sum it all up, after all of the roster shuffling, here’s one guess as to what we’ll likely see.</p>
<ul>
<li>Franklin Morales to Toronto; Aaron Loup to Buffalo</li>
<li>Marco Estrada to Toronto; Bo Schultz to Buffalo</li>
<li>Jose Bautista to Toronto; Junior Lake to Buffalo</li>
<li>Ryan Goins to Toronto; Andy Burns to Buffalo</li>
<li>Colabello to the ether (at least until September)</li>
</ul>
<p>The Blue Jays are working their way back to full health and while that’s obviously a good thing, it does present some challenges in terms of roster construction. With the trade deadline approaching fast, there will surely be even more reshuffling. For now, there&#8217;s a couple paths forward. The team&#8217;s decision makers will have to navigate the forks in the road.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>This Week in Blue Jays: The Good, The Bad, and the Better</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/08/this-week-in-blue-jays-it-was/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/08/this-week-in-blue-jays-it-was/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2016 10:49:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenn Smith]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[This Week in Blue Jays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Colabello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Pillar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mark shapiro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ross atkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Martin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=2420</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s been a good week for the Toronto Blue Jays. After ending the month of April three games below .500 with a 11-14 record – a month in which both the offense and bullpen struggled mightily – the Jays welcomed May with open arms and have begun the month 5-2 and are now an even [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s been a good week for the Toronto Blue Jays.</p>
<p>After ending the month of April three games below .500 with a 11-14 record – a month in which both the offense and bullpen struggled mightily – the Jays welcomed May with open arms and have begun the month 5-2 and are now an even 16-16 in 2016, which is exactly where they were after the first 32 games of their historic 2015 season. What is more important than their recent four-game win streak, perhaps, is the fact that there are signs of improvement in some of the more troubling areas of concern.</p>
<p>While it&#8217;s still early (notice how that line is never used when a team gets off to a good start?), there are two critical reasons why it&#8217;s vital that the Jays step up their game. First, despite their slow start, the Jays sit just 2.5 games back of the Baltimore Orioles for first in the A.L. East, and although anything can happen over the course of a 162-game season, it would be nice to take advantage of the (currently) weak division. Second, <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-shapiro-nobody-satisfied/" target="_blank">Mark Shapiro stated</a> towards the end of April that he works hard &#8220;not to draw any conclusions until 40 games in&#8221;, a threshold upon which the Jays are quickly closing in. <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/blue-jays-put-on-slugfest-win-third-straight-against-rangers/article29909699/" target="_blank">Ross Atkins has also said</a> that the &#8220;it&#8217;s early&#8221; excuse has just about run its course, and that after thirty games one has enough information to start evaluating trends. It is entirely possible based on these comments that if these two decision-makers are unsatisfied with what they&#8217;ve seen from this team, they may make some changes before the month of May has concluded.</p>
<p>It was a turn-around week for Justin Smoak, who has been thrust into the every day first baseman role due to Chris Colabello&#8217;s 80-game drug suspension. Smoak, who had been effectively replaced by Colabello during the playoffs, hit just .189/.375/.216 during March/April. This month, he is .389/.500/.722 with two home runs &#8211; one to tie Tuesday&#8217;s game in the bottom of the ninth against the Texas Rangers, and one to win the game in the bottom of the tenth. Not only did this kick off the four-game win streak, but his first home run also ended a <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/justin-smoak-homers-in-9th-to-tie-it-again-in-10th-to-win-it-050316" target="_blank">14-inning scoreless drought</a>. Given that he no longer has his platoon mate, it is imperative that Smoak be able to contribute offensively.</p>
<p>One of the most &#8220;concerning&#8221; players thus far, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2016/04/30/blue-jays-slow-start-in-april-no-cause-for-concern-griffin.html" target="_blank">Richard Griffin of The Star suggests</a>, is Russell Martin. As Griffin points out,  &#8220;The Canadian catcher has had slow starts in the past, but when his batting average has been low he would draw walks and keep his OPS reasonable. He reported to camp in better shape, lighter than he had ever been, but his bat has been AWOL.&#8221; With the hopes of turning his season around, Martin shaved his famous beard when the calendar turned to May, sporting just a mustache that has been affectionately referred to on Twitter as the &#8220;Russtache&#8221;.</p>
<p>Sans facial hair, Russell Martin has been &#8220;<a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/rejuvenated-russell-martin-playing-like-man-possessed-blue-jays/" target="_blank">playing like a man possessed</a>&#8220;, writes Sportsnet&#8217;s Shi Davidi after Martin hit a bases-loaded game-winning single on Wednesday night to give the Jays their second walk-off win in a row. And, though it&#8217;s a small sample size, Martin I hitting .263/.300/.263 thus far in May, compared to .150/.224/.167 in March/April. Said Martin: &#8220;Sometimes you&#8217;ve just got to keep things simple and one of the best parts of my game is just what I put into it&#8230;When you get your mind right, you don&#8217;t take anything for granted. Keep it as simple as possible, tomorrow is never guaranteed. My goal is to try and play today&#8217;s game like tomorrow is not guaranteed&#8230;that&#8217;s how I&#8217;m going to go about it&#8230;I&#8217;m going to go hard.&#8221; Whether his slow start was due to injury (he had been suffering from neck spasms) or some other factor, his bat is just one that must heat up if last season&#8217;s best offense in baseball is going to defend their championship this season.</p>
<p>Thursday&#8217;s game against the Rangers was a laugher, as the struggling Edwin Encarnacion <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/encarnacion-drives-in-6-runs-as-blue-jays-crush-rangers-12-2-1.2890322" target="_blank">drove in six runs </a>(in the first two innings!) to help crush the Rangers 12-2. It was the first time this season that the Jays scored double-digit runs (something they had accomplished six times in the first thirty games last year) and was the first true glimpse of the dominant offense seen in 2015. It felt as though such a catharsis was needed by the team and fan base alike, if for no other reason than to be reminded of just how much <em>fun</em> baseball is.</p>
<p>On Friday night against the Dodgers, it was Kevin Pillar&#8217;s turn to play hero, jacking a three-runner home run in the bottom of the eighth to break a 2-2 tie and give the Jays their fourth consecutive win. No one was more surprised than Pillar, who has been shuffled between the lead-off spot and batting eighth in the order due to his early-season slump, that he was able to put one over the fence. When asked if he knew he had hit it out of the yard, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/jays-dodgers-pillar-1.3571589" target="_blank">Pillar responded</a> &#8220;Oh, I don&#8217;t hit enough of them to know that they&#8217;re going to be homers.&#8221; The beauty of it, aside from the fact that the offensive production came from an unexpected source, is that Smoak had been intentionally walked ahead of Pillar despite only one out in the inning. Again, it&#8217;s a small sample size, but Pillar is batting .391/.440/.696 this month, while continuing to provide the <a href="http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/176770040/kevin-pillar-makes-another-great-catch" target="_blank">Superman-esque defense</a> for which he&#8217;s become known.</p>
<p>A hot Kevin Pillar means that pitchers can no longer bat around the big boppers to get to an easier match-up; it may also mean that Pillar will see more time at lead-off, which seems to be John Gibbons&#8217; preferred spot for him in the lineup. Regardless of batting order, a hot bat in Pillar&#8217;s hand ought to bolster the offense, at least until some of the other bats fully wake up.</p>
<p>What exactly does all of this mean? I&#8217;m not yet prepared to shout from the rooftops that the Jays&#8217; offense has finally figured it out, the results this week have been promising. If it&#8217;s too early in the season to say that the Jays are terrible, then it is also too early to say that what we&#8217;ve seen this week is what we can expect the rest of the season. However, I do believe they&#8217;ve turned a corner and that fans should be optimistic. In a radio hit with Mike Richards on TSN 1050, Blue Jays analysis Dirk Hayhurst <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050/hayhurst-blue-jays-finally-starting-to-show-their-potential-1.485059" target="_blank">provided a voice of reason </a>when he said the Jays, &#8220;showed better baseball poise,&#8221; during the close games than when they&#8217;re able to beat up on a pitcher, and that there is some &#8220;psychological roll-over&#8221; when a player has a good game. Combine that with the fact that the starting pitching has thus far been exceptional and the bullpen is beginning to get it together, the Jays as a whole may not quite yet have it all figured out, but they are finally demonstrating their potential.</p>
<p>Quick Hits:</p>
<ul>
<li> Brett Cecil, who has struggled out of the bullpen this season, <a href="http://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/1000933%20" target="_blank">responded to fans </a>who have taken to booing him recently. “One thing I will say If you’re going to boo me, don’t cheer for me when I’m pitching good.” Jays fans are not wrong about Cecil&#8217;s performance to date this season &#8211; he is the first reliever to post a 0-5 record in the month of April since 1913, which is when Major League Baseball began keeping records. Some fans seems to forget, however, that beginning June 24 last season, Cecil had a 37-game streak in which he did not surrender a single earned run. Fans &#8211; if you purchase a ticket to a game, you most certainly have the right to boo a player. Conversely, I (and others who share my mindset) have the right to judge you as a lousy fan. Remember that these players are human beings who go through ups and downs in life and in their careers just like the rest of us, and that booing members of your own team when the are struggling says more about you than it does about them.</li>
<li>The series against the L.A. Dodgers meant a return to Toronto for former general manager Alex Anthopoulos. In a press conference with Toronto media, he <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2016/05/06/alex-anthopoulos-still-a-jays-fan-after-all-these-months-griffin.html%20" target="_blank">reminisced about what could have been</a> had the Jays traded for Ben Zobrist, and discussed his relationship with Jays’ ownership. He said his dream is for the Blue Jays to play the Dodgers in the World Series &#8211; which, quite frankly, is a dream of mine. (As a follow-up, Ian Hunter posed <a href="http://bluejayhunter.com/2016/05/5-unanswered-questions-alex-anthopoulos-era.html" target="_blank">five lingering questions</a> about the Alex Anthopoulos era that he, and others, would love to have answered.)</li>
<li>Free agent and two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum threw 41 pitches in a showcase for interested scouts. The former Giants pitcher is hoping to make a return to the big leagues after undergoing hip surgery, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/727580223022223361%20" target="_blank">Jays were amongst the teams</a> who took a look at what he had to offer. Make of that what you will.</li>
<li>And, finally. After recording his first big-league win on Tuesday, Joe Biagini gave a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBT5HNTf2iM&amp;feature=share%20" target="_blank">post-game interview </a>that was, well, a tad unconventional. I’m just going to let the video speak for itself.</li>
</ul>
<p>One final thing: you have no doubt seen the devastating images out of Fort MacMurray of the wildfire that has left tens of thousands of people homeless while running for their lives. The Blue Jays have created an <a href="http://auctions.mlb.com/iSynApp/allAuction.action?sid=1101001&amp;selectedCatId=13000&amp;query=&amp;sort=timeleft_asc&amp;qMode=open&amp;rc=25&amp;layout=grid&amp;pgmode1=teamsite&amp;pgmode2=&amp;pgmode3=&amp;pgcust1=jays&amp;pgcust2=&amp;pgcust3=&amp;&amp;qt[0].type=openbrac&amp;qt[1].type=openbrac&amp;qt[2].type=fieldmatch&amp;qt[2].name=panname_partnername_s&amp;qt[2].value1=mlb&amp;qt[3].type=operor&amp;qt[4].type=fieldmatch&amp;qt[4].name=panname_partnername_s&amp;qt[4].value1=team&amp;qt[5].type=closebrac&amp;qt[6].type=operand&amp;qt[7].type=fieldmatch&amp;qt[7].name=panname_teamname_s&amp;qt[7].value1=jays&amp;qt[8].type=closebrac&amp;rs=25&amp;partnerId=ed-10295381-894244913" target="_blank">auction to help raise money for the Red Cross</a> to assist in the aid relief. You can also text FIRES to 45678 to make a $10 donation. As of Friday, fans making a purchase in the Jays Shop could add a donation to their purchase. The Canadian government has pledged to match all public donations, so please &#8211; give generously.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Artifical Turf Wars Ep. 9: It&#8217;s Getting Hard to Colabelieve</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/29/artifical-turf-wars-ep-9-its-getting-hard-to-colabelieve/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/29/artifical-turf-wars-ep-9-its-getting-hard-to-colabelieve/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2016 10:07:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Artifical Turf Wars]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial Turf Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bullpen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Colabello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cliché of the Week]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Josh Donaldson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Smoak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marco Estrada]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=2093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Greg, Josh, and Chris discuss the Chris Colabello suspension (and give themselves a Do-Over in the process), the offensive and bullpen woes, the strong starting pitching, and a confusing situation involving Marco Estrada&#8217;s shoulder. They also answer listener questions, give out a Cliché of the Week and tackle one of Justin Smoak&#8217;s defensive quirks. Note: [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Greg, Josh, and Chris discuss the Chris Colabello suspension (and give themselves a Do-Over in the process), the offensive and bullpen woes, the strong starting pitching, and a confusing situation involving Marco Estrada&#8217;s shoulder. They also answer listener questions, give out a Cliché of the Week and tackle one of Justin Smoak&#8217;s defensive quirks. </p>
<p><strong>Note: Starting next week, the Podcast will be appearing on Thursday mornings.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Podcast</strong>: <a class="powerpress_link_pinw" title="Play in New Window" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/btr.shows/8/774/show_8774133_2016_04_29_06_12_04.mp3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Play in new window</a> | <a class="powerpress_link_d" title="Download" href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/btr.shows/8/774/show_8774133_2016_04_29_06_12_04.mp3" rel="nofollow">Download</a></p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/blue-jays-plus-podcast/id705699884?mt=2"><img class="alignnone wp-image-63" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/03/itunes1.png" alt="itunes" width="125" height="46" /></a></p>
<p>And the Gif we promised you on the pod:<br />
<iframe src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/SlimArcticGreatargus" width="500" height="282" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" ></iframe></p>
<p>Follow the guys on twitter: <a title="@coolhead2010" href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010" target="_blank">@coolhead2010</a>, <a title="@JoshuaHowsam" href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaHowsam" target="_blank">@JoshuaHowsam</a> and <a title="@CWSherwin" href="https://twitter.com/CWSherwin" target="_blank">@CWSherwin</a></p>
<p>Intro music is Slow Burn (<a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/" rel="cc:attributionURL">Kevin MacLeod</a>) under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="license">CC BY 3.0</a>.</p>
<div><strong>Podcast Email</strong>-<a href="mailto:artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com" target="_blank">artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com</a> Please drop us a line if there is a guest you&#8217;d particularly like us to interview, to submit a question to <strong>Stump the Josh</strong>, or to simply give us feedback on the podcast. We&#8217;d love to hear from you!</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>This Week in Blue Jays: Chris Colabello, PEDs, and Believing</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/24/this-week-bluejays-chris-colabello/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/24/this-week-bluejays-chris-colabello/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2016 11:15:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenn Smith]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[This Week in Blue Jays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Colabello]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=1929</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When Chris Colabello blasted a solo shot in the second inning off Edison Volquez in the ALCS to help propel the Blue Jays to 7-1 win and force a game six, he put the exclamation point on his incredible fairy tale season. The narrative writes itself: after having languished in the Independent Baseball League for [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When Chris Colabello <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDiubs5Hlkc" target="_blank">blasted a solo shot in the second inning</a> off Edison Volquez in the ALCS to help propel the Blue Jays to 7-1 win and force a game six, he put the exclamation point on his incredible fairy tale season. The narrative writes itself: after having languished in the Independent Baseball League for seven years – far longer than many players would have been willing to endure – and playing two mediocre seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Colabello had somehow, finally, fulfilled his dream of becoming a successful major league baseball player via the most unconventional and unlikely of roads. His .321/.367/.520 slash line with 15 home runs and .411 BABIP (earning him the nickname “ColaBABIP”) only tell one part of the story. The other part is that of the affable everyday man, the guy with the quick wit and willingness to give an interview, and the one who came across approachable enough to invite out for a beer. He was the guy for whom every fan, even the most sarcastic, was cheering. He seemed like he could be any one of us, except that he was living his dream right in front of us. He worked hard to pursue his one true passion in life and was finally being rewarded with success. He made a Colabeliever out of all of us.</p>
<p>This is all why Friday&#8217;s announcement, that Colabello had been suspended 80 for games due to testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, was such a blow.</p>
<p>Colabello had been informed on March 13th that he had failed a random drug test. The substance he tested positive for is dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, which is an old-school anabolic steroid that also goes by the name Turinabol. <a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ped-blue-jays-colabello-tested-positive-used-mostly-011213875--mlb.html?soc_src=social-sh&amp;soc_trk=tw" target="_blank">According to Dr. Stuart Phillips</a>, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University, the drug is used primarily to speed recovery time in athletes, not to build bulky muscle. The benefit to a baseball player is faster recovery from injury in order to withstand the rigors of a 162-game season. The drug is no longer manufactured and is something one must seek out, says Dr. Phillips, though it could be taken accidentally due to the fact that it must be ingested orally. That&#8217;s exactly the defense that Colabello has presented; that he did not knowingly take dehydrochlormethyltestosterone and issued the <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/releases/releases.jsp?content=042216" target="_blank">following (partial) statement via MLB</a>:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><em>&#8220;On March 13, I got one of the scariest and most definitely the least expected phone calls of my entire life. I was informed by the Players Association that a banned substance was found in my urine. I have spent every waking moment since that day trying to find an answer as to why or how? The only thing I know is that I would never compromise the integrity of the game of baseball. I love this game too much! I care too deeply about it.”</em></p>
<p>There is no doubt that Chris Colabello loved baseball. Why else devote your life to it when, for the most part, there appeared to be little chance at success? But Colabello believed in himself long before anyone had heard of him. <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/suspension-separates-blue-jays-colabello-obsession/" target="_blank">Kristina Rutherford of Sportsnet </a>refers to Colabello as being, “obsessed with baseball,” and, in particular, with hitting home runs and batting .300 (both of which he accomplished last season in his limited playing time). This in and of itself is enough for some to cast doubt on Colabello’s insistence of his innocence. As <a href="http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2016/04/22/colabellos-long-climb-turns-into-a-stunning-descent-with-80-game-ban-dimanno.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&amp;utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star</a> writes: “What would you do, staring at the wrong side of 30, and wallowing in the minors, undrafted, seven long season of independent ball, completely out of the prospect-sifting loop? This is baseball, after all, with a history steeped in steroids, connected to some of the sport’s biggest stars. What about the bush-league journeyman running out of time?” According to DiManno, someone close to the team wondered aloud if the “temptation for a kick-start call-up in Toronto was too seductive.” (Though, <a href="https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/723918079986536452" target="_blank">John Lott did tweet </a>that he’s been told Colabello passed four drug tests last season. <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/colabello-s-entire-fairytale-now-under-suspicion-1.477110" target="_blank">TSN’s Dirk Hayhurst asserts </a>that “for every player out there who “figures it out” and unlocks their latent potential, you’ll have one who creates latent potential through performance-enhancing substances.” The positive test, along with his .069 batting average thus far this season, seems “suspicious”, though Hayhurst admits that Turinabol is, “not the sexy, cutting-edge drug that beats the system. It’s practically steroid version 1.0. You’d have to be incredibly ballsy or incredibly stupid to put it in your system willingly.”</p>
<p>While some are quick to jump to conclusions on the matter, the fact is that not a single one of us can unequivocally state what the truth is one way or the other. As much as fans want to believe that their favourite players are inherently good, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lottonbaseball/posts/1773915536177931:0%20" target="_blank">John Lott reminds us via Facebook </a>that “as much as I might like him, I don’t really know Chris Colabello. And neither do the fans and the media types who are falling over themselves to defend or condemn him.” One might believe in his story of perseverance and his public persona to argue that &#8220;he seemed like the player least likely to go on the juice&#8221;, while others could use that same remarkable  journeyman story to &#8220;argue someone like Colabello is a most likely suspect.&#8221; The one person who has spoken entirely in Colabello’s defense is his close friend Kevin Pillar, who insists that Colabello is, “not a person that deserves any of the labels as a cheater, as a guy trying to manipulate the system.” Instead, as <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/toronto-blue-jays-chris-colabello/" target="_blank">Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet writes</a>, Pillar insists that Colabello “fell victim to a technicality in the system”, and that the “drug testing policy and Major League Baseball are going to have some soul searching to do and they’re going to have to figure something out” (Though Pillar <a href="https://twitter.com/ArdenZwelling/status/723900988545970176" target="_blank">did not elaborate </a>on what that technicality might be). <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/colabello-s-ped-suspension-stuns-blue-jays-1.476923" target="_blank">Scott MacArthur quotes Pillar further as saying</a>, &#8220;I believe him wholeheartedly that he’s a guy, especially with all of the odds he had to overcome in getting to the big leagues and leaving his mark on this game that he would ever jeopardize it by doing anything like that. We know Chris as a baseball player but maybe the media doesn’t know Chris as a human being&#8230;he took the journey less travelled to get here and he’s a guy that would never jeopardize that by doing anything.”</p>
<p>What it depends on, MacArthur says, is, &#8220;who you believe. If you take Colabello’s story at face value you do so for the reasons Pillar listed. Those reasons could also be used for those who would indict Colabello.”</p>
<p>As passionate baseball fans, is that not why we become so ensconced in every minutia of our team? Is that not why, for us, sports is far more than just a form of entertainment &#8211; that it gives us something to believe in? We believe that &#8220;our guy&#8221; is safe on a close play, we believe &#8220;our offense&#8221; will mount a late-inning rally when down by a few runs, we believe that we are all connected by our mutual belief in &#8220;our team&#8221;. We believe in the underdog because it mirrors the best in all of us.</p>
<p>I do not know the truth with regards to Chris Colabello. I will not speculate as to the truth.</p>
<p>But, I want to believe.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Chris Colabello Suspended 80 Games for PEDs</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/22/chris-colabello-suspended-for-peds/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/22/chris-colabello-suspended-for-peds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2016 20:24:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Joshua Howsam]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Colabello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=1880</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It all started out so innocently. In a pair of tweets, Ben Nicholson Smith announced that the Blue Jays have called up sidearming lefty reliever Chad Girodo from Buffalo, and that Chris Colabello was not on the roster. #BlueJays promoted LHP Chad Girodo &#8212; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) April 22, 2016 Colabello not listed on #BlueJays lineup [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It all started out so innocently. In a pair of tweets, Ben Nicholson Smith announced that the Blue Jays have called up sidearming lefty reliever Chad Girodo from Buffalo, and that Chris Colabello was not on the roster.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a> promoted LHP Chad Girodo</p>
<p>&mdash; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/723598000455598080">April 22, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Colabello not listed on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a> lineup card.</p>
<p>&mdash; Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/723598492283875329">April 22, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>This made it seem like the Jays had either optioned the struggling Colabello for Girodo or that he had perhaps gone on the disabled list. He was, after all, hit in the head only a few games ago. Neither would have been surprising, and nobody would have argued that last year&#8217;s breakout star could use some time away from the big league roster.</p>
<p>That all changed when Mike Petriello of MLB.com dropped this bomb:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chris Colabello suspended 80 games for PEDs, per a press release.</p>
<p>&mdash; Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_petriello/status/723602852967505921">April 22, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Chris Colabello is an interesting case. Given regular playing time for the first time in his career, Colabello wrecked the American League in 2015. He put up a slash line of .321/.367/.520, which was good for a TAv of .304. Everybody expected <em>some</em> regression, as nobody can sustain a .411 BABIP, but the power seemed real enough (15 HRs in 360 PAs), and he did hit a lot of line drives.</p>
<p>Well&#8230;maybe the power wasn&#8217;t so &#8220;real&#8221; after all. It&#8217;s amazing that players still take PEDs with testing so rampant and with the penalties becoming ever harsher, but it seems that every year a player or two gets caught (or if you&#8217;re Jenrry Mejia, you get caught three times in two years). This time, it&#8217;s Chris Colabello.</p>
<p>Despite Colabello&#8217;s struggles to start the season, this is an absolutely shocking announcement and a big blow to the Blue Jays lineup. Not only have they lost Colabello for the next 80 games, but should they qualify for the postseason, Colabello won&#8217;t be eligible to participate due to a rules change from a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>This is also a huge blow to Colabello&#8217;s chances of ever establishing himself as a major leaguer, as there were already doubts about the legitimacy of his offensive skills. I&#8217;m not assuming it, but it honestly would not be shocking if the Jays release him upon the completion of his suspension, especially if they find first base/DH production from another source. If so, it&#8217;s a sad end to a tale that had captured the hearts of so many Colabelievers &#8211; people who latched onto the story of the career independent ball player as a true underdog success story.</p>
<p>Colabello issued the following statement about his suspension:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Statement from Chris Colabello: <a href="https://t.co/9UWTr7YfLD">pic.twitter.com/9UWTr7YfLD</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Brendan Kennedy (@BKennedyStar) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKennedyStar/status/723606893629943808">April 22, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The first instinct is to believe Colabello, as he was just so likable and easy to root for, but the athlete who admits to steroid use is rare and the substance for which Colabello tested positive is not exactly on the &#8216;it was in my energy drink&#8217; list:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Stunner in Toronto. Chris Colabello suspended for 80 games, for an old-school East German doping agent (dehydrochlormethyltestosterone).</p>
<p>&mdash; Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaysonst/status/723605962783756289">April 22, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>That&#8217;s hardcore &#8220;I need to get huge to win Olympic weight-lifting&#8221; stuff. Colabello isn&#8217;t exactly the biggest guy, which works in his favour, but there are a lot of small guys that get busted for steroids as well. That being said, nobody but Colabello (and maybe not even him) knows exactly what actually happened, so I&#8217;m certainly not going to pretend that I do. And in the end, it&#8217;s a moot point. Whether he did or did not take steroids intentionally, Chris Colabello is done for the next half season, and the Blue Jays will have to soldier on without him.</p>
<p>As for how this affects the roster, in the short term it means Toronto is rolling with just Justin Smoak at first base. Smoak has had one of the weirdest starts to the season imaginable with a .222/.481/.278 slash line, as he has put just five balls in play in 27 plate appearances. He had a decent season last year, but the Jays could really use a caddy to hit against left-handed pitchers (like Jesus Montero, perhaps) going forward.</p>
<p>As for Girodo, he is a former ninth round pick for the Blue Jays out of Mississippi State University (2013), and has dominated minor leaguers in his short time in the Toronto organization. He has put up a 2.47 ERA in 167.1 innings with a K/9 of 9.1 and a BB/9 of 1.9. So far this year he has thrown 6.2 innings across four games for the Bisons with a 1.35 ERA, seven strikeouts and 2 walks. He throws from a low 3/4s angle and possesses a mid/high 80s fastball and a big, sweeping slider. He has been a full/multi-inning pitcher in the minors, but expect John Gibbons to use Girodo mostly as a LOOGY.</p>
<p>The move also leaves the Jays with eight relievers and just three bench players (including Josh Thole). Going with another reliever, and a lefty one at that, seems like an odd decision given the presence of both Pat Venditte and Brett Cecil on the active roster; one would have assumed the Jays would summon one of their bats from the minor leagues like Montero, Andy Burns, or Domonic Brown to fill the gap left by the suspended Colabello. That being said, Venditte threw 31 pitches on Thursday and Cecil launched 24, so it&#8217;s possible that one or both of the Blue Jays southpaws are unavailable and a corresponding move will be made Saturday.</p>
<p>Either way, this is not the type of news the Blue Jays wanted today, and a reasonably stressful time in Blue Jays land just got a lot worse.</p>
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		<title>Edwin Encarnacion&#8217;s Minor Oblique Injury Might Affect Contract Negotiations</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/03/15/edwin-encarnacions-minor-oblique-injury-could-affect-contract-negotiations/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/03/15/edwin-encarnacions-minor-oblique-injury-could-affect-contract-negotiations/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:53:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenn Smith]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Colabello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Edwin Encarnacion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jose Bautista]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=334</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Earlier this morning, it was reported by Mike Wilner of Sportsnet that Edwin Encarnacion suffered a “minor” oblique injury and had been shut down from baseball activities for a week: Edwin Encarnacion has a &#8220;minor oblique problem&#8221;. He&#8217;s been shut down for a week, expected to be ok for opening day. #Bluejays #Jays — Mike [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Earlier this morning, it was reported by Mike Wilner of Sportsnet that Edwin Encarnacion suffered a “minor” oblique injury and had been shut down from baseball activities for a week:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Edwin Encarnacion has a &#8220;minor oblique problem&#8221;. He&#8217;s been shut down for a week, expected to be ok for opening day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bluejays?src=hash">#Bluejays</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jays?src=hash">#Jays</a></p>
<p>— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness590) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wilnerness590/status/709732279208300545">March 15, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p>This is problematic for several different reasons. Encarnacion, who missed time last season due to back and finger injuries – has yet to play in a single spring training game due to an abscessed tooth that he had removed in February. As an integral member of the best offense in baseball, Encarnacion hit .277/.372/.577 with 39 home runs and 111 RBI in 2015. His lack of presence as the cleanup hitter could dampen this potent offense (though this ought to be mitigated by the fact that he is traditionally slow to get his bat going each season, and the likelihood that Chris Colabello will replace him as DH until his return).</p>
<p>But, perhaps the greatest problem of all is the fact that Edwin Encarnacion is still embroiled in contract negotiations with the Blue Jays. Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reported that the slugger had been “pessimistic” about being able to reach a contract with the team:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="es"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a> Edwin Encarnación lastimado (costado) y pesimista sobre contrato. <a href="https://t.co/xvgqgjd9hF">https://t.co/xvgqgjd9hF</a> &gt; <a href="https://t.co/Kz7tCAsp7q">https://t.co/Kz7tCAsp7q</a></p>
<p>— Enrique Rojas/ESPN (@Enrique_Rojas1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Enrique_Rojas1/status/709759890189885440">March 15, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/beisbol/nota/_/id/2621314/edwin-encarnacion-lesionado-y-pesimista-sobre-su-contrato" target="_blank">According to Rojas</a>, Encarnacion experienced some oblique pain when he swung the bat for the first time this spring on Sunday, after having rested much of the winter due to a finger injury and sports hernia surgery. An MRI revealed only slight swelling and he expects to be in the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays on opening day – the self-imposed deadline set by Encarnacion to reach an extension with the team. Should the two sides be unable to reach a deal by that date, Encarnacion has stated that he does not wish to engage in negotiations during the season, preferring instead to focus solely on his on-field performance. In his article, Rojas quotes Encarnacion as saying that in the most recent meeting between his agent and the Blue Jays, the two sides could not come to an agreement as to the number of years and that money was not discussed much. Further, Encarnacion is quoted as saying that the length of a contract was of greater interest to him. Edwin appears to be seeking a four- or five-year deal, which in and of itself is risky due to his age (he will turn 34 before the start of next season) and <a href="https://twitter.com/GideonTurk/status/709764349783576576" target="_blank">injury history</a>. And, while some believe that he is more likely than teammate Jose Bautista to sign with Toronto due to his affection for the city and the reduced number of options due to his DH status, Encarnacion told ESPN Deportes &#8220;Ahora espero terminar mi año, terminar mi año saludable e irme a la agencia libre. No descarto [un acuerdo] todavía, pero hay menos porcentaje de posibilidades de que no se haga a que se haga&#8221;. The translation: he hopes to finish the year healthy and enter free agency, and that while he does not rule out the possibility of reaching an agreement with the Jays, there is less of a chance that a deal will in fact get done.</p>
<p>All the more reason for fans to enjoy the upcoming season.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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