Blue Jays Discussion: Spring Training V1.0 - The Jay Bruce almost became a Blue Jay Edition

[zeke]

Alford was a QB that didn't want to play baseball, but had 1st round MLB 5-tool talent. We signed him and let him play football, with him only spending a couple weeks in playing baseball every year.

But his football career fizzled as expected, and he had his first full year of baseball last year - and was awesome. His frontline stats were great, his underlying stats were great, and his athleticism gives him elite speed and defense upside. He's also built like a football player is built, so there seems to be power upside there as well.

If he had a longer track record, last year's performance would have made him a top 25 prospect at least.

 

[Discoverer]

What's the scouting report on this Alford guy? I hadn't of heard about him, but out of nowhere he's our top prospect?

He's been a pretty high profile guy since he was drafted. He fell to the third round because he wanted to play football, so the Jays signed him there and let him play college football. Fortunately for us, he sucked at it, so he left school prior to last season and had played his first full year of minor league ball, where he dominated at A and A+. The football thing is probably why he seems like an "out of nowhere" guy to some people.

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=prospects

The have him at #42 leaguewide, and he seems to be slotting into that same mid-100 range for all the major prospect evaluators.

 

[Apotheosis]

So athletic, good defence... if he added power I think we found a clone of Mike Trout lol.

 

[zeke]

Myself I would still just move everybody up while Travis is up, and bat Donaldson-Bautista-EE-Tulo as 1-2-3-4.

But really I have a hard time getting worked up about who hits where in the order. It's not a huge deal, especially with this lineup.

Here are what the candidates for leadoff have done the last 2yrs and their projections:

Tulo 909pa, 341babip, 376obp, 201iso (STM 334obp/181iso, 335obp/181iso)
Martin 967pa, 297babip, 364obp, 182iso (STM 331obp/178iso, ZIP 336obp/179iso)
Travis 238pa, 347babip, 361obp, 194iso (STM 324obp/147iso, ZIP 325obp/174iso)
Saunders 299pa, 323babip, 337obp, 156iso (STM 324obp/165iso, ZIP 322obp/172iso)
Cola 580pa, 373babip, 334obp, 180iso (STM 318obp/187iso, ZIP 308obp/186iso)
Smoak 604pa, 249babip, 288obp, 195iso (STM 312obp/181iso, ZIP 313obp/190iso)
Pillar 750pa, 310babip, 311obp, 123iso (STM 311obp/123iso, ZIP 306obp/135iso)
Pompey 146pa, 284babip, 295obp, 165iso (STM 322obp/126iso, ZIP 299obp/118iso)
Carrera 265pa, 343babip, 315obp, 095iso (STM 304obp/09fiso, ZIP 303obp/100iso
Barney 292pa, 262babip, 299obp, 117iso (STM 284obp/094iso, ZIP 287obp/098iso)
Goins 621pa, 282babip, 285obp, 097iso (STM 289obp/094iso, ZIP 280obp/091iso)

Note that a pillar-saunders platoon is a possibility too.

 

[Eyedea]

 

[canucksfan]

Can't wait for the season to start.

 

[TootooTrain]

I feel like I'm being punk'd.

 

[The Nemesis]

Can't wait for the season to start.

EDIT: and this wasn't even the full season. It was done in mid September

Also while I normally detest youtube comments:

"3/4 of the earth's surface is covered by water. The other 1/4 is covered by Kevin Pillar"

 

[theaub]

What I've learned from the past year: sports is a lot more fun when the GM's from your teams just say '**** it I'm going deep'

I feel like I'm being punk'd.

My second favourite moment of last season was ending up sitting beside Cliff Pennington's wife as Cliff Pennington pitched in a MLB playoff game.

 

[one77]

Travis 2B / Goins 2B
Donaldson 3B
Bautista RF
Encarnacion DH
Tulowitzki SS / Goins SS
Martin C / Thole C
Colabello 1B / Smoak 1B
Pillar CF
Saunders LF / Pompey LF

Stroman - Estrada - Happ - Dickey- Hutchison
-Chavez, Venditte, Loup, Cecil, Sanchez, Storen, Osuna

I could see Dickey getting traded and replaced by Sanchez. I would personally love for that to happen, I think Sanchez has some ace like stuff sometimes. Good potential. Same with Osuna but if he really wants to stay in the pen then leave him there.

 

[Edo]

RE: Leadoff.

Players need to take a different approach, and I'm sure the coaching staff will stress how important getting on base is. Not putting a bat like Tulowitzki's in the best possible situation to succeed and see him comfortable, would be idiotic just because you don't have any other option to lead off.

It was a bad idea last year. Would've been a horrible one this year. Look at who Kansas City had lead off. Yeah, the dude did absolutely kill it in the post season, but he was an average hitter. The team will be putting up runs regardless.

 

[zeke]

the team's best offensive month - by far - came when Tulo hit leadoff.

 

[GangGreen]

Would it be possible to get both Saunders and Pompey in the lineup, at the expense of Colabello/Smoak?
Pompey leads off and plays left, Saunders the DH bats 6th, and Edwin plays first?
Goins bats 9th, and when Travis returns, the decision can be made whether to bat him lead off or keep Pompey there.
So lineup to start would be;
Pompey
Donaldson
Bats
EE
Tulo
Saunders (or could swap with Tulo to break up righties)
Martin
Pillar
Goins/Travis

 

[Buckleys]

Would it be possible to get both Saunders and Pompey in the lineup, at the expense of Colabello/Smoak?
Pompey leads off and plays left, Saunders the DH bats 6th, and Edwin plays first?
Goins bats 9th, and when Travis returns, the decision can be made whether to bat him lead off or keep Pompey there.
So lineup to start would be;
Pompey
Donaldson
Bats
EE
Tulo
Saunders (or could swap with Tulo to break up righties)
Martin
Pillar
Goins/Travis

Assuming Pompey forces himself in, and Saunders has a strong showing, I would say the best way might be to move Bautista to 1B/DH and let him and Edwin play both.

Bautista is regressing in the outfield and I think the outfield defense would be significantly better.

 

[brandonlowi]

Assuming Pompey forces himself in, and Saunders has a strong showing, I would say the best way might be to move Bautista to 1B/DH and let him and Edwin play both.

Bautista is regressing in the outfield and I think the outfield defense would be significantly better.

I guess you missed those incredible plays last year where Bautista gunned down base runners looking for extra bases. Glad you're not managing the team.

 

[Schenn]

I guess you missed those incredible plays last year where Bautista gunned down base runners looking for extra bases. Glad you're not managing the team.

A couple of highlight reel throws doesn't necessarily outweigh depleting range and effectiveness in the outfield.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Was there for that Martin 3 run blast. What a crowd.

I also forgot how sexy The Bringer of Rains swing was. My god

 

[Buckleys]

I guess you missed those incredible plays last year where Bautista gunned down base runners looking for extra bases. Glad you're not managing the team.

One of those August fans that jumped on the bandwagon and saw some highlights are we?

Ignoring the decreasing range to actually get to the balls to make those few amazing throws?

And for the record, I'm sure glad I'm not managing the team either. I know my fair share about baseball but there is a reason why I'm not managing or an executive in anyway, so let's not try to pretend you're all knowing either.

 

[Swervin81]

Bautista's always had bad range. A killer arm was what kept him afloat as being just merely average to below average in the field, but his arm not only saw a down tick last year, but his range has now gotten so bad that even having prime Frencoeur's arm would not make up for it. He's now just plain bad in the field and is only gonna get worse.

Given Bautista's ridiculous demands, if Alford has another season like he did last year or even improves on it in AAA, it makes our decision real easy IMO.

 

[phillipmike]

My point is that he's so far and away the best defensive RF that he would still be elite in CF. Plenty of articles have surfaced over the years questioning why managers and organizations have refused to fully transition him to CF. Part of that reason is because his body profile is more suited to the corner, but his route efficiency and range is more than suitable or average for the position. Mike Trout is what, 6'2 230? I'm sure there's several other examples that I can't really bother to look up right now.

The 3 inches and 20 pounds that Heyward has on Trout isa big difference.

Plus Trout has player 95 percent of his minor league games in CF and 80% in the majors mostly due to Bourjos and Hunter in CF. Heyward has played a total 49 games (not full games) in CF in all levelz since being drafted.

There is no comparable to a player with Heyward's body type playing CF long term, and being an elite defender let alone be successful and healthy. I dont think Trout is a fair comparison at all. It would be a very new position for Heyward with more ground to cover unlike Trout who has been doing since he was drafted.

I think you are underestimating the toll playing CF can have on a player vs RF. Like i said there is no doubt that Heyward can do it once in awhile but i think the Cubs would be mistaken to move him there with the risk of declining player and injury eventhough he is probably their best defensive option in CF.

 

[brandonlowi]

One of those August fans that jumped on the bandwagon and saw some highlights are we?

Ignoring the decreasing range to actually get to the balls to make those few amazing throws?

And for the record, I'm sure glad I'm not managing the team either. I know my fair share about baseball but there is a reason why I'm not managing or an executive in anyway, so let's not try to pretend you're all knowing either.

lol, oh yah just started watching them. Hopefully one day I can be a real fan like you! Maybe then I can have no life and post on here. 3,000 posts? Come one man, go outside. I've watched the Jays since the early 90's. We're okay with Jose in RF and Gibby will agree. But, sure keep harping on the guy.

 

[TF97]

lol, oh yah just started watching them. Hopefully one day I can be a real fan like you! Maybe then I can have no life and post on here. 3,000 posts? Come one man, go outside. I've watched the Jays since the early 90's. We're okay with Jose in RF and Gibby will agree. But, sure keep harping on the guy.

Jose has been a below average right fielder for the last two seasons (or one if you're going by UZR/150), his arm being injured for a significant portion of last season did hurt his fielding ratings. But, this isn't about his arm, it is about his declining range and sometimes questionable decisions in the outfield. Add all those together and you have a declining outfielder who will only get worse as he ages.

On another note, I wouldn't mind seeing if Grady Sizemore would accept a MLC with an invite to spring training. His glove isn't much, but he is a decent left handed bat and he could potentially be a better fourth outfielder than Carrera if they want to have Dalton starting in AAA. There is also the Cleveland connection, so it could happen, you never know.

 

[TF97]

If you're looking for some pictures of Spring Training, John Lott puts them up daily on his flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lottonbaseball/

 

[Apotheosis]

Would you guys consider trading Jose? What return would you want?

 

[Suntouchable13]

Would you guys consider trading Jose? What return would you want?

A number 2 or 3 type of pitcher, preferably a number 2, and a prospect. Something that helps us win now, and something for the future.