Season's End

Not the major league season, of course, but today marked the end of the regular season for the minor leagues. Two Toronto affiliates qualified for the playoffs - AA New Hampshire, and Hi-A Dunedin.

The AA playoffs start Wednesday against Yankee affiliate Trenton (and the Yankees, showing a deep respect for fair play, are sending Andy Petitte to "rehab" for Trenton on Thursday) with Kyle Drabek presumably starting the first game in a best of five series with the winner moving on to another best of five for the EL championship.

Dunedin also takes on a Yankees' farm club when they begin a best of three series against Tampa on Tuesday.

But of course, beyond that, my attention immediately turns to the annual off-season Positional Farm Reports, and top prospect rankings. Rest assured these are coming in short order. Before I'm done I'll take at least passing notice of no less than 70 players, including over 30 pitchers. I'll give the playoffs a decent respect before I start posting those, however.

If you hadn't noticed already, the Jays have recalled from AAA Las Vegas Jarrett Hoffpauir, Josh Roenicke, Sawn Hill, Bobby Ray, and Rommie Lewis. Zep has been moved up to start Wednesday on 3 days rest (likely supplanted by Ray in a tandem effort) and Hill will start Thursday (and likely subsequently in Morrow's turn.

It's still not announced what the near future holds for Scott Richmond and Brad Mills.