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[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
ah, speakin' of throwbacks, you don't see many Bucky Dent types anymore. who chokes up anymore? and that hunchback stance... vintage. -
[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
EE sports a serious upper cut, period. -
[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
Anything is easier said than done TRR - but get it done. If Shapiro does nothing at this deadline he should be shown the door after one season. Of course, that won't happen, because ownership aren't winners. Stroman never should have been put in the position of being a rookie ace - too young, too much pressure - and it's not surprising he has been inconsistent. They've been fortunate Sanchez has stepped up so well, but that doesn't change the fact their bullpen is spotty and their starting rotation is lead by a pair of young, inexperienced arms. Get something done. No excuses. The team has the makings of a contender. Doing nothing is unacceptable, but unfortunately it looks like quarter measures are enough to make Rogers happy. If they let the deadline pass without attempting to improve their pitching staff, they've misread their fanbase. And insulted veterans like JB, EE, Tulo and Donaldson. They're at a crossroads - management inactivity would be inexcusable imo. -
[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
Sanchez seriously saving this management group's ass for the mediocre offseason efforts to keep the pitching staff competitive. Happ has been alright, but not enough for a team that has the guns to make a run at the WS. Previous management groups - you'd expect them to go out and augment before the deadline. Shapiro...not so sure. Get an arm to two. -
I could only give you 1 + HW, otherwise I'd add a couple. This is just it in a nutshell - and to add to the point - it's one thing to tank in Februrary (or whenever) when your team is clearly not competing for a playoff spot, but to enter the summer with a 'gameplan' to be horrible, with no intention of improving - exactly as you put it - unprofessional, inept and puerile.
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That is a very good point tm. The 'why sign a good player when rebuilding?' thing would depend on a couple other highly weak assumptions imo in addition to outline of coming FA opportunities. First, that you should forego improving your team for fear it might damage the pathetic attempt to intentionally jockey for draft position. Playing any season with an end game of draft position is pathetic - any GM that does so should be dismissed - by the NHL itself - for making a mockery of the principle of competing and icing the most competitive team you can. Having a handful of AHL teams in the NHL is not acceptable. If you have a half dozen teams doing what the Leafs did last year, the league starts to become an utter joke, and the market becomes saturated with tweener flips in any event, and the strategy gets watered down as numerous teams have yard sales to dump any and all assets they can. I can answer the question why Toronto may not make a splash in free agency however - first, they have crippled themselves with a whole lot of garbage contract takes and second, what self-respecting NHLer goes there to be a temporary pawn flip for late picks? Surprise - their approach and reputation dried up their appeal among free agents. And their cap space is limited by a whack of garbage cap hits - and when you look at the 'haul' they got as a result, it's utterly unimpressive. Second bit of garbage logic is that you don't sign a player because you're keeping spots open for youth to fill. First of all, you don't gift spots to undeveloped or undeserving young players that aren't ready - if you have enough deserving youth to earn those spots, you're not really in the midst of a rebuild in any event and should be looking to improve your roster (this imo applies to a team like Vancouver). If you don't have the depth of youth, you are in the midst of a rebuild and you could use the addition of a good veteran for a number of reaasons - first is to balance your roster with some leadership, production and competitive example, second you have spots to fill and should add the best assets you can, and in doing so could potentially free another asset to move for futures if a team is so inclined. Cap space only has value if you use it - or intend to. In the end I chalk this 'why sign a UFA?' thing up to unsophistocated trolling - that has never really managed to elaborate a worthwhile, defensible position. We get it - they're hoping to belittle the Canucks roster. That part I love and welcome the coming season with pleasure. People that parrot it are easy sells for weak reasoning. The 'pundit's parroting this line proceed as if they're familiar with nothing but tank jobs and are full of Maple Leaf koolaid, as if they are reducing and patenting the concept of a rebuild. Pretty much an indication of the inability to proceed to the second stage of a thought.
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I agree. And I think it's worth pointing out that Eriksson is 30, whereas the Sedins are 35. Their contracts will expire when they're 37 - and there's no real sign to indicate that they won't be worth another contract. Who is to say that Eriksson can't produce to 35, 36 years - by all accounts he keeps himself in similar outstanding condition and has a lot of things going to his game that could translate. I think people may dwell a bit too much on guys that got injured in the past few years and forget that aspect of their "decline". The Sharks just went to a SCF with a handful of 35 and 36 year olds, so while young assets may be the currency of the NHL, at the same time, the devaluation of everyone over 30 is probably highly overdone.
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No - you're not really understanding the strategic and dynamic advantages of having a right handed one-timer option on their wing. Simple because some outstanding left handed shots have produced well doesn't mean for example that a right-handed Alex Burrows wouldn't have added yet another element to their attack, making them an even more potent line. It's not essential - just as having a right handed shot playing the right side on a D pairing is not essential, however when it comes to things like holding the blueline (on your forehand vs backhand), or loading up for one-timers from the left point on the powerplay, it's a clear and obvious advantage. There's a reason Kesler was so successful on the 1st powerplay unit - and was used there over Burrows despite Burrows being their 5 on 5 linemate - and despite the fact that through the heart of their being a contender, Burrows actually scored more goals than Kesler (117-114 over a 4 yr span) - without the pp production.
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One thing I think people might be missing regarding this contract - and imo it's somewhat important - is that it is reportedly heavily front loaded. Meaning the bulk of the money will be paid out in the early years - and in the last few, when the limited no trade applies, there will be a significant gap between salary and cap hit. So it facilitates trading that cap hit to a cash strapped franchise that may use it to get to the floor. A bit of a forward looking aspect that could give them more flexibility if they need to move his contract.
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[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
c'mon walk off baby -
[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
that's gotta pump up the bats. -
[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
unreal! Goins pulls off the inning ending dp what a game. -
[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread
oldnews replied to The Stork's topic in Off-Topic General
c'mon Jays. bottom of lucky 13. put that win streak to bed.