2019 Blue Jays General Discussion Thread

[Kin]

I mean the Leafs kinda did this with Nylander in the Matthews draft year. That was more of a straight-up tank move than a contract/CBA wrinkle, but still it was the same sorta idea. And that worked out pretty well.

This is true but the Leafs had a particular luxury there where they had a very loyal fanbase that had a huge appetite for the team rebuilding so they could land the sort of asset like Matthews that would be instrumental in the team competing in the future.

This move would be more like if, the next year, the Leafs had decided to keep Matthews down for a while.

 

[bustaheims]

I don't actually think the amount of time/number of games matters much. It's hanging a big sign on the front door that says you're not worried about the outcome of the season if you're willing to lose even a single game to this.

Which is fair enough if that's the strategy given the way the league rewards failure but I absolutely think it's fine for fans, after being told not to care about the season, to check out until they can even pretend that they might be watching a winning ballclub.

This is basically how I see it. From the team's perspective, it makes perfect sense - they know they're not in the hunt for a playoff spot this season, so, why waste a season of team control on their best prospect if they save it so easily?

For the fans? It's a clear indicator this season is going to be a rough one in terms of the team's record. Having the best prospect in the game in the lineup from Day 1 might have made it more tolerable, but, now that it's clear the team is doing what it feels is best in the long-run (regardless of whether or not it actually is), I'm gonna stay home to watch the games, if I watch at all.

 

[Highlander]

Yes the Leafs have a fanatic fan base which has stayed with them through the wilderness years (50 +).
Baseball is a more fickle sport, but we have seen before that Jays fans (perhaps more of Canada's team than the Leafs at this point) will flock back when the Jays make the playoffs.
I am sure that having Vlad for one more year when the Jays are at top level in year 5 that looking back to 7 home games will be forgotten or at worst a muffled laugh that we actually were discussing this to such length.

Ok Nik, have your go.

 

[Kin]

Again, this is not about whether or not Guerrero is here five years from now, it's about whether or not he's playing for cheap 5 years from now(and it won't even be that much cheaper if he's as good as we all hope as he is).

Basically this is being ok with the Jays intentionally making their team worse so they can save a few million bucks 5 years from now. If you're advocating for that, are you even a sports fan at that point?

 

[Highlander]

I don't actually think the amount of time/number of games matters much. It's hanging a big sign on the front door that says you're not worried about the outcome of the season if you're willing to lose even a single game to this.

Which is fair enough if that's the strategy given the way the league rewards failure but I absolutely think it's fine for fans, after being told not to care about the season, to check out until they can even pretend that they might be watching a winning ballclub.

This is basically how I see it. From the team's perspective, it makes perfect sense - they know they're not in the hunt for a playoff spot this season, so, why waste a season of team control on their best prospect if they save it so easily?

For the fans? It's a clear indicator this season is going to be a rough one in terms of the team's record. Having the best prospect in the game in the lineup from Day 1 might have made it more tolerable, but, now that it's clear the team is doing what it feels is best in the long-run (regardless of whether or not it actually is), I'm gonna stay home to watch the games, if I watch at all.

When there are so few expectations on this season, then any success will be met with pleasant optimism. Perhaps Strobro and Sani have career years, perhaps some of the new pitchers come in and do extremely well and our infield defence becomes far better than last in the league. So it's nice to have the pressure off and I for one am looking forward to seeing the new kidz on the block do there thing. Should be an interesting rebuild. Much better than trotting out overpaid oldsters, like Troy and Martin and trying to keep Bautista long after his best before date. Ok he was gone last year but boy the money we are paying not to have these guys!

 

[Highlander]

Again, this is not about whether or not Guerrero is here five years from now, it's about whether or not he's playing for cheap 5 years from now(and it won't even be that much cheaper if he's as good as we all hope as he is).

Basically this is being ok with the Jays intentionally making their team worse so they can save a few million bucks 5 years from now. If you're advocating for that, are you even a sports fan at that point?

Did I hope the Leafs would tank to have an opportunity to get Matthews....Hell yes...does that make me "not a sports fan"?

 

[Kin]

I literally just responded to the idea that this was similar to the 2016 Leafs season. Try to keep up.

 

[Highlander]

I only advocated tanking to get Matthews as they were god awful anyway that year.  Once the had Matthews it was time to play.  You are advocating that keeping Vlad out for 3 weeks is a bad play and we can hopefully keep him 5 years down the road. Most of the rest of us see the wisdom of sitting him for 3 weeks. It just a philosophical disagreement where there is no defined right or wrong. So let's keep splitting hairs.

 

[Kin]

If people are seriously concerned with the team's ability to sign Guerrero as a pending UFA you might think they'd advocate the team looking to actively get on his good side rather than dicking him around for half a year plus the start to this year when he's clearly ready for the big leagues.

"Vladdy is a super important piece of our future that we hope can be convinced to stay here...so let's make sure the team jerks him around so he doesn't make serious money for as long as possible" is some next level dumb thinking.

Let's not forget that the 2016 tanking Maple Leafs brought Nylander up for some meaningless games so that he would be able to make big money sooner, rather than later.

 

[Deebo]

In other baseball news. Machado has agreed to join the Padres for 300M/10 Years

 

[Kin]

In other baseball news. Machado has agreed to join the Padres for 300M/10 Years

Kind of a weird one considering they have Tatis ready to go in a bit but I guess one of them moves to 3B?

 

[Deebo]

In other baseball news. Machado has agreed to join the Padres for 300M/10 Years

Kind of a weird one considering they have Tatis ready to go in a bit but I guess one of them moves to 3B?

Machado only played SS full time last season and has better defense numbers (fangraphs) at 3B and Tatis has played SS almost exclusively in the minors. Based on that, I'd guess Machado will play 3rd but he may have gotten assurances that he'd be at SS, at least to start, in order to convince him to sign.

I get the feeling that now that he has his money, Machado probably won't care what defensive position he plays.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Blue Jays 2019 Schedule:  Clear        - away
                                      Coloured  - home

(Click on image to enlarge).


Source:  Toronto Sun Sports

 

[hockeyfan1]

Youth movement!  Bo Bichette in the Jays exhibition action in Montreal against the Brewers:

[tweet]1110354758152437762[/tweet]

More here:
https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/blue-jays-youth-movement-the-focus

 

[Arn]

An interesting read that references the Jays and their handling of Guerrero Jr

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/mar/26/how-baseball-owners-came-to-value-profits-over-world-series-titles

 

[itsgametime]

An interesting read that references the Jays and their handling of Guerrero Jr

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/mar/26/how-baseball-owners-came-to-value-profits-over-world-series-titles

Plain and simple, they are manipulating his service time to get an extra year of control.  Atkins won't come out and say it but that's exactly what it is.  This is what Atkins said recently:

?Our vision is it really comes down to development, so I just don?t see him as a major league player, right? He's 19,? Atkins said.

?We?re just trying to maximize and do everything that we can to do what?s best for him,? he continued. ?We genuinely feel it would be a disservice to the organization and to Vladdy if we weren?t thinking about it that way, to maximize his full potential."

An 80 hit tool not ready for the majors, yea ok.

 

[hockeyfan1]

There will be a committee (set up by MLB Commissioner) that will take into account among other things:

They will explore efforts to prevent teams from manipulating service time that delays their top prospects from being called up to the major leagues.

Source:  USAToday

 

[hockeyfan1]

Okay Blue Jays fans, it?s officially ?Playball!? time, meaning the boys of summer are baa-cckk!

Having come off a losing season in which the Jays began to ?rebuild? (dare we called it that then), by initiating selected trades beginning with stalwart starter J.A.Happ going to the Yankees at the deadline in return for two youngsters Brandon Drury & Billy McKinley.  Near season?s end, Josh Donaldson, ?The Bringrr of Rain? No More went to the Indians in exchange for a later named player which turned out to be pitcher Julian Merryweather.
Aledmys Diaz traded to Houston Astro?s for pitcher Trent Thornton, Yangervis Solarte, Troy Tulowitzki, Marco Estrada, Tyler Clippard all to free agency.

And on the Blue Jays continue.  This 2019 year, so far, Russell Martin was shipped to the L.A. Dodgers, and Kendrys Morales to the Oakland A?s , in return for some young minor leaguers.

Blue Jays fans should be prepared to see some new faces such as veteran pitchers Clay Buchholtz & Clayton Richard including Matt Shoemaker.

There will be no Bo Bichette nor Vladimir Guerrero, not yet, as they both will continue to toil with Triple A Buffalo.  Expect speed thrower Danny Jansen to share the catcher?s position with Luke Maille.  Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Billy McKinley, Brandon Drury, Grichuk, Pillar, Smoak, Ure?a are the familiar outfield & infield returnees.  Newcomer on roster is Freddy Galvis.

Buchholz, Richard, Elvis Luciano (a Rule 5 Draft Pick), Shoemaker, & Thornton are the new mound occupiers, plus the usual array of starters in Stroman, Sanchez, Borucki, and the relievers Biagini, Tepera, Gaviglio, Pannone, Mayza.

The team has a mix of veterans and youngsters and since the Blue Jays are now on rebuild mode, there will most certainly be more trading come the deadline.  Who will stay and who will go?  That will be answered at some point in the season should it come to fruition.

It?s going to be a tough season for this team once again, barring any debilitating injuries.  Rebuilds are always tough to bear but the positive spin on this is that the Blue Jay organization is focused on forging a team that will eventually be competitive again.

GO JAYS GO!


25-man(active) roster:
http://m.mlb.com/tor/roster/

40-man roster:
http://m.mlb.com/tor/roster/40-man/

Blue Jays depth chart (active roster):
http://mlb.mlb.com/team/depth_chart/index.jsp?c_id=tor

 

[hockeyfan1]

**********Season Opening Weekend********

vs

Starting Pitchers:
Thursday March 28  3:30pm
Jordan Zimmerman  RH Tigers vs Marcus Stroman RH Blue Jays

Friday March 29         7:00pm
Matt Boyd  LH  Tigers  vs  Matt Shoemaker  RH  Blue Jays

Saturday March 30    3:00pm
Spencer Turnbull  RH  Tigers  vs  Aaron Sanchez  RH  Blue Jays
   
Sunday March 31        1:00pm
Matt Moore  LH  Tigers  vs  Trent Thornton  RH  Blue Jays

All games on SN/SN1 & 590 The FAN.


Source:  theStar.com,  MLB.com,  ESPN.com



The Detroit Tigers are the opening day visitors at the Rogers Centre here in Toronto.

Detroit too is in rebuilding mode much like the Blue Jays.

The Jays final (active) roster will feature either one of Bud Norris or Javy Guerra, both relievers.  Decision will be made today.

Jays starter Trent Thornton will be making his Major League debut Sunday.

Injuries are already plaguing the Jays as starter Ryan Borucki, Clay Buchholtz and reliever Ryan Tepera are on the shelf, along with Devon Travis (60-day DL).

Should be a fun opening day for the fans.

GO JAYS GO!

 

[hockeyfan1]

A pitcher?s duel between starters Marcus Stroman of the Jays and Jordan Zimmerman of the Tigers, ended up with Detroit needing a two-run homerun off Jays reliever Daniel Hudson in the tenth to win it 2-0.

Impressive start for Stroman in that he pitched favourably with a no-hitter going at one point in the game up until the start of the sixth inning.  He finished with seven strikeouts over seven innings pitched before giving way to Biagini & Giles, and Hudson who took the loss.

[tweet]1111362013949624320[/tweet]

Hi-lites:
https://www.tsn.ca/stewart-homer-in-10th-leads-tigers-over-blue-jays-in-opener-1.1281402