Spring Training

[So_Fresh]

debatable? spring training results would say otherwise.

It's a sample size equivalent to seven or eight games. That isn't remotely enough to declare that his bat is unequivocally ready.

Have him come off the bench to start. he could also get playing time by slotting him at 2B.

You don't bring top prospects off the bench, nor platoon them.

Why not play him every 2nd game for example? Unless you like Galvis and you have him play all 162 games. It's not like we're competing this year anyways. He'll get his share of AB as injuries, performance will all be a factor this season. I haven't see this type of composure and maturity in a 19yr old player for a long time. He's going to be something special. I wouldn't even be surprised if he surpasses Guerrero Jr. in most offensive/defensive stat categories when it's all said and done.

[Schad]

Why not play him every 2nd game for example? Unless you like Galvis and you have him play all 162 games. It's not like we're competing this year anyways. He'll get his share of AB as injuries, performance will all be a factor this season. I haven't see this type of composure and maturity in a 19yr old player for a long time. He's going to be something special. I wouldn't even be surprised if he surpasses Guerrero Jr. in most offensive/defensive stat categories when it's all said and done.

Because he's still developing. You don't leave developing players on the bench for half the games. It's much better for his future to be playing every day in AAA than to be watching baseball games in Toronto.

One note: he isn't 19. He's 21.

[vaff87]

In fairness, he just turned 21 last week. However, you don’t go from 19 to 21

[polo007]

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[Black Watch]

If we call him up in June/July, does that mean we’ll have 6.5 years of control? I don’t understand what the June Super 2 deadline is.

Yeah, if we call him up in June/July, his FA date will be the same as Vlad's. However, whereas Vlad (barring injury) is about 99.9% likely to be Super 2, Bichette might not be if called up midyear. Hard to say; the formula is such that the date fluctuates, but it's usually 2 years and something like 130 days, and a mid-June callup would see him fall short...as a point of reference, Edwin Diaz was at 2 years, 212 days after a June 6th callup in 2016 and ended up with 13 days too little service time to qualify.

Does a September call-up start the clock?

It's why we didn't call up Vladdy.

[Lateral Quicks]

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Given all the discipline/morale problems with Pompey, not to mention his frequent injuries, I'd be surprised if the Jays make a move to free up a spot for him. I'd still like to see it, mind you. I'm still very intrigued by the skill set, and would like to see what he could do with a long stretch of health - if he should ever be so fortunate.

I would prefer Alford tear up AAA for a month or two before getting the call. For a FO that likes to take a patient approach with prospects, I found Alford's earlier call-ups to be premature.

[Schad]

Given all the discipline/morale problems with Pompey, not to mention his frequent injuries, I'd be surprised if the Jays make a move to free up a spot for him. I'd still like to see it, mind you. I'm still very intrigued by the skill set, and would like to see what he could do with a long stretch of health - if he should ever be so fortunate.

I would prefer Alford tear up AAA for a month or two before getting the call. For a FO that likes to take a patient approach with prospects, I found Alford's earlier call-ups to be premature.

Frankly, I think they'd move Pillar (and possibly Grichuk) for reasonable value even if our best outfield prospect was a poached egg named Hubert. That Pompey is out of options does introduce a bit more of a reason to do it sooner rather than later, if the opportunity presents.

[Lateral Quicks]

Given all the discipline/morale problems with Pompey, not to mention his frequent injuries, I'd be surprised if the Jays make a move to free up a spot for him. I'd still like to see it, mind you. I'm still very intrigued by the skill set, and would like to see what he could do with a long stretch of health - if he should ever be so fortunate.

I would prefer Alford tear up AAA for a month or two before getting the call. For a FO that likes to take a patient approach with prospects, I found Alford's earlier call-ups to be premature.

Frankly, I think they'd move Pillar (and possibly Grichuk) for reasonable value even if our best outfield prospect was a poached egg named Hubert. That Pompey is out of options does introduce a bit more of a reason to do it sooner rather than later, if the opportunity presents.

I'd like to see if Grichuk's adjustments and second half 2018 performance stick before moving him. If he stays hot in the first half, his return goes up quite a bit as a 27 year old with another 1.5 years of control. He's actually on the bubble of being young enough to possible help the team compete 2-3 years from now if he were signed to a reasonable contract extension.

[SharoneWright]

Not 100% sold on Alford or (especially) Pompey,, but we're gonna need warm bodies if we start playing 4 OF's at time!

[YogiStewart]

Given all the discipline/morale problems with Pompey, not to mention his frequent injuries, I'd be surprised if the Jays make a move to free up a spot for him. I'd still like to see it, mind you. I'm still very intrigued by the skill set, and would like to see what he could do with a long stretch of health - if he should ever be so fortunate.

I would prefer Alford tear up AAA for a month or two before getting the call. For a FO that likes to take a patient approach with prospects, I found Alford's earlier call-ups to be premature.

Frankly, I think they'd move Pillar (and possibly Grichuk) for reasonable value even if our best outfield prospect was a poached egg named Hubert. That Pompey is out of options does introduce a bit more of a reason to do it sooner rather than later, if the opportunity presents.

i was always told that the new management doesn't like Pompey and his last season certainly wouldn't help him at all.

Grichuk is likely going nowhere. Pillar, they'd love to trade for something, anything.

[Black Watch]

Given all the discipline/morale problems with Pompey, not to mention his frequent injuries, I'd be surprised if the Jays make a move to free up a spot for him. I'd still like to see it, mind you. I'm still very intrigued by the skill set, and would like to see what he could do with a long stretch of health - if he should ever be so fortunate.

I would prefer Alford tear up AAA for a month or two before getting the call. For a FO that likes to take a patient approach with prospects, I found Alford's earlier call-ups to be premature.

Frankly, I think they'd move Pillar (and possibly Grichuk) for reasonable value even if our best outfield prospect was a poached egg named Hubert. That Pompey is out of options does introduce a bit more of a reason to do it sooner rather than later, if the opportunity presents.

i was always told that the new management doesn't like Pompey and his last season certainly wouldn't help him at all.

Grichuk is likely going nowhere. Pillar, they'd love to trade for something, anything.

This post is so useless, I wonder why you bothered posting it at all.

[YogiStewart]

Frankly, I think they'd move Pillar (and possibly Grichuk) for reasonable value even if our best outfield prospect was a poached egg named Hubert. That Pompey is out of options does introduce a bit more of a reason to do it sooner rather than later, if the opportunity presents.

i was always told that the new management doesn't like Pompey and his last season certainly wouldn't help him at all.

Grichuk is likely going nowhere. Pillar, they'd love to trade for something, anything.

This post is so useless, I wonder why you bothered posting it at all.

because i'm internetlonely and been waiting for years for someone like you to come along?

[polo007]

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[dagger]

So far this spring, Stroman and Sanchez have both been excellent. Will be interesting to see if this carries over to the regular season, and how this affects their trade market. I would expect a team like San Diego, with so many good prospects and more reason now to upgrade their pitching, to take a run at them by June/July if they are competitive in the NL West

[Lateral Quicks]

I'm so happy to see Tellez doing well. I really hope he gets an extended look this year. One of Smoak and Morales really should have been moved by now, Smoak being the obvious candidate due to better contract and somewhat better performance.

[So_Fresh]

Did anyone see the diving catch by Chavez in today's spring training game??

[So_Fresh]

Stroman to start opener.

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Wilner mentioned that the starting rotation to start the season will be..

1)Stroman (R)
2)Shoemaker (R)
3)Sanchez (R)
4)Borucki (L)
5)Richards (L)

[polo007]

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Anthony Alford, OF, Blue Jays

Scout’s Take: "He looks insanely good. I know he’s had health issues, but to me the issue with him has always been balancing his approach and the fact that he does draw walks with some aggressiveness. He has just not missed pitches in the strike zone this spring, and he’s hit them a long way. He hit three home runs the last couple of days. It feels like each one is farther than the next one. The thing is I don’t know where he fits for them. I’m not sure what kind of trades the Blue Jays are talking about making or what their plans are, but if I were Teoscar Hernandez, I’d be worried. Because Teoscar Hernandez is similar tools, but he’s getting a little bit more expensive and he’s just a lesser defender . . . All of their veteran outfielders, (Randal) Grichuk, (Kevin) Pillar, they should be wary because Anthony Alford just looks better than all of them.”

Rowdy Tellez, 1B, Blue Jays

Scout’s Take: "I’ve seen him all the way from A-ball. When he’s locked into that left-center gap, whether it be lefties or righties, he’s going to be a tough out. Early on in the spring he was kind of rolling over pitches, just kind of hitting weak ground balls to the right side. But now that he’s locked into that left-center gap, hitting lefties and righties, he’s going to be somebody to watch. He actually kind of trimmed up a little bit. He looks a lot better moving his feet. He looks good.”

[dagger]

It would be great if Alford lives us the potential he is thought to have. In my view, rebuilding is a cycle in which teams tend to move from breakup talent - the vets who used to make the team good - to placeholders and then on to keepers. The breakup talent should be gone by the end of the season if not sooner (Morales, Smoak, Pillar). A lot of the young guys on the roster now are placeholders, and you hope maybe one of them becomes a keeper, but they are long shots. Now Alford looks like a potential keeper. With Vlad and Bo, we'd have three keepers in place by next season, and that would seem like a likely time when the cycle truly starts gaining a bit of altitude.

[I_Like_Dirt]

It would be great if Alford lives us the potential he is thought to have. In my view, rebuilding is a cycle in which teams tend to move from breakup talent - the vets who used to make the team good - to placeholders and then on to keepers. The breakup talent should be gone by the end of the season if not sooner (Morales, Smoak, Pillar). A lot of the young guys on the roster now are placeholders, and you hope maybe one of them becomes a keeper, but they are long shots. Now Alford looks like a potential keeper. With Vlad and Bo, we'd have three keepers in place by next season, and that would seem like a likely time when the cycle truly starts gaining a bit of altitude.

I think Jansen has the potential to be a keeper, too, but time will tell.