Blue Jays Discussion: Winter Discontent II: Discontent Harder

[hoc123]

signing jdm would be a confusingly awesome/awful move.

Explain?

 

[Woodman19]

Explain?

Covering his bases so he can complain whether we get him or not.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Covering his bases so he can complain whether we get him or not.

Zeke has to cover his bases now that AA has a GM job somewhere else. Just in case Atkins make a move he has to say it's awful, but just in case AA makes that same move he has to say it's great.

 

[stickty111]

Zeke has to cover his bases now that AA has a GM job somewhere else. Just in case Atkins make a move he has to say it's awful, but just in case AA makes that same move he has to say it's great.

True.

 

[zeke]

I praised the only move they've made so far this offseason.

 

[zeke]

as for why a JD move sould confuse me:

1.yet another no-D addition.
2.a guy i feel will likely be the overpay of the offseason.
3.i'd still be happy that they were trying to do something big.

 

[Anthrax442]

 

[Discoverer]

Yep, because clearly because the Blue Jays had Bautista explode one year, Edwin explode one year, and Smoak explode one year, we shouldn't bat an eye when the Yankees suddenly have 2/3rds of their lineup explode!

Seriously, if the Blue Jays had 6 guys explode for career highs in home runs, I'd wonder the same thing about them. You can buy one or even two guys figuring it out in one year, but SIX?

Two of them had never played a full season before. Rookies should be probably be expected to post career highs.
Gregorius hit 25. His previous high was 20.
Gardner hit 21. His previous high was 17.
Hicks hit 15. His previous high was 11.

I can't figure out who the sixth is. Torreyes and Frazier both set career highs with 3 and 4 respectively, but I'm sure you're not talking about them.

Regardless... the guys who set career highs didn't exactly blow their previous highs out of the water. And, with the exception of Gardner, most of them are right around the age (mid- to late-twenties) where you should expect a power increase. 2018 also saw a leaguewide 7% increase in HR over the next highest league total of all time. Like I said, EVERYONE was hitting a ton of HR.

Off the top of my head, I chose the Twins this year: Buxton, Rosario, Sano, Polanco, Escobar, Kepler.
And the Marlins: Stanton, Ozuna, Realmuto, Bour, Dietrich

Also... 2015 Jays. Donaldson, Pillar, Martin, Travis, and Colabello, with enormous HR/PA increases for Smoak and Valencia.

 

[Nineteen67]

JD Martinez would fill 1 of the OF holes.

 

[Woodman19]

JD Martinez would fill 1 of the OF holes.

DH, he shouldn't* field. Kills value being in the outfield.

 

[phillipmike]

Frazier is quite overrated, so I’m hoping Pittsburgh gets more. He’d be a good #2 in the package. If I was the Pirates GM, for two years of control, it would be Gleyber or F off.

Cole’s nothing special, though he’s a decent 2/3 in the AL East. Still, seeing the Yankees fleece another franchise would be annoying.

I completely agree. Just like what happened with Gray...

Yankees: We want the best starter on the market at the deadline with control but our top 3 prospects are not available. You can have our #4, #5 and a borderline #10.
Oakland: We want Torres.
Yankees: We cant give Torres.
Oakland: You traded 4 months of Chapman for Torres. You want 2.5 years of Gray and Torres is off the table?
Yankees: Yes!
Oakland: Alright let's do it!

Now they want they want one of the top 3 guys with control who are rumored to available in Cole (Archer and Fulmer are better values) and again Torres isnt on the table. What Cashman is doing is smart and the right thing to do however Huntington must do the same and either stay firm on Torres or ask for Oakland special in addition to Frazier - Frazier, Adams, Sheffeld and Andujar.

That being said im close to 100% that the Yankees dont trade Torres. As of now they dont have a 2B or a 3B and Didi is coming off a 4 WAR season with 2 years left - i doubt he does it again and if he does i doubt they want to invest close to 100M on him. Personally i just dont see how the Pirates take Frazier when their OF is loaded unless they trade for him and flip some where else. Pirates have Marte, Polanco, and Adam Frazier. And Osuna and Meadows coming up.
----------

That being said Cole really doesnt do anything for me as you said. If Sanchez is healthy i still take our rotation over theirs even with Biagini as our 5th guy.

Major League Leaderboards » 2017 » Starters » Dashboard | FanGraphs Baseball

 

[phillipmike]

Jim Bowden of SiriusXM and The Athletic reports that the Yankees are close to acquiring Gerrit Cole from the Pirates in a trade.

Bowden says that top prospect Gleyber Torres will not be part of the package sent to the Pirates. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Thursday that the Pirates were "highly motivated" to trade Cole and that it was "a matter of when rather than if" he was dealt to the Yankees. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com have since pumped the brakes on any momentum toward a trade, but Bowden is hearing that the two sides are about to cross the finish line. Stay tuned.

 

[Nineteen67]

DH, he shouldn't* field. Kills value being in the outfield.

Is that why the Jays have a chance at him?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

JD Martinez would fill 1 of the OF holes.

Isn't there only one OF hole, if that? I get they do not want to have two unproven guys filling spots, but I would think they go in with at least one spot they can make an internal competition given there are 5 guys who could easily challenge for it.

Are people really lacking confidence in Hernandez after his stint last year?

 

[Nineteen67]

Isn't there only one OF hole, if that? I get they do not want to have two unproven guys filling spots, but I would think they go in with at least one spot they can make an internal competition given there are 5 guys who could easily challenge for it.

Are people really lacking confidence in Hernandez after his stint last year?

Hernandez could be the guy. But I’d like to upgrade the CF with a guy that can hit and has at least an average baseball IQ. I like Pillar, he was my 2nd favourite player, he’s a tremendous athlete, but he’s not very bright on the field.

Alford is not ready. If he had played SEC baseball and not football he’d further along. Mike Bianco > Hugh Freeze, on a lot of levels.

I’m fine with any of the rest backing up.

Are they going to address back up catcher that can play 100 games and a starting pitcher?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Hernandez could be the guy. But I’d like to upgrade the CF with a guy that can hit and has at least an average baseball IQ. I like Pillar, he was my 2nd favourite player, he’s a tremendous athlete, but he’s not very bright on the field.

Alford is not ready. If he had played SEC baseball and not football he’d further along. Mike Bianco > Hugh Freeze, on a lot of levels.

I’m fine with any of the rest backing up.

Are they going to address back up catcher that can play 100 games and a starting pitcher?

I would not care about upgrading Pillar since he still his a high caliber defender. He's not exactly a "hole" in the lineup, and as long as he's not one of your better hitters in your lineup (which he clearly is not), then you are in a good spot. If we had some money to burn, then maybe you could look at upgrading him and using him as a major trade chip to get help elsewhere or get some good prospects back, but the Jays only have 25-30 mill to spend and they already likely need one other starting OF plus more help in the infield and potentially another catcher (although not one who needs to start 100 games; just a decent one who can be better offensively than Maile and not a total defensive disaster like Montero and Lopez and maybe can keep Martin to around 100 games). Plus they do need another starter and maybe even a LHP in the bullpen to upgrade Loup.

That means upgrading a gold-glove caliber CF who is on a really cheap deal is probably the last thing on their shopping list, so I would say the Jays really only need one OF, and it does not even need to be a super long term one. Just one who can buy another year or two on Alford, Pompey and Co. And just like Loup if they get a better primary LHP in the bullpen (since Mayza or Dermody could probably be a good enough 2nd LHP, you do not really need Loup there anymore), you could probably say that Carrera is expendable at that point since one of Fields, Smith Jr. or Pompey could easily fill his role as a 4th OF if you have two vet OF regulars out there already (Pillar + the FA).

Essentially I am saying that the Jays probably only acquire one OF unless unforeseen circumstances make a second one an obvious fit.

 

[Kurtz]

I think part of the value of having Pillar in CF is that it would allow us to get away with gimpy corner outfielders, since they'd have to cover a lot less ground. Getting JD would be great and would put us right back into contention for that 2nd wildcard spot, but I can't see us handing out any $100mil+ contracts right now.

 

[Eyedea]

Throw Alford (when he’s ready) + Pillar out there and you can basically shade halfway into RF to protect Martinez

 

[Discoverer]

Isn't there only one OF hole, if that? I get they do not want to have two unproven guys filling spots, but I would think they go in with at least one spot they can make an internal competition given there are 5 guys who could easily challenge for it.

Are people really lacking confidence in Hernandez after his stint last year?

The raw power was amazing, and his overall game definitely warrants a shot at regular playing time. But he also struck out 37.9% of the time. I think he can be an above-average regular right now, but there are reasons to be concerned.

 

[Discoverer]

Throw Alford (when he’s ready) + Pillar out there and you can basically shade halfway into RF to protect Martinez

That's the one thing that makes me consider Martinez as a possible OF option: if you go with excellent defenders in the other two spots, you may be able to cover some of the deficiencies.

 

[Woodman19]

I would rather go with

Hernandez-Pillar-Alford type of outfield and Martinez at DH to clog the middle of the lineup with Smoak and Donaldson to gave both killer defense in the outfield and depth of power in the middle of the order.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

The raw power was amazing, and his overall game definitely warrants a shot at regular playing time. But he also struck out 37.9% of the time. I think he can be an above-average regular right now, but there are reasons to be concerned.

Just as an FYI, Aaron Judge struck out 44% of the time in his 92 PA in 2016. Then he died, and came back as Jesus.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Yeah my long term outfield is Hernandez, Pillar, and Alford. Though I wouldn't hate flipping Pillar in a year or 2 before his defense falls off and sell high because once it does he's going to be useless. So I could see room there for a long term signing/acquisition right now. Sell high on Pillar when both the prospects cement their spots in the lineup

 

[hockeywiz542]

Diamondbacks reach deal with Japanese reliever Hirano - Article - TSN

PHOENIX — Japanese right-hander Yoshihisa Hirano and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract.

The 33-year-old is looked at by Arizona to provide bullpen depth and possibly compete to be the team's closer. His deal was announced Friday.

 

[Nineteen67]

Throw Alford (when he’s ready) + Pillar out there and you can basically shade halfway into RF to protect Martinez

I’ve watched Alford play baseball and football in high school and football at Ole Miss and the guy is a pure bred athlete, but I still think he needs one more year of reps in the minors.