Toronto Blue Jays - Offseason Thread

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Sounded to me like signing Jose is a distinct possibility after listening to Shapiro today. I'm pretty convinced he'll be a Blue Jay.

Also that the Jays are still looking to add to the bullpen.

I figure Jose signing is only a matter of time now, but we'll see. I haven't seen Shapiro or Atkins be that candid on resigning him or Edwin before.

That said, my subconscious still wants me to think they are just setting him up to look like the bad guy when he signs somewhere else. I've been burned by the Jays too many times to accept what management says is in good faith.

[Alberta_Beef]

In the summer it must be awfully warm under that tinfoil hat TAO

[dino7c]

Jays weren't good enough last season and they are bringing back a worse team just as their division is gearing up. Not much to be positive about

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Not sure why we are bringing Loup back. He's been terrible for a couple years now.

Only against RHH, against lefties he's been more then effective. The Blue Jays have been using him as a full-inning reliever when really he should have been used as a situational relief pitcher. That was excusable for 2015 (he was effective against both sides of the plate pre-2015) not so much 2016.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

In the summer it must be awfully warm under that tinfoil hat TAO

What have the Jays done since October that would lead me to believe otherwise? I've seen this story play out with Edwin.

The original plan was to move on from Edwin and Jose and improve the outfield, bullpen, and to get younger and faster.

This quickly changed to replace Edwin with a cheaper, inferior version of himself, and kick tires on retreads you can sign to 1-2 year deals.

Pardon me if i'm cynical.

I'll gladly take Jose back though, I'll friggin take any quality major league player who can occupy an outfield position at this point.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Only against RHH, against lefties he's been more then effective. The Blue Jays have been using him as a full-inning reliever when really he should have been used as a situational relief pitcher. That was excusable for 2015 (he was effective against both sides of the plate pre-2015) not so much 2016.

Every time Loup hits the mound, I expect to give up a lead now. Time to try someone else with that money in my opinion. You can actually feel the energy get sucked out of the Rogers Center the past two years when he runs out from the pen.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Jays weren't good enough last season and they are bringing back a worse team just as their division is gearing up. Not much to be positive about

Well...

A: Offseason isn't over yet, and
B: Unless you consider their division to just be the Boston Red Sox then it's not really gearing up.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Well...

A: Offseason isn't over yet, and
B: Unless you consider their division to just be the Boston Red Sox then it's not really gearing up.

A) For all intents and purposes, the offseason is over. It's time to move on from that excuse and accept this was a pretty brutal offseason for the Jays. Next to nothing was accomplished and it can easily be argued they are worse team than last year (though I would argue if they fix the pen, they could be equal to last year's team). Most MLB media sources outside of Rogers have lambasted the Jays offseason.

B) Boston is way better, and the Yankees are way better (assuming their young stars keep it up). Baltimore stayed pretty much the same but their stars are considerably younger than the Jays.

Jays only shot is a wildcard in my opinion and several of the teams they will be battling for it in other divisions are improved as well.

Going to be a pretty big uphill battle if the Jays have another slow start. Should be a good year to watch baseball as a Jays fan again though. I already got my flights booked to Chicago to see the Jays play at Wrigley Field.

[Hockey Fan #751]

It only makes sense for Bautista to be a Blue Jay. It's quite a risk to sign him to a multi-year deal right now if you're another team and I don't think many teams would pay him $17 million or more on a one-year deal since they'd have to give up a first-round pick.

Add all that up and it sounds like Jays sign him for $18 million on a one-year deal.

As for Loup, yeah he may be a left hander but that doesn't mean he should come back. I'm a left hander and I would fill that spot in the rotation for much less than he's making.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

What have the Jays done since October that would lead me to believe otherwise? I've seen this story play out with Edwin.

The original plan was to move on from Edwin and Jose and improve the outfield, bullpen, and to get younger and faster.

This quickly changed to replace Edwin with a cheaper, inferior version of himself, and kick tires on retreads you can sign to 1-2 year deals.

Pardon me if i'm cynical.

I'll gladly take Jose back though, I'll friggin take any quality major league player who can occupy an outfield position at this point.

Please, the Jays could go 162-0 and sweep the playoffs and you would still find something to bitch about. You aren't cynical, you're a blatant troll.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Please, the Jays could go 162-0 and sweep the playoffs and you would still find something to bitch about. You aren't cynical, you're a blatant troll.

You ever think maybe I'm not a troll, and you are just a sheep? It would be nice if you could counter a single one of my points by actually talking baseball instead of your insults.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Hockey Fan #751

It only makes sense for Bautista to be a Blue Jay. It's quite a risk to sign him to a multi-year deal right now if you're another team and I don't think many teams would pay him $17 million or more on a one-year deal since they'd have to give up a first-round pick.

Add all that up and it sounds like Jays sign him for $18 million on a one-year deal.

As for Loup, yeah he may be a left hander but that doesn't mean he should come back. I'm a left hander and I would fill that spot in the rotation for much less than he's making.

Everything you said I agree with, except I don't think the Jays will be paying him 18 million. If the Jays were willing to pay him 18 M,he'd already be signed. They will ride this out to the end and get him beneath the qualifying offer or he won't be a Jay.

[Jason14h]

I think they are praying for the draft pick and riding themselves of the headache that is Jose.

For the record I think Jose will have a huge F U season and Jays should be all over getting him signed and try for a second year team option.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I think they are praying for the draft pick and riding themselves of the headache that is Jose.

For the record I think Jose will have a huge F U season and Jays should be all over getting him signed and try for a second year team option.

Yup, Jose is at his best when he's pissed and feels slighted.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

A) For all intents and purposes, the offseason is over. It's time to move on from that excuse and accept this was a pretty brutal offseason for the Jays. Next to nothing was accomplished and it can easily be argued they are worse team than last year (though I would argue if they fix the pen, they could be equal to last year's team). Most MLB media sources outside of Rogers have lambasted the Jays offseason.

B) Boston is way better, and the Yankees are way better (assuming their young stars keep it up). Baltimore stayed pretty much the same but their stars are considerably younger than the Jays.

Jays only shot is a wildcard in my opinion and several of the teams they will be battling for it in other divisions are improved as well.

Going to be a pretty big uphill battle if the Jays have another slow start. Should be a good year to watch baseball as a Jays fan again though. I already got my flights booked to Chicago to see the Jays play at Wrigley Field.

Boston is better. Yankees won't be that much better (what have they done? tough to rely on a bunch of sophomores). Baltimore moved laterally as much as the jays have. They have a young core, but they are who they are.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

You ever think maybe I'm not a troll, and you are just a sheep? It would be nice if you could counter a single one of my points by actually talking baseball instead of your insults.

You never say anything tangible to counter, all you do is put down rogers and claim these conspiracies of them trying to make the team worse. Say something worth giving a rebuttal to and you will get one.

[Jason14h]

Alberta Beef:

We are one of the oldest teams in MLB , and have lost EE, Cecil and Saunders

We had a pitching staff that started the most games for the 5 starters, and the entire team and one of the healthiest in MLB

With all that going right , we made he wild card.

So how can anyone be positive about next seasons prospective?

Best case is the pitching staff again stays completely heathy, some how we pierce together a bullpen and get a wildcard spot.

And that's best case IMO. I'm curious to hear how you think this team is anything better then a best case wild card team ?

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Alberta Beef:

We are one of the oldest teams in MLB , and have lost EE, Cecil and Saunders

We had a pitching staff that started the most games for the 5 starters, and the entire team and one of the healthiest in MLB

With all that going right , we made he wild card.

So how can anyone be positive about next seasons prospective?

Best case is the pitching staff again stays completely heathy, some how we pierce together a bullpen and get a wildcard spot.

And that's best case IMO. I'm curious to hear how you think this team is anything better then a best case wild card team ?

There is a difference between being concerned and talking any and every opportunity to #### all over the ownership group and fabricating conspiracy theories about them. You read his posts and he is always going on about how Rogers is just trying to say the right thing so they look like the good guys but aren't trying to improve the club. Just because they have not been successful in improving the team, doesn't mean that they aren't trying and are only looking out for their image. It is tiresome, you can predict every TAO post before it comes and more often than not he makes this topic completely unbearable.

[Jason14h]

I never mentioned TAO once in my post . I asked how this team is anything better then a wild card IF everything goes perfectly . Your response was for some reason to rip into TAO?

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I never mentioned TAO once in my post . I asked how this team is anything better then a wild card IF everything goes perfectly . Your response was for some reason to rip into TAO?

I never said anything about this team being improved, so if it was not in response to my criticism of his posts, what was it for?