Mariano Rivera recorded his 601st career save yesterday against the Blue Jays, tying Trevor Hoffman for the all-time mark. John Harper of the New York Daily News writes that, while Joe Girardi isn't about to keep Rivera out of a save situation if one arises today, it would be nice if the Yankees didn't have to use their closer again in Toronto. New York begins an eight-game homestand tomorrow, which could allow Rivera to notch the record-setting save in Yankee Stadium. Here are the rest of this morning's AL East notes:
- Mike Aviles told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he asked the Royals to trade him at the deadline this season, knowing he wasn't a part of the team's long-term plans. Aviles has been an important acquisition for the Red Sox, given the injuries to Jed Lowrie and Kevin Youkilis. The utility man has hit .361/.373/.458 in part-time action since arriving in Boston.
- Within the same piece, Rosenthal notes that you could argue the Rays should have added a bat at the deadline, given their current presence in the Wild Card race. However, the club was 8 1/2 games out of the Wild Card at the time, and didn't want to compromise their team defense for an offensive upgrade.
- John Tomase discusses Alex Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays in a piece for the Boston Herald, and the Jays GM offers a few interesting quotes. Anthopoulos says the primary challenge of the AL East isn't going up against the massive payrolls of the Red Sox and Yankees, but rather competing with a handful of smart general managers who know how to run a team.
- More Anthopolous, on the most efficient way for the Blue Jays to add talent: "The trade route where we are right now is important for us. It's going to be a big part of what we're doing and it is. Free agency is the last route we want to go. At some point we'll have to start delving into it a little more, but I still want to try to avoid it at all costs. If we try to do this through the draft, it's going to be a while. And it's not going to work and we're not going to get it to time properly."
- Bobby Jenks tells Michael Vega of the Boston Globe that he's disappointed the first season of his two-year deal with the Red Sox turned out so poorly. He's optimistic about being ready for Spring Training and being able to contribute in 2012 though. The reliever says that although he hasn't undergone his spine surgery yet, the doctors are talking about "weeks and not months" for the recovery.
Thank god, no more albatross contracts for the Jays, AA’s trades have been promising for the most part and the Jays have prospects to spare, makes perfect sense to try to aquire via trade then overpay for free agents when your not quite ready to contend anyways.
its brilliant on AA’s part, he makes our team stronger while weakening others!
He did say that eventually they must “dwelve” into the market. However, I agree with him about his building from within policy.
Yes everyone has to eventually but untill he feels hes close, there’s no reason to over pay for a fielder etc when you havent even tested what other clubs are willing to part with considering the jays have a tons of intriguing players to offer.
i don’t trust a word he says. even when i read his words on a screen i check for my wallet after
Was that supposed to be funny?
yes
Do you feel better now that you’ve got your angry rant/tantrum out?
[a reply to the appropriately named “angry3”]
looking forward to the jays becoming contenders, slumping for a week or two after the all-star break and hearing those types call for AA’s head. comes with the territory
Thats already begun, cheers to the guy I had to argue with about how
the jays supposedly got fleeced for ‘all star’ closer brandon league.
That’s the fault of guys like Richard Griffin and Bob McCown.
Richard Griffin in the worst. Bob McCown is a fan who likes to throw in contraversy every once in a while. Take it with a grain of salt.
McCown is a great personality, he just doesn’t fully understand the game.. he doesn’t approach it as an expert, so yes you are right.. but Griffin makes his living off discussing and knowing baseball.. which is the equivalent to someone paying me on my knowledge of quantum phsyics
i wrote a nice long post making fun of angry3 but mlbtr didn’t approve. Now I haz a sad.
I actually thank the Rays for exposing JP as the flim-flam man that he was. Always complaining about money, he took the money Ted gave him and spent it on jump-starting a failing system with… AJ, BJ and Frank Thomas.
Imagine instead if he poured those bucks into overslot deals in the June draft.
Every parameter going says the Jays have improved remarkably over the two years AA has been in charge. Carry on Alex.
Aviles is such an arrogant @zz. I’m so glad he’s not longer a Royal. For the sake of his ego he has to say that he asked to be traded – just like Greinke. Don’t know why these guys are so worried about the circumstances of their trade, but I wish they would just shut up and move on like we fans have.
I know no one wants to say that they were no longer needed on a team that loses 90 games annually…but maybe you really weren’t as good as you thought. (That statement applies to Aviles.)
Aviles ‘in limited duty’ does just fine. When he gets regular duty he’s Angel Berroa. Good riddance.