Jay Blue: Projected 2016 Lansing Lugnuts roster

2016 Projected Rosters Lansing Lugnuts
Pitchers
By Jay Blue
Blue Jays from Away
Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m a little late this year getting my roster predictions out. Predicting rosters is like trying to hit a moving target, standing on a waterbed with one eye closed. I don’t have the information that Charlie Wilson, Doug Davis, Gil Kim and the minor league staff have. I just have what I’ve seen, what I’ve heard and the patterns that I’ve deduced about how the Blue Jays make decisions. And those deductions are all up in the air with a new sheriff (Mark Shapiro et al) in town.

Of the starting pitchers who I had predicted would start with the Lugnuts last year, a grand total of three (of eight) actually started the season with the club. Ryan Borucki and Matt Smoral had injury issues, Alberto Tirado and Jairo Labourt jumped up to Dunedin while Evan Smith didn’t make it to Lansing, staying back in extended spring training.

2016 Lansing Lugnuts Projected Starters
Angel Perdomo
Ryan Borucki
Jon Harris
Angel Perdomo
Tayler Saucedo
Evan Smith
Matt Smoral
This group is not nearly the star studded group that we’ve seen in the past, but there are a few potential sleepers here. Borucki has had a horrible time with injuries but, if healthy, could have a breakout season. Jon Harris struggled in Vancouver, but I think that with a new year and rest from a heavy college workload last year, he’ll be poised to start the season in Lansing. Perdomo and Saucedo are coming off excellent years in short-season ball and should be ready to jump to a full season while Smith and Smoral had rough times last year but could very well be ready for a bigger challenge.

Other Possible Starters
Conor Fisk
Travis Bergen
Conor Fisk
Clinton Hollon
Jonathon Wandling

Keep an eye on Bergen. Last year’s seventh-round draft pick was hurt for almost all of last year but, if he’s healthy, should be ready to go in Lansing as a 22 year old. Hollon, of course was suspended at the end of last year but he’ll be with the Lugnuts when he returns in May.

2016 Projected Bullpen
Jordan Romano
Miguel Burgos
Adonys Cardona
Turner Lee
Gabe Noyalis
Jordan Romano
Sean Ratcliffe
Francisco Rios

As far as the bullpen went last year, I had a slightly better number when it came to my prediction. Injuries robbed me of a much better success rate. This year there are going to be a couple of guys returning (hopefully) from injury who project to make the Lansing bullpen.

There are going to be a few hard throwers coming out of the pen this year with Adonys Cardona (hopefully) recovered from his arm woes over the lat few years. Romano is a Tommy John survivor who should be back either for opening or for very early in the season. He had his surgery around mid-March last year which puts him on track for game action in early April. New signing Gabe Noyalis, throwing in the high-90s, should also be on the Lugnuts’ squad.

Miguel Burgos is my dark horse to make the squad. He had a very good season with Bluefield but isn’t a hard thrower. As a lefty and with four seasons in the Jays’ organization already, he’s a prime contender to take the step up to Lansing. Francisco Rios is another player who’s going to be 21 this year who should be ready to jump to Lansing although Rios has had just three seasons in the pros but with a strong season in Vancouver in the books, should move up to Lansing.

Canadian Sean Ratcliffe also had a good year in Vancouver and will be entering his Age-21 season. The Pickering native shouldered his biggest professional workload and with some good numbers could be ready for a full-season assignment. Turner Lee is another guy who is way under the radar but had success in Vancouver last year.

Hitters
I find it a little easier to predict the hitters for a club than the pitchers, mainly because I put together my own depth charts for position players and compile it throughout the winter. So who are your 2016 Lansing Lugnuts going to be at the start of the season?

Catchers
Danny Jansen
Michael De La Cruz
Ryan Hissey
Juan Kelly

What? Four catchers? The Blue Jays have a lot of catchers at the A-ball level and having four on this list means that I think any of these four could reasonably end up starting the season in Lansing. De La Cruz is probably going to be a backup wherever he goes while Juan Kelly can also play first base but impressed in a short stint in Lansing last year.

The real question is going to be where Danny Jansen starts the season. Missing a lot of time due to injuries last year, Jansen could certainly be assigned back there to start, especially since I don’t think there’s going to be much time behind the plate available in Dunedin. The Blue Jays signed several catchers for the upper levels in the offseason which will push people down the depth chart. That said, there are some really nice reports from Jansen’s play this spring and a Dunedin assignment might not be out of the question. Ryan Hissey is likely going to play for Lansing, earning a promotion as well as the R. Howard Webster award for Vancouver last year.

First Base
Connor Panas
Christian Williams
Without any players in a similar mold to Rowdy Tellez, Ryan McBroom or L.B. Dantzler, I think that first base in Lansing is going to be manned by players who will also be able to play elsewhere. Panas is getting good reviews in spring training and played five games at first base in Vancouver last year (in a very good offensive year) while also playing in the outfield. Williams plays third as well as, in my opinion is the likeliest of the 2015 rookie-ball corner infielders to make the jump.

Second Base
Deiferson Barreto
Ryan Metzler
Lane Thomas
Thomas had a rough 2015 thanks to injuries and the challenges involved in learning a new position. He’ll be getting most of the reps but there a couple of wild cards who might be there to back up or nibble away at Thomas’s playing time. Metzler is an excellent defender who has spent two years in short-season ball after coming out of college. Barreto has now spent four years in short-season ball (two in the Dominican Summer League) and has done nothing short of hit well in each of them. It’s time for Barreto to hit Lansing.

Third Base
Gunnar Heidt
Carl Wise
I think Wise, last year’s fourth-round pick, has the inside track to play third base every day with the Lugnuts but Heidt (who was with the Lugnuts last year) could see a return engagement.

Shortstop
J.C. Cardenas
Javier Monzon
While Cardenas was the Vancouver Canadians’ everyday shortstop in 2015, his offensive numbers suggested that he might have been a bit overmatched at the plate. The Blue Jays also signed Cuban Javier Monzon, a 23-year-old who probably projects to get going in extended spring training or in Lansing to start the year. I’m interested in what both of these players can do with Cardenas having been the Jays’ 2015 sixth-rounder and Monzon being a complete mystery at this point.

Other Infielders
Aaron Attaway
Austin Davis
Alex Maldonado
I think any or all of these three could be with the Lugnuts. Davis and Maldonado both played there last year and Attaway has been in Bluefield for two years now after coming out of college.

Outfield
Josh Almonte
Earl Burl III
Andrew Guillotte
Connor Panas

James Lynch
D.J. McKnight
Rodrigo Orozco

I think the first four players on this list are going to be starting the season in Lansing for sure. Almonte finished the season strongly after struggling in the first half and, if he shows that that’s a new norm for him, could start in Dunedin. But the Blue Jays have brought in a number of outfielders at the top of the organization, meaning that a lot of players will be starting the year down a level from where they might be expected to. I think Burl and Guillotte move up along with Panas who could play the outfield as well as first base.

For the next group of players, I think that the Jays would only promote Orozco to Lansing if he’s going to get playing time. Lynch has been a backup for most of his two years in the Jays organization and I don’t think that’s going to change in 2016. McKnight is the wild card here. He had a solid season in his first as a pro last year and is 22 but he could spend another year in short-season ball with Vancouver.

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The 2016 Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Handbook is coming April 3! Visit the Handbook page for more information!