Toronto's top catching prospect, and one of the better catching prospects in baseball, is 22-year-old J.P. Arencibia. The Jays selected Arencibia with the 21st overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, and he's put up solid numbers in a rapid climb up the organizational ladder.

Last season, Arencibia -- known more for his offensive ability than for his defense -- hit .298 with 27 home runs and 105 RBIs in 126 games between Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire. More recently, Arencibia hit .274 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 27 games for Phoenix in the Arizona Fall League.

Beyond Arencibia, the Blue Jays have a strong defensive prospect in Brian Jeroloman. Between New Hampshire and Triple-A Syracuse last season, the 23-year-old Jeroloman -- a sixth-round pick by the Jays in the '06 Draft -- hit .252 with a .374 on-base percentage, six homers and 36 RBIs in 96 games.

Those are the two Toronto catching prospects closest to reaching the Major Leagues. The Blue Jays also have 25-year-old Curtis Thigpen, but he might not really be considered a prospect at this point. Thigpen has appeared in 57 games for Toronto over the past two seasons and will be in the running for the backup job this spring.

Last year, Thigpen -- a second-round pick by the Jays in the 2004 Draft -- batted .222 with three home runs and 41 RBIs over 96 games at Triple-A. Dating back to the 2007 season, Thigpen has hit .229 in 57 games in limited action with the Blue Jays. Thigpen will have to impress Toronto this spring to earn a job with the big league club.

Do you think the Jays will try to improve at the catcher position, or are they content with what they have?
-- Mike R., Ajax, Ontario

At this point, it looks like the Jays are ready to move forward with what they have in place at catcher, despite the lack of experience behind starter Rod Barajas. There's a chance that Toronto could still look for a veteran backup this winter, but that's not a top priority by any means.

If Thigpen has a good spring, the Jays may be inclined to give him the backup job, considering he has some experience in the Majors. Jeroloman might also be considered for that role, given that he's more of a defensive-minded player. The Jays view Arencibia as their future starter, so the club may want him to get more seasoning in the Minors.

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Do you think that closer B.J Ryan could be traded this winter? If so, who could be a possible replacement? I personally like the idea of Jesse Carlson taking over that role.
-- Brent N., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Given Toronto's bullpen depth, the club could probably afford to trade Ryan, freeing up some funds to use for other areas in the process. Ryan is owed $20 million over the next two seasons, and the Jays appear to be strapped for cash right now. There are also a number of teams in the market for closers this offseason.

This doesn't mean that the Jays are shopping Ryan, but they do have other in-house options. Jeremy Accardo, who saved 30 games in 2007, should be healthy, and left-handers Scott Downs and Carlson also present options. There's also right-handers Brandon League and Casey Janssen, who both have late-inning experience.

With the World Baseball Classic this year, do you think Blue Jays fans could see some more impressive batting statistics out of Alex Rios and Vernon Wells?
-- John R., Mildmay, Ontario

Considering that there's only been one Classic prior to this year, there's really no way of knowing whether or not participating in the tournament gives hitters an advantage over non-participants at the onset of the regular season. But, the event does provide more competitive at-bats than Spring Training exhibition games.

Rios and Wells did experience strong first-half showings after taking part in the '06 Classic. Rios hit .324 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs, and Wells hit .311 with 21 homers and 66 RBis before the All-Star break. Then again, Rios (Puerto Rico) and Wells (USA) only had eight at-bats and 12 at-bats, respectively, in the tourney.

What will rookie Travis Snider's role be for the Blue Jays in the 2009 season?
-- Josh M., Oshawa, Ontario

It could depend on any moves the Jays make to upgrade their offense this winter. If Toronto opts to stand pat, Snider will likely serve as a left fielder and designated hitter, splitting time at both spots with outfielder Adam Lind. That could change if the Jays try to acquire a more experienced bat this offseason.