Blue Jays Discussion: Off-Season Pt VIII: Spring approaches and less (fewer) things are happening

[Discoverer]

2 years with an option for a 3rd - should have grabbed him

Apparently it's a player option, which basically makes it a three year deal for the Mets.

 

[BlueForever75]

Apparently it's a player option, which basically makes it a three year deal for the Mets.

I bet that is what got him there. The 3rd year option being his and not teams. Oh well good for him, would have loved him in Toronto but ce la vie.

 

[phillipmike]

Such a strange signing in my eyes for the Mets. Did they really need more pitching and to commit 3 years to someone with such a unreliable history?

Dont get me wrong, it could work out very well for both sides but i wonder if the Mets are cutting themselves off at the knees. That's $10M less they have to spend to re-sign Lindor, Conforto, Syndergaard, and Stroman with Cano's $24M coming back on the books.

With Walker pretty much getting 3 years, that means Odorizzi is getting at least that so he likely isnt an option for us. Perhaps Porcello or Leake on a 1 year deal?

 

[Nineteen67]

They finally have major league training facilities.

 

[BlueForever75]

Such a strange signing in my eyes for the Mets. Did they really need more pitching and to commit 3 years to someone with such a unreliable history?

Dont get me wrong, it could work out very well for both sides but i wonder if the Mets are cutting themselves off at the knees. That's $10M less they have to spend to re-sign Lindor, Conforto, Syndergaard, and Stroman with Cano's $24M coming back on the books.

With Walker pretty much getting 3 years, that means Odorizzi is getting at least that so he likely isnt an option for us. Perhaps Porcello or Leake on a 1 year deal?

I would rather "Stand Pat" and do nothing else. Porcello and Leake arent better then what we already have. The Jays will piece together a rotation with Ryu, Pearson, Ray, Matz, Roark and Stripling. To be honest it would have been nice to bring Walker or Odorizzi in but at what they are asking and going to receive its better to save our bullets for later. Lets see what we have. We have a sure thing in Ryu and if Pearson can become 75% of what they project him to be that is a solid #2. The wildcards are going to be Ray, Matz, Roark and Stripling. All 4 of them have been successful in the past, we just need 2 of the 4 to be solid, eat innings with the 3rd being passable. With our offence, if it clicks like its expected we should be able to provide enough runs to be in every game.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[phillipmike]

Manoah lost a lot of weight

Before:

After:

 

[phillipmike]

I would rather "Stand Pat" and do nothing else. Porcello and Leake arent better then what we already have. The Jays will piece together a rotation with Ryu, Pearson, Ray, Matz, Roark and Stripling. To be honest it would have been nice to bring Walker or Odorizzi in but at what they are asking and going to receive its better to save our bullets for later. Lets see what we have. We have a sure thing in Ryu and if Pearson can become 75% of what they project him to be that is a solid #2. The wildcards are going to be Ray, Matz, Roark and Stripling. All 4 of them have been successful in the past, we just need 2 of the 4 to be solid, eat innings with the 3rd being passable. With our offence, if it clicks like its expected we should be able to provide enough runs to be in every game.

If they come at or around $5M, couldnt hurt. Added depth in case someone gets hurt, and they are better than Payamps who is currently on the 40 man roster.

If the Jays did nothing, it isnt the end of the world but grabbing another dependable arm for nothing but money cant hurt.

 

[theaub]

Manoah lost a lot of weight

Before:


After:

A whole lot of BSOTL so far in camp.

 

[dredeye]

Such a strange signing in my eyes for the Mets. Did they really need more pitching and to commit 3 years to someone with such a unreliable history?

Dont get me wrong, it could work out very well for both sides but i wonder if the Mets are cutting themselves off at the knees. That's $10M less they have to spend to re-sign Lindor, Conforto, Syndergaard, and Stroman with Cano's $24M coming back on the books.

With Walker pretty much getting 3 years, that means Odorizzi is getting at least that so he likely isnt an option for us. Perhaps Porcello or Leake on a 1 year deal?

Gives them a starter until THOR IS ready mid summer. They’ll lose pitching in the off season. 3 of their starters are former jays lol

 

[Discoverer]

A whole lot of BSOTL so far in camp.

I usually scoff at this kind of stuff, but the differences for Vlad, Kirk, and Manoah are pretty staggering.

Though, at the same time, pictures only show so much. We used to see pictures of a svelte-looking Sandoval every spring, and then by the time we actually saw him in a game he looked the same as he always had.

 

[phillipmike]

To me that reads "if any remaining free agent wants to sign, or any team wants to make a trade, with the Jays, our offers arent going to increase - so make up your mind."

 

[showtime8]

To me that reads "if any remaining free agent wants to sign, or any team wants to make a trade, with the Jays, our offers arent going to increase - so make up your mind."

Yeah, I'm with you on that one. It leaves them open to sign someone or do nothing at all. Very open ended comment. You also don't want to crap on any of the current guys that are pushing for a starting spot in case they don't actually sign anyone and then have to come back and say how much you trusted Matz and Stripling and Roark.

 

[phillipmike]

ZiPS 2021 Top 100 Prospects

9. Nate Pearson
24. Austin Martin
26. Alejandro Kirk

(Inset Vince McMahon gif 1 here)

32. Simoen Woods-Richardson

(Inset Vince McMahon gif 2 here)

80. Jordan Groshans

(Inset Michael Scott gif here)

99. Orelvis Martinez

Based on this list, im willing to trade Kirk for Julio Rodriguez, SWR for Patino and Groshans for Lewis.

 

[phillipmike]

Got worried, thought we signed him to an extension.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[Kurtz]

Man, I'm not seeing what they're seeing with the White Sox.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[hockeywiz542]

Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins sees many benefits to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s weight loss - TSN.ca

DUNEDIN, Fla. — General manager Ross Atkins can't wait to see slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s busy off-season translate on the baseball field this year for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Guerrero spent a lot of his time shedding weight, certainly looking fit and fit and trim in pictures posted on his Instagram account. The 21-year-old has reportedly dropped 40 pounds from last season.

That certainly bodes well for the Blue Jays, who have pitchers and catchers arriving at camp this week. The team's first full-squad workout is set for Monday.

"It's incredible to see the smile on his face, the shape he's in, how his routine has developed and how it's become his own," Atkins said of Guerrero on Friday during a Zoom call with reporters. "Every day this off-season he's got better, he looks great, he's in a really good position."

"I'm really excited to see how that's going to impact every aspect of his game this year."

The six-foot-two Guerrero, whose weight is listed at 250 pounds, had nine home runs and 33 runs batted in last year while appearing in all 60 of Toronto's games. The Jays posted a 32-28 record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to secure the eighth and final spot in the expanded American League playoffs before losing to Tampa Bay.

......................

"Vladdy is special," Atkins said. "What he's able to do with his athleticism when he's maximizing it and his swing are really fun to watch."

Atkins can see Guerrero's off-season work paying off in 2021.

"If you think about the reps it takes and how many swings they (hitters) will take before they get into a batter's box . . . so much of it is about the athleticism that you can repeat," he said. "So the better shape you're in, the more repeatable things are going to be because you're able to repeat them more in your practice."

"Hitting is in some ways, and I think, is harder to evaluate, assess and project and predict or study than pitching because it's so dynamic and you don't know what the hitter's thinking. You always know what they (pitchers) were trying to do, based on the outcome, where the catcher is set up . . . but with a hitter you don't."

The expectation is Guerrero will see time at third base during spring training. He was used exclusively at first and as a designated hitter last year.

 

[phillipmike]

MLB offseason grades: Yankees lack urgency; Mets, Dodgers, Padres get high marks; Cubs, Red Sox underwhelm

Blue Jays

The Blue Jays went after plenty of big names this offseason. Ultimately, the club's big get turned out to be the signing of outfielder George Springer to a six-year, $150 million deal. It's an automatic upgrade on both offense and defense for the Jays. They also acquired infielder Marcus Semien along with relievers Kirby Yates, Tyler Chatwood and David Phelps, which should help after losing closer Ken Giles via free agency. Toronto needed starting pitching, and without the addition of a frontline starter, that might become a weak spot in 2021. A lot is going to fall on the club's top starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Nate Pearson. As far as starting pitching goes, the Jay's notable additions included lefties Robbie Ray and Steven Matz. GRADE: A-

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Hoverhand]

I think they should bring Leake to camp, good to fair chance he looks better than a couple of our starters in spring training. I'd just forget about Porcello all together, hard contact machine and the wheels are starting to fall off of him.

 

[Lightsol]

I think they should bring Leake to camp, good to fair chance he looks better than a couple of our starters in spring training. I'd just forget about Porcello all together, hard contact machine and the wheels are starting to fall off of him.

Did Porcello ever HAVE wheels? It seems to me like he was meh with the Tigers, and only was considered "good" because Red Sox.

 

[phillipmike]

Atta boy Kratz!

 

[phillipmike]

Man, I'm not seeing what they're seeing with the White Sox.

I think some guys are too high but i kind of see at least 8 guys on the list making sense. They have great individual talent;

Grandal: 2nd best catcher in the game? MVP votes in 2019
Abreau: Just won the MVP, 3 sliver sluggers
Anderson: 7th in SS fWAR over the last 2 seasons; 3rd best wRC+, MVP votes and a silver slugger
Moncada: 5th in 3B WAR over the last 2 seasons; 6th best wRC+, MVP votes in 2019
Jimenez: 17th in OF fWAR, 140 wRC+ last season, Silver slugger last year
Robert: 23rd in OF fWAR, 101 wRC+ last season, Gold glove winnner and 2nd in RoY

Lynn: 5th in starter fWAR over the last 2 seasons + most innings pitched - Top 6 in Cy Young voting in 19 and 20
Giolito: Top 7 in Cy Young votes in the last 2 years. 7th in starter fWAR over the last 2 seasons + most innings pitched
Hendriks: Got Cy young and MVP votes. Arguably the best reliever in baseball last year, best fWAR over the last 2 seasons among relievers. I'd like to say Kirby Yates was 2nd.

And imagine if they kept Fernando Tatis Jr.?

Id say the only guy that probably doesnt deserve to be there right now is Robert but he has unreal potential. He will earn it this year.

 

[canucksfan]

I am surprised they haven't released a Spring Training TV schedule yet. Hopefully, we get to watch a decent amount of games.