[Official] Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball thread

[RUPERTKBD]

Just now, Sean Monahan said:

Chris Taylor would be nice. 

Yep. Sort of like Kike Hernandez, or Brock Holt. All from the Ben Zobrist mould....

 

I'd prefer a left handed bat, but you can't have everything...

[shiznak]

While I don’t see him leaving Atlanta. Apparently, the Jays are interested in Freddie Freeman. 

[RUPERTKBD]

34 minutes ago, shiznak said:

While I don’t see him leaving Atlanta. Apparently, the Jays are interested in Freddie Freeman. 

I was just reading that. Apparently Carlos Baerga mentioned it on his Instagram. People are taking it seriously, because he called both the Yimi Garcia and Marcus Semien signings before they were made public.

 

I also read that Freeman is looking for 6 years at 30 million per, which doesn't make a lot of sense for the Jays, especially considering they have Vladdy at 1st and a need for an infielder and a starter....

 

If I had to bet, I'd say Freddie stays in Atlanta, or gets an offer he can't refuse from the Dodgers....

[shiznak]

16 hours ago, RUPERTKBD said:

I was just reading that. Apparently Carlos Baerga mentioned it on his Instagram. People are taking it seriously, because he called both the Yimi Garcia and Marcus Semien signings before they were made public.

 

I also read that Freeman is looking for 6 years at 30 million per, which doesn't make a lot of sense for the Jays, especially considering they have Vladdy at 1st and a need for an infielder and a starter....

 

If I had to bet, I'd say Freddie stays in Atlanta, or gets an offer he can't refuse from the Dodgers....

Hypothetically speaking, you could always platoon them at 1B/3B/DH. I’m sure Freddie has played 3B a few times in his career.

[Bure_of_94]

On 11/29/2021 at 1:00 PM, RUPERTKBD said:

Hard to believe that the Jays wouldn't have given him that deal....maybe he didn't want to stay?

I think that’s the attitude of most American players when the blue jays are average and that player all of a sudden becomes coveted. I also suspect that’s why a lot of our good players are from places other than America... but I could be way off in that observation/assumption. 
 

 Since we turned that corner last year and we’re competitive in the toughest division to play in, in pro baseball... more high profile names are interested in coming to Canada now. 
 

[Bure_of_94]

If we can’t land Taylor, I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Cesar Hernandez land here. From what I remember of him he is a good switch hitter, that plays excellent defence on 2nd base. 
 

also another proven bullpen arm and a reliable 5th starter would make this team really good. 

[RUPERTKBD]

4 minutes ago, Bure_of_94 said:

If we can’t land Taylor, I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Cesar Hernandez land here. From what I remember of him he is a good switch hitter, that plays excellent defence on 2nd base. 
 

also another proven bullpen arm and a reliable 5th starter would make this team really good. 

I'd love to see the Jays land Jose Ramirez in a trade. According to what I've read this off season, the Guardians are looking to cut payroll and have a need at catcher and outfield. I could see a deal that sends one of the Jays three catchers, plus Gurriel and a prospect....

[shiznak]

I’m against trading Gurriel, because of the bond he has with Vladdy and Hernandez. I know it’s a business, but you don’t really want to upset your franchise player by trading away one of his closest teammates.

Grichuk, Kirk, and Orelvis Martinez could possibly get it done.

[Ralph.]

2 hours ago, shiznak said:

I’m against trading Gurriel, because of the bond he has with Vladdy and Hernandez. I know it’s a business, but you don’t really want to upset your franchise player by trading away one of his closest teammates.

Grichuk, Kirk, and Orelvis Martinez could possibly get it done.

Plus, Pineapple Power!

 

[RUPERTKBD]

3 hours ago, shiznak said:

I’m against trading Gurriel, because of the bond he has with Vladdy and Hernandez. I know it’s a business, but you don’t really want to upset your franchise player by trading away one of his closest teammates.

Grichuk, Kirk, and Orelvis Martinez could possibly get it done.

I'd much rather send Grichuk, (in fact I argued with someone about that during the season) but he probably makes too much money for Cleveland.

 

If that deal could get it done, I'd be all over it...

[RUPERTKBD]

Looks like Chris Taylor is off the board....

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/report-dodgers-chris-taylor-in-agreement-on-new-deal/

[Gollumpus]

Hopefully (for the Jays sake) Gausman puts together an entire season like last years' pre-allstar numbers he put together for the Giants. Injury issues, and maybe running a bit out of gas were a problem for him. Otherwise, the Jays are looking better than last year.

 

                                                   regards,  G.

[Mj2345]

Hopefully there’s an MLB Season in ‘22 because they just went into a Lockout as of 11:59pm eastern

[Gurn]

Summary of Jays off season so far:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/other/busy-november-provided-some-clarity-for-blue-jays-now-team-must-wait/ar-AARoLvF?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

Several questions about the Toronto Blue Jays' off-season have been answered. The arrival of the Major League Baseball lockout early Thursday means it'll take some time before the rest of the team's 2022 picture comes into focus. 

The work stoppage, MLB's first due to labour issues in over a quarter century, threatens plans for spring training and opening day on March 31. It also stifled what has been an intriguing off-season so far with big-ticket free-agent signings in Toronto and elsewhere.

 

The Blue Jays opened their wallet in recent weeks to shore up their starting rotation. The team also learned that two star players — Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and MVP candidate Marcus Semien — won't be returning.

The club will consider free agency and trade options to improve but future moves will have to wait until there is labour peace. Here's a look at where the Blue Jays stand now and where things may go from here:

FRONT END

There will be a new ace next year after the departure of Ray, who signed a long-term deal with the Seattle Mariners after a 13-7 season with an American League-best 2.84 earned-run average and MLB-best 248 strikeouts.

Kevin Gausman appears to be the front-runner for the top starter job in a rotation that includes Jose Berrios, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alek Manoah. 

Gausman signed a US$110-million, five-year deal a couple weeks after Berrios inked a lucrative long-term extension of his own. 

There is room to add at least one more starter after reliable southpaw Steven Matz signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Toronto could look within by tapping Ross Stripling for the fifth spot or giving oft-injured fireballer Nate Pearson another chance in the rotation.

INFIELD NEED

The Blue Jays have been creative with their infield approach in recent seasons and that technique may be needed again.

Semien's departure via free agency leaves a big hole at second base. However, several quality free agents remain in play and the infield may be an area where general manager Ross Atkins looks to add via trade.

 

 

 

MLB owners lock out players, marking 1st work stoppage since 199

 

 

If Cavan Biggio can bounce back after an injury-plagued campaign, his versatility — and ability to play either second or third base — would give the Blue Jays some flexibility.  

BIG NAMES

The Blue Jays have not been afraid to swing for the fences since completing a rebuilding process a couple years ago. 

Ryu was a big-ticket signing in December 2019 and Toronto made a major splash in the last off-season by landing George Springer.

The team is also not afraid to use its prospect capital as needed. Berrios was acquired at the last trade deadline for top-shelf youngsters Austin Martin and Simeon Woods-Richardson. 

Several prospects are progressing nicely in the system and could give Atkins options before or during the '22 campaign. 

NEXT STEP

The Blue Jays made a late push in the 2021 campaign but were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the regular season. 

With Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez serving as anchors for an offence with plenty of pop, Toronto should have no trouble putting up runs next season. 

Free-agent signing Yimi Garcia provides depth for a bullpen that looks solid with Tim Mayza and closer Jordan Romano at the back end.

There are still many needs to address, but the future looks bright for a squad looking to take the next step after a 91-win campaign.

Just don't look to MLB.com for up-to-the-minute news and analysis.

A note on the website said there will be limitations on content until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Images of current players were also removed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2021. 

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

[Gurn]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/mlb/as-blue-jays-look-for-infielders-where-do-biggio-and-espinal-fit-best/ar-AARVva9?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531

When you scan the Toronto Blue Jays depth chart as it stands today, you’ll find areas that could use an upgrade, but gaping holes are hard to come by.

The one spot where the club’s need feels dire is the infield. Any team with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette can only feel so hard done by when it comes to infield talent, but if the season started today the Blue Jays would be starting both Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal — a suboptimal situation for a team fighting for a playoff spot in the AL East.

 

Biggio and Espinal aren’t bad players by any stretch, but giving over 50 per cent of your infield to the pair doesn’t seem advisable. Steamer projects the two to combine for 3.0 WAR in 2022 — less than half of what the departing Marcus Semien gave the team in 2021. Although finding another Semien is virtually impossible, it seems likely the Blue Jays will make a significant upgrade.

The question of who that will be is a worthy one that’s been talked about all offseason, and it prompts another less-discussed question: “If the Blue Jays add another starting infielder, who gets relegated to the bench?”

Of course, it’s not a pure binary where one of Biggio and Espinal plays 150-plus games and the other sees virtually no action. The two would be mixed and matched depending on matchups, who’s healthy and/or rested, and perhaps even who’s on the hill for the Blue Jays. That said, a 1A and 1B would emerge, and it’s worth wondering who is likely to deserve a bigger piece of the pie.

The first step in figuring that out is to check the projections. While there aren’t many out there at this point in the off-season it is interesting how similarly Steamer sees Biggio and Espinal on total value.

%7B© Provided by Sportsnet

Espinal’s margin of 0.2 WAR is borderline insignificant, but it also comes in slightly fewer plate appearances (488) than Steamer sees for Biggio (524) so it’s fair to give him a slight edge.

That said, this projection seems hard on Biggio’s defence as Steamer pegs the 26-year-old for -3.2 runs of defensive value. On the surface that seems fair considering he’s coming off a season where he produced -4.2. However, in 2021 he played primarily third base, a position he’s not particularly well-equipped for. The dirty secret about Biggio is that despite his reputation as a versatile super-utility player, he hasn’t looked particularly strong at any position except for second base.

%7B© Provided by Sportsnet

Some of the sample sizes here are minuscule, but the point remains that Biggio has been a solid defensive second baseman — and there isn’t much evidence that he can excel elsewhere. His 80th percentile Sprint Speed suggests some solid outfield production isn’t out of the question, but it’s far from a lock. In a post-Semien world, Biggio could play primarily second, which would significantly improve his defensive value. It wouldn’t be enough to match Espinal, but probably enough to close the gap between the two.

Offensively speaking, Biggio’s edge over Espinal in the projections seems valid, even if we didn’t see that bear out in 2021. Last season, Biggio’s wRC+ of 84 was dwarfed by his teammate’s 115, but considering neither hitter had even 300 plate appearances those numbers require more context. Coming into 2021, Biggio had slashed a quality .240/.368/.430 line (117 wRC+) in 695 MLB plate appearances while Espinal had a .267/.308/.333 line (72 wRC+) in just 66 trips to the plate at the majors — plus middling minor-league offensive numbers into his mid-20’s.

Comparing the two offensively prior to 2021 would’ve been absurd. It’s less so now, but Espinal’s breakout with the bat doesn’t hold up very well to scrutiny. He had a .368 BABIP last season despite an average exit velocity (84.8 mph) that ranked 390th among 404 hitters with at least 100 balls in play — and a Hard Hit rate that ranked 393rd. He did a good job of making contact, but he’s extremely unlikely to squeeze as much production out of that contact as he did in 2021 again.

Biggio is not without his warts with the bat, but it’s also likely that reports of his demise have been exaggerated. The notion that he was figured out, and rendered totally useless by velocity doesn’t quite match the facts. In 2020, he had a worse batting average, whiff rate, strikeout rate, expected batting average and expected slugging percentage against four-seamers than he did in 2021 yet still produced at a .250/.375/.432 clip in a similar amount of plate appearances.

Every hitter has weaknesses, but Biggio is capable of mitigating his, and the Blue Jays have the option of sheltering him from certain matchups. The other major complaint about Biggio’s offence is his lack of raw power, and while his home run numbers have tended to be bolstered by wall scrapers, he actually showed some growth in that area in 2021 despite his disappointing overall production.

%7B© Provided by Sportsnet

Biggio is hardly on his way to becoming the next Giancarlo Stanton, but flashing an above-average power gear is intriguing.

Espinal turned heads and won fans’ hearts with his glove last season, and rightfully so. That leatherwork — combined with some abnormally strong offensive results — allowed him to produce like a starter, but when lined up against Biggio it’s hard not to like the latter’s offensive track record enough to bridge the difference between the two’s defensive abilities. That’s especially true considering the way Biggio’s left-handed bat and on-base ability complement a righty-heavy lineup overflowing with power.

That means the best iteration of the 2022 Blue Jays probably includes a new third base-focused infielder who allows Biggio to live primarily at second and Espinal to serve as the first infielder off the bench against tough lefties and high-velocity arms. An outside addition who plays exclusively second would flip the calculus as Biggio’s defensive limitations at third would probably be enough to nullify what his bat brings to the table.

When comparing Biggio and Espinal it’s clear that whoever else enters the picture will have a lot to say about how playing time is allotted. Even so, those clamouring for Espinal over Biggio in a vacuum might be putting too much weight on a season where everything went right for one and everything went wrong for the other.

 

 

[RUPERTKBD]

I don't know much about Nick Ashbourne, but I have to smh a bit when a sportswriter refers to a situation as both "dire" and "sub-optimal", in the same paragraph....

 

Quote

The one spot where the club’s need feels dire is the infield. Any team with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette can only feel so hard done by when it comes to infield talent, but if the season started today the Blue Jays would be starting both Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal — a suboptimal situation for a team fighting for a playoff spot in the AL East.

FTR, I'd love to see and upgrade at 3rd or 2nd (and I'm still hoping to see a deal for Ramirez once the lockout ends) but if the Jays had to start the season with the lineup they have today, I'd still be more concerned about starting pitching than I would about offense....

[MikeBossy]

1 hour ago, RUPERTKBD said:

I don't know much about Nick Ashbourne, but I have to smh a bit when a sportswriter refers to a situation as both "dire" and "sub-optimal", in the same paragraph....

 

FTR, I'd love to see and upgrade at 3rd or 2nd (and I'm still hoping to see a deal for Ramirez once the lockout ends) but if the Jays had to start the season with the lineup they have today, I'd still be more concerned about starting pitching than I would about offense....

Kyle Seager maybe?

 

[BoKnows]

 

[flickyoursedin]

Any idea when the remaining free agents can sign deals? Who do the Jays pursue?

[Gurn]

17 hours ago, BoKnows said:

 

no, don't let them in.