Blue Jays Discussion: The long, slow march of a winter off-season

[Discoverer]

That SF writer that gave an MVP vote to Pillar must be beside himself.

The funny thing is he's now saying Pillar would be a perfect fit on a contender as a "reserve/platoon" player. So... he sees him as a good bench player but gave him an MVP vote and thinks the Giants should have given him $10 million.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I wonder what Boras thinks about Sanchez getting non-tendered?

 

[hockeywiz542]

Sanders' departure creates questions for Blue Jays ahead of crucial draft - Sportsnet.ca

TORONTO – The Pirates’ front office overhaul has already cost the Blue Jays one of their top executives. Soon, it will cost them another.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and since confirmed by an industry source to Sportsnet, Blue Jays amateur scouting director Steve Sanders – considered by some a future GM – will be leaving the Blue Jays. His next job will be with Ben Cherington, the former Blue Jays executive who replaced Neal Huntington as Pittsburgh’s baseball ops leader last month.

While details of Sanders’ new role aren’t yet clear, it stands to reason that he’s joining the Pirates for a significant promotion such as assistant GM. According to a person close to the team, Cherington left the Blue Jays with an understanding that he wouldn’t deplete the Blue Jays’ front office unless a significant promotion was involved. That appears to be the case here.

Some in the industry consider Sanders a future GM candidate, too. His baseball operations career began a decade ago when he interned for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He later worked for the Red Sox under Cherington before joining the Blue Jays in the fall of 2016.

Senior VP of player personnel Tony LaCava mentored Sanders in Toronto and has extensive experience in amateur scouting, so it’s not as though the Blue Jays are completely depleted. The Blue Jays could rely on LaCava to guide the club’s amateur scouting efforts in 2020 or pair him with another emerging executive such as Sanders.

Either way, the stakes are high. The Blue Jays have the fifth overall pick in next year’s draft – a huge opportunity for the franchise to add an impact player, and the first time Toronto has picked this high since 1997. That selection led to Vernon Wells, underscoring the potential opportunity for Sanders’ replacement and the importance for the Blue Jays of finding the right successor.

 

[phillipmike]

If all the remaining arb guys get what they are estimated to get, the Jays will have roughly 63M committed to next season.

Got to think we got up to 40M to spend this off season. Maybe more if Giles is moved.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Tim Beckham, Domingo Santana, and Kevin Pillar non tenders.

A few recently good players non tendered in Addison Russell and Blake Treinen.

Jonathan Villar traded to Miami.

There's some crazy lottery tickets out there, Nelson being right near the top of the list. Gausman and Walker being right there too.

They won't touch Russell for obvious reasons. I'd have interest in Souza Jr., Shaw (minor league deal), Hernandez, Santana and Culberson.

 

[Longshot]

Anybody surprised by them tendering Drury? I thought they might go the other way with him.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Rosenthal: Wheeler will be a $100 million man; the market...

Oh, to be free-agent right-hander Zack Wheeler.

His stuff is elite. His career innings total is low. His recent durability is encouraging.

Any day now, he will be a $100 million man.

Wheeler, 29, has received at least one $100 million offer and will land a five-year deal in excess of that amount, according to major-league sources.

The White Sox, Twins, Reds, Rangers and Blue Jays are among the clubs pursuing Wheeler, who is the leading free-agent alternative to fellow right-handers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg even though his career ERA+ (ERA adjusted to park and league) is exactly league average.

A pitcher’s long-term health is difficult to predict. Teams craft narratives to justify whatever additions they make, believing what they want to believe. But the intense interest in Wheeler indicates that clubs view him as a No. 3 starter at worst, a No. 1 at best.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Without looking, can anyone guess who the longest tenured Blue Jay is. That being the guy on the 40 man roster who had the earliest appearance with the team in a MLB regular season/playoff game

 

[ShaneFalco]

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Without looking, can anyone guess who the longest tenured Blue Jay is. That being the guy on the 40 man roster who had the earliest appearance with the team in a MLB regular season/playoff game

Urena?

 

[Petes]

Jays should be all over this. Taking on Familia or Lowrie to get JD Davis or Dominic Smith would be a big win.

 

[ShaneFalco]

“The Jays are getting a head start on the shopping for next year,” Morosi said. “Two names to mention here: Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel.”
“It makes a lot of sense for the Jays to court both Keuchel and Ryu now,” Morosi said. “I’m told they’re both on their list … the Jays are generally very interested in finding some different veteran starting pitching and these are two names I’m told are on their list.”

Blue Jays interested in free agent pitchers Keuchel and Ryu: report | Offside

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Without looking, can anyone guess who the longest tenured Blue Jay is. That being the guy on the 40 man roster who had the earliest appearance with the team in a MLB regular season/playoff game

Richard Urena?

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Jays should be all over this. Taking on Familia or Lowrie to get JD Davis or Dominic Smith would be a big win.

Smith should be available, even without taking on a bad contract. He'd be on my list if they were looking for a LHH 1B.

 

[hoc123]

Without looking, can anyone guess who the longest tenured Blue Jay is. That being the guy on the 40 man roster who had the earliest appearance with the team in a MLB regular season/playoff game

Anthony Alford?

 

[Canada4Gold]

Urena?

Richard Urena?

Anthony Alford?

Alford is correct. First played in May 2017. Urena was September that year. Find it kind of funny that Alford who only has 59 career PA is our longest tenured Jay

 

[Puckstuff]

Jays should be all over this. Taking on Familia or Lowrie to get JD Davis or Dominic Smith would be a big win.

Unless they are willing to go big on a 1B/outfielder signing/trade (which seems unlikely) I’d take on one of those contracts for Davis and try and move Grichuck

 

[Amadeus]

I've always admired this management team from a distance. They've checked off all the boxes for me as of now except for one and that is to attract a top tier free agent.

We need to build our rotation.

 

[FreeBird]

I've always admired this management team from a distance. They've checked off all the boxes for me as of now except for one and that is to attract a top tier free agent.

We need to build our rotation.

Will this Team ever be able to Catch the Ball at a championship level.

 

[Longshot]

Jays should be all over this. Taking on Familia or Lowrie to get JD Davis or Dominic Smith would be a big win.

It's an interesting concept, but the idea of having $11 million of 2021 salary tied up in Familia gives me pause, although, I doubt $11 million one year would be a major obstacle for the team getting a major player. There are ways around it.

 

[LaPlante94]

Read that we're interested in Zack Wheeler. Is he any good?

 

[Amadeus]

Read that we're interested in Zach Wheeler. Is he any good?

Solid top 3 starter.

 

[Anthrax442]

Read that we're interested in Zack Wheeler. Is he any good?

Yes, but he will be overpaid

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I've always admired this management team from a distance. They've checked off all the boxes for me as of now except for one and that is to attract a top tier free agent.

We need to build our rotation.

I mean...they've drafted decently, or at least shown the ability to mine the draft for talent at an above average clip. I'd say they deserve about a C for the guys they've acquired that were at or near major league ready. Some pretty odd directions they've taken.

Just to summarize:
A+: drafting Bo, drafting Cavan
A: drafting Pearson,
A-: drafting Groshans\Kloffenstein
B+: Signing Sogard,
B: Teoscar trade, Grichuk trade, Kay\SWR for Stroman
B-: Signing Gurriel Jr., McGuire trade, Thornton trade, signing Hudson, Galvis signing,
C: (essentially everything not listed elsewhere...with C representing a neutral move)
D: McKinney\Drury for Happ, Grichuk contract, Fisher for Sanchez\Bagini+, Donaldson trade, TJ Zeuch draft, Solarte trade
F: Signing Morales

 

[Mach85]

I mean...they've drafted decently, or at least shown the ability to mine the draft for talent at an above average clip. I'd say they deserve about a C for the guys they've acquired that were at or near major league ready. Some pretty odd directions they've taken.

Just to summarize:
A+: drafting Bo, drafting Cavan
A: drafting Pearson,
A-: drafting Groshans\Kloffenstein
B+: Signing Sogard,
B: Teoscar trade, Grichuk trade, Kay\SWR for Stroman
B-: Signing Gurriel Jr., McGuire trade, Thornton trade, signing Hudson, Galvis signing,
C: (essentially everything not listed elsewhere...with C representing a neutral move)
D: McKinney\Drury for Happ, Grichuk contract, Fisher for Sanchez\Bagini+, Donaldson trade, TJ Zeuch draft, Solarte trade
F: Signing Morales

Pearson not an A+ with his status as perhaps the top SP prospect in the game?