Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Triple-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bisons

Notebook: Happ brace and worry free

Carroll signing adds important outfield depth
February 18, 2014

Happ looking for worry-free season

Think of what J.A. Happ had gone through by the time he made three appearances with the Bisons in 2013. The southpaw posted a 1.90 ERA in seven spring training games, cementing his spot in the Blue Jays rotation once the season started. He then went 2-1 with a solid 3.86 ERA in five starts in April and was one of the more reliable players for Toronto during their tough 10-17 start to the year.

Then in a game in Tampa Bay on May 7, Happ season turned when he was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Desmond Jennings. He miraculously avoided a serious head injury, but the resulting fall to the ground sprained two ligaments in his right knee. His rehab basically took the rest of the season and included three starts with the Bisons in late July and August where he never made it out of the fifth inning.

But as John Lott of the National Post reports, Happ is healthy and brace-free in the first couple days of Spring camp. Happ's camp could have a huge impact on the Blue Jays rotation in April and the jobs available at the back-end of the Blue Jays' rotation.

 

Carroll inked for outfield depth

The off-season may officially be over, but there is still plenty of time for the Blue Jays to strengthen their organizational depth. Come August, the move to sign veteran outfielder Brett Carroll could prove vital to the success of the Bisons.

Keep in mind, one of the Bisons best players last year, third baseman Andy LaRoche, wasn't signed by the Jays until the end of January. Carroll has played parts of the last seven seasons at the Triple-A level, including 111 games with Syracuse in 2012 and 89 games with Indianapolis last season. The 31-year old can bring a lot of tools to the table, hitting 13 home runs, stealing seven bases and completing eight outfield assists for the Indians last season.

 

Keeping your Options Open

Deciding on which players to make that final 25-man roster isn't always just about picking the best guys.

As MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm explains, the options left on a contract can play a huge role. As it is, players in Blue Jays camp that don't have any options remaining include pitchers Esmil Rogers, Todd Redmond and Dustin McGowan and outfielder Moises Sierra.

If the Blue Jays chose to go a different direction, players without options must be exposed to waivers before being reassigned to a minor league club -meaning they could be easily by claimed by any other team.

 

Open House - Fun for All

A great Bisons tradition each season is the Family Day Open House on Saturday, March 8 from 12pm-3pm. Along with free Sahlen's Hot Dog and Coca-Cola soft drink, there's fun throughout the ballpark as you tour the inner workings of Coca-Cola Field. New this year is a 'Social Media Scavenger Hunt,' with clues given out on the team's facebook and twitter accounts.

This event is definitely a must for families with young kids looking for a fun afternoon out of the house.

 

 

-the herd-