With the distraction of the NHL lockout, the Raptors back in full-swing, and the 100th Grey Cup fast approaching, it would be difficult for anyone in Toronto to take over the sports headlines. Yet, Blue Jays’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos has done just that in the last few days.
On Tuesday, Anthopoulos made a huge splash acquiring all-stars Mark Buerhle and Jose Reyes among others from the Miami Marlins. The trade received plenty of positive attention including praise from Leafs’ GM Brian Burke. However, since Tuesday, the proposed trade has been called into question as it is currently under review by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. If the news was meant to deter Alex Anthopoulos, it didn’t work as on Friday, the Jays’ GM reportedly signed outfielder Melky Cabrera to a two-year, $16 million deal. The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t merely asking anymore; they are demanding to be taken seriously.
Melky Cabrera made headlines this past summer when he was suspended 50 games for testing positive for human growth hormones. At time of his suspension, Cabrera was leading the National League batting title. While his San Francisco Giants went on to win the World Series without Cabrera, Melky’s contributions certainly played a significant part in San Francisco’s 2012 success.
While Cabrera is in the prime of his career at 28, some would be skeptical as to how the all-star will manage without the help of HGH. Cabrera’s most productive season however wasn’t this season but in 2011 as a member of the Kansas City Royals when he hit .305 with 18 home runs and 87 RBIs. Also, being that he spent his first five Major League seasons with the division rival New York Yankees, Cabrera’s arrival to Toronto will come with a great sense of familiarity with the AL East.
Assuming the Jays/Marlins trade is ultimately approved, Toronto’s starting lineup looks formidable enough to make opponents think twice before taking a visit to Canada’s largest city for granted. From Cabrera and Jose Reyes to join Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie, the Blue Jays have joined the party making their division a free-for-all in 2013.
While I expect them to have a better campaign in 2013, I don’t expect the Boston Red Sox to transform from Jekyll to Hyde so quickly. While the Baltimore Orioles surprised everyone this past season coming out of nowhere to make the playoffs, the real question is whether they can repeat that success in 2013 now that they’re expected to do well. The Tampa Bay Rays have been a consistent success since 2008 and I expect nothing different from them next season. As for the New York Yankees, they may be getting older but they still prove to be competitive year after year. So, while the Jays’ quest to win their first division title in 20 years won’t be a picnic, they will certainly give the other four teams a serious run for their money.
At the end of the day, though, the Toronto Blue Jays have Alex Anthopoulos to thank. Toronto GMs in the past, most notably, JP Ricciardi, have relied on the notion that it’s simply too difficult to compete in a division with baseball’s two biggest spenders in the Yankees and Red Sox. Yet, as the Red Sox proved in 2012, having all the money in the world doesn’t translate to success. Conversely, low-budget teams like the Rays, Minnesota Twins and, in 2007, the Colorado Rockies make a habit of showing everyone that just a little bit of money can translate into a whole lot of success.
Until the 2013 campaign kicks off next spring, all we can do is speculate just how better the Blue Jays will be with their new-look roster. Regardless, GM Alex Anthopoulos is proving to everyone that not only does his team belong among the league’s elite but that Toronto is dead serious about building a World Series contender despite not playing in a baseball-first market.
My hat goes off to Mr. Anthopoulos. What he has pulled off this week takes sheer audacity that only few executives have the fortitude to do. The Toronto Blue Jays are not messing around and as far as AA is concerned, it is time for everyone in Major League Baseball to drop whatever they are doing and take notice.
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Ryan Cowley is a writer at Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter @RyanACowley.
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