Blue Jays Discussion: 2024 Season (better title pending)

dredeye

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Mar 3, 2008
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Is Kiermaier's value really zero? (If so I'd keep him for now personally)
The value is those tax implications. That's the differnece of adding say two more pen arms for no additional cost if we can bring the tax down. There's huge value in it. But KK has little to no value and honestly I'm happy to let him go to have the kids get more time and reps. Gets Schneider is everyday but I'm not sure who is the filler outfielder when that happens.
 
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dredeye

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Mar 3, 2008
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I don't even think the Jays will be prioritizing "something" in return for Turner and KK. I think they would rather the acquiring team take on all their remaining money so they can duck the tax this season and reset their penalties heading into 2025.
It's honestly the right move. I think we'll likely move enough pieces to get under either way. Well hopefully at least but if we can move them for nothing at full salary but eat all of say Kikuchi for an even better prospect there's a lot of value there.
 
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dredeye

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I honestly think what infuriates me most about this season is that we all know Shapiro and Schneider should have been let go last off season. I didn't expect this season but I didn't expect a good one either. The saving grace for me is that this MUST now force their hands to remove them. I'm thinking Shapiro may need to go as well if he's overly involved. Back to my point. I absolutely hate that Atkins is going to be the one pulling the trigger on this draft when he's been absolute trash drafting for us. I then hate even more that he's the one making the trades for this deadline as he's also awful at getting prospect value back in trades. Last time we had the best left starter to trade going into the deadline that also did not go well for us. This has all the makings of a completly wasted year in terms of the season, draft and deadline. Just an absolute nightmare.
 
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TheMadHatTrick

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The Athletic isn't really well-connected so this is most likely just a guess.


20. Toronto Blue Jays: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa​

The Jays may be the high men on Brecht, but he’s got one of the best arms in the draft and improved his command and his changeup as the season went on. I’ve heard them a little with the next tier of college bats like Tommy White and some of the other Tennessee kids (and Moore if he falls here).
 

Amadeus

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hoglund

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He wouldn't have any value though

Seen Dodgers rumour Bo going to LA for 4 prospects. Don't know if this good trade or not?
With this year's stats we won't get much for Bo, I think that Jansen will be traded and they could possibly get someone good for him. Bo and Vladdy should not be traded in my opinion unless you get very good returns.
 

TheMadHatTrick

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Seaver King
Position: INF/OF
Height: Six-foot | Weight: 195 lbs
2024 Stats: 60 G | .308 AVG | 16 HR | 64 RBI | 59 Runs | .377 OBP | .577 SLG | 11 SB


After starting his college career with NCAA Division II Wingate, Seaver King transferred to Wake Forest for his junior year and established himself as a first-round talent.

The right-handed swinging King played all over the diamond for the Demon Deacons, starting games at second base, third base, shortstop and in centre field. While the majority of his time was spent at third, his speed could land him in the outfield long-term.
Offensively, King excels at putting the ball in play with impressive bat speed that helped him tap into some more power as he arrived at Wake Forest. He only struck out 34 times over 284 plate appearances this spring, which is particularly impressive based on his free-swinging approach.

King’s most standout tool is his speed. Given a 65 grade for his running by MLB Pipeline, the Athens, Ga. native only stole 11 bases but will commonly wreak havoc on the basepaths and use his speed to his advantage on defence, as well.

A College Catcher

The Blue Jays have been frequently linked to the group of college catchers who have a chance to go in the first round. Caleb Lomavita, Malcolm Moore and Walker Janek have all been connected to Toronto in the lead-up, with each bringing something different to the table.

Starting with Lomavita, the Honolulu, Hawaii native is perhaps the most well-round of the three. An excellent contact hitter and great athlete, Lomavita took strides defensively over the course of his college career at California and has hit at every stop along the way.
Janek is the best defender of the group, winning college baseball’s Buster Posey Award as the nation’s best catcher at Sam Houston State in 2024. Janek may not be as proven offensively as Lomavita and Moore, but he posted a career-best 1.185 OPS this spring.

Projected to go to Blue Jays in Baseball America’s Mock Draft on Friday, Moore has the longest track record of being a productive hitter. Playing two years at Stanford, the six-foot-two backstop smacked 31 home runs with a career .958 OPS. However, there are some questions about whether he can stick behind the plate or not, which could result in a long-term move to first base.
Tommy White
Position: 3B
Height: Six-foot-one | Weight: 228 lbs
2024 Stats: 66 G | .330 AVG | 24 HR | 70 RBI | 61 Runs | .401 OBP | .638 SLG


If you like homers, “Tommy Tanks” is your guy.

White arrived in the college ranks and set the record for most home runs (27) hit in a single season by a freshman in NCAA history. That was while he was at NC State, but after transferring to LSU for his sophomore and junior years, he didn’t slow down at all.
In three collegiate seasons, White hit 75 home runs, drove in 249 runs and posted a 1.123 OPS. Not only can White slug, but he also possesses a plus-hit tool that helped him strike out in less than 15 per cent of his plate appearances.

Simply put, the dude can hit.

However, there are some concerns with the rest of his game. White played third base throughout his time at LSU, but is graded as a well-below-average runner and is projected to end up as a first baseman as a professional. He could have the arm to play third at the next level, but likely won’t have the range to stick on the left side of the infield.

Brody Brecht
Position: RHP
Height: Six-foot-four | Weight: 235 lbs
2024 Stats: 15 GS | 78.1 IP | 4 W | 3.33 ERA | 128 SO | 49 BB | 1.21 WHIP | .165 BAA


Moving away from some of the college hitters, Brody Brecht is one of the more intriguing talents in this draft. The Athletic’s Keith Law also projected Brecht to land in Toronto on Friday.

Brecht arrived on campus at Iowa as a two-sport athlete and spent his sophomore year lining up at wide receiver for the Hawkeyes before shifting his focus to baseball full-time as a junior.

The six-foot-four righty has big stuff, which helped him post a 37.2 per cent strikeout rate in 2024 over 78.1 innings. His fastball sits anywhere from 96 to 99 m.p.h. with cutting action, and he’s worked up to 101. However, he struggles with commanding the heater, and he walked 49 hitters for Iowa.
Even with the elite fastball, Brecht’s slider is more commonly graded as the better pitch. It has a ton of horizontal movement, and according to Baseball America is the offering he throws most.

Jurrangelo Cijntje
Position: SHP
Height: Five-foot-11 | Weight: 200 lbs
2024 Stats: 16 GS | 90.2 IP | 8 W | 3.67 ERA | 113 SO | 30 BB | 1.10 WHIP | .211 BAA


One of the most unique draft prospects in recent memory, Cijntje enters the draft as a switch-pitcher with the ability to throw 90 m.p.h.-plus from both sides.

The five-foot-11 Curacao native is looking to become the first full-time ambidextrous pitcher to start in MLB in the modern era.
Cijntje spent two years at Mississippi State, and emerged as one of the top pitchers in the nation, striking out 113 hitters over 90.2 innings and 16 starts in 2024.

A natural lefty, Cijntje is more effective from the right side, sitting around 95 with his fastball while topping out at 99. He also throws a hard slider as a righty and would only flip around to throw with his left hand in certain left-on-left matchups.

His stuff still plays as a southpaw, throwing a 91 m.p.h. Heater and low-80s sweeper
 

Mike Jones

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OK - now I know what the beef against Biggio was and is. I just watched him take strike three (He didn't swing during the entire at-bat) while the runner on first was trying to steal second. The catcher catches the strike three pitch and guns down the baserunner at second completing the double play.

Wow!

Now I'm glad he's gone.
 

canucksfan

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OK - now I know what the beef against Biggio was and is. I just watched him take strike three (He didn't swing during the entire at-bat) while the runner on first was trying to steal second. The catcher catches the strike three pitch and guns down the baserunner at second completing the double play.

Wow!

Now I'm glad he's gone.
He looked quite promising in his first two years and then the power declined. First year .195 ISO and this year .088. With that, walks declined which was an important asset for him.
 
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TheMadHatTrick

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The Jays need to start putting guys on the market soon. Start with the free agents and then gauge the value of the others.

With some savvy trades (not that I have faith in Atkins) we could retool pretty quickly like the Yankees often do.
 

Mike Jones

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He looked quite promising in his first two years and then the power declined. First year .195 ISO and this year .088. With that, walks declined which was an important asset for him.
He used to have a really good eye but the three strikes in this at bat were right in the zone.
 

trellaine201

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Feb 10, 2010
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Honesty, Bo looks like he doesn’t want to be here. Deadline is probably not the best time to trade him, but he should be dealt in the off-season.
I wouldn't want to play under Atkins or Shapiro either despite them writing the cheques. And to think before this duo took over in TO they had a limited payroll in Cleveland from what I know and performed very well. They come here and pretty much waste away $240M.
 

hockeywiz542

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May 26, 2008
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– The free-falling Blue Jays will soon start their fire sale, while keeping Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rival GMs say the only player who will bring a significant return is starter Yusei Kikuchi. The Blue Jays’ bright future suddenly looks quite murky.

The Chicago Cubs have expressed interest in Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen.
 

TheMadHatTrick

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I'm in the keep Vlad camp. He seems to genuinely want to be here so if the price is right lock him up, shop Bo for the best package we can get, and put Leo at short.

He won't be the hitter Bo is/was but he's a better defender and not useless with the bat.

Man, we really need to hit on one or two of our picks the next three days. The farm system is looking ugly with all the injuries and the Orelvis suspension.
 

PanniniClaus

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I'm in the keep Vlad camp. He seems to genuinely want to be here so if the price is right lock him up, shop Bo for the best package we can get, and put Leo at short.

He won't be the hitter Bo is/was but he's a better defender and not useless with the bat.

Man, we really need to hit on one or two of our picks the next three days. The farm system is looking ugly with all the injuries and the Orelvis suspension.
The only way back is free agency or keep some of our own FA's. We will still need a pitching staff and none of that is coming from the minors. Need to buy two power bats which will come at a big cost.
 

TheMadHatTrick

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The only way back is free agency or keep some of our own FA's. We will still need a pitching staff and none of that is coming from the minors. Need to buy two power bats which will come at a big cost.
That's a tough road to follow.

If we maintain the same payroll as this year, we have about 88 million to spend.

However, Vlad is in his final year of arbitration which means he'll get around 25 million.

Varsho, Manoah, Pearson, Pop, Swanson, Romano, and Clement are also arbitration eligible, and even in the unlikely event that they receive no raises that's still about 21 million.

So that leaves us with around 40-50 million to spend while also having to replace or resign some of Jansen, Kikuchi, Yimi, Richards, Kiermeier, and Turner.

If we had the money I would do everything in our power to sign Soto. He'd have the biggest impact, he's buddies with Vlad, and he fills a glaring need for an elite bat. You can look for bargains to fill in the fringes but this team needs to go big and not miss like with Ohtani.
 
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