Season Previews: Toronto Blue Jays

Moving right along with our tour of the American League East is a look ahead to the Toronto Blue Jays 2007 season.

Roy Halladay will lead the starting five, coming off of a 16-5 season where he held a 3.19 ERA in 32 games. A.J. Burnett, in his first year with Toronto, had a 10-8 record and Gustavo Chaci and his sweet shades went 9-4. These winning records are followed by the newly acquired Tomo Ohka, who was 4-5 with a 4.82 ERA last season with the Milwaukee Brewers, and John Thomson, who was a shoddy 2-7 in 18 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2006.

Lefty B.J. Ryan will return in his second year as the Jays' closer after converting 38 of 42 save opportunities in 2006. Second-year reliever Jeremy Accardo will join lefties Scott Downs, Brian Tallet and Davis Romero, a youngster who pitched in only 7 games last season. Also returning to the pen are righties Brandon League, Jason Frasor, Dustin McGowan and Francisco Rosario.

The entire starting outfield hit over .300 last season. Vernon Wells, who hit .303 with 32 homers and 106 RBIs last year, will again dominate center field, alongside Alex Rios, who batted .302 last season, in right field and Reed Johnson, who hit .319 last year, in left. Lefty Adam Lind will back up all positions.

A couple of old-reliables will hold down the corners, with Lyle Overbay at first base and Troy Glaus at third.

Aaron Hill will once again play second, teamed up with 16-year veteran Royce Clayton, 37, at short stop. Yes, he still plays baseball. In 87 games with the Washington Nationals in 2006, Clayton hit .269 and managed not to break a hip. Righty John McDonald will play second fiddle up the middle. Yep, that rhymed, but let's not forget utility infielder Jason Smith, who will back up all positions with no problem.

Gregg Zaun, 36, will return as the Jays' catcher, backed up by Jason Phillips, who will also relieve Overbay at first on occasion.

And last but certainly not least, every one's favorite designated hitter Frank Thomas will blast balls into the day, evening and night skies once again. The Big Hurt nailed as many longballs as years he has lived (39) and drove in 114 runs last season with the Athletics before signing a two-year deal in November with Toronto worth $18 million clams and a giant offensive threat.

Our friendly neighbor to the North finished ten games behind the New York Yankees last season to gain second place ahead of the Boston Red Sox by one game, ending with a fairly even 43-41 record against teams in the East. The Jays will look to hold onto their tough-to-beat image at the Rogers Centre dome and improve their 37-44 road record from last season.