Mulliniks’ Moustache #11 – First Week Musings (10 Things to Think About)

Just a few things I’ve noticed now that we’re a full week into the season:

1. Much as we thought to begin with, the much-maligned starting rotation seems to be the Achilles Heel of this team. The good starts have been pretty great, especially Mark Buehrle’s first and RA Dickey’s second starts of the year, but the still-sluggish offense hasn’t been able to cover the sub-par starts thus far (compounded by the absence of Jose Reyes and slow starts by both Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie).

2. I’ve been super-impressed with Melky Cabrera’s quick start right out of the gate. Hopefully he keeps it up all season. Just imagine if he was able to get the game-winning hit at yesterday’s game, with chants of “MEL-KY! MEL-KY!” raining down from the 34,067 fans in attendance. Fans looking for an early-season hero would’ve found one pretty easily after that. Oh well.

3. But maybe no more Melky in centre field, okay, John Gibbons? Please?

4. How about Jonathan Diaz? Great defense so far, plus a couple of well-timed hits has made the loss of Reyes somewhat palatable thus far. What are the chances “Jonny MacDiaz” plays well enough to usurp Ryan Goins as the starting second basemen when Reyes returns? From my lofty perch, it appears in the realm of the likely, especially if Goins continues his offensive struggles.

5. I can watch Mark Buehrle pitch forever. Works quick, never shakes off his catcher and throws strikes. Every pitcher should take a page out of his book in that regard. Also, the chance of this happening again will keep me watching for centuries (that’s how long he’ll play, right?)

6. Thank God the Blue Jays DFA’d Jeremy Jeffress. Sure, you can’t find 99 MPH-throwing pitchers everywhere, but who cares how hard you throw when you can’t hit the strike zone? Plain and simple: he’s overmatched. Also, as Mike Wilner pointed out: shrewd move by Alex Anthopolous to send him through waivers only six days into the season – major league rosters are set and teams are reluctant to add a questionable piece this early in the season. Hopefully he can put it together in the minors.

7. I’m a little concerned with Esmil Rogers struggles. He was an important piece for the Blue Jays last year, so hopefully his inning of work yesterday is more indicative of the upcoming season.

8. Is Todd Redmond starting to grow on me? I think he is! Three-point-two really solid innings yesterday in relief of Drew Hutchison (3H, 1BB, 5K).

9. I LOVE Dioner Navarro. He calls such a great game. He looks like he’d give great hugs too.

10. Jose Bautista’s average isn’t as high as we’d all like, but man oh man is he putting some great swings on those breaking balls. That ninth-inning home run against the Yankees? That was a thing of beauty.

11. *BONUS MUSING* A 3-4 record right out of the gate versus a championship-calibre team in Tampa Bay and an always-tough Yankee team isn’t anything to turn your nose up at. A key of this season, I think, is that the Blue Jays will have to ensure they beat the teams they should beat.