#3. The Toronto Blue Jays: MLB 2013 Preseason Power Rankings

#3. The Toronto Blue Jays

Team Ace: R.A. Dickey

Most Valuable Position Player: Jose Bautista

Breakout Candidate:

Notable Offseason Additions: Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio, Melky Cabrera

Notable Offseason Losses: Yunel Escobar

Biggest Team Weakness: Bullpen

Not only were the Toronto Blue Jays part of the offseason trade of the Miami Marlins, they spent money singing Melky Cabrera and 2012 Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey.  The Jays underwent the biggest facelift in the league, and in a year when the AL East is up for grabs they could find themselves on the top by season’s end.

Their rotation added a lot of depth.  Brandon morrow was last season’s only reliable starter, and now he’ll be there number 3 man behind Dickey and Josh Johnson (as long as he stays healthy).  Mark Buehrle and Rickey Romero are effective innings eaters, and should match up well at the bottom of the rotation against weaker opponents.

Jose Batista is still the key to the offense as long as he can stay on the field.  His ridiculous power swing has been wasted over the last two seasons because his teammates haven’t been able to reach base.  Now they’ve added two of the better on-base guys in the league, Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera.  If Cabrera can match his 2012, or even 2011 production with the Blue Jays the team will be set.

My only concern is that most of the players they’ve acquired came from losing teams (Marlins and Mets).  I don’t know how someone can be risky enough to go up to your team owner and say “Hey, the Marlins were one of the three worst teams in baseball this season.  Let’s take all their players and put them on our team.  Then I’m sure we’ll win.”  I’m most cases this wouldn’t be a winning formula, but here the move made sense and for once Toronto is poised to have a great season.