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

[Beaumaris]

Vladdy being Vladdy as usual today.

 

[Stringer Bell]

Pictures I've seen he looks jacked

Bichette is not and will never be "jacked." He's always had man boobs and a round face and they're as prominent as ever this year.

 

[Discoverer]

Vladdy being Vladdy as usual today.

Not really. Vladdy being Vladdy is one of the best hitters in the league. Today he didn't have a good day.

 

[trellaine201]

Bichette is not and will never be "jacked." He's always had man boobs and a round face and they're as prominent as ever this year.

Exactly what I think. Chubby

 

[al secord]

Exactly what I think. Chubby

I still would...

 

[Suntouchable13]

What's so special about the Yankees? I don't think they are so much better than the Jays. I think all 5 teams are pretty close. Anyone of them can win the division.

 

[Bjindaho]

What's so special about the Yankees? I don't think they are so much better than the Jays. I think all 5 teams are pretty close. Anyone of them can win the division.

By DC,

they are similar positionally except Judge being better (and 1B being worse)

Pitching wise, the Yankees have Fried and more depth in the rotation. DC also doesn't like Toronto's pen after Hoffman and Garcia (combined 0.7fWAR projected for the bottom 6 relievers).

The Red Sox are now listed as behind Toronto with a significantly worse position-base, but much better pitching, which makes sense.

Baltimore is above Toronto on a much better position player base (#1 in baseball) and a similar pitching staff (though theirs is on a much better bullpen with a weaker rotation).

The Rays are now listed behind Toronto on both aspects.

 

[Suntouchable13]

By DC,

they are similar positionally except Judge being better (and 1B being worse)

Pitching wise, the Yankees have Fried and more depth in the rotation. DC also doesn't like Toronto's pen after Hoffman and Garcia (combined 0.7fWAR projected for the bottom 6 relievers).

The Red Sox are now listed as behind Toronto with a significantly worse position-base, but much better pitching, which makes sense.

Baltimore is above Toronto on a much better position player base (#1 in baseball) and a similar pitching staff (though theirs is on a much better bullpen with a weaker rotation).

The Rays are now listed behind Toronto on both aspects.

The bullpen just needs to be average, and not a disaster like it was last year. I think the margins are pretty small between all 5 teams. All have their own flaws. Somebody could surprise and have more wins than expected, and maybe someone has less than expected. Hopefully Jays can be that team that outperforms expectations. We as fans kinda deserve it.

 

[phillipmike]

MLB offseason grades: Mets, Dodgers ace the winter, but did Yankees do enough? Plus four teams who failed

Who did the most to improve their outlook for 2025? Who doesn't seem to have a plan?

www.cbssports.com

Toronto Blue Jays - B+​

The Jays will be facing long odds in the AL East, but a bounce-back season could put them in the mix for a wild-card spot. In part that reflects the inferiority of the AL right now compared to the senior circuit, but it's also about Toronto's active offseason. Anthony Santander gives them needed pop in the outfield, and Andrés Giménez gives them an upgraded infield defense plus value on the bases. The Max Scherzer signing constitutes a wise calculated risk in the rotation, and the bullpen has been significantly upgraded.

These clubs missed the playoffs in 2024. Have they done enough to make it back?​

AL East: Blue Jays​

This could change if the Red Sox sneak in an addition or two in the next week, but you can make an argument that the Blue Jays’ aggressiveness this offseason has pushed them past Boston in 2025 expectations. Say what you will about the potential wisdom of loading up for this season, when neither Vladimir Guerrero Jr. nor Bo Bichette is signed beyond it, but the Blue Jays have improved.

Not many teams have added more notable pieces than Toronto did with Max Scherzer, Anthony Santander, Jeff Hoffman and Andrés Giménez. Vlad Jr. and Bichette are still here after all, which makes this a potentially formidable lineup, and the addition of Scherzer gives them a daunting rotation of Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Scherzer. The Blue Jays took a huge risk pouring so much into what could be their final year with one or both of their two primary stars. But if it pays off -- and it just might -- it will be well, well worth it.

MLB offseason grades: Mets, Dodgers ace the winter, but did Yankees do enough? Plus four teams who failed

Who did the most to improve their outlook for 2025? Who doesn't seem to have a plan?

www.cbssports.com

Blue Jays: INF Josh Kasevich

Kasevich is a min-max experiment at the plate. He makes an impressive amount of contact, connecting on more than 95% of his in-zone swings last season at the Triple-A level, yet his power production makes Jacob Wilson look Bondsian by comparison. Kasevich is too prone to hitting the ball on the ground and to the opposite field to optimize his slugging output -- think of him as Toronto's version of Brice Turang, albeit without the same wealth of secondary skills. The Blue Jays received more mileage from Ernie Clement (a somewhat similar player) in 2024 than they could have reasonably expected. If Clement stumbles this spring, Kasevich could be there to inherit his playing time and, perhaps, his surprising effectiveness.

Former Jays Nate Pearson and Cal Stevenson are on this list too.