51s players should benefit from Blue Jays youth movement

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | 2 a.m.

The Toronto Blue Jays officially have entered a rebuilding phase this year.

The Blue Jays are focusing on developing young talent and giving a lot of players an opportunity to make a difference on the Major League squad. That's great news for members of the Las Vegas 51s, the Triple-A affiliate of the Blue Jays.

"Everyone who is putting up numbers is going to get a chance and a look," Dan Rohn, the 51s first-year manager, said. "It's a matter of who's hot at the right time."

Rohn said there were a handful of players who could get called up to Toronto at any moment on this year's 51s, who open the season Thursday night at Cashman Field against the Salt Lake Bees.

Brett Wallace is one of the cornerstones of the Blue Jays youth movement. The Blue Jays acquired Wallace from the Oakland Athletics in a three-team swap that involved Roy Halladay, their former Cy Young Award-winning pitcher.

Four months before that deal, Wallace was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals for All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday.

"Getting traded twice is pretty crazy in one season," Wallace said. "But those were some pretty good players. I take that as a compliment going forward."

Wallace is the No. 2 prospect in the Blue Jays organization according to Baseball America. The top prospect is pitcher Kyle Drabek, who was also acquired in the Halladay deal. Although Drabek will start the year in Double-A New Hampshire, he could be promoted to Las Vegas.

Wallace will work on the switch from third base to first base and be groomed for the future this year in Las Vegas.

"The key is when your team is winning, people notice," Wallace said. "If we're winning and playing well and helping the team, people will take notice."

Rohn expects winning from the start of the season for the 51s, who finished third in the Pacific South Division of the Pacific Coast League last year and haven't made the playoffs in seven years.

He said there were six guys on the roster who could be legitimate threats to hit 25 homeruns. Among those players are returners from last year's squad in catcher J.P. Arencibia and designated hitter Brian Dopirak, two players who could possibly impact the Major League roster this year.

With so many players vying for promotions, it would only make sense that career advancement would be more important than winning. But Arencibia said that was not the case.

"Everybody knows you want to make it to the big leagues," Arencibia said, "but that doesn't stop you from playing as a team."

Some of the top pitching prospects on this year's 51s include opening day starter Brad Mills and Brett Cecil, a 23-year old who started 17 games in the big leagues last year.

All in all, Las Vegas is not a bad place to be a minor leaguer in 2010.

"It's a hell of a lot better to be here than it is in Boston or the Yankees situation, where they don't bring a whole lot of guys up," Rohn said. "A six-year free agent or a guy coming through the system here has a lot more opportunities."