The Roundup

Temporary lay offs.
Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs.
Good Times.
Scratchin' and surviving.
Good Times.
Hangin in a chow line
Good Times.
Ain't we lucky we got 'em
Good Times.

The Frank-less Jays are 2-0 now, not that they look any better of a club without his hulking presence in the middle of the lineup. We've all weighed in here on the situation, so I'll be brief with some final thoughts on the matter:

1) Regardless of whether he signs on somewhere else and starts hitting like we expected, there's no prospect of him producing to the $10 million-level in 2009. We win long-term by wiping this contract off the books even if he does rebound. (Spoiler alert! Don't expect this to dawn on Richard Griffin.)

2) In saving roughly $22 million next year with the departures of Thomas and Burnett (who can probably be replaced adequately with players making the minimum, Lind and Purcey), we have some serious coin to play with in the free agent market next year. Yes, Vernon's salary is about to spike from $10 million next year to $21 million in 2010, but still. Priorities with new cash? Extending Doc? Signing Rafael Furcal?

3) As Will mentions, it's not completely outrageous to speculate that Adam Lind and Frank Thomas will finish the year with simliar lines. From his 2006 to 2007 campaigns, Thomas' home run total dropped by 13, his SLG % by 65 points. Dave Cameron at Fangraphs thinks "The first several weeks of his season don’t give us any real reason to expect Thomas to continue to struggle like this", but conceeds that his total lack of speed make it impossible for him to return to a league average BABIP. I feel that regardless of this early season slump, he's trending downward toward the .800 OPS territory that optimists can hope for out of Lind.

Fear not the future.

Over at Sons of Samhorn (the Bosox fansite), the discussion on this roster move is mostly intelligent and more than a little bit entertaining. Of note are some comments that JP has appeared on New England sports radio recently and given flat out denials that the club would even consider signing Barry Bonds. It's a fantasy than many of us, myself included, have allowed ourselves to, uh, fantasize about.

Wilner spoke to JP (audio clip) yesterday afternoon and it's pretty surprising how the boss comes out smelling roses from all the unpleasantness. I don't want to repeat myself so I'll leave it at that.

Blair thinks it was a good move and pats himself on the back for seeing it coming. He also thinks it was all about the money. I don't think anyone will disagree with that.

Griffin returns to his ususual douche-baggery, calling the Thomas contract the worst in team history. Of his top 5 worst contract list, I think 4 were the work of JP. Fucking Griffin, so predictable. I kind of do like that he tartly notes that May 25 is Frank Thomas bobblehead day, but this is the same sort of bullshit that we've all come to love from Uncle Griff.

Robinzon Diaz, a scrappy little catcher who swings at everything from his shoe laces to batting helmet (and makes contact), was called up for today's game and will soon become a local fave. Expect the dump Zaunnie movement to gather steam now that the biggest waste of space has been dealt with and a serious young contender for 2009 catching duties up on the big club.

Jays-Tigers, 12:37 getaway day game on your Rogers Preview Channel (399 down in London Town). Expect a raucus crowd with an average age of 12 or so.

ELSEWHERE:

* Off to a 10-10 start, they're starting to officially panic in the Bronx about starting pitching because Mussina is indeed looking very Josh Towersy and wunderkind Phil Hughes was been godawful. Joba to the rescue? You're gonna wreck the kid, you lunkheads.

* The Bosox clawed one back from the Rangers yesterday, trailing 5-0 late in the game. Puta madre!

-- Johnny Was