The Toronto Blue Jays/MLB Thread.

[Joey]

Gibbons is a terrific hire. Should never have been fired in the first place.

He's a shrewd tactical manager. He understands platoons and splits. He's great at managing the bullpen and pitchers. And he's good with the media. Unlike Farrell, Gibbons won't have guys running into stupid outs and he won't get out-coached.

The big thing is that Gibbons and AA are good friends and AA trusts him. After Farrell, he needed someone he could trust.

Couldn't agree more. I really like the hire.

Any news on whether or not he will retain any of the staff? Or did Farrell take them with him?

[slaw]

Couldn't agree more. I really like the hire.

Any news on whether or not he will retain any of the staff? Or did Farrell take them with him?

AA on Jeff Blair's show said they hadn't even discussed anything until this morning. I suspect they'll fill out the staff pretty quickly.

Butterfield and Lovullo went to Boston.

[Sig]

I never really thought about comparing NBA stars to MLB stars just because team composition varies so much between the two sports. But now that you mention it, I'm intrigued.

One of the problems with the endeavor is that you can't have a Lebron James in the MLB. Take the Tigers for example. It's hard to compare the relative worth to the team of Cabrera and Verlander. The latter isn't asked to pick up a bat for the majority of the season, and the former is never asked to pitch. Both players are arguably equally valuable to the team, yet none of their skill-sets are comparable because they are mutually exclusive.

All this is to say that if I were to compare Jose Reyes to, say, Chris Paul, what does that mean for Josh Johnson? To whom do I compare him? It's tricky business making parallels between two sports that are so structurally distinct.

HOWEVER, my above comparison of Reyes to Paul isn't entirely arbitrary -- I think there are some (admittedly oblique) similarities between the two players: both are dynamic, both are quick and feisty, both are talented two way players, both are widely considered to be the best/second best player at their position (PG and SS respectively).

So while I don't think you can compare players between the two sports in any substantive way. I think it's at least meaningful to compare them in terms of status, style, and respect/recognition. And on that front, there's nothing but good comp's.

Call me insecure, but when your favorite team is the Raptors, it's nice to have some bonafide STARS to talk about (at length, in this case, for which I apologize!)

I think I get what you're trying to say. Baseball is more of a linear sport. Any basketball player can do as much as the next guy if they desire to, since positions are only a word, not an actual role, unlike baseball. Great basketball players require versatility and multiple skills, whereas great baseball players are great in that specific position.

I just do not understand how you differentiate a great baseball player from a good one. Is it based purely on stats? Is there that much of a skill gap between certain players? These are things that I find hard to understand when watching other sports.

[wallz]

I just do not understand how you differentiate a great baseball player from a good one. Is it based purely on stats? Is there that much of a skill gap between certain players? These are things that I find hard to understand when watching other sports.

The main thing in baseball is consistency. Some players have crazy good years (Edwin Encarnacion), but until they do it year in, year out, they won't be considered a top-tier great player (Derek Jeter)

[Eric Akshinthala]

I just do not understand how you differentiate a great baseball player from a good one. Is it based purely on stats? Is there that much of a skill gap between certain players? These are things that I find hard to understand when watching other sports.

Like in any sport, the difference is in talent. Depending on talent level, there are the Superstars, Stars, Role players and so on.

[LBF]

Filled out the coaching staff...

What do yous' think?

[Eric Akshinthala]

Filled out the coaching staff...

What do yous' think?

Glad that Mottola is the new Hitting coach. Hitting worries me when Gibby manages. It was a hitting collapse that led to his firing last time. D Hale will make a good bench coach. Surprised that Walker was hired as pitching coach. Don't know much about his coaching abilities so trusting AA and Gibby on this.

[themasao]

Well Raptors fans.... Thank Goodness for the Blue Jays!

[Joey]

R.A. Dickey to Blue Jays trade in the Works.

OMG ... Seriously?! OMG OMG OMG

R.A. Dickey, who rose from the first cut in New York Mets spring training camp in 2010 to NL Cy Young winner two years later, will by all indications continue his epic tale in Canada.

The Mets were working Saturday morning toward completing a trade that would send the 38-year-old knuckleballer to the Toronto Blue Jays, a major league executive aware of the talks told ESPNNewYork.com.

A major league source said 23-year-old catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud must be part of the deal for it to be finalized.

"The catcher will have to be in the deal if it is to get done," the source said.

Source

Although ... I don't know ... is D'Arnaud worth it for a 38-year old knuckle-baller?

[Eric Akshinthala]

OMG ... Seriously?! OMG OMG OMG



Although ... I don't know ... is D'Arnaud worth it for a 38-year old knuckle-baller?

That was the first thought in my mind as well. I'm not saying that D'Arnaud won't be part if the trade(if it happens) but AA is too smart to make a straight up D'Arnaud for Dickey trade. If in-fact it's done, there should be more to it.

[wallz]

That was the first thought in my mind as well. I'm not saying that D'Arnaud won't be part if the trade(if it happens) but AA is too smart to make a straight up D'Arnaud for Dickey trade. If in-fact it's done, there should be more to it.

I'm pretty sure there will be others involved, because D'Arnaud is alot to give up.
I like how the Jays need a #5 starter and are going after the NL Cy Young winner. This must be what Yankees fans feel like

[themasao]

Even though the trade appears to be involving more than just D'arnaud and Dickey, I honestly would rather have 38 year old Dickey than Darnaud.

Prospects tend to get way overhyped. I'm not saying D'arnaud isn't gonna be good, I don't think there's any doubt about that (aside from some of the injury issues), but the fact is he hasn't played a single major league game and Dickey just won the Cy Young award after 3 straight seasons of posting a top 5 leage ERA. That is pretty much as good as it gets.

As for being 38 -- knuckleballers pitch well into their 40's (literally like 47, 48) and he has actually gotten better each year. It's not every day you get a pitcher like this, if you have to give up a young kid to get him, I say do it.

[themasao]

As an aside, if this goes through, how FILTHY will our rotation be. Dickey and Morrow both have #1 stuff in my opinion, and then you have Johnson and Beuhrle pitching 3, 4. That means that Ricky Freaken Romero is your NUMBER 5 PITCHER.

When your former ace goes to being your 5th pitcher, that's when you know your GM's playing to win.

[Doc]

When Josh Johnson is healthy, I still think he's the Jays best pitcher. Guy's got amazing stuff.

D'Arnaud is one of the best prospects in baseball, so its a big risk but as themasao said lots of prospects never pan out. Age isn't an issue for me with Dickey. Its him not having a contract beyond the 2013 season that is for me. Only way I deal D'Arnaud for Dickey is if R.A. decided to sign an extension to remain in Toronto for another couple seasons beyond next year. Truthfully, I wish it was JPA going in the deal instead of Travis.

[Eric Akshinthala]

According to a rumour I just heard, it's Buck(not D'Arnaud)and other prospects for Dickey and others . I hope this is true. As much as prospects are sometimes over hyped, I hope they hang on to D'Arnaud.