2019 Blue Jays Season Thread

[Roof-Daddy]

Yeah by the sounds of it Drury is nearing the end of what is apparently a very long leash that Atkins has for him. At least hopefully. It's a shame he can't hit consistently, because he'd be a really useful and versatile bench player if he could.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Parallex

I wouldn't. Drury can't play shortstop or CF... so he can't play any demanding position and he doesn't hit well enough to be a bench bat.

Yep, exhibition will determine who is the best backup for 3rd base....My guess its Drury..

As for Urena, below are the positions he played last season

Splits
2019 Games by Position: 2B (9) 3B (6) SS (13) LF (1)


As for Drury below are the positions he played last season

Splits
2019 Games by Position: 1B (12) 2B (16) 3B (65) SS (5) LF (8) RF (18)


These are from the Jay's website

[Roof-Daddy]

Jays have sign 32 year old starting pitcher Shun Yamaguchi to a 2 year contract.

He was pitching in the NBP last season.

[Roof-Daddy]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1207041753385230337

[flamingred89]

Hmm interesting if true. Also hilarious reading about the time he got arrested and suspended for beating up hospital staff while drunk.

[Parallex]

Sounds like it's a done deal 2x3M. I wager he ends up as a bullpen piece... he throws a Forkball as his out pitch (so I love him already).

[SportsJunky]

The Athletic rated all 30 teams on their off season moves thus far. Toronto gets a C-

Toronto Blue Jays
Grade: C-
Trades: Acquired RHP Chase Anderson from Brewers in exchange for 1B Chad Spanberger
Free Agents: RHP Tanner Roark, 2 years/$24 million
Waiver Claims: RHP Anthony Bass from Mariners
The Blue Jays continue to build their starting rotation with fourth- and fifth-type starters, acquiring Chase Anderson in a trade with the Brewers and then overpaying Tanner Roark on a 2-year, $24 million pact. It was surprising that the Jays would pay Roark a higher AAV than other free-agent pitchers like Michael Pineda and Kyle Gibson.

[bluejays]

I think C- is a slightly generous rating. I'd give them a D personally, but I'd also give the majority of the league the same. Doesn't look like the league has many signings or deals on the whole.

[GirlySports]

Maybe they are hoping Drury catches fire and becomes Sogard.

[Harry Lime]

Interesting article about taking on salary from another team in return for a useful piece or prospects with years of control left. The David Price one has been mentioned on numerous sites, and still is the best of the options IMO. Another interesting one is getting Dominic Smith (1B) from the Mets for taking on the Familia contract.

San Diego also desperately wants to rid themselves of Wil Myers (1B and OF). You might not be able to get Macenzie Gore from them as a sweetener, but they have four other solid pitching prospects in their system.

[flamingred89]

I was thinking about Myers the other day. He can play 1st and RF. Both of which the Jays need. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Padres ate some dough on deal for him too. I could see his power numbers jump coming to play in Toronto as Qualcomm isn’t very hitter friendly.

Edit: Petco Park. Not Qualcomm. Apparently I’m stuck in the early 2000’s.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

The Athletic rated all 30 teams on their off season moves thus far. Toronto gets a C-

Toronto Blue Jays
Grade: C-
Trades: Acquired RHP Chase Anderson from Brewers in exchange for 1B Chad Spanberger
Free Agents: RHP Tanner Roark, 2 years/$24 million
Waiver Claims: RHP Anthony Bass from Mariners
The Blue Jays continue to build their starting rotation with fourth- and fifth-type starters, acquiring Chase Anderson in a trade with the Brewers and then overpaying Tanner Roark on a 2-year, $24 million pact. It was surprising that the Jays would pay Roark a higher AAV than other free-agent pitchers like Michael Pineda and Kyle Gibson.

I think this shows that free agency is tough for a non-contending Blue Jays team that has to try to attract pitchers to Canada and to playing in the tough AL East.

I don’t think it should be a surprise that in order to get Roark to go to Toronto that they needed to pay more than Pineda and Gibson received.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by fleury

I think C- is a slightly generous rating. I'd give them a D personally, but I'd also give the majority of the league the same. Doesn't look like the league has many signings or deals on the whole.

I dunno, C- seems fair to me. Two backend starters and a bullpen piece seems like a C- to me. Still time to bump that up to a "B" range grade but they need at least a mid-rotation or better arm to get that up. I feel like Ryu is probably going to go to the Angels... just makes so much sense for them (and frankly for him). So yeah... if I were the Jays I'd start throwing down offers on Keuchel.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Parallex

I dunno, C- seems fair to me. Two backend starters and a bullpen piece seems like a C- to me. Still time to bump that up to a "B" range grade but they need at least a mid-rotation or better arm to get that up. I feel like Ryu is probably going to go to the Angels... just makes so much sense for them (and frankly for him). So yeah... if I were the Jays I'd start throwing down offers on Keuchel.

I think what we both agree on is mediocrity. Things aren't always singularly because of the GM, President or Ownership, but often a combination of them including other market factors. In this case I can't say I know where the blame lays, but I can say the use of the media has been extensive and that pisses me off. If you try and months afterward you find out it didn't transpire, it seems like an innocent leak. But when you constantly hear false leads about the Jays, and it's from the media conglomerate that owns the team, you realize management is BSing. Do your FN jobs and let the public decide based on what transpires. Don't send the floaters out there knowing you're not putting out an earnest offer or an offer isn't cutting it. From that perspective I find this management group dishonest. The moves this offseason have been like previous off-seasons - very mediocre signings. Since these clowns have taken over I can't think of one star signing. There's always been a value seeking moves, but the value is the discount bin type, hoping there's a Jose Bautista there. Can't rely on that year after year and that's frustrating as a fan.

[Harry Lime]

They really can't afford to screw up these years of having Vlad, Bo, Biggio and Gurriel (plus Pearson) under years of control.

If this is going to be their one last year of rebuilding, they should absolutely use their financial flexibility, and deep pockets, to take on some crappy contract and build prospect capital.

Price (full salary this year, dropping to 15M year 3) + Bentintendi
For Billy Mckinney

Will Myers + 2 top 5 pitching prospects (in SD system)
For Derek Fisher

Take on 55M in salary this year, and reap the benefits in year 3. This is literally the only time that the Jays can use this strategy during the next decade, because once the kids start edging towards arbitration, this opportunity is over.

I'm sure that it only seems obvious, and Shatkins will explain why they just couldnt.

[Jason14h]

Cause they are cheap ?

Jays spent the 24th highest on FA over the last decade at just over 300 million

Red Sox were first over 1 billion. We don’t need to try and compete with the Yanks and Sox, but no reason to not be top 10 or at least in that range , especially considering we were contenders for some of those years

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...l-30-mlb-teams

[flames_fan_down_under]

Really unsurprising statistic Jason14th, but honestly thanks for posting that because it says a lot. The Red Sox are the most successful team over the last decade and that's not a surprise seeing their commitment to winning via free agent spending.

There is definitely a lot of damage control going on right now with the Jays. Shapiro on Tim and Sid saying they would sign a 100+ million dollar player, yet of course no actual players signed to this stated amount. But keep slamming this "flexibility" line down our throat, which means nothing if it's not actually used.

I will say that the tenor around the Jays regarding the media, Shi Davidi etc has been about as negative as I can remember.

[bluejays]

The media tend to be shills too. They know who pays their bills and who gives them access, plus too many in the media nowadays need to keep their sources so it's understandably about maintaining their jobs by playing nice.


Anyway, I am steadfast that Atkins and Shapiro are used car salesmen. I really can't figure out their plan. Again, I don't see Rogers as cheap when you equate the exchange. Nor do I believe that Bentintendi would ever be available. But, if you have the opportunity to deal for a bad contract to get an A grade prospect, you do it. I never hear these guys articulating what their struggles are, or what they're strategizing over. It's saying a lot of things with a politician smile and the public particularly seems to be 50/50 split on if he's being truthful or not (Shapiro specifically). I have no problem with the crappy outfield. Someone will emerge or be signed or traded for. Those are the easy spots to fill. SP is something they desperately need at the high end to keep everyone composed and IMO, for development purposes. The fact that they can't get people to sign here also speaks to their image in players' minds. Gotta pay the price and sell the player on the organization. If they can't do that, they're not doing their job.

[Roof-Daddy]

I dunno, I think Shatkins would have liked to add some key pieces to accelerate the rebuild a bit, but were stymied by nobody wanting to sign with a team coming off a 95 loss season, based in a different country and competing with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.

I think plan B is now to continue collecting assets, building prospect capital and to keep on building from within.

While accelerating the rebuild would have been outstanding, its not really neccessary IMO because the Jays have grade A prospects all over the daimond except for the outfield.

Another year and the current young MLBers will hopefully grow, the key prospects will be a year closer, they'll add another high end prospect at 5th overall and most importantly the big arms in the system will continue to inch their way towards the majors.

Hopefully next there is enough growth that they start to become a more desirable destination for FAs once again.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

A lot of players won't sign with the Jays because they're not a good team. They're not a good team because they won't spend the cash to bring in good players.

One solution...........overpay.

If they don't overpay to build a good team to attract good players then they're stuck in mud. Maybe they'll fluke out and build through the draft and sign cheaper players that somehow perform over their contract, but I doubt it.

They can talk and talk about almost signing good players but just didn't quite get it done, but they have to overpay to bring in the elite players. If they're not going to overpay just stop telling everyone how you tried really really hard to sign a stud UFA, but yet, once again, came up short. We're bored with that story. Put up or shut up.