2025 Toronto Blue Jays Season Thread

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

The Shatkins era starting to look better and better that's for sure. Since rebuilding they've made the post season in 4 out of 6 seasons now and while failing to win a single playoff game in the 1st three attempts, they've now won 7 games and 2 series this time around (and counting).

The issue is this could very well be one and done. There is so much to replace this off season that just doesn't grow on trees and is not coming up in the system.


I'm enjoying what's happening so much, but part of that is knowing that this is not going to be easy to repeat for this team and a lot of that hangs on the shoulders of Shatkins.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

The issue is this could very well be one and done. There is so much to replace this off season that just doesn't grow on trees and is not coming up in the system.


I'm enjoying what's happening so much, but part of that is knowing that this is not going to be easy to repeat for this team and a lot of that hangs on the shoulders of Shatkins.

Yes, and you wonder about guys like Clement, Barger, etc. Can they repeat the seasons that they just had? Management does seem to have a good batting average when it comes to finding the Clement types so maybe but I think so much of what we're seeing is lightning in a bottle.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

I honestly don't even know how you bring Bo into this series, nor can I see how he could meaningfully contribute compared to what we have out there already

He's a great player and logically will be a positive if healthy, but I can't help thinking if it's not broken don't fix it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by edslunch

He's a great player and logically will be a positive if healthy, but I can't help thinking if it's not broken don't fix it.

His potential impact on the batting order is massive. He was arguably the Jays best bat for the regular season.

But he also offers Vladdy way better protection. It's one thing to walk Vladdy to get to Kirk. It's another to walk Vladdy to get to Bo.

1. Springer.
2. Lukes
3. Vladdy
4. Bo
5. Kirk
6. Varsho
7. Barger
8. Ernie
9. Giminez

Putting Bo in at #4 slots everything below WAY better.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Watching Hoffman in the playoffs is actually going to be completely unbearable

I take this all the way back

[868904]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

That's why I'd rather keep Loperfido on the roster and drop Yariel. That way we would have 14 position players and 12 pitchers (versus the 13/13 split we've done so far)

Bo goes in to Pinch hit late in the game, then you immediatley pinch run for him with Loperfido, then switch defensive alignments as necessary the following inning. The Jays have the positional versatility between Clement, Barger, IKF, Schneider, Giminez to be able to accommodate it.

I think the value of Bo's bat does outweigh the negatives. And I think you don't want to be asking "What if?" if you leave Bo off the roster. Nobody is asking that question if you leave Yariel off the roster.

I’m leaning towards dropping an arm too. I think they should use Bassit and Lauer way more and for more than one inning. Lauer should be used more especially with the left handed bats of the Dodgers and he can stay in for the righties too.

These two were two of the best pitchers for the Jaysall season long, they need to use them more.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

The issue is this could very well be one and done. There is so much to replace this off season that just doesn't grow on trees and is not coming up in the system.


I'm enjoying what's happening so much, but part of that is knowing that this is not going to be easy to repeat for this team and a lot of that hangs on the shoulders of Shatkins.

So much to replace?

In the bullpen they lose Dominguez, that's it.

For the position players they lose Bo, everyone else is back. And maybe Bo re-signs. And don't forget they got nothing from Santander this season, he should be back and provide more. Also Varsho and Giminez were both hurt half the season basically.

For the rotation they lose Bassitt, Scherzer and Bieber. Those three combined produced 3.1 fWAR.

The only way this is one and done is if no decent starting pitchers will sign with us and guys like Vlad, Kirk and Springer go back to providing about 1-2 fWAR each.

They are literally set up for sustained success if the players perform.

[Jiggy_12]

11 mins long, but pretty cool video

https://twitter.com/user/status/1981140703624204669

[bluejays]

Kinda sucks that Berrios is out for the year. Could've used some longer relief if he was healthy. I still think Little should be out. It's likely they don't want to alienate him, and Yariel goes, but frankly either one of them out isn't a loss.

[browna]

With Bo I know he’s the AL hit leader but…
He hasn’t played in a month or longer. The WS is not the time to be shaking off the rust.

I would have him on the roster but as a pinch hitter. DH at most, at least for first two games and see where he is at by the end of the weekend.

You risk disrupting chemistry and guys that have been in those DS and CS games and plate appearances. At the beginning of the playoffs people likely would’ve chosen Bo over Clement 99/100 times to play infield. Would you take Ernie out now? No. And if Ernie wasn’t in as many games as he was, he wouldn’t have his .400+ average and Jays wouldn’t be in the WS.

[EN FUEGO]

The Bo discussion reminds me a bit of the Scherzer back and forth before game 4. Bo's gonna play as much as his body allows for, and I think all of that pent up energy of watching this run from the bench will balance out the rust.

[EN FUEGO]

Originally Posted by browna

At the beginning of the playoffs people likely would’ve chosen Bo over Clement 99/100 times to play infield. Would you take Ernie out now? No. And if Ernie wasn’t in as many games as he was, he wouldn’t have his .400+ average and Jays wouldn’t be in the WS.

I don't know that you can say for sure that we wouldn't have been better off with Bo in the lineup over Ernie. If he doesn't get hurt in the first place, though, I doubt the Jays battle right up until game 162. Honestly I think the pressure in those last 4 games helped them get ready for the postseason.

[browna]

If Bo had Ernie’s playoff stat lines we may not be surprised but it’s also not a guarantee and it wouldn’t be necessarily happening.

Instead, the guy with the .429 average and second most hits and tied for third with most runs in the post season is Ernie.

Don’t care what or how or why, but his stats, in the playoffs proves he has massively punched up. Only because Vlad is going all universe and Springer is hitting big moments, he’s not getting the recognition, but Clement is probably the best underrated story on this team in the playoffs by far. By far.

[Jiggy_12]

It was never Bo vs Ernie. It would have been IKF coming out

[EN FUEGO]

Originally Posted by browna

Clement is probably the best underrated story on this team in the playoffs by far. By far.

I fully agree and would say that's been true much of the season. Don't get me wrong, Clement is up there with my favorite players on the team.

[jayswin]

I'm too lazy to be the one, but in 2015 we had series threads in the playoffs. It seems like a crime against humanity with the number of Jays fans on here that we are in the World Series for the first time in 32 years and we're not going to even have a separate thread for that?

[browna]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

It was never Bo vs Ernie. It would have been IKF coming out

Maybe. Maybe not. With a healthy Bo who doesn’t make it on the roster? Schneider? IKF? Maybe Santander earlier than he did?
And with a healthy Bo and IKF maybe John Schneider switches it up and Ernie doesn’t play as much as he did and thus doesn’t get to go on the heater he has?

Point being that IKF or Giminez or Ernie, after they’ve played in the pressure of these 11 playoff games is not negligible with the automatic assumption Bo can step now and continue to hit at the pace he was at in this playoff atmosphere. With him being out has allowed all those other guys to get more playing time, put up stats (Ernie especially) and it’s all worked out.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by browna

Maybe. Maybe not. With a healthy Bo who doesn’t make it on the roster? Schneider? IKF? Maybe Santander earlier than he did?
And with a healthy Bo and IKF maybe John Schneider switches it up and Ernie doesn’t play as much as he did and thus doesn’t go on the heater be has?

Point being that IKF or Giminez or Ernie, after they’ve played in the pressure of these 11 playoff games is not negligible with the automatic assumption Bo can step now and continue to hit at the pace he was at in this playoff atmosphere.

Are you not wanting Bo on the roster at all? Or just as a bench bat?

I’m 100% sure I want him on the roster but I am totally split on what his role should be. I don’t mind starting the series with the same guys that got us here and keeping Bo as a looming bench threat.

If we get down in the series, maybe switch it up

[bettercallbettman]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I'm too lazy to be the one, but in 2015 we had series threads in the playoffs. It seems like a crime against humanity with the number of Jays fans on here that we are in the World Series for the first time in 32 years and we're not going to even have a separate thread for that?

do it!

[Jiri Hrdina]

It's just BP but apparently Bo has been obliterating things in BP.