Word of Justice

The Blue Jays have the misfortune of playing in a division with two teams that are going to the postseason almost every season. They've finished third eight times in the last 10 years and probably will again in 2008. They won 83 times in 2007 even with Roy Hallday, A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Lyle Overbay, Troy Glaus and Vernon Wells all spending time on the disabled list.

The Blue Jays could put some heat on the big boys if Burnett and Ryan stay healthy. Halladay is No. 1 starter in every sense of the word. His seven complete games were more than 26 other TEAMS had. There's some depth behind Halladay and Burnett.

Now, about that offense: Scott Rolen will be on a mission to prove that Tony La Russa was wrong about him, and Vernon Wells should be recovered from shoulder surgery. Alex Rios is a five-tool player in right.

In short, this is a very good baseball team and might be favored to win if it was in any other division.

-- Richard Justice

Numbers Game

4.13 - The highest ERA by one of Toronto's top five starters in 2007. While it's reasonable to expect Shawn Marcum, who posted that ERA, and Jesse Litsch to take a step back, Dustin McGowan could be even better and you can make a very strong case that when A.J. Burnett is healthy, the Jays, not the Yankees or Red Sox, have the best rotation in the AL East.

753 - Runs scored by the Blue Jays last season, a mark that was just 10th best in the American League. While Toronto's pitching staff is excellent, scoring runs is going to be a problem. Vernon Wells should bounce back from an abysmal 2007, which should help, but the Jays also dealt Troy Glaus, their best hitter last year, to St. Louis in exchange for Scott Rolen. Don't expect Rolen to match Glaus' production at the dish.

3 - Players under the age of 30 who are likely to be in Toronto's lineup on Opening Day. This is not a young offense, so it's hard to expect a lot of breakout performances.

-- Andrew Johnson

Fantasy Spin

The Blue Jays may always come up short in the AL East race, but they're in the top ranks when it comes to fantasy value. Four of their pitchers in the rotation are fantasy starters. And four of their hitters should also be owned in most leagues.

"Doc" Halladay had a very rough start to 2007, low-lighted by a May where he gave up 17 runs in 17.1 innings. But he turned it around after the break for a 3.02 ERA. He's not an elite option, but he should fill the No. 2 hole in your rotation with better results. A.J. Burnett was actually the more dominating pitcher last season (176 strikeouts and a .214 batting average against). Health is always an issue with Burnett, but he has a high ceiling. Closer B.J. Ryan is coming off Tommy John surgery, which equates to you staying away until the later rounds. He's already complaining of soreness in his repaired elbow. Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan were the two big surprises for the Jays last season, the latter of which is being fawned over by every fantasy expert, including myself. While Marcum should be a solid addition for the back-end of your staff, it's McGowan who has the talent to take it up to star level. His post-break 2007 contributions were eye-opening (3.67 ERA and a .217 batting average against). Just consider him a booming late-bloomer -- he'll be 26 when the season starts.

Alex Rios is one of my favorite players both in real life and in fantasy leagues. If he was allowed to run more, he would have no trouble attaining a 25-25 season. As is, he falls right inside the top 15 outfielders. Bank on a resurgence for Vernon Wells after his brutal 2007 season; he won't reach 30 homers, but he'll be a nice value pick. If you have a middle infielder slot to spare, Aaron Hill could surprise you. After thwacking 17 homers and 47 doubles last year, his power is trending upward. The Big Hurt isn't going to scrape his 2006 total of 39 homers again, but last year's 26 bombs and 95 RBI were still pretty useful if you used him in a utility spot. A repeat season seems likely despite his age.

-- Tom Herrera

Preview Poetry

The Blue Jays are a perennial also-ran This isn't a particularly good time to be a fan

It's tough to compete against the Yankees and Sox We all know how it's gonna look in that standings box

The Injury God has been quite a beast There's just no contending in the AL East

Starting pitching has the potential to be great But Halladay and Ryan have been banged up as of late

As for offense there really isn't much to speak of Thomas and Wells can't carry the team when push comes to shove

Aside from the pitching, which injuries will likely harm This team is just average -- they should work on their farm.

-- Yankees Chick, FanHouse