REDS @ JAYS - May 20–22

[Hottie McShotty]

The Blue Jays would be lost without Santiago Espinal. This kid needs to be in the lineup every game.

[EJaggit]

The Blue Jays would be lost without Santiago Espinal. This kid needs to be in the lineup every game.

I’m really close to getting an Espi jersey hes our superstar!

[Madvillainy2004]

Chapman is really Ryan Goins with slightly more power.

[PowerPlant1]

When your main hitters - Guerrero Jr., Bichette, Hernandez - are performing so poorly relative to expectations, it doesn't make a lot of sense to trade prospects for veteran help. This team isn't going to make the playoffs unless those guys live up to expectations.

Espinal now has a higher OPS on the season than Guerrerro Jr.

For some reason Raimel Tapia has 128 plate appearances already this season, while putting up a world beating OPS+ of 64. Guerrero Jr. only has 164 plate appearances. If I'd known that Montoyo would fall in love with such an abysmal player, I would have been upset at the Grichuk trade. Then again, I should have known this would happen - it's Montoyo, after all.

If the team needs a shot in the arm, it's time to fire Montoyo and bring in a real manager. Less hugging, more good decision making. It's the best thing for the future of this team, regardless. Hopefully we don't have to throw away the season before this decision is made.

I appreciate that the main hitters have to get better, but the main hitters comprise 4 out of 9 starting spots. There are 5 other spots to consider on a game to game basis. The main hitters not hitting is less controllable than intervening in other ways.

Also, consider the effect of other players carrying the team or hitting better around the main hitters. The less pressure on the 4, maybe the faster the slumping stops.

There is no reason not to let someone else try at it to strive for better. If they suck as badly as Tapia, well ok. Then you aren't worse off.

Instead, according to you and others, we wait for the main hitters to get out of the slump and do nothing or fire the manager.

Firing Montoyo is an option of course and the hitting coach. I do agree that is a shot in the arm. I just think you still have a problem with a lousy supporting cast even if they will play less.

And the fact it isn't only Tapia but Zimmer and Collins is the problem. That is 3 options not hitting well on the main roster. Why are these scrubs occupying the spots they occupy if they have sucked for this long? Their OBPs are abysmal. They should not be here nor should they be used. To ensure they not be used at all, DFA. I think that is more effective than LESS usage with a Montoyo replacement.

There are multiple ways to solve this problem. All I am saying is, let us not only count the ways, but consider my way and Dagger's Mehar's etc.

The supporting cast is mostly OK. Espinal has been great all around. Chapman has been unlucky offensively, but his defense still makes him a starting calibre player. Jansen and Kirk are fine at C and DH. Kirk hasn't hit for power yet, but is still getting on base. Gurriel Jr. is off to a rough start, but has enough of a track record to think he'll turn it around. It's incredible that a team with this much offensive firepower can have so many guys struggling at one time.

Where we really need an upgrade is with the 4th outfielder, and I'm against trading prospect capital for that kind of player. Montoyo has proven time and again that if you hand him terrible players, he will go out of his way to play them. It's a real shame Biggio has been injured and turned into a pumpkin with the bat - he would have been useful as a reserve outfielder this year. I still have some hope he can return and contribute - it wouldn't take much to be a significant upgrade on Tapia/Zimmer.

Chapman hasn't been good offensively since 2019. There is no telling what his results will be this year. The bad luck may be the ball issues talked about or he may generally suck at the plate. This of course only stands out because the team on a whole is struggling.

In the meantime of waiting for an acquisition of a competent 4th outfielder not named Tapia or Zimmer, a promotion from triple A could be made to shake the lineup up a bit. Instead they DFA Collins for a BP pitcher. That is it.

[Schad]

Chapman was an above-average hitter in 2020, and an average one in 2021. He's definitely scuffling, but there is also a fair bit of batted ball unluckiness (his hard hit rate is the best of his career, while striking out less than in recent years), and being a flyball hitter in a year where flyballs suddenly don't travel hasn't helped.