Blue Jays' Anthopoulos: 'Right now, our priority is the bullpen'
After acquiring two of the top players at their position this offseason, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos is focusing his efforts on the relief market.
"Right now, our priority is the 'pen'," Anthopoulos told reporters Sunday night at the winter meetings. "If we opened the season with the position players we have now, I'd be happy."
His critics might beg to differ.
Despite trading for Michael Saunders, the Blue Jays still have question marks in the outfield. Toronto projects to have a center field tandem of Kevin Pillar and 21-year-old rookie Dalton Pompey, while Saunders' injury history and struggles against lefties make for a less-than-ideal No. 2 outfielder.
But after upgrading at catcher and third base with the additions of Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson, Anthopoulos appears set on bolstering a bullpen that regressed mightily last season.
| Blue Jays bullpen | K:BB% | ERA | WHIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13.5% | 3.37 | 1.23 | 5.2 |
| 2014 | 11.3% | 4.09 | 1.34 | 1.3 |
(Courtesy: FanGraphs)
Anthopoulos added that if there's one area other than the bullpen he's looking to address, it's second base. The Blue Jays' top options at the position currently consist of Maicer Izturis and Ryan Goins.
The Blue Jays GM also declined comment on Sunday's report that the team is looking into potential replacements for club president and CEO Paul Beeston.