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Blue Jays Discussion: Off-Season IV: Off-season progression! (Lockout over: Jays acquire Chapman for 4 prospects!)

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Bjindaho said:
If Toronto can get Chapman or Ramirez, then they can pivot to one of Freeman/Schwarber for balance.

I'm not sure RP is a need any more, but if we are interested, there are a couple of good FA options and there are trade options.
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RP is looking pretty good right now, especially if the FO finally just decides its time with Pearson (they wont).

CP - Romano
SU - Cimber
SU - Merryweather
RP - Richards
RP - Borucki
RP - Mayza
RP - Garcia
LRP - Stripling

I'd focus on a bench/OF bat to [hopefully] replace Grichuk (preferably a lefty) and a 3B.
 
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Olney said this morning the Blue Jays are still one of four teams in on Freddie Freeman, including the Dodgers, Yankees and Braves
 
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Discoverer said:
Neither do superstars with two years of insanely cheap control.

I think a deal could definitely get done without Moreno, but I would be shocked if it happened without at least Orelvis involved.
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I mean Trea got traded last season. Not the same level of star, but a star nonetheless. He got an older 55FV prospect (what I'd consider Orlevis), but it also included Scherzer, so it's not like he was able to bring in that type of prospect by himself. He needed arguably a top-5 pitcher in baseball to help bring it.

If you asked me I think Orlevis is the likely hold up on a JRam trade. They want a guy like that and are waiting until a team flinches. I hope the Jays don't do that, but I'd understand if they wanted to.
 
Morgs said:
RP is looking pretty good right now, especially if the FO finally just decides its time with Pearson (they wont).

CP - Romano
SU - Cimber
SU - Merryweather
RP - Richards
RP - Borucki
RP - Mayza
RP - Garcia
LRP - Stripling

I'd focus on a bench/OF bat to [hopefully] replace Grichuk (preferably a lefty) and a 3B.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping that we're getting Pearson as a scheduled long man in the pen so they can see if he's worth stretching out next year.
 
canucksfan said:
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Morgs said:
I mean Trea got traded last season. Not the same level of star, but a star nonetheless. He got an older 55FV prospect (what I'd consider Orlevis), but it also included Scherzer, so it's not like he was able to bring in that type of prospect by himself. He needed arguably a top-5 pitcher in baseball to help bring it.

If you asked me I think Orlevis is the likely hold up on a JRam trade. They want a guy like that and are waiting until a team flinches. I hope the Jays don't do that, but I'd understand if they wanted to.
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The second piece in that trade was a 50 FV, so I think that at least balances out the Scherzer side of it. So 1.5 years of Turner for about a 55 FV. In that context, I think 2 years of Ramirez for Orelvis+ makes sense.
 
The Phillies are in need of outfielders and the market is a little thin. I wonder if they might interested in Grichuk. Maybe we could grab a lottery ticket prospect or two from them
 
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theathletic.com

Blue Jays fill out starting rotation with signing of left-hander Yusei Kikuchi

Kikuchi owns a career 4.97 ERA, but there might be more upside in a left arm that averaged 95 mph on fastballs last season.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Colleague Aaron Gleeman wrote this on Kikuchi, who he ranked as the 19th-best free-agent pitcher this offseason: “Some days he looks like an impact arm, pairing a mid-90s fastball with two good off-speed pitches for 210 strikeouts in 204 innings since 2020. However, his velocity wavers from start to start and he leaves far too many fat pitches over the plate to get clobbered.”

Kikuchi’s fastball averaged 95 mph last year, with a 30.3 percent whiff rate. He has a cutter and slider, as well, that he uses often. He’s also got a developing changeup he went to just 10 percent of the time in 2021, but which held batters to a .176 batting average with a 39.6 percent whiff rate. The hard hits he allowed — the average exit velocity off him was 91.9 mph, among the worst in baseball — gives pause, but he’s also among the top starters at generating groundballs. The tools are there to be tinkered with.

Indeed, given his struggles last year and beyond, Kikuchi can be labeled as a project. And while it’s not fair to suggest Blue Jays pitching coaches have some kind of magical touch just because they’ve had recent success turning around downward trends with pitchers like Ray and Matz, at least we know the Blue Jays organization has identified projects worth betting on. Kikuchi, who has a 4.97 ERA over 70 career starts, has the upside of an impact arm but hasn’t been able to fully unlock it. The Blue Jays hope they can help him finally do that.

In the event he falters, Kikuchi presumably has the stuff to pitch out of the bullpen and Pearson — assuming he’s not traded — could be ready to take his place in the rotation. Perhaps the internal competition will even be a net positive for the club, pushing all its pitchers to perform to their best to keep their spots in the rotation.

With another starter checked off the front office’s to-do list, the focus will be finding an infielder, with a third baseman the club’s biggest remaining need. The club could stand to add a left-handed bat, as well, and while the Blue Jays reportedly signed reliever Andrew Vasquez to a big-league deal, per a Sportsnet report, the bullpen could use always use more reinforcements, too.

Given the nature of this offseason, those acquisitions will spill into spring training. But, for now, at least the Blue Jays’ rotation picture looks complete.

theathletic.com

The 2022 guide to ranking MLB’s top 25 free-agent starting pitchers

The free-agent market for starting pitchers is deep. Here are the top 25, with a look at their long-term and short-term projections.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

19. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP

Last team: Mariners
Age: 31

Kikuchi is just five months removed from being an All-Star, but he turned back into a pumpkin in the second half with a 5.98 ERA. Some days he looks like an impact arm, pairing a mid-90s fastball with two good off-speed pitches for 210 strikeouts in 204 innings since 2020. However, his velocity wavers from start to start and he leaves far too many fat pitches over the plate to get clobbered.
 
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Blue Jays signed C Tyler Heineman to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.​

 
Discoverer said:
The second piece in that trade was a 50 FV, so I think that at least balances out the Scherzer side of it. So 1.5 years of Turner for about a 55 FV. In that context, I think 2 years of Ramirez for Orelvis+ makes sense.
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I mean I think best case for them is they get that type of prospect. There's 0 precendent for Moreno, and I dont see out FO as the type overpay that huge. I think Martinez is probably the sticking piece the Jays *really* dont want to trade, but the chance of the Guardians getting a guy like him is less and less as the time continues.

If the Jays are completely unwilling, fine switch off to Chapman or Bryant and go from there or wait until the Guardians have no other choice.
 


Wonder if it takes LA out of the Villar sweepstakes.

Gomez said the Dodgers were interested in Villar yesterday in this old tweet;

 
phillipmike said:


Grichuk for Didi makes sense for both sides.
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No it doesn't.

If we move Randal, we either need to shed significant money or get someone who is a clear upgrade.

Didi costs more this year (0 vs 10.4 next) but is worse than Biggio and Espinal.

I still think we can do a lot better. For example, if Cincy is truly looking to shed payroll, I would buy Votto off them (with Grichuk being required to be in the deal)
 
Im confident in Shapiro, Atkins and especially in Walker. They have found a few diamonds in the rough. Glad to see they don't need to dumpster dive to fill out the roster, but some frugal moves are always welcomed.
 
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