Brandon Morrow

On December 16, 2009, the Toronto Blue Jays traded away their ace, Roy Halladay, to the Philadelphia Phillies for $6 million and three prospects: pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, catching prospect Travis D'Arnaud and outfield prospect Michael Taylor, who was immediately traded to the Oakland Athletics for Brett Wallace, now the starting first baseman for the Houston Astros.

With the news that Toronto has placed pitcher Brandon Morrow on the 15-day DL with right elbow inflammation retroactive to March 22nd, the battle between Jesse Litsch and Jo-Jo Reyes for the fifth spot in the rotation is rendered moot.

The Blue Jays have undergone great change the last few years and the franchise has taken on a new, fresher look for the 2011 season.

Gone are players like Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, and, from a season ago, Roy “Doc” Halladay. In their place are a younger, cheaper players who are hopefully the long-term solution for the Jays going forward.

The fact that the Toronto Blue Jays were able to finish the year with a winning record (85-77) in the tough AL East last season was an accomplishment in itself. Still, it isn't likely they will put to rest a near-two decade playoff drought. The Blue Jays topped the league with an amazing 257 home runs last season, but they can’t expect to get that kind of production again.

One of the more important aspects of drafting in fantasy sports is finding a solid “sleeper.” As most of you know, a sleeper is a player who is ranked low in the draft, but turns in gold numbers during the season.

With the fantasy baseball season rapidly approaching, and mock-draft lobbies filling up in anticipation, let’s take a look at potential pitching sleepers for this year.

Madison Bumgarner

Most pitching coaches and baseball aficionados would agree that it takes a few years for a starting pitcher to learn what it takes to be a successful big league pitcher. As Tom Glavine explained to John Feinstein in Living on the Black, “Young pitchers know how to throw hard, but very few know how to pitch”.

When looking for a young pitcher to target late in fantasy drafts, owners should identify players who have yet to produce top level fantasy stats despite having gifted arms and a collection of filthy pitches. 

While it's still cold out, and the ground is covered in snow wherever you are, a sure sign of better weather ahead is the start of Spring Training.  Pitchers and catchers for each team are set to report to camp on Monday, and the storylines will emerge soon after.

To get Roy Halladay in 2011, you will probably have to spend a first round pick on him. Sure, he's great and all, but I don't think I would want to spend my first pick on a guy that I can only use once every five days.

I like results, and hitters are going to show me results everyday. That's why I hardly ever draft a pitcher in the first six rounds. 

The Toronto Blue Jays have been going in the right direction ever since Alex Anthopolous took over as General Manager.  Alex Anthopolous has put great emphasis on developing young talent and has invested time and money into ensuring that the future is bright.  At the same time, AA has managed to put a fantastic product on the field that has remained competitive even in the toughest division in baseball.  

There is nothing more intimidating for a hitter than being started down by a power pitcher who can blow a fastball right by them. Fans also get excited as these pitchers light up the radar gun and rack up the strikeouts.

The rankings on this list will be determined a combination of the pitchers' talents, stats, and their ability to bring the heat.

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