Earlier this week, the Toronto Blue Jays made it clear that centre fielder Colby Rasmus would not be returning to the team next season. He’s also basically been benched in favour of younger guys who are hoping to take a starting roster spot into next year.
Personally, I think this is best for the team. Rasmus joined the Jays three years ago, in a trade that had no viable reason to be made. At the time, Toronto had four very capable, very good outfielders, but they needed pitching, and badly. So the General Manager went out and made a trade – giving up an outfielder and a pitcher…for Colby Rasmus, an outfielder. I’m sorry, WHAT?!
Did it improve the pitching? No, he’s not a pitcher. Did it improve the defense? No – time and again I’ve watched Rasmus miss easy fly balls in the outfield, take bad routes to balls hit into the gaps, and wildly miss cut-off men when throwing the ball back to the infield. Has it improved the offence? No – during any given at bat, Rasmus is more likely to strike out than anything else.
Hearing that Colby Rasmus would not be with the team next year actually left me feeling better about the options in centre field, and knowing that the Jays are using this September to evaluate their young talent makes me even happier. The Jays are neck-deep in a playoff race right now, and while their chances of making it are slim, they’re there, and we have a better chance with any of the team’s centre fielders that aren’t Colby Rasmus.
Although, in a twist of baseball fate, Colby Rasmus pinch hit for the Jays in the 10th inning on Thursday night, and hit a solo home run that won them the game 1-0. Could this be foreshadowing of the bat we could’ve had, the bat that will no longer be with us? Let’s hope not.
