2025 Toronto Blue Jays Season Thread

[KelVarnsen]

There’s a reason nobody traded for him at the deadline

[Andrew]

John schneider said it beat... doesnt care about shams opinion on anything lol

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

It’s weird that a backup catcher is such a significant step down in defensive ability. Heineman has been a surprise as a hitter but it’s also been surprising to see how flawed he is defensively.

I mean, I think generally a backup catcher is going to be either decent offensively OR defensively. If he was good on both sides of the ball he'd be a starting catcher. His errors seem to come in clumps (eg the game he had 3 errors vs the As) which makes it more noticeable as well. I think Heineman has been fine for a backup catcher, and all-in his contributions with the bat have made up for the weaker defense compared to a defensive specialist backup catcher.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

I like that format and maybe to simplify, you just go with four divisions of eight teams each -- two per league/conference. You win the division, you get a bye. You don't, you battle to get to the next round and face one of the division winners.

Also, the rumblings seem to be Nashville/Salt Lake City as the two expansion cities. It's too bad Montreal seems to be priced out.

I like four divisions with 8 teams better. I think that reduces the "terrible division winner" issue, although it does increase the travel by making the divisions geographically larger. Maybe no in-league teams across the continent makes up for it.

Something like:

West:Padres/Dodgers/Angels/Giants/Mariners/Las Vegas As/rockies/Diamondbacks

Central: Astros/Rangers/Cardinals/Royals, Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox

NE: NYY/Mets/Phillies/Bo Sox/Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburg

SE: Marlins/Rays/Braves/Raleigh expansion/Nationals/Orioles/Nashville expansion/Reds

If the expansion is Salt Lake you put them in the West, then you move the Rockies to Central, both Texas teams to the SE, and the Reds to Central.

Edited to add: 7 in-division for 13 games plus 3 games x 24 out of division teams is 163. Play one division team only 12x and you have a 162 schedule.

I'd actually say to go 12 vs each division team and 3 everywhere else. That gets you to 156 games (the same as prior to the 60s expansion). Make the quarterfinals (DS round) 7 games and the wild card 5 and the national tv revenue bump probably pays for the loss of ticket sales.

[Hells Bells]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I like four divisions with 8 teams better. I think that reduces the "terrible division winner" issue, although it does increase the travel by making the divisions geographically larger. Maybe no in-league teams across the continent makes up for it.

Something like:

West:Padres/Dodgers/Angels/Giants/Mariners/Las Vegas As/rockies/Diamondbacks

Central: Astros/Rangers/Cardinals/Royals, Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox

NE: NYY/Mets/Phillies/Bo Sox/Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburg

SE: Marlins/Rays/Braves/Raleigh expansion/Nationals/Orioles/Nashville expansion/Reds

If the expansion is Salt Lake you put them in the West, then you move the Rockies to Central, both Texas teams to the SE, and the Reds to Central.

That SE division is absolutely atrocious, certainly does not reduce the "terrible division winner" issue.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Hells Bells

That SE division is absolutely atrocious, certainly does not reduce the "terrible division winner" issue.

I think most years one of the Braves/Rays/Orioles would have a good team. And if you move the Texas teams in they're both generally competitive.

I also think expansion teams are likely to spend money to try and get good quickly and build a fan base after they spend a few billion on a franchise. Especially somewhere like Nashville where ~100% of existing baseball fans have a team (Braves).

[Senator Clay Davis]

Should just eliminate divisions and just do an Eastern/Western conference with 16 teams in each. Eliminates cheap paths to the playoffs via bad divisions, and yeah the East will likely be stronger than the West, but it won't be NBA levels of unbalanced.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Should just eliminate divisions and just do an Eastern/Western conference with 16 teams in each. Eliminates cheap paths to the playoffs via bad divisions, and yeah the East will likely be stronger than the West, but it won't be NBA levels of unbalanced.

The problem with that is there aren't enough teams in the West. Some pretty far East teams would have to be in the West, which would make their travel way worse. Eg, if you assume the expansion teams are in the east then all 3 Chicago area teams need to be in the west, putting them opposite from teams like the Reds and Tigers that they are in divisions with now (and very close to).

Even if you assume both expansions are west (say Austin and Salt Lake) you still need one Chicago area team in the West - and the Brewers are going to hate not being in the same conference as the Cubs/White Sox.

I think it only works if you put both expansions in the west and then move the White Sox west (eg Portland) as well. Otherwise there are multiple central teams that will be way worse off.

[Senator Clay Davis]

This whole lie about trying to reduce travel (it's really about reducing expenses, of course) assumes you can create all winners, but it's not possible. Seattle can't just move, and you can't just force teams into that region simply to reduce the Mariners travel, so no matter what they will always have a minimum two hour flight to the nearest MLB city. There are other ways to manage travel. But this should be about creating better competitive balance, but almost all of the proposed new division alignments I've seen produce at least two utterly atrocious divisions that, unless the new schedule is heavily slanted to division play, will likely start producing sub .500 playoff teams. Especially when the inevitably expansion to a 16 team playoffs happens.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Hells Bells

That SE division is absolutely atrocious, certainly does not reduce the "terrible division winner" issue.

Maybe.

The Braves are historically pretty good. Rays go in eb and flows but are usually pretty good. Nationals have been good prior to this rebuild they are going through now.

In the end if you only have 4 divisions and 4 division winners it will remove the terrible division winner issue - there will be at least one good team in that division each year.

And in the end with more balanced schedules it won't impact the overall playoff race a ton.

It will have fewer bad division winners than an 8 division structure would have for sure, in that type of structure you probably guarantee yourself at least 2 bad division winners a year.

[GirlySports]

I love the format now, why expand?
3 division winners and the worst of them has to play an extra round.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I assume you're joking when asking that question lol. "Why would a business do something to make even more money?". *Shrugs shoulders*

[EN FUEGO]

Any updates on Vladdy yet? Need to put them in their place tonight whether he's ready or not.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I love the format now, why expand?
3 division winners and the worst of them has to play an extra round.

Sounds like they would like 32 teams, 4 divisions, 8 teams each

Reason to realign is to reduce travel, some teams are travelling a ton others are not

[flambers]

Originally Posted by EN FUEGO

Any updates on Vladdy yet? Need to put them in their place tonight whether he's ready or not.

Not yet, sounds like this afternoon an update should be provided.

Fingers crossed its not major.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

There’s a reason nobody traded for him at the deadline

Wasn't he the guy that slapped a teammate over a fantasy football game?

[KootenayFlamesFan]

No Tommy Pham in the lineup today. Lol

[KelVarnsen]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Wasn't he the guy that slapped a teammate over a fantasy football game?

Yes

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

No Tommy Pham in the lineup today. Lol

Good. I know Max would have plunked him (as old school rules dictate) and could have gotten tossed over a total loser on a loser team.

[ben voyonsdonc]

I bet Pham is quietly DFA’d in the next couple of weeks. With the current state of the team, why would the Pirates need a 37 year old headcase when they almost certainly have a few key young guys in the minors who they’d like to see over the rest of the season?