2026 Toronto Blue Jays Season Thread

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

just bring Bassitt back

That would basically just be a lateral move. It adds depth but doesn't really improve the team. Framber is a top of the rotation starting pitcher.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Valdez to the Tigers, 3 years - $115 million.

Nice chunk of change.

[Blaster86]

RIP Dillon Dingler

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Valdez to the Tigers, 3 years - $115 million.

Nice chunk of change.

That's probably an admission they won't be re-signing Skubal. If they're out of it at the deadline he could be a pretty interesting deadline pickup.

[bluejays]

Honestly, at that price why wouldn’t they have resigned Skubel? Surely he’d have taken something similar with more term. He’s superior. Anyway, happy a smaller market got in on the action here but I think it was our last hope of truly getting a difference maker to compete with LA. LA now just looks too powerful.

[transplant99]

Detroit Tigers star left-hander Tarik Skubal will be paid $32 million this year after a three-person salary arbitration panel ruled in his favor Thursday over the $19 million salary the team proposed, sources told ESPN.

The victory for Skubal, 29, the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, not only bests the record salary for a player in the arbitration system by $1 million but shatters the previous high mark of $19.9 million for an award from a panel.

How the decision affects Skubal's future, which has been clouded by questions about the Tigers potentially trading him before he becomes a free agent after this season, is unclear. The Tigers' signing of the best free agent left on the market, Framber Valdez, to a three-year, $115 million contract hours after Skubal's hearing ended Wednesday gave Detroit one of the best No. 2 starters in Major League Baseball -- or a backup ace should the arbitration decision change Detroit's posture, which has been to enter the season with Skubal.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...igers-make-32m

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Honestly, at that price why wouldn’t they have resigned Skubel? Surely he’d have taken something similar with more term. He’s superior. Anyway, happy a smaller market got in on the action here but I think it was our last hope of truly getting a difference maker to compete with LA. LA now just looks too powerful.

Rumor is Skubal wants $500 million .

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Rumor is Skubal wants $500 million .

Yikes. Great pitcher but nobody is going to give a 29 year old starter that type of dough. That I'm quite certain about despite these crazy contracts handed out the past 2 seasons. Pitchers aren't getting AAV AND term.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Yikes. Great pitcher but nobody is going to give a 29 year old starter that type of dough. That I'm quite certain about despite these crazy contracts handed out the past 2 seasons. Pitchers aren't getting AAV AND term.

Gerrit Cole got $324 over 9 years starting his 29 yo season. I could sea Skubal getting $400 over 10 but I think $500 is probably a stretch for a pitcher. That's a lot of risk one elbow.

[Jiri Hrdina]

No more Buck. He's retiring
Man it would have been cool if he could have gone out calling a WS win.
Sigh

[Jiggy_12]

Noooooooo

[bluejays]

I hope it’s just because he’s tired and not for health purposes. I also hope he comes back for the playoffs. Would be a pleasant surprise. I’ll miss him with his quirks.

[Parallex]

Makes sense. I mean he's 77 years old, has had a few health scares over the past few years, and just got to call a World Series.

Congratulations to him on a very successful career in Baseball. Now go spend some quality time with family Buck... you earned it.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I hope it’s just because he’s tired and not for health purposes. I also hope he comes back for the playoffs. Would be a pleasant surprise. I’ll miss him with his quirks.

quirks for sure, there are some things I just don't plain old agree with him on at all, but doesn't take away from my enjoyment of his 'presence' and contributions to any game he's a part of

[zukes]

Originally Posted by looooob

quirks for sure, there are some things I just don't plain old agree with him on at all, but doesn't take away from my enjoyment of his 'presence' and contributions to any game he's a part of

I agree, the game has passed him by, but damn it's sad that we won't get to hear him on TV anymore.

I was kind of hoping for a limited schedule with him, and when he did work, maybe a three man booth. Oh well.

I hope they honor him very early in the season with a Level of Excellence induction.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Buck is a legend. So many generations of Blue Jays fans, myself included, grew up with his voice as we fell in love with the team and the game itself.

We’ve been incredibly lucky to have guys like Buck, Dan, Jim Hughson, Tom Cheek, and Jerry Howarth calling our games.

Forever a Blue Jay.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by looooob

quirks for sure, there are some things I just don't plain old agree with him on at all, but doesn't take away from my enjoyment of his 'presence' and contributions to any game he's a part of

In so many ways guys like Buck are now anachronisms in the business. He isn’t an analytics guy and doesn’t always keep on top of the newest trends in the sport. He’s a guy with an incredible voice and passion for the game. Kind of reminds me of someone like Peter Maher, Bob Cole or John Madden. Outstanding voices who really bring you into the game. Did they always have the newest insights to add? Nope but they were like a warm hug.

I’m really excited to hear more from Siddall and Joseph but I’ll really miss the feeling that Buck brings when I hear him talk baseball.

[Jiggy_12]

Buck still had incredible insight on pitcher/catcher/batter interactions and the strategy, nuances of the at-bats.

He would quite often predict the exact next sequence.

He's been a staple of my Jays fandom for so long. that voice will be missed.

"A swing and a drive...."

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Buck still had incredible insight on pitcher/catcher/batter interactions and the strategy, nuances of the at-bats.

He would quite often predict the exact next sequence.

He's been a staple of my Jays fandom for so long. that voice will be missed.

"A swing and a drive...."

that's so true, I think anyone who ignores what the true pros bring in terms of insight to the game are depriving themselves of knowledge themselves- Buck has forgotten more about baseball than I'll ever know even if I don't think we would agree on all interpretations of the modern game

[looooob]

in other Jays adjacent news Devon White was inducted into the Canadian baseball HOF, other notables included Stubby Clapp (he wasn't in before?) and Bill Stoneman (2 no hitters for the expansion 'spos and a long career in management on both sides of the border)