Aug 30
As another seriously disappointing Blue Jays season comes to a pitiful end, the Jays participated in some house cleaning and contender building. The Jays traded the bat of Matt Stairs to the Phillies for a lefty reliever Fabio Castro. This is a sad move for Stairs who always said he enjoyed playing in Toronto, and thusly in this native country of Canada. However, as The Toronto Star reports, Stairs is excited for his move to a contender and attests that he has always hit well in the Phillies home park. Consider picking him up if your in a deep league and Stairs manages to get a solid spot in the lineup and gets a hot bat going. As a Jays fan this move is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s sad to see a fan favourite and good hitter leave the club, but it’s also a smart move for a club looking to shed some pay roll. 
Sure Stairs wasn’t hitting great, but he can be streaky and could be a great left handed bat for the Phillies to have going into the post season. The post season, something the Jays have not even had the taste of in quite some time.
Going into this season with over $100 Million in payroll the Jays were hoping for a playoff run and important games in September. neither of these came through and now the Jays are in shambles, dealing with potential managerial firings and a team that looks like it doesn’t have what it takes, nor will it ever. Sure there have been some bright spots such as the great pitching the Jays have received, as well as the rise of youngster Adam Lind. But it has been overall a sad season for the boys in blue. They have a bunch of over paid, under performing players who are not enough to compete with. Let’s just hope they can turn it around for next season before their great pitching staff dissipates.
-Maxmillien
P.S. Sucks if you have Josh Beckett going into your fantasy stretch run. Maybe consider waiting to see who take a spot start, maybe Masterson or Bucholz.
Jul 20
Hello all and welcome back from the All Star Break. A fabulous show from Josh Hamilton in the derby made many of us Hamilton fans overnight. But will the HR Derby Curse take hold? I think Hamilton is solid and will continue to be solid. But anyways, on to the weekly pick up…
Since Cito has taken over, Jays OF Adam Lind has finally gotten his big league shot. As PROTRADE can attest, Lind has been nothing short of solid since being called up and being named the everyday starter in LF. 
In the last 14 days Lind is batting .333 with 6 RBI’s, 7 Runs & 1 HR. He is FOR SURE worth a grab in any AL-only league and is worth scouting in mixed leagues depending on depth. I have grabbed him in my league and he has outperformed many of my other OF in the last 14 days, players such as J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury & Hunter Pence. MLB Bastian thinks Lind should move up in the batting order and I would have to agree. The Jays season is in the toilet and developing their young star could be the silver lining in a disappointing season.
That’s all from me for now, good luck with your fantasy teams post-all star push!
-Fantasy Guru Maxmillien
Jul 13
With surprises there is always the other side of the story, the duds, let downs and players with promise that just vastly underperformed. Maxmillien here to give what I think are the biggest letdowns of 2008 thus far.
Biggest Letdown Player: Boston Red Sox Catcher Jason Varitek
Ok so here’s the deal. Varitek may not truly be the biggest disappointment. ESPN cited Andruw Jones and their argument is very well put. If Jones continues like this he will have the worst hitting season ever! But I chose Varitek because he has personally hurt me. Early in the season I traded for him. The deal was A.J. Pierzynski and Mark Buehrle for Jason Varitek and Dustin McGowan. Varitek has been disgraceful since I aquired him. His average is down to .220 (and has dipped below that) and he was at one time mired in a 6-63 slump! Making matters worse, he was selected to the All Star game, marking possible the most ridiculous All Star Game starter since Yanic Perrault started for The Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL All Star Game a few years ago. Varitek, discover your bat so I can start you again!
Biggest Letdown Pitcher: San Franscisco P Barry Zito
Now this may be a cop out because for being paid so much he manages to do so little. But to the MLB leader in losses, at a record of 2-12 with an ERA of 5.62 and a WHIP of 1.79, Zito is just pathetic. He has yet to crack 100 Innings Pitched this season and has only mustered 62 K’s in his 97 IP. Honorable mention must go to Brad Penny, Aaron Harang & Justin Verlander but Zito’s combo of overpaid, terrible numbers and the fact that he is on my leagues waiver wire puts Zito here.
Biggest Letdown Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Perhaps this is a homer pick as I have had to live through ever moment of Blue Jays hype and then letdown, but the Toronto Blue Jays came into this season with so much promise. After a ridiculous May there was tons of hype that the Jays may for once play meaningful games in September. Then there was the crash down. Several losses in a row, capped by an almost no-hitter from ex-Jay Dave Bush led to the firing of Coach John Gibbons and the hire of long lost relic Cito Gaston. Since then the Jays have been mediocre to bad and GM J.P. Riccardi has almost all but forfeited the season for good. When the hitting was bad, the pitching was great and when the pitchers started to stumble, the bats come alive. Injuries to 2B Aaron Hill, OF Vernon Wells, P Dustin McGowan and Shawn Marcum have all left a sour taste in Blue Jays fans mouths. Sitting 9.5 games back the Jays must scrap another promising season and begin to re-build again, count on the firing of GM Riccardi.
Sure Stairs wasn’t hitting great, but he can be streaky and could be a great left handed bat for the Phillies to have going into the post season. The post season, something the Jays have not even had the taste of in quite some time.
