Inglett solid in return to Jays

Joe Inglett must have felt slighted after missing out on a roster spot with the Blue Jays coming out of spring training. After all, he posted excellent numbers last year filling in for an injured Aaron Hill, hitting .297 with 39 RBI and 45 runs in 109 games. Caught up in a numbers game, there was no room on the roster so Inglett was sent down to AAA Las Vegas, where he battled injuries. He received a much deserved promotion in May, but he had just come off the disabled list and struggled, hitting .167 in 15 games before promptly being sent back down to Vegas to work on his timing at the plate.

Inglett regained his swing upon his return to the minors, scorching the ball at a .398 clip, including an impressive .451 mark spanning 18 games in July. The Jays called Inglett back up, and in 8 games, he has 12 hits in 42 at bats for a .285 average, including a 7 game hitting streak. The 31 year old has started the past 4 games, once in left field and three in right following Alex Rios’ departure and has performed well.

The Jays would do well to have Inglett on the team next year, filling in a super sub role. He has the ability to play both the infield and the outfield giving the club a quality left handed bat off the bench while adding some speed on the base paths.

Overbay thriving in cleanup spot

After Scott Rolen was dealt at the trade deadline, the Blue Jays have been in search of someone to fill the void in the cleanup spot of the batting order. Lyle Overbay, who has battled wild inconsistent stretches at the plate all season long, has grasped the challenge and is producing in the heart of the order.

Overbay connected on a 2 run shot in the first inning in the series opener against the Rays Friday, giving Roy Halladay some early run support that aided Toronto's ace in picking up his 13th win of the campaign. In 9 contests that the Jays first basemen has hit 4th in the batting order, he has put up impressive statistics, going 12 for 29 (for a .413 average) to go along with 3 HR and 7 RBI.

Overbay could potentially be on the move before the waiver trade deadline ends August 31st. Should the Jays part ways with the 32 year old veteran, he would provide a decent left handed bat with some pop and a great ability to get on base, not to mention exceptional defense.

Jays overachieving with leaky batting order

With the Jays stumbling to yet another extra innings loss to the Yankees, it's remarkable that the team finds a way to be competitive in every game given the current state of the roster. Not only has there been five rookie starters that have made their major league debut this year (Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil, Brad Mills, Robert Ray, Marc Rzepczynski) which would be hard for any team to overcome, but the batting order leaves a lot to be desired also.

Take the series finale against the Yankees as an example. The last four hitters slotted in the lineup were Randy Ruiz, Edwin Encarnacion, Raul Chavez and Joe Inglett. Add the fact that Lyle Overbay is hitting cleanup and Kevin Millar and/or Jose Bautista appear in half the games, and it becomes crystal clear that this team is overachieving. That batting order is a mishmash of role and bench players, and is not even close to one of a contender, even though each of them have had their moments this year.

It appears as though the Jays are now taking steps toward rebuilding with the departures of B.J. Ryan, Scott Rolen and Alex Rios this season. The organization needs to be shaken up, because with this lineup day in and day out, there simply is no way they can compete with the titans of the American League East in a grueling 162 game schedule.

Chavez an unheralded star for Jays

Raul Chavez has quietly performed very admirably as the Blue Jays backup catcher since being recalled in April. While he won't fill the box score with incredible statistics, he has done the little things that are important to win baseball games. Case in point, his outstanding effort in the series finale against the Yankees.

The 36 year old Chavez went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and a walk and provided stellar defense behind the plate. The veteran backstop came up with a clutch RBI single in the 6th inning to cut the Yankees lead to 1, made an incredible pick off of Ramiro Pena at first base to end the 7th, drew a walk in the 8th inning after a lengthy 10 pitch at bat to set the table for the Jays offense (they couldn't bring him in), and also singled to again get the Jays kick started in the 10th frame (again, they failed to score)

In 38 games this season, Chavez has thrown out 15 of 33 runners attempting to steal for a 45% clip, posting a respectable .281 batting average.

Jesse Carlson has a noodle arm

Jesse Carlson is a complete bum. I’m totally sick of this guy and his noodle arm serving up home runs in tense situations like he did Tuesday, giving up back to back homers in the 8th with the Jays up 1 run.

Just when he gives you a glimmer of hope that he might be finally putting it together (as was the case in game one of this series against the Yankees), he falters miserably, costing the team yet another win. The guy has given up 6 dingers this year, and has a pathetic 5.40 ERA.

As I’ve said many times when he’s brutalized another outing, it appears last year was an aberration; the league has him figured out. His breaking ball has no bite to it, and he leaves it up in the strike zone. When he's not putting it on a tee that way, he's chucking a fastball down the middle. But because the team is without a lefty specialist in the bullpen, he continues to stay with the club, making the most appearances of any Jays pitcher the past two years.

I'm sick of him though. He's a bum.

Ruiz homers in 1st game as Blue Jay

Those that were clamoring for Randy Ruiz to be called up by Toronto, your wish has been granted. Following the departure of Alex Rios to the White Sox, the Jays promoted the 31 year old veteran of 10 major league organizations. In his first game as a Jay, Ruiz, born in the Bronx and a former Yankees farmhand, made an impact, smashing a ball off the right field foul pole for his 2nd career big league home run, his first as a Jay.

It was incredibly uncanny how Ruiz and Rod Barajas look so similar in the batters box. Each time they both were hitting I had to do a double take thinking it was the Jays catcher each time. Ruiz, who was penciled in as the DH tonight, presumably will have an extended audition to see if he can finally stick at the major league level.

A career .304 hitter in the minors, Ruiz played 22 games last year for Minnesota and cracked 25 home runs this year, piling up 106 RBI's in 114 contests with AAA Las Vegas. Time will tell if he can finally put it all together in the bigs and contribute for a Blue Jays team in desperate need of more offense.

Rios jettisoned by Jays; heads to White Sox

After days of speculation, the Toronto Blue Jays have simply walked away from Alex Rios allowing him to be claimed on waivers by the Chicago White Sox. The Jays completely wash their hands of the underachieving Rios, not having to pay any of his $60 million in salary over the next 5 seasons.

It would have been nice to acquire a player or a prospect for Rios, but getting out from under the hefty deal proved too tempting for J.P. Ricciardi. Consider this quote from the Jays General Manager: "This allows us to get out from under a contract and do more to address our club"

This season, the 28 year old Rios hit .264 with 14 HR and 62 RBI. He represented the American League twice in the all-star game with his best season coming in 2007, where he smacked 24 HR and drove in 85 runs.

Presumably, the Jays will dip into the minor leagues to call up top prospect Travis Snider, who is hitting .487 with 5 HR and 16 RBI in his last 10 games, or purchase the contract of veterans David Dellucci, Buck Coats or Aaron Mathews.