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Toronto Blue Jays Season Predictions | 2014 Season Betting Preview

2014 MLB Team Previews – Toronto Blue Jays

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were talking about the Blue Jays as a legitimate World Series contender – this year we are talking about the team just being competitive and with an outside shot at a Wild Card spot.

Bovada’s Odds to Win

AL East: +900
American League: 16/1
World Series: 28/1

Key Additions: Dioner Navarro

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Injuries and some disappointing efforts by a host of last year’s Jays derailed their season – what can we expect this year?

Projected Starting Line-Up

1 Jose Reyes SS
2 Melky Cabrera OF
3 Jose Bautista OF
4 Edwin Encarnacion DH
5 Brett Lawrie
6 Adam Lind 1B
7 Colby Rasmus OF
8 Dioner Navarro Catcher
9 Maicer Izturis 2B
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On paper the Blue Jays have a nice offensive team – Bautista, Encarnacion and Colby Rasmus offer some good power in a park notoriously generous to hitters. But Melky Cabrera had an off season, Brett Lawrie failed to find his groove and the catcher position offered almost zero offensive production.

Hopes are that Lawrie and Cabrera bounce back, that the acquisition of a good hitting catcher in the form of Dioner Navarro helps and that spark plug Jose Reyes stays healthy along with team leader Jose Bautista – both of which spent far too long on the DL last year for this team to contend.

Toronto ranked eighth in the AL last year in runs despite the injuries – if the players live up to expectation there is little doubt that this team can be an elite offensive squad. But that is a BIG IF.

Projected Starting Rotation

1 R.A. Dickey
2 Brandon Morrow S
3 Mark Buehrle
4 J.A. Happ
5 Esmil Rogers
6 Kyle Drabek

The Jays experienced their share of injuries in the rotation last year and were middle-of-the-pack because of it. Simply put – the Studs weren’t the Studs and the injuries to the pitchers they relied on set the team back drastically. By all account, Brandon Morrow and Kyle Drabek are healthy and ready to assume their rightful spot in the rotation.

Toronto has some talent on their staff but injury questions continue to plague the team. The inability to get one of the free agent arms available in the offseason isn’t a great sign either. Toronto’s season success realistically relies on the health and effectiveness of their starting staff – not unlike any other MLB team. At full health we can expect the Jays to have a top third staff but we almost guarantee Brandon Morrow will get hurt, and that Kyle Drabek will take some time to find his groove after Tommy John surgery.

RA Dickey is 39 years old – Mark Buehrle is 35 – age is catching up to these guys, Morrow is brittle, JA Happ is journeyman #5 type guy and Drabek may have issues getting back to form. Simply put – the Jays have too many questions to be considered a top flight rotation and without starting pitching, you simply don’t get that far in the Majors.

Closer

Casey Janssen RP
Sergio Santos RP
Steve Delabar RP

Add Aaron Loup, Brett Cecil and Dustin McGowan to the list of arms coming out of the pen and the Jays look to have a solid group of relievers – one that was fourth last year in terms of ERA in the AL and is poised to at least duplicate those numbers this year. If the starters can do their part it looks as though the Jays have some arms at the back end to secure some victories.

2014 Prediction:

There are some nice pieces on the Toronto Blue Jays – numbers 1-5 in the order are strong – Reyes, Bautista, Encarnacion, Lind and Rasmus should provide some decent offensive numbers. But with question marks all over the starting rotation and the fact that they play in the AL East has the Jays looking very much like an average team once again. 83-85 wins appears to be the ceiling for this team which will result in a familiar fourth place finish in the division.

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By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.