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Blue Jays Discussion: No longer the off-season. It's time for real baseball

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Discoverer said:
1 for 1. Who's next?

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That was a given the moment they re-signed him. He's a Montoyo favorite, and ultimately becomes another FLEX option on your bench with ability to play 1B, 2B, SS, 3B and corner OF. He has had reps at all positions throughout his career.

As long as they keep him as a late game defensive replacement, bench bat (situational replacement), and spot starter for resting players. I am more then ok with this.

Someone needs to let Montoyo know though that this should be the plan.
 
BlueForever75 said:
That was a given the moment they re-signed him. He's a Montoyo favorite, and ultimately becomes another FLEX option on your bench with ability to play 1B, 2B, SS, 3B and corner OF. He has had reps at all positions throughout his career.

As long as they keep him as a late game defensive replacement, bench bat (situational replacement), and spot starter for resting players. I am more then ok with this.

Someone needs to let Montoyo know though that this should be the plan.
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Ultimately, I get it - they can keep Panik with Espinal as depth or keep Espinal and lose Panik - and it doesn't make much difference in the long run.

He hasn't had reps at all positions throughout his career, though. He's exclusively a 2B who the Jays are plugging in wherever they need him. Prior to joining the Jays he had played 9 innings at 1B... and that's it. None at SS. None at 3B. None in the OF.
 
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Rick Porcello Should Have A Job By Now
That’s not the most enthusiastic endorsement of a free-agent pitcher, but it describes someone who could help a lot of teams. The Diamondbacks, Reds, Athletics, Cardinals and Giants have all lost at least one member of their projected rotation to injury this spring. Porcello’s presence wouldn’t be a quick fix, since he’s missed enough of spring training that he would need to build up before appearing in a regular-season game. But some of those holes are will still exist in a month or so, and they aren’t the only ones. Hopeful contenders like the White Sox, Red Sox, and Cleveland all have question marks in the back of their rotations, and there enough injury questions with teams like the Yankees, Blue Jays and Angels that a durable pitcher like Porcello could mean a lot down the stretch.
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Discoverer said:
Ultimately, I get it - they can keep Panik with Espinal as depth or keep Espinal and lose Panik - and it doesn't make much difference in the long run.

He hasn't had reps at all positions throughout his career, though. He's exclusively a 2B who the Jays are plugging in wherever they need him. Prior to joining the Jays he had played 9 innings at 1B... and that's it. None at SS. None at 3B. None in the OF.
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Played SS, 3B and 2B with Jays last season. Could have sworn he played OF as well. But I guess not.
 
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Panik games played at which positions last season.
 
Discoverer said:
Top 10 for both RF and LF would surprise me. Aren't projections still pretty low on Gurriel?
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Fangraph's Position Ranking:

2021 Positional Power Rankings: Catcher: Tied for 4th, 0.4 fWAR behind 2nd place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: First Base: Tied for 5th, 0.4 fWAR behind 2nd
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Second Base: 4th place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Shortstop: 5th place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Third Base: 9th place

Pretty much top 5 at every infield position. I expect LF and RF to be top 10 and CF to be top 3, DH maybe, top 7. Starters will be top 15 and the bullpen somewhere around there.

Jays ranked 9th at 3B is a positive in my eyes as everyone above us is star player; Ramirez, Bregman, Rendon, Chapman, Machado, Donaldson, Arenado, and Devers. Outside of maybe an injured Donaldson or an off year from Devers, you cant ask for much better.

The Jays ranked ahead of guys like Turner, Moncada, Bryant, and Urshela is a big positive.
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Seems like we were pretty accurate. Jays were 3rd in CF, 10th in LF and 15th in RF which is extremely low for Hernandez. Though the difference between 16th and 10th in RF is 0.3 fWAR, something Hernandez and Grichuk could crush.

Fangraph's Position Ranking:

2021 Positional Power Rankings: Catcher: Tied for 4th, 0.4 fWAR behind 2nd place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: First Base: Tied for 5th, 0.4 fWAR behind 2nd
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Second Base: 4th place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Shortstop: 5th place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Third Base: 9th place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Right Field: Tied 15th place. 0.3 fWAR behind 10th
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Center Field: 3rd place
2021 Positional Power Rankings: Left Field: 10th place, 0.5 fWAR behind 5th

Jays are top 5 at 5 positions. Top 10 at 2 and middle of the pack at RF but could easily jump into the top 10.
 
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Watch for these dark horse MVP candidates
George Springer -- OF, Blue Jays
Key number: 154 wRC+ since start of 2019 (T-7th highest in MLB)
Springer will almost certainly play a huge role if the Blue Jays really do make a run at the AL East title. Toronto’s bats are the biggest reason why it could do just that, and there’s a possibility that Springer is the perfect catalyzing addition atop the lineup. Springer has legitimately been a top-10 slugger in baseball across the last two years (that’s pretty much after the Astros’ sign-stealing hijinks occurred, if you’re scoring at home) and his signature leadoff power could have substantial ripple effects down the lineup to Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, Teoscar Hernández and on down the line. I think Springer is the perfect veteran addition at the perfect time, and an upstart Blue Jays narrative will push his MVP candidacy over the top.
-- Matt Kelly
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Bo Bichette -- SS, Blue Jays
Key number: 138 career OPS+
It doesn’t get much more dark horse-y than Bichette, who isn’t even the first selection here from his own team (see above: Springer, George). An elite prospect not too long ago, he’s somehow gotten lost in the hoopla surrounding the Blue Jays’ lineup additions of Springer and Marcus Semien, the continued hype that follows Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the justified adoration of rookie Alejandro Kirk. A big reason for that? While Bichette already is entering his third big league campaign at the age of 23, he actually has not played all that much in his first two years.
A late-July debut in 2019 and a right knee sprain last season have limited Bichette to just 75 career games so far. His performance when on the field, however, has been very good: .307/.347/.549 with 27 doubles, 16 homers and 44 RBIs. Consider that among all shortstops with at least 300 career plate appearances by their age-22 season in the Modern Era, Bichette’s 138 OPS+ ranks tied for fourth with Carlos Correa and Arky Vaughan. The names ahead of him? Fernando Tatis Jr. (154), Rogers Hornsby (150) and Corey Seager (139). That is quite an accomplished list, and it’s worth recognizing that Bichette’s number likely would be even higher if not for a disappointing end to 2020 after his return from the injury.
By the looks of his performance since ramping up this spring, including two opposite-field homers Wednesday, Bichette is ready to hit the ground running this season. The Blue Jays should have an impressive offense, but if they’re really going to make noise and another postseason push, it’ll be because their young shortstop puts it all together.
-- Jason Catania
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