2018 Blue Jays Season Thread

[Caged Great]

Even Shapiro did wonders with the Indians. Yes they were horrid for a while, but they have been really a top notch team once they got everything working together. The Jays just need to be patient and let things rip for a while.

The guy they just drafted was a good selection. You can never have enough high quality infield bats. The good thing is that if multiple guys hit the higher end of their potential is that you can shift guys around.

Say 2 of Bichette, Warmoth, and Groshans develop into decent/good MLB infield players, you can shift Vlad over to 1B, especially with his defense being below average. Same thing they did with EE back a few years ago.

They do need pitching though, but arms are crazy volatile though, so it's more of a throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

[Roof-Daddy]

Link

We just heard a little more about Groshans from Blue Jays scouting director Steve Sanders, who says the Blue Jays "certainly had targeted" the high school shortstop. Some more detail on the 12th overall pick:

•Sanders said Groshans projects as a "middle of the lineup" hitter at the MLB level.

•The Blue Jays have been on Groshans for more than a year and liked how he fared with a wood bat against some high-level competition. “A combination of contact, of power, of plate discipline," Sanders said. "He’s got a great feel and approach at the box. He’s able to drive the ball to all fields and we’re certainly confident his offensive ability will translate to the next level.”

•As for Groshans' defence, the Blue Jays will give him a shot to play shortstop in pro ball. “Jordan is a shortstop and we certainly plan to give him opportunities to play there,” Sanders said. At the same time, it's not like he's necessarily a slam-dunk defender at short. Seems to me they picked him for his bat and if he has to move to third, so be it.

•The Blue Jays seem confident that they'll work out a deal, as Sanders said “We’re certainly confident that we’re going to work something out.”

Like I said, I'm not all that savvy with baseball prospects, so I defer to the Jays FO here. Sounds like they're high on Groshans and think he could stick at SS in the major league level, and at worst move to 3B. That's good considering many feel that long term Vladdy will have to move to 1B, and apparently Bo's defense at SS is really coming along. They also think his bat projects to the middle of the order.

They Jays sure have a solid crop of infielders developing, and that's important moving forward IMO.

[flames_fan_down_under]

I like that they are developing a lot of infielders as AA seemed hell bent on toolsy outfielders and pitchers.

Just going off the top of my head Shapiro/Atkins have brought in:

Lourdes Gurriel Jr
Bo Bichette
Cavan Biggio
Kevin Smith
Logan Warmoth

As good infielder prospects in the last two years.

Bichette, Smith and Gurriel are the ones I am highest on. Hopefully Jordan Groshans can be an impact bat and keep crowding the infield depth.

[Roof-Daddy]

C - Jansen (23)
1B - Vladdy (19)
2B - Gurriel (24), Smith (21), Warmoth (22), Biggio (23)
SS - Bichette (20)
3B - Groshans (18)

It will be interesting to see how many of these players actually make up the Blue Jays IF/C when they hopefully start to turn the corner.

[Parallex]

I 'm guessing Kumar Rocker is going to Vandy no way a vandy commit with 1st round stock signs for round two money.

I wager the Jays take Hjelle or Jenista if they're available.

[Roof-Daddy]

With the 52nd pick the Jays take Jeff Conine's kid, OF Griffin Conine

Jeff Conine appeared in two All-Star Games and won two World Series in a 17-year big league career after signing as a 58th-round pick. His son Griffin has similar upside but won't have to wait nearly as long to hear his name called in June. After playing sparingly and going homerless as a Duke freshman in 2016, he broke out with 13 home runs last spring and led the Cape Cod League with nine last summer, when scouts named him the prestigious college circuit's top prospect. Conine came into 2018 with a good chance to join Marcus Stroman as the only first-round choices ever out of Duke, but a rough junior season means that probably won't happen. He's still one of the better power hitters available in the 2018 Draft, capable of driving the ball out to all fields thanks to his bat speed and the loft he generates with his left-handed swing. There already were concerns about his propensity to swing and miss, however, and they've been exacerbated this spring as he has tried to lift nearly every pitch he saw out of the park. With his power potential and solid arm strength, Conine fits the right-field profile. He can flash average run times but hasn't showed that kind of speed this spring. Even with modest quickness, he's a sound defender on the outfield corners.

Jays love the kids of former MLBers

[Parallex]

They weren't around... but the Jays do love their bloodline guys... select Griffin Conine 52nd.

Still not a fan of their draft so far.

[Beninho]

I guess Conine hit 3 homers in a double header today. 1 in the first 2 in the second. Not bad

[flames_fan_down_under]

Nice! Hopefully they send Conine to Vancouver and I can watch him play.

Just looking at Conine's Junior year numbers at Duke, they are almost identical to his Sophomore year numbers, this year he had five more home runs (18) and three more doubles (14) in the same amount of at bats.

[Samonadreau]

I'm.pretty sure Groshans is who mlb.com Had the Jay's taking in their mock draft.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

I'm.pretty sure Groshans is who mlb.com Had the Jay's taking in their mock draft.

No, MLB.com had them taking Swaggerty in their mock.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Yeah, but how much of this is Anthopolis huffing and puffing about high ceiling prospects that never really materialized, or got traded for underperforming vets?

Even if they have Encarnacion with this current team are they making the playoffs? I don't think so.

They had to tear it down and retool the thing. But you still need bodies to play in the majors.

Long term I think this front office will ultimately get the Jays somewhere moreso than AA managed to.

Hey don’t get me wrong the Jays had thier window. They had it the year before the two playoff runs, but Rogers lied to the roster and left them missing a piece or two they were promised by the all star break, and the team tanked right after.

And this team may win the WS if not for the joke of a HR call early, caught by the neck beard, in Game 6 vs the Royals, and the ump changing the strike zone in 8th inning Game 6 with two runners on in the one run game. They’d have won game 7 and decimated the Mets like the Royals did.

The front office and owners are letting this roster dangle just to hold onto tv numbers and attendance last year and this. As I said, against better judgement Bichette and Vlad are coming up at some point, again, for PR and sell some more hotdogs in late July and August.

Gibby is a good guy who will take the fall.

I have my doubts about Shapiro and Aikins, but even if they do build something up, like mentioned above in the next years, I see the bean counters at Rogers hesitating or pumping the brakes on any sort of increase in spending or resources to get the team over the hump, and thus missing that critical window that was being set up for years. It’s just happened too often over the years to convince me it won’t happen again, even with a fiscally conservative president and GM in place.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Parallex

No, MLB.com had them taking Swaggerty in their mock.

It was Gorman (also a 3B) I was thinking about. Mayo had him going to the Jays on the same Mock.

[cross16]

A SS/plus defending 3B with a middle of the order potential bat is certainly an attractive pick at 12 so if that is their profile I can see why they like him. However, I too am a little under whelmed so far. For a team that I find pretty shallow in terms of pitching prospects i'm really surprised they passed on on that route in the first 2 rounds, especially when some big names slid right to them. Certainly seems to be a shift in philosophy under this regime to prioritize bats instead of arms. Not the only team to do that but it's quite the shift then how AA drafted it feels.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by cross16

For a team that I find pretty shallow in terms of pitching prospects i'm really surprised they passed on on that route in the first 2 rounds, especially when some big names slid right to them.

The only thing I can think of is that Rocker and Liberatore priced themselves out of the pick (Rocker comes from money and Vandy commits are notoriously hard signs) and TB has a huge ass bonus pool to move around).

I mean the Jays don't have an Ace (or even a legit #1) and those guys are damn near impossible to acquire in Trade and bite you in the ass in free agency. I would have thought that the Jays would have gone for an arm with #1 potential.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Parallex

The only thing I can think of is that Rocker and Liberatore priced themselves out of the pick (Rocker comes from money and Vandy commits are notoriously hard signs) and TB has a huge ass bonus pool to move around).

I mean the Jays don't have an Ace (or even a legit #1) and those guys are damn near impossible to acquire in Trade and bite you in the ass in free agency. I would have thought that the Jays would have gone for an arm with #1 potential.

I dunno, look at the jays front office. Full of former Indians and Red Sox execs.

Kluber acquired in a trade
Bauer acquired in a trade
Clevinger acquired in a trade
Tomlin acquired in a trade
Carasco acquired in a trade

Sale acquired in a trade
Price signed as a free agent
Porcello acquired in a trade
Pomeranz acquired in a trade
Rodriguez acquired in a trade

I think they believe they stand just as good of a chance of gradually building a solid starting staff through shrewd trades/signings as by drafting one. Several of the above names were traded for as prospects too, before they broke out. I'm sure they'll still draft pitchers too if they see what they like, but I don't think they'll take a pitcher over a position player if just because the pitching cupboard is pretty barren right now.

[Parallex]

See I think that really proves my point... guys traded for as prospects were not Aces at the time, Price cost a fortune in $$, Sale cost a fortune in prospects.

They're very hard to get so you need a lot of bullets in that gun to make sure you hit.

Also Trevor Bauer is a complete ####heel ####wad I'd rather the Jays miss the playoffs then give him a single dime.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Parallex

See I think that really proves my point... guys traded for as prospects were not Aces at the time, Price cost a fortune in $$, Sale cost a fortune in prospects.

They're very hard to get so you need a lot of bullets in that gun to make sure you hit.

Also Trevor Bauer is a complete ####heel ####wad I'd rather the Jays miss the playoffs then give him a single dime.

Well, you said:

I mean the Jays don't have an Ace (or even a legit #1) and those guys are damn near impossible to acquire in Trade

Yet I showed that 9/10 of those pitchers on those staffs were acquired via trade, including ace Corey Kluber, and ace Chris Sale. (I used those staffs because members of the Jays FO help build them)

One was nabbed before he was a star, and the other picked up for a big cost when he was already a star.

Just saying that you don't have to draft an ace to get one, and Shatkins/Cherington have first hand experience with this.

My bet is if the manage to build the Jays into a contender a good chunk of the starting rotation will have been acquired from other teams in different ways, as opposed to homegrown.

Even Houston's rotation is made up of three guys acquired in trades (Verlander, Cole, Morton) and only two homegrown guys (Keuchel, McCullers), Verlander being another ace acquired via trade.

I think unless you're the Red Sox or Yankees, it's easier to acquire starting pitching through trades and free agency than it is to acquire stud position players.

[Roof-Daddy]

Not a huge surprise.

Keegan Matheson
✔
@KeeganMatheson
#BlueJays first-rounder Jordan Groshans plans to sign with Toronto and forgo his college commitment to Kansas, where his brother Jaxx plays. Wasn't in doubt, but always a back-of-mind factor with high school picks.

10:20 AM - Jun 5, 2018
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[Parallex]

Jays take Adam Kloffenstein (RHP) a faller from yesterday. Same HS as Goshans. If they saved any $$ on his teammate at #12 they'll need to spend it on him (Committed to TSU). Expect to see some senior signs today JIC.