OT: All-Purpose Sports Thread IV - EDWIN BAT DROP EDITION (NFL, MLB, etc.)

[GWNR]

Ya, Bautista sealed his fate these playoffs pretty emphatically - I don't see any way he is around next year.

Martin is so hit and miss with his offence. He was a premier hitter for a while, which coupled with his ability to take charge of the defensive side of the game, made him a top 5 catcher. He is still a gem on defence, and is one of the best with decision making and getting the most out of the pitchers. Worst case scenario going forward, he drops to 7 or 8 in the lineup, which is where the majority of catchers generally hit. I think he will be around for a while yet.

Moving forward, hopefully you keep EE. EE, Donaldson, Martin and Tulo are your veteran presence in the lineup.

Next year, IF we keep EE, which is a big IF, it could very well look like:

Travis (2B)
Donaldson (3B)
Edwing (1B/DH)
Tulo (SS)
Martin (C)
Smoak (1B/DH)
Pillar (CF)
Upton Jr (LF)
Carerra (RF)

Rotation guys:
Barney
Pompey
FA Catcher (GTFO Thole - too abd Navarro wont stay)
Another outfielder

Our pitching rotation should be pretty good. We will likely have a very similar look to this year, which is probably the best rotation in the AL, plus we have young guys that should get better (Stroman and Sanchez should only improve). However, Estrada and Happ may regress. We need a 5th guy, which will likely be a FA signing. Liriano is signed here through next year, so maybe it is:

Stroman
Estrada
Liriano
Sanchez
Happ

Really not that bad at all.

FA dollars will need to rebuild the bullpen, like every other year.

 

[Here I Pageau Again]

An injunction was filled to not allow the Cleveland Indians name and logo to be shown at tonight's game

Edit: was dismissed by the court.

Must win for the Jays tonight

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Come on Bautista. Don't prove me right.

He literally had the ball in his glove and it bounced out. That would have been a huge play.

 

[jason2020]

Moving forward, hopefully you keep EE. EE, Donaldson, Martin and Tulo are your veteran presence in the lineup.

Next year, IF we keep EE, which is a big IF, it could very well look like:

Travis (2B)
Donaldson (3B)
Edwing (1B/DH)
Tulo (SS)
Martin (C)
Smoak (1B/DH)
Pillar (CF)
Upton Jr (LF)
Carerra (RF)

Rotation guys:
Barney
Pompey
FA Catcher (GTFO Thole - too abd Navarro wont stay)
Another outfielder

Our pitching rotation should be pretty good. We will likely have a very similar look to this year, which is probably the best rotation in the AL, plus we have young guys that should get better (Stroman and Sanchez should only improve). However, Estrada and Happ may regress. We need a 5th guy, which will likely be a FA signing. Liriano is signed here through next year, so maybe it is:

Stroman
Estrada
Liriano
Sanchez
Happ

Really not that bad at all.

FA dollars will need to rebuild the bullpen, like every other year.

I get the sense Rogers is going to make massive payroll cuts players like Martin/Donaldson will be traded.

 

[Caeldan]

I swear.
Bautista acts like every pop fly is a homerun.

And if Rogers makes payroll cuts they're going to kill their sport cashcow.

 

[Here I Pageau Again]

I swear.
Bautista acts like every pop fly is a homerun.

And if Rogers makes payroll cuts they're going to kill their sport cashcow.

Yeah rogers would be seriously foolish to cut spending for the Jays. 50,000 ppl in the stadium tonight with cheapest tickets selling for $100.

But they have a new cashcow in Matthews.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Let's do this!

 

[DrEasy]

Another pathetic showing by Jays hitting. I have a feeling the hitting coach is not going to make it to the next season.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Another pathetic showing by Jays hitting. I have a feeling the hitting coach is not going to make it to the next season.

I think it has more to do with the personnel and the makeup of the lineup.

So the first half of the lineup, you have Travis (who was the only player on the team to hit .300) and he was doing a pretty good job of leading off. He gets injured, so now we have power hitters in the 1-5 slots. These guys, safe for Donaldson, aren't contact hitters. Martin hitting 4th or 5th is useless right now as he is swinging at balls in the dirt. Tulo has had a great stretch and can come up clutch but, like the rest of the team, he hasn't been anywhere near reliable this series. Donaldson is still an MVP caliber batting .444 this postseason.

The bottom half of the lineup, offensively, is a pretty big disaster. Zeke has been clutch this last stretch of games, but Upton and Smoak are basically auto-outs. Saunders, safe for his blast last night, has been ice cold in the second half of the season. Goins is a black hole. Navarro came off the bench last night and delivered a clutch single that sadly the rest of the team couldn't do anything with. And finally, Pillar swings at everything. A 3-pitch out.

This is a good team, but there needs to be some more balance. Out pitching is in good shape. Sanchez, Estrada, Stroman, Happ, Liriano. Patch some holes in the bullpen with UFA dollars. Dickey's 10 million id off the books next year. We need to sign Edwin. Use the money from Bautista to get a reliable contact hitter, and not another power swinger.

Jays also have some really good prospects, but I'm not sure they are ready. Barnes could be full time with the club next season, or at least see some extended call ups. Pompey is still promising too.

We don't need to dismantle this team by any extent, but some serious tweaks need to happen. We need a spark plug. If these changes happen, we could be in for another fun season next year.

Not to give up on the team tonight though. I'll still be watching.

 

[GWNR]

I think it has more to do with the personnel and the makeup of the lineup.

So the first half of the lineup, you have Travis (who was the only player on the team to hit .300) and he was doing a pretty good job of leading off. He gets injured, so now we have power hitters in the 1-5 slots. These guys, safe for Donaldson, aren't contact hitters. Martin hitting 4th or 5th is useless right now as he is swinging at balls in the dirt. Tulo has had a great stretch and can come oup clutch but he hasn't been anywhere near reliable this series. Donaldson is still an MVP caliber batting .444 this postseason.

The bottom half of the lineup, offensively, is a pretty big disaster. Zeke has been clutch this last stretch of games, but Upton and Smoak are basically auto-outs. Saunders, safe for his blast last night, has been ice cold in the second half of the season. Goins is a black hole. Navarro came off the bench last night and delivered a clutch single that sadly the rest of the team couldn't do anything with. And finally, Pillar swings at everything. A 3-pitch out.

This is a good team, but there needs to be some more balance. Out pitching is in good shape. Sanchez, Estrada, Stroman, Happ, Liriano. Patch some holes in the bullpen with UFA dollars. Dickey's 10 million id off the books next year. We need to sign Edwin. Use the money from Bautista to get a reliable contact hitter, and not another power swinger.

Jays also have some really good prospects, but I'm not sure they are ready. Barnes could be full time with the club next season, or at least see some extended call ups. Pompey is still promising too.

We don't need to dismantle this team by any extent, but some serious tweaks need to happen. If they do, we could be in for another fun season next year.

Not to give up on the team tonight though. I'll still be watching.

I agree.

I think you try and keep EE for sure. Combine what you paid Bautista with what you paid EE this year (24M) and offer EE something around that.

Use everything else to find a contact hitter and rebuild the bullpen.

Travis, Donaldson, Edwin, Tulo is a great 1-4. Pillar is a contact guy, just in a real cold streak, so he'll be in the bottom 5. Add in another contact guy with Russ in the bottom 5 and you can have more consistent production

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

I've always been a huge Joey Bats fan, and defended even when he ran his mouth off about hometown discounts and the more recent "conspiracies" outburst...

...but when he flubbed that catch at the wall, I was ready to move on from him. Yeah, it was a harder catch, but he's a former golden glove, that's a catch he has to make. He makes it and the entire complexion of the game changes.

 

[jason2020]

I swear.
Bautista acts like every pop fly is a homerun.

And if Rogers makes payroll cuts they're going to kill their sport cashcow.

There has been rumors of major payroll cuts for the last couple years so time will tell but many think this year could be when those cuts happen.

 

[Caeldan]

Donaldson getting pitched around, time for EE to show them who is boss!
(I have no idea if I'm behind because I'm stuck on a live tracker now...)

Also, I swear every 7th inning this series the Jays have an opportunity to blow the game open. Let's hope this time they do it.

edit: And the break the streak of no multi-run innings for Cleveland at around 70something

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

There has been rumors of major payroll cuts for the last couple years so time will tell but many think this year could be when those cuts happen.

Ed Rogers would be insane if he does it. Leading attendance in the AL, I can't imagine how much merch they sell now.

 

[Caeldan]

One out away and new life for tomorrow.
Also 4pm starts suck

 

[Langdon Alger]

One out away and new life for tomorrow.
Also 4pm starts suck

I don't mind them when there's a Sens game the same night.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

One out away and new life for tomorrow.
Also 4pm starts suck

Do they actually want people to watch? I got home and caught the 7th inning on at least.

I know playoff baseball games frequently happen on back to back days so you can't simply stagger the AL and NLCS one per day, but 4pm is terrible for the majority of fans. TV rules all.

Edit: And then the World Series will be at 8pm EST no matter what teams play, or where. Sucks for western teams, 5pm home starts in the World Series is ludicrous.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Jesus I actually agree with Gregg Zaun. They didn't need Osuna. He played yesterday and likely tomorrow. Could have thrown in Liriano or (shudder) Loup.

 

[GWNR]

1 down, 3 to go

 

[DrEasy]

Jesus I actually agree with Gregg Zaun. They didn't need Osuna. He played yesterday and likely tomorrow. Could have thrown in Liriano or (shudder) Loup.

Or even Tepera.

 

[GWNR]

Jesus I actually agree with Gregg Zaun. They didn't need Osuna. He played yesterday and likely tomorrow. Could have thrown in Liriano or (shudder) Loup.

I'm not too worried.

He threw 15 pitches on Monday and 10 last night. 25 in 2 days is nothing to worry over.

I'm more concerned by the number of pitches thrown, the number of days he goes in.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

I'm not too worried.

He threw 15 pitches on Monday and 10 last night. 25 in 2 days is nothing to worry over.

I'm more concerned by the number of pitches thrown, the number of days he goes in.

Ah, very good point.

Did you hear Bautista's comment about the rookie pitcher going today? Merritt will be "shaking in his boots"

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I'm not too worried.

He threw 15 pitches on Monday and 10 last night. 25 in 2 days is nothing to worry over.

I'm more concerned by the number of pitches thrown, the number of days he goes in.

I think the most of Zaun's point was just facing the batters where the batters get a first hand look at his pitches...

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Ah, very good point.

Did you hear Bautista's comment about the rookie pitcher going today? Merritt will be "shaking in his boots"

Dumb thing to say.

I'll forgive him if he goes 4/4 with with a few RBIs

 

[GWNR]

Ah, very good point.

Did you hear Bautista's comment about the rookie pitcher going today? Merritt will be "shaking in his boots"

I think I speak for the fan base when I said "Jose, shut your god damn mouth and let your play do the talking"

He has been absolute **** this postseason and no one is shaking in their boots when he is up, plain and simple.