Drake Bell » may have signalled the end of the run by a generatio

If you look at the list of the Blue Jays potential free agents for this off season, including the likes of Colby Rasmus and Casey Janssen, the one they can least afford to lose is left fielder Melky Cabrera. Even with missing 23 games to injury, the 29-year-old left fielder bounced back in a huge way from his injury plagued debut season with the Jays where he looked like an old man before his time. He ultimately underwent surgery to have a tumour removed from his spine and looked like a new man in 2014. He hit .301 in the key number two slot in John Gibbons line-up with 16 home runs and 73 runs batted in and played great defence. Melkys numbers almost equaled those of his break-out year in 2011 with the Royals where he batted .305 with 18 dingers and 87 RBIs. He was even better in 2012 with the Giants qualifying for the National League batting title, but then waving his rights to it after testing positive for PEDs and then getting suspended. But this past season with the Blue Jays healthy and we assume clean he was a valuable contributor to an (83-79) Blue Jays outfit. Melky reportedly loves Toronto, is a great friend of Jose Bautistas and wants to return to the Blue Jays. But money and length of contract will ultimately talk, especially in a free agent market that is short of quality outfielders. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported on Thursday the Jays had begun contract talks with Cabrera and would be willing to offer him a three-year deal. At the very least, they would make him a one-year qualifying offer of about $15.3 million. If, and thats a big if, Melky would take a three-year pact, it would probably take $48-51 million dollars to get a deal done. If he wants five years and somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 million, the Jays could conceivably back off and take the draft pick compensation. Right now the Blue Jays highest two paid position players are Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Jose who just turned 34 and has showed no signs of slowing down will make $14 million next season, and then the club has an option for 2016 worth another 14 million. Edwin soon to be 32 is due to make 10 million next season with the club holding a 10 million dollar option with a 2 million dollar buyout for 2016. It’s hard to see the Jays committing to all three long term at this point and they likely dont want to pay Melky more money than the other two get unless they are convinced they can be World Series contenders within the next two seasons. The bottom line is, I believe Melky will move on, unless he returns at the Blue Jays price and term (three years). That however brings us to what in my mind if the Jays biggest need. They have to do what they should have done last winter and that is to acquire a veteran middle infielder with some versatility. The one I have in mind is Asdrubal Cabrera. The longtime Cleveland shortstop was dealt to Washington at the deadline and made the shift to 2B with the Nationals since they already had Ian Desmond. Asdrubal, isnt quite the defensive shortstop he used to be, and his overall offensive numbers have dipped the past couple of years. But he is a switch hitter, and is more than willing to play second as he showed in Washington. He also smacked 14 homers last season and knocked in 64, while scoring another 74. The Blue Jays second basemen, on the other hand, only hit seven homers with 48 runs batted in while scoring 52 runs. Other than when Ryan Goins was at second, or Brett Lawrie in that brief stint, when he was healthy, the Jays defence at second was inconsistent to sub-par at best. Asdrubal Cabrera is only 28 and would be a solid upgrade at second and could even slide over to short if Jose Reyes continues to slide with his glovework. Signing a player with the versatility of Cabrera would also allow the Jays to keep Brett Lawrie at his best position third base. Ryan Goins may one day learn to hit, and John Berti whos been playing in the Arizona Fall League may be an option down the road, but right now, the Jays need a veteran like Asdrubal Cabrera. He has been quoted as saying he wants to stay in Washington and all he cares about now is winning a World Series. That could knock the Blue Jays out of the picture, but it’s going to be an awfully disappointing off-season, if the Blue Jays dont land at least one Cabrera. *** It’s been quite the week for hitting coaches. The Mets hired Kevin Long who had just been let go by the Yankees. Boston landed Chili Davis, who had been with the Oakland As and San Diego after hitting a paltry .226 this season parted company with their batting coach Phil Plantier. The Padres have actually gone through six batting coaches since moving to Petco Field. I wonder at what point you start looking at the talent and not the men coaching them. *** The Jays Mark Buehrle is one of the pitching finalists for a Gold Glove Award this season for fielding excellence. I was a little bit surprised to see looking back, the Jays have had only one pitcher win a Gold Glove over their 38 year history and that was R,A Dickey a year ago. *** Ive always pictured second base as ranging from about 510 to about 61. They broke the mold with Colorados D.J. LeMahieu. Hes 6-4 an inch taller than his shortstop partner Troy Tulowitzki. LeMahieu helped turn 99 double plays this season, the most in the National League. *** From a purely personal standpoint, Im really torn on this World Series, Im pulling for Jason Frasor. The Blue Jays all-time appearance leader, whos now pitching out of the Royals pen and was just a great guy to deal with. But on the other side, youve got Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti one of my all-time favourites from his Yankee days and his brief stint with the Jays late in his career. If push came to shove, I guess it would be Jason Frasor and the Royals, just because it’s been so long, and they are such a great underdog story. Joe Carter Jersey . Watch the announcement live on TSN.ca at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt. This years honourees will be recognized at the 2014 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, scheduled for June 23-24 in Vancouver. Marcus Stroman Jersey . Nine years later, he might have finally figured it out. He had only five rounds in the 60s in his previous eight trips. http://www.officialbluejaysgearshop.com/...az-Kids-Jersey/. The teams were scoreless for most of the first two periods before Canada scored three times in a span of less than four minutes. Sarah Potomak opened the scoring on the power play. Curtis Granderson Jersey . Although Spain could still advance out of the group stage, the game may have signalled the end of the run by a generation of Spanish stars whose quick passing, "tiki-taka" style delighted the world and helped them win the last three major tournaments. Dave Winfield Jersey . And thats good news for Canada. Kelly, who plays No. 8 at the back of the scrum, is captain of the Canadian womens team.TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled forward Carter Ashton from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Toronto also reassigned centre Peter Holland to their minor-league affiliate. The six-foot-three, 200-pouund Ashton, a Winnipeg native, has one assist in 18 games over three previous stints this season with Toronto.dddddddddddd Holland, 22, of Caledon, Ont., has six goals and four assists in 26 games this season with Anaheim and Toronto. ' ' '