The Toronto Blue Jays/MLB Thread.

[Demographic Shift]

Let's send the Mets Dickey for Syndergaard and D'Arnaud!

The one trade I think AA might want to look back on with the benefit of hindsight.. Thor looks to be a monster.. D'Arnaudt I don't think we lose to much sleep on.

Potential swap even if he is a 10/5 guy might be Tulo for Robles out of the pen and Matz their 4th starter. Tulo gives them power and they can move Flores from SS to 2nd as they wave bye to Daniel Murphy.

Leaves us bare on infield defense so it hurts and helps both teams. Goins would move to short and we would need to pick up another backup infielder as we wait on Travis to heal and return...

Got to give something to get something...

[Nilanka]

probably not if the bats dry up. Having said that, Stroman looks legit and Estrada somehow gets guys out. Might be enough. Need to see the season play out a little bit I think.... and I am not sure they are done yet, so I'm reserving judgment.

The pessimist in me says that it took career years from Stroman, Estrada, Donaldson, Goins and Pillar to do what we did last year, and we still fell short of the World Series.

To repeat that, minus (arguably) the best pitcher in the AL? Yikes.

[Demographic Shift]

The pessimist in me says that it took career years from Stroman, Estrada, Donaldson, Goins and Pillar to do what we did last year, and we still fell short of the World Series.

To repeat that, minus (arguably) the best pitcher in the AL? Yikes.

Price undoubtedly is a big loss. However the deal is a seven year term and its pretty unlikely Price holds that magic over the duration of the contract. Still he is a pretty much a guaranteed 15 to 17 win guy for the next two years after that who knows ? What really sucks is that he stays in the AL East. We will play 18 with Boston and its pretty likely we see him about 5 starts.. but thats 5 starts over 162 games so have to put it in perspective.

We have that high octane offense again for next year the next and we can compete for the AL East or for a WC with that. Donaldson may not hit 42 dingers again but Tulo will hit more than the 8 or 10 he hit last year. It should balance out. EE and Jose have hit 30 to 40 HR each for the last few years and they are not over the hill in baseball terms. Pillar will hit better (if we don't trade him for pitching) and Martin will give you some power and clutch hitting as well. Goins defense makes up for him hitting 225. Hoping Colabello/Smoak can repeat what they did last year. Its a pretty deep lineup. No rest.

All in all.. in the AL I see it as KC.. Houston... Texas .. Angels or Yankees... Blue Jays ... RedSox... and maybe ClevelandDetroit ...
Jays got a very very good shot at the title again...

[Joey]

Our elite offense was only good for 51-51 record before we brought in Price though ... it was really our pitching and defense that ultimatley won us the bulk of our games down the stretch. The offense just kept things close.

[Bendit]

Revere makes sense cause he's expensive and he isn't really necessary. I'd be fine with rolling out Saunders/Pompey in left given the rest of the lineup. I think there is likely something to the Cleveland rumours though there would be more guys involved likely.

Bautista/EE/Tulo aren't going anywhere cause they are all 10/5 guys. Donaldson and Martin aren't being traded. You need both Goins and Travis and it would be nice to have both Colabello and Smoak back.

Thought the 5 in the 10 & 5 rule applied to yrs. with the same club. Tulo doesnt meet that criteria with Jays though he does have a no-trade clause which kicked in after his trade (read this somewhere).

[Demographic Shift]

Our elite offense was only good for 51-51 record before we brought in Price though ... it was really our pitching and defense that ultimatley won us the bulk of our games down the stretch. The offense just kept things close.

For me it was the replacing of Reyes with Tulo. Reyes wasn't getting to ground balls in the hole and up the middle and and even on ground balls he got as a matter of course his arm was really suspect throwing guys out in the late innings. Lots of late and errant throws.

With Tulo in and the below average defense and lasssez faire attitude of Reyes in Colorado I see this as a huge impact on the turn around. With Tulo and Goins as your up the middle D what were hits and errors became DP's and outs. Price is a bona fide ace. No question.
With a now a very tight middle infield along with the addition of Price is what ignited the 2nd half run. It gave guys like EE and Jose the nod that there was enough to win and win big. I don't have the 2nd half numbers but EE and Jose from memory had much better 2nd half production than first half..

Going to miss Price for sure but the infield defense which is really really good isn't going anywhere and the bats are still there. This might be the last kick at the can for both Jose and EE in Toronto as their contracts are up next year.

We should be in it.. barring injuries.. next year as well.

[tonious35]

Our elite offense was only good for 51-51 record before we brought in Price though ... it was really our pitching and defense that ultimatley won us the bulk of our games down the stretch. The offense just kept things close.

Price Guaranteed our Division clinch, but Tulo stopped the bleeding caused by Reyes's presence

[The Great One]

Price is gone. 7yr/217M deal with Boston

We are screwed. Our rotation is simply not good enough. Stroman, Estrada, Dickey, Happ, Hutchison. Ugh.

[slaw]

We are screwed. Our rotation is simply not good enough. Stroman, Estrada, Dickey, Happ, Hutchison. Ugh.

It's April already?! Man, that winter flew by fast. Oh wait, what's that, it's December 3? Maybe wait until at least the off season is over before declaring the team screwed.

[The Great One]

Pretty sure that's what the rotation would look like come April. Nowhere near good enough to compete for a Championship.

Stroman is a great pitcher. Top of the rotation guy. The other 4 meh.

[Demographic Shift]

Pretty sure that's what the rotation would look like come April. Nowhere near good enough to compete for a Championship.

Stroman is a great pitcher. Top of the rotation guy. The other 4 meh.

13-9
13-8
8 -8
7-8
11-6

Those are the won loss records of the starting 5 pitchers for the KC Royals.... They managed to compete pretty well last year.
Is it that unrealistic to have our starters as currently assembled go:
Strohman could go 14-8
The Dick will go 12 and 14 and eat up 200 plus innings
Estrada will go 11 and 10
Happ will go 8 and 12
Chavez/Hutch as swing 5th starters go 7 and 12

52 wins.. same as what the KC Royals starters put up last year...
Relax. Even if we are becoming the Cleveland Indians we have a real shot at the WS again this coming year.

[Bendit]

13-9
13-8
8 -8
7-8
11-6

Those are the won loss records of the starting 5 pitchers for the KC Royals.... They managed to compete pretty well last year.
Is it that unrealistic to have our starters as currently assembled go:
Strohman could go 14-8
The Dick will go 12 and 14 and eat up 200 plus innings
Estrada will go 11 and 10
Happ will go 8 and 12
Chavez/Hutch as swing 5th starters go 7 and 12

52 wins.. same as what the KC Royals starters put up last year...
Relax. Even if we are becoming the Cleveland Indians we have a real shot at the WS again this coming year.

Good post. Like someone else also said...it's early and the winter meetings start next week so plenty of time to get/trade for some more arms.

[Cody73]

Have any of you seen the new D-Backs uni's?


WHAT A EYESORE!

[raptors999]

Have any of you seen the new D-Backs uni's?


WHAT A EYESORE!

Faux snakeskin isn't a great addition to a sports jersey

[Joey]

So apparently the Blue Jays didn't even make an offer for Price ... I'm blown away ... completely disappointed. But I guess I can't say I'm surprised.. Unreal.

And now I'm reading about this Ross Atkins, a complete and utter "Shapiro-guy" from Cleveland ... I guess I shouldn't form my opinions just yet, but I'm pretty disappointed overall so far with how things have followed up that amazing run last year.