2020 Blue Jays Season Thread

[calculoso]

Lol

https://twitter.com/user/status/1359161364313501702

https://twitter.com/user/status/1359166072633651201

[Kasi]

Originally Posted by JTech780

I know I might be in the minority on this, but I would love baseball to go back to the days of stolen bases, hit and runs, sac bunts and sac fly's. Having every hitter just go up there and swing for home runs and strike out more often than not really makes it a less interesting sport to watch.

Yes there needs to be more balls in play but this ball change might not work. It might lessen home runs but still leave it that pitchers are hard to hit but without the hrs. It could end up being something similar to late 60s pitching. They might have to think of moving the mound back.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by Kasi

Yes there needs to be more balls in play but this ball change might not work. It might lessen home runs but still leave it that pitchers are hard to hit but without the hrs. It could end up being something similar to late 60s pitching. They might have to think of moving the mound back.

With launch angles and exit velocities being all the rage right now, hitters are just up there hacking and not actually hitting. Hitters right now are just too easily pitched too. Hopefully we just get to the point where the hitters are forced to adjust.

Though I will admit I would rather watch a pitching duel than a game with a ton of home runs.

I love the art and nuance of baseball, I feel like a lot of the stats and analytics are robbing that from the game right now.

[bluejays]

Haven't stats been involved with baseball from the 60s? I don't the analytics are ruining baseball, but rather the meatheads who prescribe to the black and white aspect of the statistics. To me it's like hiring a high school athlete to coach, then teaching them basic stats, and telling them to execute based on something just learned. The poor guy will do what's black and white without thinking about other nuances. Such was the deal this past season with holding guys to pitch counts. When a guy is dealing, perhaps you should let him go beyond your original plan of 3 innings. These managers simply can't learn principles of statistics and control charts, overnight, and in my mind they're the ones ruining the game. In some ways it keeps it interesting because they can f-up a game by their stupid decisions. What you'll probably see more over time, is people who are smarter coming up the ranks to become managers, and that's when the game will become pretty predictable.

[bluejays]

Haven't noticed any word on this but Benintendi was dealt today to KC in what seems like a super cheap deal (just money and lesser prospects involved). Have his injuries taken that much off his potential? Baseball guys can be hyped and fall of the map, but this seems like a gamble where no team wanted to take the chance on a guy with a real upside. I'd have loved to see him on the Jays.

[browna]

Originally Posted by fleury

What you'll probably see more over time, is people who are smarter coming up the ranks to become managers, and that's when the game will become pretty predictable.

[Roof-Daddy]

Red Sox sent Benintendi to the Royals in a 3 team trade. I know he had a terrible 2020 and barely above average 2019 even, but that seems weird to me. Of note to Jays fans, as part of the return the BoSox got SP Josh Winchowski from the Mets, who they had just acquired in the Matz trade.

Anyways, we're just 1 week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, so the SP's that are still on the market have got to start signing soon, you would think.

Gimme Paxton to the Jays please. Definite injury gamble, but IMO he's got the highest upside of any of the available guys on a 1 year bounce back deal.

[Roof-Daddy]

The Jays claimed Joel Payamps off waivers yesterday from the Red Sox, and to make room on the 40 man they've DFA'd Yamaguchi.

[calculoso]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1359901996686393349

[JTech780]

Like the Phelps signing, really low risk, his velocity was back up last year, averaging 94.1mph in his fastball.

Can't say I am sad to see Yamaguchi get DFA'd, his stuff is just a little too vanilla. Though I can see his splitter getting a bump with the change in baseball's for next season.

[Roof-Daddy]

Haha, Phelps was decent in his first stint with the Jays a couple years ago, and then we traded him for Hatch.

I wanted Rosenthal, but nothing wrong with this signing. Small sample size from last season, but Phelps K rate jumped to 13.5 with 31 K's in 20 innings.

[Roof-Daddy]

Current projected roster:

1. CF - Springer
2. SS - Bichette
3. 2B - Semien
4. RF - Teo
5. LF - Gurriel
6. 1B - Vladdy
7. DH - Tellez
8. 3B - Biggio
9. C - Jansen

OF - Grichuk
OF - Davis/Fisher
IF - Urena/Espinal
C - Mcguire/Kirk

Grichuk goes to RF against LHP, Teo to DH, Tellez to the bench

SP - Ryu
SP - Pearson
SP - Ray
SP - Matz
SP - Roark

RP - Merryweather
RP - Chatwood
RP - Stripling
RP - Borucki
RP - Phelps
RP - Dolis
RP - Romano
RP - Yates


That starting rotation is such a massive question mark at this point.
Ray, Matz and Roark all coming off really bad seasons, but have pitched well in the past.
Pearson has elite stuff and abilities, but has battled injuries and is unproven in MLB.
Ryu is our ace, but he's an injury risk, and on a good day is more or less only a 7 inning guy anyways.

The bullpen looks solid, but they are likely going to get leaned on again quite a bit. If they wore out in a 60 games season, a 162 game season could get really dicey.

One thing the pitching staff has though, is TONS of depth. Stripling and Chatwood can also start, or go multiple innings. Plus they have Thornton, Kay, Hatch, Zeuch, Waguespack and Murphy on the 40 man. Obviously not stellar pitchers or anything, but all can eat MLB innings if needed. They've also got Liriano, Cole and Mayza as depth relievers, all of whom have past MLB experiece.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

RP - Merryweather
RP - Chatwood
RP - Stripling
RP - Borucki
RP - Phelps
RP - Dolis
RP - Romano
RP - Yates

I don't think the Jays are going to only have one lefthander in the Bullpen. Liriano is going to be on the team (unless the Jays get another starter... in which case Matz will likely be moved to the pen).

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Parallex

I don't think the Jays are going to only have one lefthander in the Bullpen. Liriano is going to be on the team (unless the Jays get another starter... in which case Matz will likely be moved to the pen).

I'd agree, unless Liriano gets beaten out by Mayza for that spot.

I don't know who they'd punt from the bullpen though to make room for Liriano/Mayza, unless they put Merryweather in AAA to stretch him out as a starter. That seems like a stupid idea to me though as he's 29, his stuff is more than MLB caliber as we saw last season, and with his constant injury woes it'd be a shame to waste any of that sweet swing and miss stuff in AAA while he's healthy.

I'm sure somebody will be injured though, by the time they have to make a decision.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I don't know who they'd punt from the bullpen though to make room for Liriano/Mayza, unless they put Merryweather in AAA to stretch him out as a starter. That seems like a stupid idea to me though as he's 29, his stuff is more than MLB caliber as we saw last season, and with his constant injury woes it'd be a shame to waste any of that sweet swing and miss stuff in AAA while he's healthy. somebody will be injured though, by the time they have to make a decision.

Oh, it'll be Merryweather... he's righthanded, has options, less of a major league track record. Pitchers break so I imagine he'll spend a good deal of time up in the Bigs regardless of where he starts and I imagine they'll be a slew of paper options and recalls as well.

[Roof-Daddy]

To make room for Phelps on the 40 man, the Jays have DFAd Derek Fisher

[calculoso]

To make room for Phelps, Jays DFA Fisher

https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2111713

To make room on the roster, the Blue Jays designated outfielder Derek Fisher for assignment. Toronto acquired Fisher in the deal that sent Aaron Sanchez to the Houston Astors in July 2019. He hit .177/.295/.395 with seven homers in 56 games with the Jays.

[Muffins]

Thanks for the memories Derek.

[JTech780]

But what about all the tools? I was led to believe that Fisher had all of them.

[KelVarnsen]

Tools but no toolbox