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

[Blitzkrug]

Man, I miss seeing that guy's swing.

Mainstay on my diamond dynasty squad every year, regardless of how hard he is to obtain.

That swing is also probably the reason why i love baseball so much. Even as a 5 or 6 year old watching games with my dad, watching Griffey's swing triggered a "i'm not sure why yet, but that shit looks so cool" type of response.

 

[Discoverer]

Mainstay on my diamond dynasty squad every year, regardless of how hard he is to obtain.

That swing is also probably the reason why i love baseball so much. Even as a 5 or 6 year old watching games with my dad, watching Griffey's swing triggered a "i'm not sure why yet, but that shit looks so cool" type of response.

He didn't have that raw power, but Olerud was my favourite player as a kid for the same reason. Just so smooth and effortless.

 

[aingefan]

We could really use one of Roden, Wagner or Martinez breaking out.

The more the merrier.
Joey Loperfido is in that conversation too. Guy’s ceiling is probably 30hr-20+sb.

 

[Beaumaris]

Ideally you'd just pay Vlad but if you're not doing that, you should trade now because this team has shown no signs that they are just one run away.

But there's no way in hell Shatkins should handle that trade. They shouldn't have even handled his negotiations.

When you think you have to fire a GM, you do it, nothing good has ever come from retaining someone a little longer that has you questioning their competence.

Nonsense.

 

[dredeye]

He didn't have that raw power, but Olerud was my favourite player as a kid for the same reason. Just so smooth and effortless.

Only jersey I own I Olerud and this was my first thought as well.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Nonsense.

Hi, Shapiro.

 

[phillipmike]

This team as currently constructed is a pretender at best. The last thing I want is them wasting more prospect depth to add to this at the deadline and losing both for comp picks. Bo we ride out Vlad should be moved. He's getting vocal about his willingness to leave but isn't willing to discuss an extension. Sell high and move on.

If I get blown out of the water with a deal, sure I take it now. But Vlad and Bo have a lot to play for. They are motivated so I like our chances at a playoff run.

No one in the central scares me and barely any of those teams improved.

Seattle and Texas didn’t get better.

Houston got worse losing Tucker and Bregman.

Yankees made additions but lost Soto, Cortes, Holmes, Torres, Rizzo and Verdugo.

Baltimore lost Santander and Burnes.

Only 2 teams in my opinion who got better are the Jays and Red Sox.

So unless im getting a premium, I’m playing this out to the deadline. Because if the 86 win Royals and Tigers can make the playoffs and most teams stayed the same and got worse, I like my chances enough to see the first 3 months of the season.

 

[phillipmike]

https://www.mlb.com/news/best-position-upgrades-by-mlb-teams-for-2025

Second base: Blue Jays
2024 WAR rank: T-11th || 2025 projected WAR rank: 3rd

Second base wasn't a huge weak point for the Blue Jays last season. But with the acquisition of Andrés Giménez in December, Toronto could be elite at that position in 2025. The winner of three Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove, Giménez is a magician in the field. He led all players with 21 OAA last year, and his 51 OAA at second base since the start of 2021 is the most at the position. That defense combined with Giménez's plus baserunning -- he has notched consecutive 30-steal seasons -- is why he ranks fifth among second basemen in WAR over the past two seasons despite a 90 wRC+.

The big question is whether Giménez can return to being the hitter he was in '22. That season, he slashed .297/.371/.466 and recorded a 141 wRC+ over 557 plate appearances. If he rediscovers that form, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette play up to their potential, Toronto will undoubtedly boast one of the most productive infields in the Majors.

 

[Dr.Funk]

 

[aingefan]

That would make a nice story, but I don’t see it even as a longshot.
Doesn’t have to be on 40 man til next December, and the team added a whole bunch of lefties I’m sure they’ll cycle through before he ever gets a chance.
Roden mighta been a better pick, but he’s gonna have to really really take to force the timeline

 

[canucksfan]

I like this

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[phillipmike]

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-players-looking-for-rebound-season-in-2025

1. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays
Key Stat: 126 OPS+ from 2019-23


Bichette experienced a perplexing decline in 2024, slashing .225/.277/.322 (71 OPS+) with four homers over 336 plate appearances. While the shortstop missed significant time due to injuries, his struggles predated those issues: He had a .629 OPS in 66 games before making his first trip to the IL on June 18.

With free agency looming, Bichette could use a strong rebound to solidify his value. His relative youth and consistent track record before 2024 offer reasons to believe he can get back on track as he enters his age-27 campaign. Bichette ranked fourth among qualifiers in batting average (.298) across 2021-23 and was one of 15 hitters -- and the only shortstop -- to record at least 20 homers and an OPS+ of 120 or better in all three of those seasons.

– Thomas Harrigan

4. Kevin Gausman, RHP, Blue Jays
Key Stat: 475 splitter Ks since 2021

Gausman’s 2024 numbers would look pretty good for a lot of pitchers -- he threw 181 innings with a 3.83 ERA and 162 strikeouts. But by his standards, it was a big drop-off. The Blue Jays ace had established himself as one of MLB’s top strikeout artists over the previous three seasons, pitching to a 3.10 ERA, averaging 223 strikeouts a year with three top-10 Cy Young finishes and an AL strikeout crown in 2023.

The good news is Gausman still has one of the nastiest pitches in all of baseball -- his splitter, which has generated 475 strikeouts since his breakout 2021 season. That's the third-most by any pitcher on a single pitch type over that time and more than double the Ks of any other splitter. Now, there are some stuff questions Gausman will have to answer in 2025, even with the splitter, which had slightly less drop than usual last season. But he’s a smart pitcher who should be able to make the adjustments to rack up the strikeouts again this year.

-- David Adler

5. Chris Bassitt, RHP, Blue Jays
Key Stat: From April 9-June 29/Aug. 28-Sept. 23 -- 19 GS, 114 IP, 2.76 ERA

There are a host of reasons to wonder if Bassitt’s best days are behind him. He just turned 36, and he’s coming off the worst full season of his career -- in 2024, he posted a 4.16 ERA over 31 starts for Toronto. He also saw his ground ball rate (40.1%) decline for the third consecutive year. But don’t count out a rebound performance in 2025, the walk year on his current contract.


Bassitt had an up-and-down campaign last year, but over a period of 15 starts from April 9-June 29, his ERA was 2.76. He continued to produce relatively soft contact in ’24 -- while the hard-hit rate (37.1%) against him was up over the prior year, it still placed him in the 65th percentile among qualified pitchers, and the 87.8 mph average exit velocity against him ranked in the 76th percentile.


You also have to wonder whether a 101.6 mph line drive off the bat of Aaron Judge on June 29, which struck Bassitt on the right forearm, impacted the veteran right-hander’s performance thereafter. Over the following nine starts, he struggled to a 6.80 ERA. But he turned things around and finished the season stronger, with a 2.77 ERA over his final five outings.


-- Manny Randhawa

Really tells you how unlucky the Jays 2024 season was when 3 of the 10 guys on this list are Jays

 

[Dr.Funk]

I mean nobody is probably gonna tell Scherzer no but I wonder if challenges are best left to the catcher.