May 8-10 Mariners @ Jays? Whatever floats your boat

[dballislife]

happ, not you too

[BramptonYute]

rotation is **** garbage

[Lateral Quicks]

Can Vlad Jr pitch, too?

[dagger]

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[Lateral Quicks]

Morales' lack of production is one of the better things to happen so far this year. Better to absolutely collapse and force management's hand than muddle along with a .700ish OPS.

[Tanner]

If the Jays fall out of it and sell at the deadline, it will likely cause them to keep Morales since they can actually get some value for Grandy and Pearce, which would open up an outfield spot for Grichuk again. If the Jays are in the race post all star break then maybe they do something but Rogers eating up that salary even if it is sunk cost looks unlikely.

Morales will get dumped in 2019 at the earliest, and even then might be optimistic since the team will likely take a step back next year and don’t have a prospect ready to take over (Tellez hasn’t been good since 2016). I guess they can split Pillar, Hernandez, Grichuk, and Alford between OF and DH in 2019 but might be a good time to trade Pillar since they will have a prospect ready to take his spot (Alford).

[dagger]

If the Jays fall out of it and sell at the deadline, it will likely cause them to keep Morales since they can actually get some value for Grandy and Pearce, which would open up an outfield spot for Grichuk again. If the Jays are in the race post all star break then maybe they do something but Rogers eating up that salary even if it is sunk cost looks unlikely.

Morales will get dumped in 2019 at the earliest, and even then might be optimistic since the team will likely take a step back next year and don’t have a prospect ready to take over (Tellez hasn’t been good since 2016). I guess they can split Pillar, Hernandez, Grichuk, and Alford between OF and DH in 2019 but might be a good time to trade Pillar since they will have a prospect ready to take his spot (Alford).

There are a half dozen players - not even top prospects - who can outhit Morales. At some point, it will be time to give Jansen a shot at catcher. I suspect Travis will find his stroke and timing. Dwight Smith is having a very good season - and this off the Buffalo roster. Heck, by mid-season even Tulo should be back, and he can't be as bad as Morales is right now. Part of accelerating the inevitable rebuilding is to clear out the old dross to let the kids play every day. There is no value gained using Alford, for example, as pinch runner rather than the everyday starting left fielder (or CF with a Pillar trade).

[Schad]

It's May, the Raptors/Leafs are done, we're still above .500 if slumping, and we're still drawing less than 25k a game, down from roughly 40k/night last year. If the Angels open up a gap, Rogers really isn't going to need much convincing about shipping out payroll over the summer.

[dagger]

It's May, the Raptors/Leafs are done, we're still above .500 if slumping, and we're still drawing less than 25k a game, down from roughly 40k/night last year. If the Angels open up a gap, Rogers really isn't going to need much convincing about shipping out payroll over the summer.

I've said that by the end of May, it could be effectively over. First wildcard is either the Red Sox or Yankees, both 15 games over .500. Second wildcard, the Angels are eight games over .500 and leading Minnesota 4-0 tonight. Considering the Jays play the Red Sox six times this month and the Angels three times, this has the potential to go south fast. And of course the Mariners are ahead of the Jays, six games over .500. There are fewer teams hanging around .500 this season, it's pretty much a have or have-not league this year, with the Jays one of only six teams over .500. Even the AL Central is a bit of mess. The problem with Toronto is that there is hardly any part of the team that could sustain a winning streak. The starters are a mess, Osuna is a big loss, key veterans like Morales and Martin are contributing nothing, the defence sucks. For God's sake, Kevin Pillar is our best hitter, our best baserunner and our best player in the field. There is no there there. The ship be sinking!

[dballislife]

we really should be selling and preparing for future, get some prospects and younger players closer to the age of our top prospects so they can all grow together...we got way too many old guys

but the problem is outside of nyy, bos, and hou, and probably cleveland even though they struggling now...no other team is really that scary at all, and a lot of them suck, thats why we actually in the hunt and around .500

[dagger]

we really should be selling and preparing for future, get some prospects and younger players closer to the age of our top prospects so they can all grow together...we got way too many old guys

but the problem is outside of nyy, bos, and hou, and probably cleveland even though they struggling now...no other team is really that scary at all, and a lot of them suck, thats why we actually still in the hunt and around .500

Except the Jays have lost 10 of their last 15, and things don't auger well for the next few weeks.

[Tanner]

If the Jays fall out of it and sell at the deadline, it will likely cause them to keep Morales since they can actually get some value for Grandy and Pearce, which would open up an outfield spot for Grichuk again. If the Jays are in the race post all star break then maybe they do something but Rogers eating up that salary even if it is sunk cost looks unlikely.

Morales will get dumped in 2019 at the earliest, and even then might be optimistic since the team will likely take a step back next year and don’t have a prospect ready to take over (Tellez hasn’t been good since 2016). I guess they can split Pillar, Hernandez, Grichuk, and Alford between OF and DH in 2019 but might be a good time to trade Pillar since they will have a prospect ready to take his spot (Alford).

There are a half dozen players - not even top prospects - who can outhit Morales. At some point, it will be time to give Jansen a shot at catcher. I suspect Travis will find his stroke and timing. Dwight Smith is having a very good season - and this off the Buffalo roster. Heck, by mid-season even Tulo should be back, and he can't be as bad as Morales is right now. Part of accelerating the inevitable rebuilding is to clear out the old dross to let the kids play every day. There is no value gained using Alford, for example, as pinch runner rather than the everyday starting left fielder (or CF with a Pillar trade).

A lot of internal and external options can outhit Morales but he’s makes $12m next year, and if the team is going to take a step back anyway, then having him get AB’s next year won’t really hurt. I’m speaking from the team’s perspective. If it was up to me he would have been released yesterday but that’s not happening. The worse the team performs might actually help Morales stay on the team. The better they perform will force action to replace him.

[I_Like_Dirt]

I've said that by the end of May, it could be effectively over. First wildcard is either the Red Sox or Yankees, both 15 games over .500. Second wildcard, the Angels are eight games over .500 and leading Minnesota 4-0 tonight. Considering the Jays play the Red Sox six times this month and the Angels three times, this has the potential to go south fast. And of course the Mariners are ahead of the Jays, six games over .500. There are fewer teams hanging around .500 this season, it's pretty much a have or have-not league this year, with the Jays one of only six teams over .500. Even the AL Central is a bit of mess. The problem with Toronto is that there is hardly any part of the team that could sustain a winning streak. The starters are a mess, Osuna is a big loss, key veterans like Morales and Martin are contributing nothing, the defence sucks. For God's sake, Kevin Pillar is our best hitter, our best baserunner and our best player in the field. There is no there there. The ship be sinking!

Yeah, the team is basically Pillar and an amazing bullpen that just lost Osuna. The possibility that was brushed aside during the offseason by those who wanted to put forward the appearance of trying is that the AL is so lopsided this year that there very possibly may not actually be a wild card "race" to speak of. Normally, being 6th or 7th means your just a few games out with the potential to close the gap. This year, being 6th or 7th could mean being waaaaay behind and all but mathematically out of it in August. The only teams besides the Jays who seem like they might be at all interested in trying to chase down the top 5 teams are the Mariners and As. This severely limits potential demand on the trade market. It only takes one team, and the good teams out there also happen to have some reasonably good farm teams, on average, so there's that, but the demand may not be there the way it has been in seasons past.

[flatjacket1]

If the Jays fall out of it and sell at the deadline, it will likely cause them to keep Morales since they can actually get some value for Grandy and Pearce, which would open up an outfield spot for Grichuk again. If the Jays are in the race post all star break then maybe they do something but Rogers eating up that salary even if it is sunk cost looks unlikely.

Morales will get dumped in 2019 at the earliest, and even then might be optimistic since the team will likely take a step back next year and don’t have a prospect ready to take over (Tellez hasn’t been good since 2016). I guess they can split Pillar, Hernandez, Grichuk, and Alford between OF and DH in 2019 but might be a good time to trade Pillar since they will have a prospect ready to take his spot (Alford).

The only way he gets moved is if we swap contracts. At the same time, I really don't think the last 30 AB's is anywhere close to true talent. I wonder if we will try and waive/DFA him and see if he accepts assignment? Bring him back up later once he figures it out.

I still think it's too early to talk rebuild. By the deadline, we will either clearly be in a position to be buyers, or sellers. If we are sellers I don't mind salvaging JD assuming we can't extend him for reasonable terms. Assuming we are under or around .500 come deadline, I'd like to see JD flipped for high minor starter.

[Lateral Quicks]

If the Jays fall out of it and sell at the deadline, it will likely cause them to keep Morales since they can actually get some value for Grandy and Pearce, which would open up an outfield spot for Grichuk again. If the Jays are in the race post all star break then maybe they do something but Rogers eating up that salary even if it is sunk cost looks unlikely.

Morales will get dumped in 2019 at the earliest, and even then might be optimistic since the team will likely take a step back next year and don’t have a prospect ready to take over (Tellez hasn’t been good since 2016). I guess they can split Pillar, Hernandez, Grichuk, and Alford between OF and DH in 2019 but might be a good time to trade Pillar since they will have a prospect ready to take his spot (Alford).

There are a half dozen players - not even top prospects - who can outhit Morales. At some point, it will be time to give Jansen a shot at catcher. I suspect Travis will find his stroke and timing. Dwight Smith is having a very good season - and this off the Buffalo roster. Heck, by mid-season even Tulo should be back, and he can't be as bad as Morales is right now. Part of accelerating the inevitable rebuilding is to clear out the old dross to let the kids play every day. There is no value gained using Alford, for example, as pinch runner rather than the everyday starting left fielder (or CF with a Pillar trade).

A lot of internal and external options can outhit Morales but he’s makes $12m next year, and if the team is going to take a step back anyway, then having him get AB’s next year won’t really hurt. I’m speaking from the team’s perspective. If it was up to me he would have been released yesterday but that’s not happening. The worse the team performs might actually help Morales stay on the team. The better they perform will force action to replace him.

Any way you slice it, you can't justify any player with a sub .500 OPS getting regular at-bats, especially at an offense-only position. It would be silly for him to steal time from more capable players, whether we're competing or rebuilding. If he continues at this rate I think he's gone by the end of the month. Morales is a sunk cost.