IS WELLS THE JAYS FUTURE?

Keeping the core of a baseball team is like working the core of your body: it takes work, cash, determination, and pure-and-simple luck. But in the end, it is worth it all when the scores start piling up -- whether it's on a baseball diamond or a beach.

This tangent came to mind this morning after reading an interesting article by the Globe and Mail's Larry Millson, who argues that the Toronto Blue Jays recent trades of Shea Hillenbrand, Scott Schoeneweis, and Eric Hinske are all designed to make the team better next year through the extra cash (12 million) saved from these salaries.

According to him, the Jays number one priority is going to be signing two-time gold-glove winner Vernon Wells to a lucrative long-term contract. And while fickle Toronto fans may want to see the centre-fielder, who is putting up MVP-type numbers, in the blue, silver, and black next year, this sports nut does not think this is likely. And here is why.

The Jays are unlikely to be able to give him the type of contract a player of his calibre deserves. With so much money invested into a few players who may be past their prime (does this remind us of any other Toronto sports franchise), the Jays only have so much to go around. Vernon may even realize this. He was approached before this season to discuss the possibility of a long-term contract, and he rebuffed, claiming he only wanted to talk about it after this season. And after the numbers he put up this season, it is likely the Jays will not be able to afford him anyway.

Also, Well's does not even want to play in Toronto. The Jays traded away Shea Hillenbrand, a player with whom Wells reportedly had a good realtionship with. Then, as has been mentioned by numerous reporters, including my good friend Neate Sager over at Out of Left Field, the Toronto sports fan and culture is extremely fickle. A hero one night and a goat the next is the calling of most Toronto players.

However, this maxim does not seem to apply to those medicore players who seem to embody characteristics that every Torontonian aspires to have, but unlikely to ever develop: hard-work, determination, and courage. Here we are talking about guys like Tie Domi and Dary Tucker, just to name a couple.

To emphasize the point, just think of this quotation from Wells, when asked about whether trading Hinske might symbolize to the fans the Jays packing it in:

"I mean, half the fans wanted to get rid of him anyway. They booed him no
mattter what he did. Hopefully, it will be a good change for him."

Does this really sound like a player who feels that the fans in Toronto have embraced the team and it's players? Of course, the Jays are not the Royals or the Devil Rays, but Well's attitude to the city does lead me to believe he wants to stay in the city.

With this in mind, J.P. Ricciardi, as opined by more knowledgable people than I, should use Vernon Wells as the centre-piece of a package that would bring in a stronger short-stop and starting pitching.

Ultimately though, it doesn't matter. Playing in the division with New York and Boston, the two largest spenders in the league, the Jays have little hope of aspiring to the division crown with a payroll of 75-78 million. The wild-card perhaps.

But to the Toronto sports fan, it won't really matter either way. The Jays are just not cool enough yet. And ultimately, they did it to themselves.