Our weekly look at one item tying together the Red Sox' AL East rivals takes a trip to Dunedin, where the Blue Jays are basking in the glow of the John Farrell regime. Here is one player who is turning some heads early on.
The biggest move of the offseason for Toronto was its trade for Brett Lawrie, a top prospect in Milwaukee's system. The Blue Jays parted ways with 13-game winner Shaun Marcum for Lawrie, who played exclusively at second base while on the Brewers' farm but is being converted into a third baseman.
On Saturday, Lawrie continued to impress, making a pair of nice defensive plays at his new position and hammering a three-run home run in the eighth inning of Toronto's 7-4 win over Detroit. The effort put Lawrie at 4-for-13 (.308) for the spring.
With Jose Bautista slated to be the everyday third baseman this year, Lawrie's path to playing time at the big league level is currently blocked. He may need a year at the Triple-A level, one at which he has yet to appear. Saying that, there are some who consider him a candidate to break camp with Toronto and push Bautista to right field, where the 2010 AL home run leader may be better served anyway.
If Lawrie can continue to impress in camp, which he has done since his arrival, he may force the Blue Jays' hand and make this the year he make the leap, as opposed to next.
