Adam Lind and Aaron Hill get Silver Slugger Awards

By Paul Bruno

The Jays do have some great players beyond super pitcher Roy Halladay.

That much was made clearer by the recognition afforded their Second Baseman (Hill) and primary Designated Hitter (Lind), who were recognized as the best American League Hitters at their respective positions.

That should provide fans with an awareness that these Jays do have some good pieces as they prepare for the 2010 season.

The both put up great numbers last year as Aaron Hill produced 36 Homers and 108 RBIs, while batting .286. For his part Lind had 35 dingers, 115 RBIs and batted .305. Both players also proved that they were durable as they both played over 150 games.   

We have also spoken about our sense that Lind could be moved to first base to make room for another power bat in Randy Ruiz. He hit for some serious power in the final six weeks of the season and should be given a long look at DH during spring training.

Edwin Encarnacion is another potential power source that shouldn’t be overlooked as he showed that he was getting healthier toward the end of last season. He produced 8 homers and 23 RBIs in only 42 games with the Jays and will get the chance to take ownership of the hot corner to start next season.

Then, Vernon Wells will be better won’t he? It is worth noting that he did hit .282 from August through the end of the season and certainly is capable of better power numbers than what he showed last year. It’s going to be very difficult to trade his big contract, so we have to hope he will be better than he was last year. 

That’s five power bats ticketed for the lineup in 2010, all of whom can be every day players.

That leaves a couple of holes in the order, at short stop, catcher and one outfield spot. All those positions can be filled will a little good fortune in the free agent market and we’ll explore those possibilities in upcoming posts.

There, I feel better about the club already.