ST: Orioles @ Jays - September 27th-29th

[Raps_Swingman]

This could be the most frustrating potential 90 win/playoff team I've ever seen.

Now we get to go into Boston and see what this team is really made of. You either win 2/3 and control your own destiny or scoreboard watch and hope for the best.

[LLJ]

That Encarnacion clip gives me chills... is he really planning to go to Boston? Wow.

Not a surprise at all. Everyone here already thought he was gonna bolt months ago, possibly to Boston.

[ldnk]

That Encarnacion clip gives me chills... is he really planning to go to Boston? Wow.

Don't see why he shouldn't. They have ownership that's committed to winning and will spend the necessary money to do so. We don't.

If we are being honest, and not just fans of the team, why would someone like Eddie want to sign in Toronto. This team is at its peak right now and is about to go through a downturn. Boston is by far the best team in the AL and should only get better with experience/consistent pitching. EE has been great for the Jays but if he's looking both make money and win a Championship, Boston is a better fit for him.

I hope he stays but I think reality is he goes elsewhere. If that happens I think a tear down might be the right course of action for this team.

[Fairview4Life]

That Encarnacion clip gives me chills... is he really planning to go to Boston? Wow.

Don't see why he shouldn't. They have ownership that's committed to winning and will spend the necessary money to do so. We don't.

If we are being honest, and not just fans of the team, why would someone like Eddie want to sign in Toronto. This team is at its peak right now and is about to go through a downturn. Boston is by far the best team in the AL and should only get better with experience/consistent pitching. EE has been great for the Jays but if he's looking both make money and win a Championship, Boston is a better fit for him.

I hope he stays but I think reality is he goes elsewhere. If that happens I think a tear down might be the right course of action for this team.

Tulowitzki, Martin, Donaldson, Travis and good cheap starting pitching doesn't scream "tear it down" to me. Even without EE and Jose. Although Jose leaving at this point isn't a given.

[johanliebert]

Ranked 23rd w/ .249 average

Ranked 22nd w/ .251 average with runners in scoring position

Get ready to hear about how great Jimenez was and how he was practically unhittable and all that bs.

he was and hes been good since rejoining the starting rotation.

[johanliebert]

16 straight losses in games where theJays don't hit a homer.


If the Jays go on to miss the playoffs, it will give Shapiro and Atkins the chance to do the kind of clean sweep of the locker room and on-field managerial team that seems to be needed. This team has failed to catch fire. It had no long winning streaks, lost some series to middling or bad teams after the all-star break, apparently has some bad emotions in the locker room, etc. The problem is the Jays don't have enough good farm system talent ready to make much of an impact next season. They have a very good starting pitching staff but the big pieces on offence are going to get shuffled. It would be ballsy if Shapiro went for a rebuild, moving out all the stars and expensive talent, but I can't imagine Rogers being pleased about that. Jose is probably signable, but he's declining fast. Edwin would be a heck of a guy to keep, but will probably want/get too much. I suppose the most likely scenario is keeping Donaldson, Tulo and Martin as meet of the order, taking the comp picks for Edwin and Jose, get Saunders to either take less than the QO or move on, and go with Upton, Pillar, Carrera and an FA with some power for a year. By 2018, guys like Tellez, Alford, Urena, and Reid Foley will likely arrive, and start the process of building a new, younger, more athletic, less power dependent lineup.

lot of foreshadowing for a season that isn't even over. For a team that most likely will win 90 games and baring a collapse will be a in WC this Tuesday.

When you play in the Al east you will always be dependant on power.

[LLJ]

"barring a collapse" in baseball isn't as unlikely as it sounds. Collapses at inopportune times tend to happen with a greater amount of frequency in this sport than in others, it seems.

[Raps in 4]

16 straight losses in games where theJays don't hit a homer.


If the Jays go on to miss the playoffs, it will give Shapiro and Atkins the chance to do the kind of clean sweep of the locker room and on-field managerial team that seems to be needed. This team has failed to catch fire. It had no long winning streaks, lost some series to middling or bad teams after the all-star break, apparently has some bad emotions in the locker room, etc. The problem is the Jays don't have enough good farm system talent ready to make much of an impact next season. They have a very good starting pitching staff but the big pieces on offence are going to get shuffled. It would be ballsy if Shapiro went for a rebuild, moving out all the stars and expensive talent, but I can't imagine Rogers being pleased about that. Jose is probably signable, but he's declining fast. Edwin would be a heck of a guy to keep, but will probably want/get too much. I suppose the most likely scenario is keeping Donaldson, Tulo and Martin as meet of the order, taking the comp picks for Edwin and Jose, get Saunders to either take less than the QO or move on, and go with Upton, Pillar, Carrera and an FA with some power for a year. By 2018, guys like Tellez, Alford, Urena, and Reid Foley will likely arrive, and start the process of building a new, younger, more athletic, less power dependent lineup.

lot of foreshadowing for a season that isn't even over. For a team that most likely will win 90 games and baring a collapse will be a in WC this Tuesday.

When you play in the Al east you will always be dependant on power.

They have to sweep Boston to get to 90 wins. I can't see them doing that even against Boston's B team.

[Raps_Swingman]

Don't see why he shouldn't. They have ownership that's committed to winning and will spend the necessary money to do so. We don't.

If we are being honest, and not just fans of the team, why would someone like Eddie want to sign in Toronto. This team is at its peak right now and is about to go through a downturn. Boston is by far the best team in the AL and should only get better with experience/consistent pitching. EE has been great for the Jays but if he's looking both make money and win a Championship, Boston is a better fit for him.

I hope he stays but I think reality is he goes elsewhere. If that happens I think a tear down might be the right course of action for this team.

Tulowitzki, Martin, Donaldson, Travis and good cheap starting pitching doesn't scream "tear it down" to me. Even without EE and Jose. Although Jose leaving at this point isn't a given.

Based on the moves I've seen so far out of Atkins/Shapiro there won't be a tear down, but there will be a focus on other avenues of winning.

I expect us to be a defence and pitching focused team next season. Probably deploying an OF of Upton/Pillar/Pompey and an infield of Donaldson, Tulo, Travis and at 1B I could see them looking at someone like Logan Morrison, Mitch Moreland on the FA market or possibly bringing Jose back to fill that role with Smoak backing him up. Or maybe Tellez is ready and does the Travis and skips AAA.

[BramptonYute]

Im sure Shapiro and Atkins realize that right now is not the time to take a step back.

Maybe in a couple years, but certainly not right now.

[Raps in 4]

Im sure Shapiro and Atkins realize that right now is not the time to take a step back.

Maybe in a couple years, but certainly not right now.

They need to either spend big to keep this team in contention or they need to rebuild.

But because we are owned by Rogers, we won't do either. Rogers loves mediocrity because it's big business for them.

[LLJ]