Jon Jay. One More Time. Last Time?

The 2013 season is winding down and I am ready to watch the postseason drama.  I have a break coming up from work, so I am going to have a great time staying up late and checking out some of my favorite teams in the postseason.  The Cardinals are my main cheering interest, but I will also watch all of my favorite ex-Durham Bulls on the Rays and will also keep up with the Tigers for my family in Michigan.  I have learned to expect the unexpected over the years during the postseason, so I am not going to play the role of prognosticator in my blog space.  I pick which ever team is hot.  See last year's Giants, 2011 Cardinals, 2010 Giants, etc, etc.

Heading into the postseason, there seems to be a lot of future change hovering over my teams of interest.  I guess the Rays situation with David Price is the most intriguing, but I am going to save that one for another post.  The Cardinals situation is interesting too.  The team currently is playing Jon Jay, Carlos Beltran, and Matt Holliday as their regular outfielders, but they have also mixed in Allen Craig to give Matt Adams at bats at first base.  Throw in top prospect Oscar Taveras in Triple-A Memphis and you've got a crowded outfield.

Who stays and who goes?  Beltran is a free agent, but he's hitting almost .300 with over 20 homers and 80 some RBIs.  Pretty good production for an old guy with shaky knees.  I honestly think they bring him back.  Considering the Cardinals had played Taveras in centerfield this year leads me to believe that we are likely at the end of the road with Jon Jay.  I would guess that the team mixes Taveras, Beltran, Holliday, and Craig in the outfield next season.  Don't get me wrong, I like Jon Jay and can appreciate the fact that he was a key contributor to the 2011 World Championship team and the NLCS team last year.  This was one of my favorite Jay catches.

   

I will be happy with Jay as a Cardinal beyond this year, but I do not see why the team would choose to keep him around given the other options they have on the Major League club an in the farm system.  Collection wise Jay has always been a pretty fun to collect, a great and frequent signer, and an inexpensive Cardinals player with lots of cardboard.  I would guess that Jay will not have an autograph in Triple Threads or any of the remaining Topps products which means that his Tier One Autograph is likely his last Cardinals autograph.  

2013 Topps Tier One Jon Jay Autograph 

This Tier One autograph is one of the easier cards to find from the set at almost 300 print runs.  The autograph is an on card signature with Jay trademark JJay 'graph.  Most copies of this card run less than $5.  Here's hoping for a few more Jon Jay autographs, doubting that he's a Cardinal past this card.