What's In The System: Outfielders

   This is a position that has markedly improved in terms of both quantity and quality from a year ago.
With Kevin Pillar and Anthony Gose no longer eligible to be considered as prospects, several players took huge steps forward in their development to fill the void.
 
   A note about Pillar first:  the guy takes a beating on Twitter, for reasons we don't completely understand.  He would not be the first prospect to struggle with the huge jump between major league and AAA pitching.  It's true that he could've walked more and shown more patience at the plate in this his second year of MLB play, but given the demotion he had earned as a result of a June temper tantrum over being pinch hit for late in a game, the kid was likely determined to prove himself at all costs when he was brought back.  Pillar has absolutely nothing left to prove in AAA, and just needs time to establish himself.  If you see him not as an All Star and more of a Reed Johnson type, you'll ultimately come to appreciate him.  He plays all three outfield positions well, and can run the bases. Sadly, we think the banishment to Buffalo this past summer speaks volumes about how the club feels about Pillar.  We were surprised to see him survive past the July 31 trade deadline, and will be even more surprised if he's part of the organization by spring training.

   Dalton Pompey, of course, got all of the headlines this summer, and deservedly so.  Coming into his fifth pro season, he had never played above Low A ball, although he began making noise and showing some signs of busting out in his last month at Lansing in 2013.  This year, his full array of talents blossomed, and all of baseball took notice.  Pompey bashed Florida State League pitching, and after an initial struggle at New Hampshire returned to his hard-hitting ways, earning a promotion to Buffalo, and a September call-up to the big club, the highlight of which was a  3-4, one double, two  triples performance against the Orioles in the season's last week.
   Pompey's long season is wrapping up in the Arizona Fall League, and while he struggled a bit at first, has again showed the power-speed combo that has left scouts drooling.   A .317/.392/.469 line, with 43 steals in 50 attempts portends very well for the future.  Even though Pompey might benefit from a bit more seasoning in Buffalo, with Colby Rasmus all but gone and Melky Cabrera about to explore the free agent market, the future may be sooner rather than later for Pompey.

   Drafted in the 16th round in 2010, the Blue Jays were prepared to be patient with Pompey, and their patience has been rewarded.  A 16th round Canadian high school pick from 2008, Michael Crouse, has yet to blossom.  Crouse reached AA this year, but hit .243/.321/.405 in 109 games.  A third Canadian, Marcus Knecht, put together a solid 2011 at Lansing, but has repeated 3 straight years at Dunedin.

   Dwight Smith Jr had a very underrated year in the Florida State League.  Without much protection behind him in the D-Jays lineup,  Smith put up decent numbers . Perhaps feeling he lacks a corner outfield-type bat, the Blue Jays have experimented with Smith at 2nd Base in the Arizona Fall League.  We say 12 home runs in the vastness of most FSL parks is evidence of some pop.  With the huge jump that comes from going to A+ to AA, we're looking forward to seeing how well Smith adjusts.

   As is the case with some other positions, the true depth of prospects starts to broaden as you reach the lower levels of the system. With a stable full of young pitchers, Lansing was thought to be one of the minor league teams to watch this season, but injuries and inconsistency forced the Lugnuts to go with a patch work rotation for the second half.  An exciting young outfield was one of Lansing's strengths this season.  DJ Davis, the club's first round pick in 2012, played highlight reel defense, but did not put up the numbers many thought he might in his first year of full season ball.  Pitch recognition (167Ks in 530 PAs) is still a concern, and Davis' vaunted speed did not show up on the base paths, as he was thrown out 20 times in 39 attempts.  All that being said, we point out that Pompey didn't begin to show signs of promise until near the end of his fourth season.  Davis may have fallen off the radar, but there's no reason to give up on him yet.
   Anthony Alford was Davis' teammate for all of a week before heading off to resume his now aborted college football career, but that was more than enough for the baseball world to take notice.  "The Freak," as he was known in high school is easily the best athlete in the organization, and now that he has committed fully to baseball, his development may take off.  Sent to Australia for the winter to gain more reps and experience, we're beyond excited to see what's in store for him.
  Derrick Loveless did not show enough in terms of numbers through two short season campaigns, so it was a bit of a surprise to see  the 2011 27th round pick elevated to Lansing this year, but he actually produced enough to be considered added outfield depth, if not an MLB prospect.  Chaz Frank was a 2013 20th rounder who contributed to Vancouver's third straight NWL title last year, but showed at 24 he may have hit his ceiling at Lansing this year.

   Roemon Fields was one of the best stories in the organization this year, and proof of the fact that despite a seemingly exhaustive scouting system, MLB sometimes misses players.  Fields was out of baseball after finishing his collegiate career at tiny Bethany College in Kansas, and was working for the US Postal Service in Seattle.  Fields was spotted by a Blue Jay scout at an amateur tournament in British Columbia in 2013, and was signed by Toronto.  Batting leadoff for Vancouver, Fields smashed the NWL stolen base record, and was an end of season all star.  At 23, it's hard to see a lot more room for projection for Fields, but it will be interesting to see how he fares in full season ball next year.

   Josh Almonte struggled through his first two years of complex ball in the GCL, but the Long Island product blossomed this year at Bluefield.  He had what Clint Longenecker of Baseball America termed an unsustainable BABIP of 413, and had a poor BB-K ration, but he may be a late bloomer because of his northern upbringing.  It will be interesting to see where he plays next year.
   Lane Thomas was a 5th round pick in June who quickly progressed from the GCL to Bluefield.  He played a variety of positions, splitting the majority of his time between 3rd Base and Centrefield.  He is described as a plus runner, although not necessarily owning CF speed.  Thomas barreled up a lot of balls this summer.
 
   The GCL Jays had a mix of interesting outfield prospects, but because they are all so far away it's hard to consider many of them as top prospects.  One who did catch our eye early in the season was Juan Tejada, who showed some pop, but cooled off as the summer progressed.

Our rankings:

1.  Pompey
2.  Alford
3.  Smith
4.  Davis
5. Crouse
6. Loveless
7. Fields
8. Thomas
9. Almonte
10. Tejada

Catching the Cavalry

   The Australian Baseball League, according to a release on its website, is  "revolutionizing the way fans across Australia and around the globe will witness baseball Down Under," with live streaming of its games, and a youtube channel.

   Play in the ABL started yesterday, and continues until the league championship the first weekend of February.  The majority of its games area played from Thursday to Saturday.

   The Blue Jays have had a working agreement with the Canberra Cavalry for several years now, and the relationship has been quite successful.  The Jays send prospects who need additional playing time, and the Cavalry get a reasonably steady supply of players.

   This year, the Jays have sent perennial fan favourite (and former league MVP) catcher Jack Murphy, as well infielders LB Dantzler,  and Christian Lopes.  Outfielder Anthony Alford, who decided to forego his college football career, has reported to Australia, and will get an opportunity to accelerate his development with the Cavalry.  

  Every one of the Cavalry's 48-game schedule will be televised, starting with their season opener on November 6th.  Canberra is 15 hours ahead of Toronto, so watching games live will mean some early morning wake up calls for Blue Jays fans.  

What's In the System: Middle Infield

       Other than on the mound, the Blue Jays greatest collection of prospects is up the middle and second base and shortstop. where the club has stockpiled a number of premium athletes, especially in the lower levels of the system, and has brought that group of players along one step at a time through the system.

   At the upper levels of the organization, there's really no one ready to succeed Jose Reyes at short, and second base may continue to be a soft spot in the lineup for several more years, unless the club goes outside the system to acquire a player.   Ryan Goins has spent the most time of any middle IF prospect with the big club, and while he plays major league defence at both spots, his bat is highly questionable, and his glove may not be enough to compensate for it.  Still etched vividly in our minds is a play Goins made at second that we witnessed first hand from behind the visitors dugout during Marcus Stroman's brilliant one-hit over seven innings gem in a July matinee against the Red Sox. Goins ranged far to his left on a sharply hit ball between first and second, and with the ball seemingly headed to right field for a base hit, Goins slid to corral the ball, and came up throwing to nip the runner at first.  The play showed all the hallmarks of an above-average defender:  anticipating and reacting to the ball, ranging far to get it (and not giving up on it), and making an agile, athletic slide to get the ball, while still coming up in a good throwing position, demonstrating good arm strength to make the throw to get the out.

    Jonathan Diaz came back to the Blue Jays after playing in the Red Sox system (and making his MLB debut) last year, but only a torrid final month of the season at Buffalo brought his average over the Mendoza Line.  Kevin Nolan and Ryan Schimpf (who played a multitude of positions, mostly at 2nd) played at Buffalo and New Hampshire this year, but are organizational depth players at this point.  Jon Berti has played reasonably well in the Arizona Fall League, as the club decides whether or not to place him on the 40 man roster or risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft in December, but the speedster (40 SB at New Hampshire) is a longshot to win a major league job, even with the apparent current opening.  The diminutive Jorge Flores, and Shane Opitz, who was limited to 32 minor league games (all below AA) this year due to injury, add more infield depth.

   As you progress down the organizational ladder, the quality of prospects starts to improve considerably.  Emilio Guerrero showed some promise at short last year both with the glove and the bat, but at 6'4" has possibly outgrown the position, as evidenced by the 20 games he played in the outfield for Dunedin this season.  And we keep hoping for signs of life from Christian Lopes' bat. Once one of the most highly rated youth players in the nation, Lopes has posted very pedestrian numbers at the plate over four minor league seasons.

   The Blue Jays spent over $7.5 million on international players in 2011, with Dawel Lugo coming away with $1.3 million of it.  Lugo played his first year of full season ball at Lansing this year, and struggled at the end of it.  Just the same, there is a bat there that may play one day (especially if he improves his pitch recognition and starts to draw more walks), but likely not at short.  The thinking among many scouts is that the strong-armed Lugo, who lacks the twitchy quickness that the Jays covet in a middle infielder, will ultimately wind up at third.  We saw Lugo on milb.tv games several times at different points of the season, and were actually pleasantly surprised by his defence.  His bat really tired as the season progressed, taking away from a hot mid-summer stretch that landed him on Baseball America's weekly Prospect Hot Sheet.
   Dickie Joe Thon was a 5th round pick in 2010, and while he has not produced at the plate as may have been hoped, he has posted solid, but somewhat unspectacular numbers.  After playing exclusively at short through his first three minor league seasons, Thon played 68 games at 2nd, 33 in Leftfield, and none at short this season, his first year of full season ball, at Lansing.
   David Harris and Jason Leblebijian are added depth players at Lansing, but we would love to see the latter make it to the majors, if only to hear how badly Buck Martinez might mangle his last name.

  Vancouver boasted not one, but by the end of the season, two of the top up the middle prospects in all of baseball in Franklin Barreto and Richard Urena.  At the tender age of 18, Barreto led the Northwest League in 5 offensive categories, was named the loop's MVP, and was Baseball America's Short Season Player of the Year.  Questions abounded about his defence before the season began, and while there is no doubt about his athleticism, Barreto did little to answer them.  His footwork can be awkward at times, and reports are that he doesn't quite have the arm strength to make those long throws to first from the hole.  The bat will absolutely play, however.  Barreto barrels up the ball and consistently hits it hard to all fields.  He will move up to full season play at Lansing next year, and is the best prospect in this organization not named Daniel Norris or Dalton Pompey.  Barreto's future may lie at second, or in centrefield.
    Urena, on the other hand, has been termed major league ready defensively, and while he acquitted himself well at the plate for Bluefield and Vancouver, he's not on the same level as Barreto with the bat.  Promoted to Vancouver in mid-August, Urena played mostly 2nd and 3rd for the C's, with the organization deciding to leave Barreto at short. Just the same, he is likely the Blue Jays shortstop of the future, and the organization will have an interesting decision on its hands next March, because Urena is likely headed to full season ball as well, and they may have to start working Barreto in at other spots on the diamond.  Urena, by the way, is all of one day older than Barreto.  It will be more than worth the 5 hour drive from Southern Ontario to Lansing to watch both play in 2015.
   Vancouver had a few other prospects up the middle who will be worth watching as they move up the ranks.  Tim Locastro was a 13th round pick in 2013 who played Division III ball, and while he may not have much projectability left, has hit well in two years of short season ball.  Locastro played 33 games at 2nd in Vancouver's crowded infield.  Gunnar Heidt, drafted in the 13th round after leading the College of Charleston to its second-ever NCAA Super Regional, took over 2nd from Locastro until Urena's arrival. While he was a shortstop in college, Heidt's toolkit appears to be best suited to second base.
 
   At the lowest level of the organization is 17 year old Yeltsin Gudino, who was very overmatched at the plate in his first year of stateside play in the GCL this past summer.  That the Jays thought enough of his skills and his maturity to have him skip the Dominican League, which is the usual step for Caribbean players to make, tells us that there is still plenty of room for growth in his bat, and that the organization thinks highly of him.  Deiferson Barreto played his first year of stateside ball as well, and manned 2nd for 51 games with the GCL Jays this summer.  Barreto showed enough with the bat that we would like to see what he can do at a higher level next year.
 
   And as we were preparing these rankings, we live tweeted an Arizona Fall League game where Blue Jays OF prospect Dwight Smith Jr started at 2nd.  The thinking is that Smith may not have the power necessary for a corner infield position, and his bat and defensive skills may be a good fit at second.  The AFL, of course, is a league where organizations tweak prospect's games, or look to add to their versatility (because we're all looking for the next Ben Zobrist), but we will see if he makes any further appearances there before the league wraps up play in a few weeks.

   This is a group which shows immense promise, although the earliest we might see one of them in the majors would be late 2016/early 2017 at the earliest.  It's also a group which might be useful in terms of trade fodder to strengthen the big club.

Our rankings:

1.  F. Barreto
2.  Urena
3.  Lugo
4.  Berti
5.  Thon
6.   Locastro
7.   Gudino
8.   Heidt
9.   D. Barreto
10.  Guerrero

What's In the System: Corner Infield

  This is our second in a series of articles which examines the depths of prospects in the Blue Jays minor league system.

   This year, we've decided to combine first and third base for a couple of reasons.  For starters, as is much the case with many minor league organizations, first base is a bit of a black hole for prospects.  First base, generally speaking, is where you play when your bat is your most outstanding tool relative to the other aspects of your toolkit, and if you have any aspirations to making it to the big leagues, it needs to be overwhelming.  First base prospects can often be blocked by major leaguers whose bat keeps them there, but their glove limits their defensive prospects (see Encarnacion, Edwin), necessitating a move to first.  And when players are moved to first, it's often been from across the corner at third.

  First at Buffalo for the past two years has been a holding place for injury insurance replacement vets like Mauro Gomez and Dan Johnson, with Andy LaRoche and late-season acquisition Matt Hague across from them.  New Hampshire has also seen its fair share of minor league journeymen like Mike McDade.  The organization seemed to be grooming Andy Burns for a super-utility role last year, but he settled in at third for the Fisher Cats this year, and after a rough start finished with decent numbers.

  It's not until we reach the lower levels of the system that we begin to see some promise.  Mitch Nay did not show a great deal of power in the Midwest League, but neither did many of his Lugnuts teammates,  as Lansing was last in the league with 57 Home Runs.  Nay's 34 doubles may be more of an indication of future power, though.  At one point earlier this year, he was being termed the Blue Jays best position prospect, until the rise of Dalton Pompey. Across the diamond from Nay, Matt Dean had a solid season at the plate, and actually played decent defence at third in the limited opportunities we had to see him play following Nay's promotion to Dunedin.  B.C. native Justin Atkinson re-tooled his stance and approach at the plate, and had a decent year with the bat, and played 34 games at first.
 
   Rowdy Tellez may one day turn out to be the best of this group.  The Blue Jays counted their pennies by signing college seniors for meagre bonuses in rounds 4-10 in 2013 in order to dissuade Tellez from a college commitment, and he struggled until the final week of his pro debut season in the GCL, and then got off to another slow start at Bluefield this year, going 0-26 at one stretch.  The bat finally woke up, however, and Tellez skipped two levels in mid-August to finish the season with Lansing.  It will be interesting to see where the Blue Jays send Tellez next season - this may be a breakthrough year for him.  Despite his numbers this year, we've had to restrain ourselves in our praise of him because he still is far away, and his bat will have to more than compensate for his limited defensive abilities.  It's looking more and more that such may be the case, though.
   The Blue Jays have a pair of first basemen below that who have a number of similarities.  LB Dantzler was a 14th round pick out of South Carolina in 2013, while Ryan McBroom was taken in the 15th round this year out of West Virginia.  Dantzler had an outstanding pro debut season, taking home Northwest League MVP honours as he led Vancouver to their third straight league title, while McBroom put up similar numbers this year, as the C's just missed making it a four-peat.  Dantzler struggled at full season ball this year at both Lansing and Dunedin, and there's a feeling that he may have reached his ceiling, or is close to it.  It will be interesting to see if the same development occurs with McBroom, who in all likelihood will open the season with Lansing.
   Below full season ball, the Blue Jays have a mix of roster filler-type college draftees like Lydell Moseby, Alexis Maldonado and Ryan Metzler, and intriguing younger prospects like Lane Thomas, and Gabriel Cenas.
  Many players in short season ball play a variety of positions as the organization tries to get a fix on where their talents are best suited, and Thomas was no exception.  He split time at Bluefield between third, left, and centrefields, and he could be considered a prospect at both this position and the outfield.  Cenas signed for a huge bonus out of Venezuela in 2010, and has split time between both corner infield positions, but the power that was predicted for him has yet to materialize.
   Juan Kelly played 37 games at first for the GCL Jays, and was their player of the year.  It's hard to see the undersized 20 year old developing much in the way of power, however.
Our ranking:

1.  Mitch Nay
2.  Andy Burns
3.  Rowdy Tellez
4.  Lane Thomas
5.  LB Dantzler
6.  Matt Dean
7.  Ryan McBroom
8.  Justin Atkinson
9.  Gabriel Cenas
10. Juan Kelly

What's In the System: Catchers

  This is the first of a number of surveys of the depth (or lack thereof) of prospects at several positions in the Blue Jays system.

   A year ago, we concluded that catching is probably one of the thinnest positions in the Blue Jays system.  The situation has improved slightly a year later, but outside of AJ Jimenez, there is no one on the immediate horizon who could fill a spot on a major league roster, Sean Ochinko's hot Arizona Fall League start notwithstanding.


     And with R.A. Dickey back for at least one more year, it seems likely that the athletic Jimenez will continue to be blocked at the major league level by Josh Thole.
    Jimenez battled arm and shoulder woes in his first full season after Tommy John surgery two years ago, and he was limited to 83 games between New Hampshire and Buffalo.  We've seen a fair bit of him in action behind the plate, and we like what we've seen.  He is quick to deftly block balls in the dirt, and is a good handler of pitches.  The question has always been if his bat will play in the majors.
    The Blue Jays drafted Kennesaw State catcher Max Pentecost with their second first round pick this year.  The bat-first, defence-second Pentecost had his own injury woes in his pro debut after a lengthy collegiate season, and was shut down in early August for rest and rehab in Florida after only 105 pro at bats.  It turns out Pentecost had a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, and underwent surgery in early October. Recovery from full tear surgery takes 9 months, on average, putting Pentecost's return to the tools of ignorance somewhere in late spring, although like Jimenez last year, he may DH for a spell prior to that.
   There were concerns about Pentecost's defence in his limited run at Vancouver, but injuries and fatigue may have been a factor.  He loomed as a back end of our top 10 list prospect, but this certainly slows down his timetable and puts him back a bit.
   Derrick Chung was part of a strong core that propelled Dunedin to one of the best won-loss records in all of Organized Baseball at the start of June.  Finally settled in at catcher after playing a variety of positions in his first two years in the organization, Chung was lauded for his play on both sides of the ball in the Florida State League.  At 26, he was a bit old for the league even though he was learning a new position, and was promoted to AA at mid-season.  Chung's numbers with New Hampshire fell far short of the ones he posted at A+, although he finished strong.  Given his age, Chung has to be considered a borderline prospect at this point.
  Santiago Nessy at one point was considered a potential catcher of the future.  Injuries and inconsistency have marked his past two seasons, and he appeared in only 69 games between Lansing and Dunedin.  At 21 (he doesn't turn 22 until December), time is still somewhat on his side.
   Danny Jansen was having a solid second pro season at Bluefield when a knee injury ended his season in early August.  The 16th round 2013 pick was considered a steal by some, and should make his full season debut in 2015 if he's healthy.
   Matt Morgan was a well-regarded 4th round pick in June, but had monumental struggles at the plate in the GCL.
   Mike Reeves started the year sharing the catching duties with Chung at Dunedin, and was sent down to Lansing to get more playing time, and finished the year at Vancouver, taking over duties behind the plate for Pentecost.
  Jorge Saez has been praised for his leadership skills, but after a promotion from Lansing to Dunedin, showed that he may have reached his ceiling.
  Michael De La Cruz caught 43 games for Vancouver before the arrival of Pentecost, and at 21 has time to develop.
   Kevin Garcia posted some decent numbers after filling in for Jansen, but it's a small sample size for the June draftee.
   Ochinko, Jack Murphy, Pierce Rankin, and Aaron Munoz are org guys at this point.

Our ranking of the Blue Jays catchers:

1.  Jimenez
2.  Pentecost
3.  Jansen
4.  Nessy
5.  Chung
6.  Reeves
7.  Morgan
8.  Garcia 
9. Saez
10.  De La Cruz

 

Anthony Alford: Anatomy of a Decision

   We've written at length about now former two-sport star Anthony Alford, who shocked many with his decision to leave the highly-ranked Ole Miss football program, in favour of reviving his career as an outfielder with the Blue Jays.  To be honest, after listening to his comments about the move earlier this week and comparing them with what he told reporters in August, we're left with more questions than answers.

   We're not down on Alford at all.  Drafted by the Jays in 2012, he fell to the third round, after a storied high school career on both the gridiron and the diamond, due to his college football commitment.  He was, in the eyes of many, a first round pick in terms of talent.  Even though his pro baseball experience has been limited to a few weeks between football seasons every year, Alford has displayed his premium athleticism, and is easily the top athlete in the Jays organization.  Not to give anything away, but he's gone from being a marginal Top 10 Blue Jays prospect to a minimum of right in the middle of that prospect picture.

   Alford was involved in a campus incident in which a gun was drawn after a largely disappointing freshman season at Southern Mississippi, and he transferred to Ole Miss for the second semester.  He had to sit out his sophomore season due to NCAA transfer rules, and appeared set on picking up his football career where it left off when he turned down a contract extension from the Jays in early July.

   Watching this video from August, though,  it's hard to think that Alford was anything but committed to football (fast forward to the 2:21 mark):

"

   When someone says. "Football is my first love," and, "even if I made $100 million from baseball, I'd still regret not giving football a shot," it's a bit of a shock to see them give up on that dream about a month later.

   On the excellent YourVanCs podcast, hosts Greg Balloch and Charlie Caskey asked Alford about the sudden change of heart.  Alford said that he "really considered playing baseball full time," but he had "a lot going on at the time (he turned down Anthopolous' July offer)."  Alford admitted that "football just wasn't working out," for him, and that he wanted to give football one last shot after his redshirt year, and that he didn't want to have any regrets about not giving football a try.  He realizes now, though, "that baseball is my future."

  So, why did Alford give up so quickly and so easily on his football dreams ?
It's hard to say, but here's a list of possible factors:

-Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous came back to Alford with a deal that he simply could not turn down.  Was this, maybe, a bit of a negotiating ploy by Alford and his agent ?  Was Ole Miss being used as leverage ?  Maybe not, but there's no doubt that whatever terms AA presented his similarly-monogrammed counterpart were enhanced whenever the next offer was submitted, likely in terms of dollars, and probably with some guarantees about the timeline of his ascension to the 40-man roster.

-Things went south for Alford at Ole Miss in a hurry.  In early August, Head Coach Hugh Freeze said that although his prize recruit was learning a new position in the Rebs' defensive backfield, he wanted the athletic Alford on the field as much as possible.  To that end, he had Alford take snaps at quarterback in practice, and gave him time as a punt returner.  After convincing triumphs over lesser competition in the first two games of the season,  Alford saw less playing time against tougher opponents, and no longer spent time at QB in practices, and was replaced on the punt return team. Disgruntled, Alford perhaps  had his agent contact the Blue Jays to see if they could make a better offer.  With a slew of tough games coming up against SEC opposition, Alford decided the wiser move was to accept the Blue Jays' apparently upgraded terms.

-Because of violations that happened before Freeze's tenure, Ole Miss has come under the scrutiny of the NCAA for a number of possible violations.  If sanctions were imposed, Ole Miss would miss out on any bowl games, and Rebel players would not have a chance to showcase their talents before a national audience.  Admittedly, that may have factored little in Alford's decision, but it likely didn't help. Seeing the writing possibly being on the wall, Alford decided to take the safe money.

-Having turned 20 (and about to get married) when he initially rebuffed the Jays, Alford may have been overwhelmed and made a bad decision.  We have written previously about his difficult upbringing, and that he may not have been surrounded by people who could offer him proper guidance during his formative years.  In the space of just a couple of weeks this summer, he went from the GCL to Bluefield to Lansing, where Anthopolous "made it difficult," for Alford to say no. Far from home, and maybe lacking counsel, Alford acted on impulse, and turned the Jays down.

-Maybe, just maybe baseball was his first love all along.  When you grow up in Mississippi and you are the 2nd ranked senior QB recruit in the nation, the pressure to continue with football must be immense, to say the least.  Despite his relative rawness as a ballplayer, Alford does demonstrate some outstanding skills and instinct for the game, especially on the bases.  We thought Dalton Pompey was fast when he rocketed past us down the first base line at Buffalo in late August, but Alford may be faster.  He told Balloch and Caskey that his goal next summer is to break fellow Mississippian Billy Hamilton's minor league stolen base record.  Perhaps the diamond is where his heart was all along.


  In the end, it may have been a combination of all of the above factors that weighed into his ultimate decision.  It might be fair to ask if he will stick with it if his baseball career doesn't develop as quickly as he would like.  Of course, that door may not be shut, but his window for returning to football has all but closed.
   Then again, maybe Alford was feeling on the fence about football to begin with, and when things didn't work out for him, suddenly the grass was greener on the other side of that fence.  We asked Hugh Kellenberger, who covers Ole Miss football for the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, if there were any indications that Alford might be contemplating a switch:

                    Not right before it happened, but you certainly got the impression in training
                    camp (when he talked to us about the Blue Jays) that they were going to make
                    it tough on him  to stay at Ole Miss.  Money talks, and the Blue Jays have it.


   Alford reported to the Jays Florida base in Dunedin to catch the last week of Instructs, and will be heading down under to play for the Canberra Cavalry in the Australian Winter League, which should be a good opportunity for him to get some extra ABs and further refine his skills.  Alford said on the podcast that the caliber of competition there is about High A or AA, but we're a little doubtful about that - no disrespect to Jack Murphy, but if he can dominate that league and be an MVP, that estimate is a little on the high side.
   Next spring, Alford will likely be invited to the big league camp, and should either start at Lansing with a mid-season promotion to Dunedin, or he may start the season with the D-Jays.  Playing every day should rapidly accelerate his development and smooth the rough edges (pitch recognition, especially) in his game.
   Does this saga end here ?  Likely.  We're elated to see this premium athlete make the decision to switch full-time to baseball.  And once the Rogers Centre installs grass on the playing field, his knees will be thankful, too.