Blue Jays Discussion: 2024-25 Off-season: The free agent watch begins (and sometimes old baseball radio broadcasts)

Discoverer

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Apr 11, 2012
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Id rather have hagen danner
Me too. Either one is likely just optionable bullpen depth, but I don't see a whole lot that's particularly interesting about Walker to justify giving up a high velocity young guy.

I doubt it'll make a difference either way in the end, at least.
 

Blitzkrug

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
27,957
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Winnipeg
Are you suggesting he might burn some team?
There was some pretty concerning data in Burnes back half of the season that suggested his cutter, by far his best (and one of the most devastating pitches in baseball as a whole) might be showing signs of decline. Specifically, a pretty significant drop in the amount of whiffs it was generating which led to a jump in opposing batting average, exit velo and so forth as seen here. This on top of a pretty blah second half in general had people having cold feet.

burnes.png

I would be remised, as i had pointed out to me last time i posted this that it might not be all bad. A lot of the other peripheries on Burnes' cutter actually got better, namely the spin rate and velo, which makes everything else a lot more confusing/harder to explain. Could legit just be rotten luck or guys are keying in on it more knowing the rest of his arsenal is kinda...eh. As evidenced by him throwing his curveball more and getting smacked for it.

Savant paints a similar story; Everything else looks fantastic (on top of being stupidly durable) outside of a not insignificant drop in K% and xBA, which is again reflected in his pitch data

corbin.png


I personally wouldn't sign him. This is a factor but i'm of the mindset that throwing a 200+ million dollar contract at a position, that in my opinion is pretty likely to fix itself with just a simple bounceback when this team is screaming for bats would be putting yourself in the same situation as 2023 at best and malpractice at worst.

Disclaimer: It should also be noted the last time i got on my soapbox here and cried about signing a pitcher being a mirage after a jekell and hyde season, it happened to be Kevin Gausman after what i thought was a one hit 2021 season. Suffice to say, i was pretty wrong on that one so yeah.
 

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shaner8989

Registered User
Aug 6, 2005
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f***ing joke. To busy signing trash off waivers then doing anything to better the team.

These idiots should have been canned so long ago.

Fraud franchise
 
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EpochLink

Canucks and Jets fan
Aug 1, 2006
64,526
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Vancouver, BC
This offseason is turning out well isn’t it?

Ownership and management with the ‘ah f*** it, let’s put out something from 1992 and 1993 on social media when we were champs’.

Or the dubious ‘2015 and 2016 were great right! Let’s put that Bautista home run on social media again so our fans can think of the good old days!’

While we are at it, let’s put out Frank Thomas hitting his 500th home run! That’ll get the fans interested.


I swear to f***ing god this team can’t do shit right…
 

jetsforever

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Dec 14, 2013
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How are the Yankees seemingly getting everyone?! They already made the WS, then lost one pretty good guy and added about 10 replacements.
 
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Discoverer

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I know we're all mad at the front office, but that's no reason to suddenly start trusting the opinions of the Sportsnet reporters.

Also, for context, they called Burnes, Bregman, and Sasaki the moves that would be more impactful than Gimenez in terms of 2025 WAR.
 
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Discoverer

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The Jays could use a guy like Cruz, but let's not pretend that's a difficult question to answer: Cruz has struggled to keep his ERA under 5 the last two years because he has major issues with control and contact quality. Four years of control is great until you realize the guy is already 35.
 

TheTotalPackage

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Sep 14, 2006
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I know we're all mad at the front office, but that's no reason to suddenly start trusting the opinions of the Sportsnet reporters.
How pathetic is it that the reporters covering the team for a media outlet that is owned by the same owners of the team can't be trusted.

I have always found the SportsNet reporters to be soulless and would put out puff pieces about the team. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything different when the owners can control the narrative.
 
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Ale Brew

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Feb 24, 2020
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How pathetic is it that the reporters covering the team for a media outlet that is owned by the same owners of the team can't be trusted.

I have always found the SportsNet reporters to be soulless and would put out puff pieces about the team. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything different when the owners can control the narrative.
I see them a little differently. BNS and Shi seem to poor cold water on all the rumors. They’re the one’s telling us there’s no budget left, while the US scoop breakers insist we’re throwing money around at anyone that’ll take it. If the team is controlling the narrative with them it’s not to appease the fan base, it’s to temper expectations.

I think the truth of what’s happening is probably somewhere in between. The Jays have money to spend, but are sticking to their valuations and waiting for the market to come to them. Honestly that’s probably the best approach, especially long term. That said, it sucks for the fan base that desperately wants a big move (myself included).

Ultimately the MLB offseason is long and slow to develop, and we probably shouldn’t judge until it gets close to Spring Training. For me personally that’s going to be difficult, as the frustration grows, particularly when pieces that might’ve helped dropping off the board. Still lots of times and lots of players that can help.
 

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