Blue Jays Contract Options

Heading into the 2011 offseason, the Blue Jays had decisions to make regarding club options on two players' contracts; Edwin Encarnacion and Jon Rauch. The decisions weren't particularly surprising.

1B/3B/DH Edwin Encarnacion: 3.5M Club Option (0.5M Buyout) -- PICKED UP

Despite playing nearly historically bad in the first half of the season, Encarnacion picked it up enough in the second half to have his club option picked up for 2012, and barring a major acquisition, guarantee a spot in the lineup as the starting DH. The .272/.334/.453 (.787 OPS) slash line isn't a particularly inspiring one from a potential designated hitter, but his pre- and post-All Star splits are so staggeringly different you have to hold out hope that Encarnacion finally figured himself out. He posted a .688 OPS with 19 doubles, 6 HR, and a 9/39 BB/K ratio in the first half, but followed that up with an .887 OPS, 17 double, 11 HR, and 34/38 BB/K ratio in the second half. If Encarnacion can carry his second half success over to the 2012 season, he could find himself hitting cleanup behind Jose Bautista while putting together impressive numbers entering his free agent walk year.

RP Jon Rauch: 3.75M Club Option (0.75M Buyout) -- DECLINED

Rauch began the season as the defacto closer because of a Frank Francisco arm injury, but never earned the trust of the fans (and seemingly, the front office). The Blue Jays felt it would be better to pay Rauch 750K to leave than to pay him an extra 3M and have him stay, which isn't surprising given the results. As I mentioned in the Making the Grade: The Bullpen piece, Jon Rauch seems to defy physics (but in the bad way), as his size and mass don't result in above average velocity or above average sink. He's a soft tosser who struggles to work in the bottom of the zone, which results in a ton of linedrives and flyballs. This quickly translates to a lot of hits and home runs with a poor groundball rate. Rauch might be the best evidence for the difference between control and command. Control is the ability to get pitches in the strikezone, command is the ability to put the pitch where you want it. Rauch has the former (as evident by his strong walk rates), but seriously lacks the latter. His struggles were emphasized by his role in the bullpen. If Jon Rauch were 6'2", 200 lbs and didn't have a beard/tattoos, he would never see the 8th or 9th inning in a close game. This is another case of teams going for the intimidation factor more than the effectiveness factor.

In other news, Toronto re-acquired Canadian relief pitcher Trystan Magnuson from the Athletics. The 6'7" Magnuson was originally sent to the A's as part of the Rajai Davis trade last offseason, but the Blue Jays pounced when Magnuson was Designated for Assignment by Oakland. Cash considerations went the other way. He should compete for a bullpen spot in the spring.

Making the Grade: The Infield

The third segment of "Making the Grade" will be Toronto's infielders. While shortstop and catcher remained constant, the remaining three infield positions were in flux throughout the season due to injuries, struggles, callups, and trades. This list will be for infielders who finished the season with the major league club, or played in 50 games with the club throughout the duration of the season.

Part I Making the Grade: The Starters
Part II Making the Grade: The Bullpen
Part IV Making the Grade: The Outfield

C JP Arencibia (25)
443 AB, .219/.282/.438 (.720 OPS), 20 2B, 4 3B, 23 HR, 78 RBI, 1 SB, 36/133 BB/K

Arencibia had a mixed bag of a first season in Toronto. He displayed his highly regarded power (23 home runs) and displayed it consistently (between 3 and 5 home runs every month). His plate approach was surprisingly better than expected, as his 36 walks were good for a 7.4% walk rate. His biggest issue, at least offensively, was making contact. Arencibia hit only .219 with a 27.4% strikeout rate. His BABIP was a below average .255, and his 15.7 LD% suggests it wasn't just bad luck that killed his average. Arencibia will need to make strides with the bat to be an above average catcher, but his rookie season was promising.

Grade: B-

C Jose Molina (36)
171 AB, .281/.342/.415 (.757 OPS), 12 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB, 15/44 BB/K

Molina had an exceptional offensive season (for a backup catcher). His defense, however, took a dramatic step back from 2010. While he is still one of the best in the game at framing pitches and has a great arm, Molina's fielding behind the plate fell off noticably. He gave up more passed balls (8) than he had in any previous season despite playing his 2nd fewest innings since 2003. Whether it's because of old legs, lack of effort on a non-contending team, or something else, I have no idea. But it could be a cause for concern.

Grade: A-

1B Adam Lind (28)
499 AB, .251/.295/.439 (.734 OPS), 16 2B, 0 3B, 26 HR, 87 RBI, 1 SB, 32/107 BB/K

With Aaron Hill gone, Adam Lind has taken over the title as the most frustrating hitter to watch on the roster. For the second straight season, Lind hit 20+ home runs. However, for the second straight season, Lind had a sub-.300 OBP. That's not going to cut it as a first baseman, particularly in the AL East. Lind's struggles were magnified by the fact he hit cleanup for much of the season, and Jose Bautista's .447 OBP created a vast number of opportunities for Lind in key situations. His 2009 season is quickly becoming a distant memory, and it might be time to move on.

Grade: C-

1B Edwin Encarnacion (28)
481 AB, .272/.334/.453 (.787 OPS), 36 2B, 0 3B, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 8 SB, 43/77 BB/K

What started off as a nightmare blossomed into a mid-career revival. After a dismal 2010 season, many Blue Jays fans (myself included) had a very short leash for Encarnacion as a regular in the lineup. Encarnacion struggled horrificly during April and May, but slowly turned his season around during June. He was one of Toronto's best hitters in the 2nd half, hitting .291/.382/.504 (.887 OPS) after the All Star Break. He likely did enough to have his contract option for 2012 picked up, and should have either the first base or designated hitter spot locked up next spring.

Grade: B+

2B Kelly Johnson (29)
545 AB, .222/.304/.413 (.717 OPS)
27 2B, 7 3B, 21 HR, 58 RBI, 16 SB, 60/163 BB/K

Acquired from the Diamondbacks after the non-waiver trade deadline, Johnson established himself as the favorite for the 2012 second base job in Toronto by hitting .270/.364/.417 (.781 OPS) in 115 AB after the trade. While he has noticable flaws in his game -- particularly with making contact -- Johnson has more than enough talent and tools to be an above average starting second baseman. After watching Aaron Hill flail helplessly at the plate for nearly two seasons, Johnson is a welcome change.

Grade: B

3B Brett Lawrie (21)
150 AB, .293/.373/.580 (.953 OPS)
8 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 7 SB, 16/31 BB/K

Brett Lawrie did everything expected of him and more during the 2011 season. He laid waste to the Pacific Coast League before suffering a broken hand in late May that delayed his promotion to the major leagues. After being sidelined for nearly two months plus a short rehab stint, Lawrie was called up to Toronto where he absolutely crushed the ball. His wOBA ranked 2nd on the team behind Jose Bautista, and after a few initial struggles he proved to be an above average defensive third baseman.

Grade: A+

3B Mark Teahen (30)
160 AB, .200/.273/.300 (.573 OPS), 4 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 0 SB, 16/45 BB/K

There's really nothing positive to say about Mark Teahen's season other than that he helped bring Colby Rasmus to Toronto. He's been a negative WAR player for 4 years running, and -- thanks to Kenny Williams -- he's still owed 5.5M next season. He's a poor fielder at basically every position and has no utility on the basepaths. It would be wise to eat the contract during the offseason to clear up space on the 25 and 40 man rosters.

Grade: F

SS Yunel Escobar (28)
513 AB, .290/.369/.413 (.782 OPS)
24 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 3 SB, 61/70 BB/K

Behind Jose Bautista, Escobar was the best hitter on the Blue Jays throughout the course of the season. After a subpar 2010, Escobar rediscovered the swing that made him one of the best hitters in Atlanta during 2008 and 2009 seasons. In addition to swinging a mean bat, Escobar removed some of the flash from his defensive game and focused on the fundamentals, which increased the quality of his throws across the diamond. Financially, his resurgence earned him a team-friendly contract extension.

Grade: A

SS Mike McCoy (30)
197 AB, .198/.291/.269 (.561 OPS), 8 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 12 SB, 25/41 BB/K

Mike McCoy may have earned more Air Miles on his credit card this year than any other player in baseball, as he had more Toronto-to-Vegas flights (or vice versa) during the season than I care to count. Despite that, he still managed to play in 80 games with Toronto this year. McCoy had an opportunity to prove himself, particularly with an extended look in September while Escobar was injured, but he did not really impress me. He's solid with the glove and on the basepaths, but doesn't look like he'll ever hit enough to deserve 200 ABs in a season again. The failure out of the leadoff spot is as much John Farrell's fault as it is McCoy's.

Grade: D