The Toronto Star

[Troy (Toronto)]

11th of January, 2015
Edition, 1.00
Published, 7:08 PM EST

By: Ty Cole Francois

Freeman Signs with Jays

Freddie Freeman, pictured at his press conference after he signs with Toronto.


Fans north of the border are in a frenzy as new General Manager, Vice President, and Owner Troy Cavell has landed his first star to play for the Blue Jays. Cavell announced earlier this afternoon that the Jays agreed to a 5 year deal, worth north of $77 million dollars with first baseman Freddie Freeman. Freeman, only 25 years of age, has spent the past 5 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. During that time, Freeman has managed to hit 86 HR, 358 RBI's, and put up a .286/.366/.465 triple slash line over 633 games. A 2 time all star who finished top 5 in MVP voting in 2013, and top 25 in 2014, is very eager to get to work in Toronto.
    
    "I can't wait to get this next chapter of my career going. I loved my time in Atlanta, but things didn't quite work out for me to return," Freeman said during a phone interview, "Toronto showed heavy interest in me from the start, and it was clear to me that it was the right destination to go to. I'm excited to be a Blue Jay, and I'm going to do nothing but work my hardest for this organization and fan base." 

    I also got in touch the with new Owner, Troy Cavell, via text. "Freddie will provide leadership on and off the field. He is a proven middle of the order bat who has good power and great on-base capabilities. He will also provide great D at 1st. Very excited to land our franchise cornerstone in Freeman."


It's a great day to be a Jays fan.

- Ty Cole Francois. Toronto Star

[Troy (Toronto)]

17th of January, 2015
Edition, 1.01
Published, 1:04 PM EST

By: Ty Cole Francois

Jays Announce Sweeping Changes

Showalter is all smiles as he begins his new job as the Jays manager.

    Owner, President, and General Manager Troy Cavell has announced the 2015 coaching staff and a few Front Office hiring's this morning. As we know, Cavell immediately relieved John Gibbons and his staff upon purchase of the team, and took over the teams personnel moves himself. He wasted no time in filling those positions, listed below is the 2015 coaching staff and front office positions, with contract terms in parenthesis.

Manager: Buck Showalter (10 years, highest paid manager in history)
Bench Coach: Cito Gaston (year-year basis)
Hitting Coach: Carlos Delgado (3 years)
Pitching Coach: Roy Halladay (3 years)
Bullpen Coach: Dave Stieb (3 years)
1st Base Coach: Vernon Wells (3 years)
3rd Base Coach: Roberto Alomar (3 years)

President and GM: Troy Cavell (Owner)
Special Assistant to the GM: Bobby Cox (year-year basis)
Special Assistant to the GM: Kim Ng (3 years)
Director of International Scouting: AJ Preller (3 years)
Director of Amateur Scouting: Mike Rizzo (3 years)
Farm Director: Alex Anthopoulos (3 years)

    As you can see, this is a star studded coaching staff and front office. One that should lead to many division titles and championships. A revolutionary hire was made, as Kim Ng will be an assistant, making her the first female to land such a high profile job in the baseball industry. Troy Cavell really wanted to bring back the history of the Jays, and you can see that with the hires of former managers Bobby Cox and Cito Gaston. As well as former Jays players such as Roberto Alomar, Vernon Wells, Roy Halladay, Dave Stieb, and Carlos Delgado. Buck Showalter, a personal favorite of owner Troy Cavell, was given essentially a lifetime contract to finish out his career in Toronto, a move that made Jays fans ecstatic. Being that Troy Cavell is a newcomer to the GM position, he will have plenty of help with remarkable talent such as AJ Preller, Mike Rizzo, and Alex Anthopoulos, who was the only holdover from the old regime.

    In other news, late last night the Blue Jays agreed to terms with 2B Daniel Murphy, formerly of the Mets. Murphy, one of the game most underrated players, has continually put up very good numbers at second base, hitting in line with his career norms at .289/.332/.403. While he doesnt offer much power, only career high of 13 HR, Murphy has the ability to swipe a base, and is a versatile player, having played 1B, 2B, 3B, and OF during his career. The expectation is for Murphy to fill the 2B spot in Toronto, beside Freddie Freeman. Expect a flurry of activity tonight from the Jays, sources have two 3B very high on the Jays wish list.

[Troy (Toronto)]

8th of February, 2015
Edition, 1.01
Published, 3: PM EST

By: Ty Cole Francois

Projecting the Opening Day Lineup

Now that the Blue Jays have filled all openings on the offensive side of things, here's my take on how Buck Showalter's game card will look like.

Lineup:
1. Alcides Escobar, SS
2. Christian Yelich, LF
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Adam Jones, CF
5. Daniel Murphy, 2B
6. Manny Machado, 3B
7. Parra/Snider/McGehee rotation of RF/DH
8. Dexter Fowler, RF
9. Rene Rivera, C

Bench:
OF: Travis Snider
OF: Gerardo Parra
C: Francisco Cervelli
3B: Will Middlebrooks

[Troy (Toronto)]

20th of February, 2015
Edition, 1.01
Published, 8:55 PM EST
By: Ty Cole Francois

The Foreign Market



Shortly after announcing the signings of Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Wei-Yin Chen, and the drafting of pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng, the Blue Jays have skyrocketed their revenues for the foreseeable future. Owner Troy Cavell announced that the Jays have reached agreements with 5 major sporting networks in the Taiwan and Japan markets. The 5 new TV deals will all run for 5 years, with options every season afterwards, as long as the international aces are still members of the Blue Jays. Sources close to the agreements have said that Toronto now easily has the highest revenue for TV contracts among Major League Baseball. Tanaka and Darvish jerseys have flown off the shelves as all stores and online shops are currently sold out.