The Toronto Blue Jays/MLB Thread.

[slaw]

Charlie is in over his head.
Nice guy... but in over his head.

Injuries have hurt the bullpen and some SP..
I can live with that...

I can't live with losing games when you don't take your best shot with your best guys...
Shades of the self procalaimed smartest man in baseball .. Buck Showalter ... keeping his best reliever on the bench or pulling your best guy out of the game when he hadn't lost it..

2/5 of the rotation is TBD and We'll See. Their 4 best relievers are hurt. Romano's arm is falling off. Not sure what he is supposed to do.....Bullpen is regressing to the mean after a hot start and the starters can't be trusted to give them any innings. Bad combination. And, do you really think he's making these decisions? All these teams are run by the front office. Montoya is told who is available and who isn't - it's not his call.

Good news is that they are 500 with one of the toughest (toughest?) schedules and Springer hasn't played yet, plus, some of those bullpen arms should be coming back soonish. Then you've got 19 against Baltimore and a pile against Detroit. Gonna have to use those to make hay.

[Demographic Shift]

Montoya? Dude, it's the starting pitching. Blame Atkins and Shapiro.

When every other day is TBD or Pray for Rain, you aren't winning anything. The bullpen is already at the breaking point and they've played 45 games. They needed another quality starter in the offseason and didn't get one. So, now, you've got Ryu and then you're throwing 4 below average pitchers out there hoping they don't lose you the game in the first 4 innings. Like, most of these guys can't even get through 5 innings and it's the manager's fault that his bullpen is collapsing? Nah.

Charlie is in over his head.
Nice guy... but in over his head.

Injuries have hurt the bullpen and some SP..
I can live with that...

I can't live with losing games when you don't take your best shot with your best guys...
Shades of the self procalaimed smartest man in baseball .. Buck Showalter ... keeping his best reliever on the bench or pulling your best guy out of the game when he hadn't lost it..

[slaw]

Jays have the makings of a good year....
Charlie Montoya is however , in way over his head.
He could manage himself out of a job this year.

Montoya? Dude, it's the starting pitching. Blame Atkins and Shapiro.

When every other day is TBD or Pray for Rain, you aren't winning anything. The bullpen is already at the breaking point and they've played 45 games. They needed another quality starter in the offseason and didn't get one. So, now, you've got Ryu and then you're throwing 4 below average pitchers out there hoping they don't lose you the game in the first 4 innings. Like, most of these guys can't even get through 5 innings and it's the manager's fault that his bullpen is collapsing? Nah.

[Demographic Shift]

Jays have the makings of a good year....
Charlie Montoya is however , in way over his head.
He could manage himself out of a job this year.

[Demographic Shift]

40 pounds lighter....
Vladdy....
Yeah baby.

[Demographic Shift]

George Springer is in camp.

Alex Manoah the second of the two pitching phenoms is there.
Wonder who comes out of nowhere to snag a pitching spot ?

[Demographic Shift]

Pitchers and Catchers report today !!
.
Seems ironic as the country sits in the deep freeze but it is a cause for hope that a return to the non covid obsession is in sight. .

This sunshine ray of seasonality is great as for me as it mutes the doomsayers.


Play Ball.

[Joey]

Matz from the Mets ... thats fun to say. He had a pretty shit year last year, but he's got decent stuff and I think he got hurt. Pete Walker has a great track record of turning guys like Matz into studs, so I'm optimistic. But still say another rocket out there is needed.

[Demographic Shift]

Steven Matz.... No idea. You need starter depth so maybe thats what he has been acquired for.
Reid-Foly is likely our Matz going back the other way.. promise but no success so far.

About a month till pitchers and catchers report.... They might be done till camp opens. You can wait in baseball.
Offseason you add guys you have a plan to get... .. Next two months you see what you have in camp and for real for 30-50 games...Then you make any upgrades you think will make you better before the trade deadline if you think you have a chance. Then you play baseball. Hopefully to October.

I like this team. They can swing the bats and they got speed and swagger..

[Mack North]

And we sign Wayne Semien...1 yr deal....
He can play 2nd or 3rd ....
So the Kris Bryant stuff probably ends....

Still need one more SP...


Us and the White Sox got a lot better in the AL.......not seeing who else did ?

We got a shot this year...
Remember a couple seasons ago once you got past the 5th spot in the order there was nuthin.

1. CF George Springer
2. 2B Marcus Semien
3. SS Bo Bichette
4. 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr./ Cavan Biggio
5. DH Teoscar Hernandez
6. 1B Rowdy Tellez/ Vladdy
7. LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
8. RF Randal Grichuk
9. C Alejandro Kirk

Looking forward to the season. Hope we get that SP and we'll be rollin'!

Only thing we need now is games in The Dome and fans in the stands! I haven't been to a game in a few years now... dying to get there again on a nice hot July day with the roof open.

[Demographic Shift]

And we sign Wayne Semien...1 yr deal....
He can play 2nd or 3rd ....
So the Kris Bryant stuff probably ends....

Still need one more SP...


Us and the White Sox got a lot better in the AL.......not seeing who else did ?

We got a shot this year...
Remember a couple seasons ago once you got past the 5th spot in the order there was nuthin.

1. CF George Springer
2. 2B Marcus Semien
3. SS Bo Bichette
4. 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr./ Cavan Biggio
5. DH Teoscar Hernandez
6. 1B Rowdy Tellez/ Vladdy
7. LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
8. RF Randal Grichuk
9. C Alejandro Kirk

[Demographic Shift]

I'd be very surprised to see Shapiro make a move for both Bryant and Hendricks, knowing what the Cubs would want for that return. That more seems like an AA type move, y'know? Lol We shouldn't be making "win now" moves, in my opinion. We've got plenty of time with these youngsters, and those pitching prospects will be coming along at the exact right time to align with the majority of our young roster.

But if we do that, we are instantly in the Top-3 odds for WS.

Precisely the reason to do it for me.
Springer on the surface of it is a win now move. Getting Hendricks would give us pitching depth for three years. Bryant I think we could get out from nderneath of as his control period is ending in a year or two.
Shatkins moves are glacial at best...it’s just smoke for now..but the Cubs are starting over and by the time they are ready both Bryant and Hendrickswill have moved on...

[Joey]

There is some smoke around the Jays and Cubs.
Cubs have Kris Bryant at third they are looking to move and have Kyle Hendricks who could slot into the starting rotation at 2 or 3. He isn’t Bauer but he is a top end of the rotation SP and he has some time left on his contract.
This wont come cheap. Cubs will want a few of our best pitching prospects and perhaps one of of Guriel or Teoscar.

Or maybe they just sign one of Odirizzi or Paxton and wait till the trade deadline to make another move.

I'd be very surprised to see Shapiro make a move for both Bryant and Hendricks, knowing what the Cubs would want for that return. That more seems like an AA type move, y'know? Lol We shouldn't be making "win now" moves, in my opinion. We've got plenty of time with these youngsters, and those pitching prospects will be coming along at the exact right time to align with the majority of our young roster.

But if we do that, we are instantly in the Top-3 odds for WS.

[Demographic Shift]

I tell you what ... I was one of the biggest Shapiro/Atkins critics out there when they first came on board ... but I'll be damned if they haven't done something pretty special here. This is a team that can compete now, and for years to come .. they did exactly what they said they were going to do. If we can get one more Ace level arm, we're right there with the best of them.

There is some smoke around the Jays and Cubs.
Cubs have Kris Bryant at third they are looking to move and have Kyle Hendricks who could slot into the starting rotation at 2 or 3. He isn’t Bauer but he is a top end of the rotation SP and he has some time left on his contract.
This wont come cheap. Cubs will want a few of our best pitching prospects and perhaps one of of Guriel or Teoscar.

Or maybe they just sign one of Odirizzi or Paxton and wait till the trade deadline to make another move.

[Joey]

Heard this Springer guy is pretty good. Big get for the Jays. Hope it works out for them.

He was MVP level just a couple years back, and having a better season than Trout, but then went down with an injury.