Blue Jays Discussion: Off-Season V: Baseball's back and so are blockbusters (Jays send 4 prospects to A's for 3B Matt Chapman)

[weems]

Berrios starting

 

[inthe6ix]

If somehow, we get the Biggio from the first two years, he's the first guy on the list of WAR from 2019-2020:

Major League Leaderboards - 2019 to 2020 - Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

www.fangraphs.com

.240/.368/.430 definitely will play in this lineup.

Agreed, and is the upgrade from Biggio to JRam worth the cost of our top prospects that would have to go the other way in order to acquire him? Better to see what we have with Biggio first and see if he can bounce back.. then make a move later in the season or at the deadline, if needed.

 

[Bjindaho]

Agreed, and is the upgrade from Biggio to JRam worth the cost of our top prospects that would have to go the other way in order to acquire him? Better to see what we have with Biggio first and see if he can bounce back.. then make a move later in the season or at the deadline, if needed.

I could have swore that one of the insiders posted something about Ramirez telling Cleveland that he isn't comfortable playing 2B after 2018.

I think Ramirez would fit spectacularly as a player (because he seems to get along well with some of the guys) and his bat fits very well.

I'm still not sold on 3C and think Reese might get DFA'd.

Springer - Bichette - Vladdy - Teo - Chapman - Bird - Jansen - Biggio - Gurriel ?

With Kirk spelling Bird against lefties and catching one of the starters regularly.

 

[Discoverer]

I could have swore that one of the insiders posted something about Ramirez telling Cleveland that he isn't comfortable playing 2B after 2018.

I think Ramirez would fit spectacularly as a player (because he seems to get along well with some of the guys) and his bat fits very well.

I'm still not sold on 3C and think Reese might get DFA'd.

Springer - Bichette - Vladdy - Teo - Chapman - Bird - Jansen - Biggio - Gurriel ?

With Kirk spelling Bird against lefties and catching one of the starters regularly.

Kirk needs more playing time (maybe catch two of the starters and split DH time with Bird instead of just against lefties) but otherwise I'm on board. Also, Gurriel should be after Chapman in that lineup (or at least after Bird, depending how the rest of his spring goes), since Gurriel's a good hitter and that gets the high-OBP, strong baserunner into the 9 spot, which I think is a great fit.

Espinal gets tons of playing time there, too (in some kind of platoon with Biggio and spelling Bichette/Chapman here and there), which is great.

 

[Griffin76]

Good bye sweet prince.

 

[phillipmike]

MLB offseason superlatives: Most improved teams, worst trade, best contract

Here are my 30 picks for the best, worst and everything in between from this offseason, including the best contracts, GMs and team showings.

theathletic.com

Best offseason in the American League: The Blue Jays … because they signed one of their best starting pitchers, José Berríos, to a seven-year contract extension, then signed free agents Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi to improve an already strong rotation. The icing on the cake: acquiring Matt Chapman, who’s arguably the best defensive third baseman in the sport.

Best contract value: The Blue Jays, for their three-year, $36 million contract with Kikuchi. The best part of the deal: They get him at a bargain rate of $10 million per year in 2023 and ’24 after agreeing to pay him $16 million in ’22.

 

[phillipmike]

AL East Preview: The Talented Blue Jays Have Unfinished Business

In honor of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, which starts April 7 — and is actually a thing! — FiveThirtyEight will be focusing our attention on the most …

fivethirtyeight.com

Mainly, though, 2022 is about whether Toronto can finally capitalize on the seemingly endless potential of its young homegrown stars like Guerrero — who is in much better shape nowthan he was going into last year’s 48-homer campaign — as well as its new additions like Chapman. The talent is there for the franchise’s first World Series run since winning back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993 — but that was also true last season, at least if you believed the numbers. Now the Blue Jays will get a chance to complete that unfinished business from a year ago and turn their potential into reality.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

 

[canucksfan]

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

delete

 

[dangomon]

In all fairness to Baltimore, their salary is actually closer to 55 million. Chris Davis being paid 7 million less than the entire (active) Baltimore roster..

 

[Bjindaho]

In all fairness to Baltimore, their salary is actually closer to 55 million. Chris Davis being paid 7 million less than the entire (active) Baltimore roster..

That's actually their payroll WITH Chris Davis

2025 Baltimore Orioles Payroll Table

An updated look at the Baltimore Orioles 2025 payroll table, including team totals, retained figures, and complete breakdowns of player salaries, and bonuses.

www.spotrac.com

24.7 on their actual roster. He re-structured his remaining contract.

Pittsburgh's is actually less because Vasquez is suspended with little chance of being re-activated or ever sniffing his 10M.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Toronto Blue Jays try out new pitch-calling device

March 23, 2022

CBC News: The National

The Toronto Blue Jays are testing some new technology during spring training: a pitch-calling device that allows the catcher to wirelessly transmit a signal to the pitcher, preventing sign-stealing attempts and speeding up the pace of play.
NOTE: At 1:30 in this video, there is an extraneous date stamp.

 

[phillipmike]

Ranking MLB's 10 best infields: Blue Jays, Dodgers, Red Sox battle for No. 1 after latest moves

The dust has (mostly) settled on MLB's frantic two-part offseason; so who has the best infield?

www.cbssports.com

T1. Toronto Blue Jays: 16.7 projected WAR
Believe it or not, we have a tie (with the Dodgers) for first place, right down to the decimal.

The Dodgers have added Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner since last trade deadline, helping make up for their winter loss of Corey Seager. The Blue Jays, for their part, now have Matt Chapman in tow following last week's trade. The strongest spot on either team belongs to Turner and the Dodgers' shortstop spot; the weakest, conversely, goes to Cavan Biggio, Toronto's expected starting second baseman.

The Blue Jays' infield is arguably more exciting, given the presence of young stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Still, if we had to pick one or the other, we'd give the nod to the Dodgers because of their outstanding depth. The Dodgers can call upon Chris Taylor and Gavin Lux, or top prospects Michael Busch and Miguel Vargas as needed. Santiago Espinal did nice work last season, but he isn't as established as Taylor. Toronto does have quality prospects Jordan Groshans and Orelvis Martinez nearing the majors, though their next games at the Triple-A level will be their first.

However you break the tie, this much is undeniable: the Dodgers and Blue Jays should both have outstanding infields this season.

MLB's top 50 prospects 2022: Ranking Adley Rutschman, Bobby Witt Jr. and the rest of baseball's young talent

Here are the best prospects in baseball as we head into the 2022 season

www.cbssports.com

9. Gabriel Moreno, C, Blue Jays (Age: 21)​

Moreno won't turn 22 years old until February, and he's caught fewer than 200 professional games so far because of the pandemic and a fractured thumb. Even so, his upside and progress on both sides of the ball make him a highly promising backstop prospect. Moreno hit .367/.434/.626 eight home runs in 37 games across three levels last season; he then appeared in 22 games in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .329/.410/.494 with a walk for every strikeout. In addition to adding strength at the plate, Moreno has improved his receiving capabilities behind it. The eventual implementation of the automated ball-strike system might render some of his work moot, but it speaks well of his eagerness to get better -- and his chances for stardom.

Martin is 39th but Orelvis didnt make the top 50.

MLB breakout candidates: One player from all 30 teams who's ready to step up in 2022

Hope springs eternal, and there's some reason to believe in all 30 of these players

www.cbssports.com

Blue Jays

Yusei Kikuchi, LHP: Maybe it's nonsensical to include a player who made the All-Star Game last season, but Kikuchi finished the season with a 94 ERA+. That raised his career figure to 86. The Blue Jays made a $36 million bet they can get more from his left arm. We think they might. Michael Ajeto, one of the better public-facing pitching analysts going, explained how on Baseball Prospectus .

 

[Leaf Rocket]

View attachment 520669

oddly satisfying

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

Berrios is likely the Opening Day starter, so this isnt profound but this might be some indication that he has been told he will get the bump on OD.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Berrios is likely the Opening Day starter, so this isnt profound but this might be some indication that he has been told he will get the bump on OD.

Pretty obvious what the plan is with how they've set it up. Berrios went first. Then Gausman was supposed to pitch day 2 but pitched a simulated game instead. Then Ryu is supposed to go in 2 days I think. Manoah went on the 4th day of spring, and was followed by Kukuchi. With a normal spring the order initially doesn't matter so much. With about 3 weeks it's pretty clear they had an order from the start

I'd be shocked if it was anything other than Berrios, Gausman, Ryu, Manoah, Kikuchi. Whether they tack a 6th guy on at the end of that who knows.

 

[weems]

Jays would be stupid to deal Martinez at this point.

Kid has special power and superstar upside.

 

[theaub]

Orelvis smash but he definitely missed third base lol

 

[phillipmike]

 

[Morgs]

Easy upgrade over Bird

 

[dredeye]

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article259612989.html

View attachment 520557

Can’t see why they would trade Teo unless he was asking for a ridiculous contract extension and/or the pitcher was too good to be true like Sandy or Rogers.

It’s likely the later