The Final Countdown

With under 10 days to go until opening night, and frankly at a loss for any new content without simply repeating the "this guy is hurt and that guy isn't" news of the day that you can get 20 other places, it seems a good idea to review the 25 Questions and see what we've learned.

1. With the announcement that Morrow will begin with a short stint on the DL, this question is settled in the very short term but still up in the air as you look to the balance of the season. I'm still harboring a hunch that the Jas will be impressed enough with Reyes that they will go ahead and fram Drabek out for 4-6 weeks and see how he does. He will be back though, one way or another. Barring a lot of injury no one else from the minors should be hopeful for a start in Toronto before September.

2. With Francisco on the DL, you have Jon Rauch closing, supported by RHP Jason Frasor, Shawn Camp, Casey Janssen, and LHP Marc Rzepczyinski (yes, I'm calling it - he's in) and the last two spots depend on Dotel's hamstring. If he's healthy he's got one of them and the last one is between Carlos Villianueva and David Purcey, the later of which is out of options (and left handed) but who has had a pretty rough spring while Villianueva has cruised. Obviously if Dotel can go both make it. I still think the jays will be loath to lose Purcey on waivers and are unlikely to try getting him through. But he is going to have to get back to his 2010 performance level.

3. Lawrie was farmed out today, but comments from John Farrell give us reason to think he'll be back pretty soon. My gut still tells me sometime in June.

4. Still no answer to "Why?" unless it's because they are convinced lawrie will make the point moot soon. but it's very firm that he's not playing anything but LF this year.

5. Just now beginning to play at something near full speed - impossible to gues how much it will affect his hitting.

6. YES! (Okay, I don't really know this but, yeah, I'm calling it)

7. YEscobar has had a heck of a spring at the plate (albeit also with an occasional bout of Riositis on the basepaths and in the field) - I think he'll carry that over.

8. Both are still holding up - Cordero pitched in an "A" game and might be ready by the nd of a rehab asignment (which, IIRC, can't last more than 30 days); McGowan has had no setbacks but is probably, even if all goes well, looking at maybe mid-season.

9. I think there will be a steady trckle of moving guys out as other teams see what they need, but early season trading is always a slow game so you might not see significant moves until June if he doesn't shead a player or two in the next week or so.

10. Have not heard a single word about Campbell this spring. Emaus seems to have all but won the Mets' 2B job (albeit from lack of serious competition).

11. Thames slacked off some as he faced more and more legit major league pitchers but i still think he'll be a beast at AAA.

12. Lowe came over from the minor league camp for a game or two, and got a feature write up in a Toronto paper for his effort, but it's still unclear that the organization has big plans for him.

13. I'e seen or heard nothing to change my remark here.

14. Possibly not. If Drabek sticks in the major league rotation and Zep in the pen, that would ruin the rotation I had been imagining.

15. There were no poor health reports on d'Arnaud in ST, and John Farrell gushed about him.

16. I've heard nothing negative about Sierra.

17. Given the slow and careful approach the team is still exhibiting, I'd be very surprised to see Adeiny promoted before August at the earliest.

18. AA says that Gose will open the year in New Hampshire.

19. Tolisano is still playing a lot of games with the major league squad, and apparently the team is pretty impressed. Jackson has apparently, been assigned to learn CF this year. I've no specific news on Ahrens.

20. nothing new to add here.

21. He was one of the select players that came in for the hot prospect mini-camp but all the news has been about players who played in the major league camp and Sanchez wasn't in that group.

22. Another young player that Farrell drooled over (along with Gose, d'Arnaud, and Lawrie) - he made an impression

23. Obviously too early to tell on this.

24. Nothing came out of camp to suggest the team is wild about him. We'll see.

25. Apparently the Royals have an urge to carry Collins north when they break camp in their major league pen.