Two weeks ago, before descending into riot incitement prior to Monday’s State of the French Fries event, Richard Griffin was back to his even older tricks, answering questions from his readers over at the Toronto Star. And once again, I’ve finally gotten around to hijacking that mail bag.

As always, I have not read any of his answers.

If there’s a question you’d like me to answer, submit it to Griffin here, and maybe he’ll select it for a future mail bag. Fingers crossed!

Q-Hi Mr. Griffin Stoeten,

I really love your work and look forward to your columns. I really like the rebuilt Toronto bullpen and think it will help the Jays win this year. But I also think this may be another avenue AA is using to ‘beat the system’ and improve the team long term. In Francisco Cordero, Jason Frasor and Darren Oliver the Jays will have three sought after and highly tradeable (one year contracts) veteran relievers that can be flipped for prospects. If the Jays are out of the race, they keep the prospects. If they are in it they can keep the relievers and or flip the prospects for other holes on the major league team. On this note a total salary for the three guys of $12,000,000 it is not a cheap way to build the organization and I think Rogers shoul be commended. What are your thoughts? Is this strictly building the team, or is it more building the organization?

 Keep up the great work!

Jason MacDonald, Amherst, NS

We’ve seen that relievers can certainly help lubricate some deals [Note: ha!], and I don’t doubt that those are guys the Jays would look to flip if they find themselves out of the race come July, but the problem is, with the elimination of Type-B free agent status, there just isn’t the same value in these types of players any more. Without the possibility of an early-round draft pick, in addition to the reliever’s couple months of work, teams aren’t going to be as quick to give up the kind of talent the once might have, I don’t think.

I think you’re right, however, about the value of having a strong bullpen– especially to a club that’s going to rely on some inexperienced starters.

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Q-With hearing A.J. Burnett along with Phil Hughes, would the Jays be interested in either one or maybe both? For AA to bring back A.J. it would only make sense if the Yanks would eat all of the contract left. The Yanks are looking for a DH type bat, wouldn’t Lind or Thames fit that role for them? Would either pitcher be an upgrade over the current rotation?

Scott Cochrane, Niagara-on-the-Lake

What the fuck would the point be of blocking some of the Jays’ younger pitchers with AJ Burnett? If you want to see someone with a good arm walk a lot of guys and put up a 5.00 ERA, why not Kyle Drabek? Or Dustin McGowan? At least there’s some glimmer of hope that they may one day figure it out– whereas with AJ, heading into his age 35 season, his best years are behind him.

Hughes is an interesting guy who might not have a place in the Yankees’ rotation, but… you’d just hate to give anything up to the Yankees and watch them come around and kill you 18 times a year. I’m not sure I’d ever want to deal with them, frankly. Besides, the Jays have a solid collection of rotation question marks of their own to deal with.

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Q-Hi Richard Stoeten.

Love the mailbag, and in that vein, let me quote you from the last mailbag of 2011 :
”Happy New Year and my resolution is to make sure I do a mailbag every week.” I need my Blue Jays news down here in Cincinnati! Now to my question: The big splash we were all hoping for this winter has turned into a little ripple and it doesn’t look like A.A. is going to change that. His needs remain unmet. But we have guys in the pipeline who can meet those needs. Does it make sense to wait that one more year for these guys to arrive from the farm, rather than overspending either with money or with these very same talented guys? I want to see some of that money we have supposedly saved spent as much as the next guy, but I also want a dynasty, so why give away too much now? Is Alex wrong on his cost assessment, or is the available talent really just too overpriced? Will we be glad in five years that he didn’t trade guys now? What do you think? All the best to you, and to Gary Carter. Hate to hear that bad news. Allan Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio

I love you.

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Q-Richard Stoeten,

The future looks very bright for the Blue Jays especially when they have pitching prospects like Daniel Norris, Deck McGuire, Drew Hutchison, Kyle Drabek, Aaron Sanchez, Chad Jenkins sitting in the wings to get into the Major League Rotation. This would seem to be a good problem to have if you were AA, what do you think will happen when those are ready for the bigs? It would seem that when they are ready, a typical AA move would be to trade Romero and Morrow, if he were to trade Major league proven talent vs. prospects it would seem the bounty for both Morrow/Romero would be huge to once again bring in high end prospects. What do you think AA will do when the time comes when those pitching prospects are knocking on the Major League door?

S.C.

I think it’s extremely myopic to view Alex Anthopoulos as simply a guy who wants to constantly trade veterans for prospects. Sure, that’s been his M.O. so far during his tenure as GM, but it’s as a means to an end, not a defining characteristic. And it’s similarly ridiculous to think that all kinds of young arms are actually going to start passing Romero and Morrow at warp speed– the prospect attrition rate is crazily high, don’t forget– as it is think that Anthopoulos would be so cavalier in flipping Major League talent for prospects once this club gets closer to its goal of contention. If he felt the need to deal established veterans for prospects because he didn’t think the dollars to extend a guy like Romero were going to be there, it would speak to a problem with Rogers’ commitment, not Alex’s philosophy.

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Q-Richard Stoeten,

I just reviewed the top 100 MLB prospects list that was recently released and once again I am amazed at how the Yankees always seem to have several in the top 25 (three in the top 10 before their recent trade with the Mariners). In most professional sports the draft is suppose to be the equalizer in that poor performing teams get a shot at the top prospects first in the draft. However, in baseball we see young players through their agents telling teams not to sign them unless they are willing to pay some crazy amount of money, essentially overpaying. The Jays learned this game over the last few years (now that will be coming to an end) but it seems that the Yankees have not only used their money for top free agents, they essentially took their money to the Latin markets and bought up most of the best talent. So you have this situation of them buying most of the best free agent talent while at the same time have some of the best talent on the farm. Will the new MLB agreement limit that money advantage for the Yankees?

Dean Germano, Redding, CA

The intention of the new agreement is, indeed, to limit the money advantage of big spending clubs and to create a truer draft– one where players are picked based more on talent and less on signability. Thing is, I’m not so sure that the Yankees’ prospect pipeline is as great as some lists make it out to be. I don’t know which one you’re referring to, but on MLB.com’s, for example, Manny Banuelos seemed a little fucking high at 13. And three players in the top ten? What Yankee fan-generated list are you looking at?

I know the Yankees don’t have a bad system by any means, but they certainly haven’t been anywhere close to as far ahead of the pack in this regard as they are in MLB payroll, I don’t think. Because of that, your question kinda falls in on itself.

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Q-Richard Stoeten,

Looking at who is still out on the market, I ran across an interesting name…Rich Harden. Why hasn’t AA signed Harden, would have to think he would come cheap and he could potentially fill multiple holes, if he stays healthy he is that type of top of the rotation talent AA has been looking at, if they don’t want him to be a starter, he could fit right into the bullpen, with his stuff would have to think of him as a potential top end set up man? Lots of “ifs” with Harden but the Jays are already filled with “ifs’….see Lind, Travis Snider, Dustin McGowan, Brett Cecil, Colby Rasmus, Kelly Johnson, so what damage could another “if” really make? Your thoughts on Harden?

S.C.

A lot of fans do, but we can’t forget here that Anthopoulos isn’t just going down to the fucking Free Agent Store and picking the guys he likes off of a shelf. Harden may only want a certain role, or a certain favourable opportunity– it’s definitely in his best interest, financially, to start, and there may be clubs interested in him to do so, despite his medicals, which we have to remember are surely turning a lot of teams off. He’s got a great arm and might provide some value, but think of the cost-benefit analysis the Jays may be making here. Dustin McGowan is out of options and would have to be exposed to waivers if he’s healthy and can’t make the club out of Spring Training. The Jays want him to start, for the health of his shoulder, and a guy like Harden might very well bump him off the roster. Is Rich Harden– factoring in his injury history, and his limited upside to future contending Jays teams– worth not only his salary, but giving up on the potential of Dustin McGowan?

Put your maple dick away, the answer is no.

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Q-Hi Richard Stoeten,

I am just wondering how it is that in the last few months AA has been transformed from genius (the guy who unloaded Vernon Wells, got more than expected for Doc Halliday, etc.) to disappointment? Even Star hockey columnists are piling on now.
 Seems to me that his plan was to ‘compete’ in 2012, and that the current team should be competitive. Will they win in the AL East, unlikely, but they can field a competitive team.
 Looking back at what was written about AA when he was still brilliant, he was always thinking a few steps ahead of the fans, writers and even other GM’s. This off-season is far from over and AA has shown that he is not the type to make a move without careful consideration. Maybe other GM’s are less inclined to deal with AA now that he has a reputation for extracting more than expected in trades?
 What if someone told you back in October 2009 that the Jays would have a rebuilt farm system loaded with prospects and the current core of young talent with the big club in just 2 years? Wouldn’t you think the new GM was a success?
 Thanks,

Dave Sorokowsky, Lockeford, CA

“Even Star hockey columnists are piling on,” you say? Oh shit, how will the Jays possibly survive the onslaught of that Mensa-bound collection of ultra-geniuses.

But let’s not go nuts here. Teams aren’t afraid to deal with Alex. He even made what turned out to be a– gasp!– terrible trade last winter, flipping Mike Napoli for Frank Francisco. Wait for the trade deadline. You’ll see.

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Q-Hi Richard Stoeten,

While I was expecting more from AA and the Jays this winter, I do see more all around depth with the exception of the starting rotation, where yes they have kids coming, but too many question marks. Why are they not interested in Roy Oswalt? He will come relatively cheap, probably on a one year deal (AA preference) and if healthy be an innings eater, a number 2 starter and also veteran presence for the kids. Why not take this chance if it wont significantly affect their ‘payroll parameters’?

Isaac O., Thornhill, ON

He’d be a nice addition based on his talen– fuck veteran presences– but he won’t come here. Case closed.

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Q-Richard Stoeten,

The recent trade of Pineda to the Yanks must be frustrating to most Jays fans watching another young and controllable top end of the rotation pitcher going to another team other then the Jays. All we have heard this offseason is AA looking for a top end of the rotation talent, and up until the Pineda trade all other trades looked like they were well over paying for that top end rotation starter. Pineda was traded for a future DH in Montero and a 3 or 4 type rotation pitcher, this seems to have been a pitcher AA and the Jays could have outbid the Yanks, why didn’t they? If February rolls around and this team is still the same without the addition of a top end of the rotation pitcher, I would have to think this offseason would be a let down? Go Jays Go
.

Yours truly, 
a very frustrated Jays fan.

S.C.

Montero may be a DH, but he’s a hell of a bat. If you were Alex Anthopoulos and you wanted one of the off-season’s big on-the-move starters, you would have had to be ready to part with Brett Lawrie or else be outbid. How does that sound, champer damper?

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Q-Hi Richard Stoeten;

I wrote a scathing and emotional comment last time here, most of us fans are frustrated, but I think it must be 10 times more frustrating for AA, the trade market for top end starters was rediculous, Washington and Cincinnati may come to regret those trades, and 3 top prospects for two years of Garza is silly. The frustration must compound when free agents are asking a premium to play in the frozen wasteland of Canada. I’m sure AA put bids on numerous players that were higher but declined. I am hoping these are the reasons for the inactivity and not Rogers putting the brakes on the flow of cash. So what’s the solution; wait for a top end starter to “fall in their laps” (whatever that means)? Maybe they are hoping for a fast start and some pleasant surprises…..Agaaaaaaaain.

Scott S., Sudbury, ON

There are things, Scott, called years. They happen about every 365 days. It turns out you’re allowed to look beyond just the one that you’re currently in.

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Q-I plan on going for a week of spring training. Can you tell me if the Blue Jays (other teams as well) sell a certain number of tickets on game day for the walk-up crowd? Also, can one see the players train on days when there are no games and is there a charge for this? 
Thanks heaps,

Marcus Heinrichs, Stouffville, ON

You seem to be on the internet, yet unaware of a thing called Google. This isn’t Ask Jeeves, Marcus. I’m not fucking Jeeves!