General Blue Jays Thread

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I showered, man! I smell really good!" | MIC'D UP with Teoscar Hernández, Ty France (and Vlad Jr!)

July 6, 2021

MLB

Next up on Play Loud, we have an amazing duo in All-Star starter Teoscar Hernández and Mariners 3B Ty France, along with a very special guest in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (another All-Star starter!) Watch them discuss everything from batting tips to aliens invading the ballpark, along with a very special look-in on Vlad Jr.'s run from first to home!

[rarefind]

Trading Payamps for cash doesn't make much sense right now.

[Parataxis]

Eeee! Going to the game on Simcoe Day. So excited.

[vaff87]

Trading Payamps for cash doesn't make much sense right now.

He was DFA’d. It was either that or lose him for nothing.

[rarefind]

Trading Payamps for cash doesn't make much sense right now.

He was DFA’d. It was either that or lose him for nothing.

Totally missed him being dfa'd.

[polo007]

Steve Phillips: Blue Jays look like buyers as trade deadline approaches - TSN.ca

The Blue Jays seem to be clear buyers at this point. It’s highly unlikely, but if they were to lose the next seven games while the Red Sox, Rays and Athletics all put together win streaks, it could change their perspective.

Toronto general manager Ross Atkins has already added a couple of quality relievers. It’s also helpful that the Jays’ needs are clear. Their offence is championship calibre but their starting pitching and bullpen are not.

Team president Mark Shapiro has said that the Jays’ focus is on impact players at this deadline. That should be music to Jays fans’ ears. Remember, it was Shapiro who was somewhat critical of former GM Alex Anthopoulos when he traded away a bunch of prospects in 2015 to acquire ace pitcher David Price and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Shapiro’s preference then was to hold onto the prospects. The Jays made great playoff runs in 2015 and 2016 and the deals paid dividends. Plus, none of the prospects traded away came back to haunt Toronto.

Unless my view of impact is different than Shapiro’s, it means the Jays are inquiring about a starter like Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer (seeking a multi-year extension to waive his no-trade rights), a closer like Cubs reliever Craig Kimbrel (one year option for 2022), or a power bat like Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo (one more year of arbitration).

Those are impact players. A contract extension for Scherzer, a future Hall of Famer, would be something like three years at $105 million, which is a lot for a 37-year-old veteran. But Scherzer is worth it. He’s a three-time Cy Young award winner who still has fuel in the tank. Kimbrel is the best closer available and is back on track in what could be a Hall of Fame career. Gallo likely doesn’t fit for the Jays unless they strikeout on pitchers and decide to add offence, hoping to outslug the opposition.

Jays will have to part with prospects

The Jays will have to part with prospect talent to get impact major-league help. They would likely have to part with at least one high-upside arm to land an ace. I would be willing to include Nate Pearson in that deal.

Pearson’s injuries worry me. He has a great arm but has lost significant development time due to being hurt. It will still take a couple of years for him to fulfill his potential considering he is being directed to the bullpen for the rest of this season.

If I include Pearson in a deal it means that I would not trade Simeon Woods Richardson, who is pitching in Double-A right now. He was acquired in the Marcus Stroman deal with the Mets in in 2019. Scouts like him as much or more than Pearson, and he is younger.

I would also include Austin Martin, the Jays first-round pick from 2020, in a trade if it’s for a player the team can control beyond this season. Martin is a good player who can play multiple positions, but his lack of power in his first season is glaring. If I trade him in a big deal I would not include Double-A infielder Jordan Groshans or young Class-A shortstop Orelvis Martinez, who already has 17 home runs and 60 RBI playing in Dunedin.

The Jays have enough depth of talent in their farm system to make just about any deal they want. The question is whether they be willing to pay the price. They should, if the acquisitions come with controllability beyond 2021.

[polo007]

Blue Jays' need at catcher exacerbated by Jansen injury - Sportsnet.ca

More pertinent to his approach ahead of July 30, perhaps, is the club’s suddenly less certain catching situation, with Danny Jansen returning to the injured list after straining his right hamstring again, and the club expecting him to be out “for a while,” according to Montoyo.

Alejandro Kirk is back and he lined a base hit in three trips to the plate, and the plan is for him to split duties with Reese McGuire, who’ll be tasked with the critical job of calling ace Hyun Jin Ryu’s starts beginning Saturday. Inexperience behind the plate was a concern even before Jansen went down but it’s even more of an issue right now as crunch time dawns.

McGuire is 4-for-31 in his last 12 games and compounding matters, his receiving hasn’t been especially consistent. Pair that with a talented but still green 22-year-old Kirk who appeared in only his 41st game above A-ball on Friday, and the idea of adding behind the plate has some organizational traction.

Whether it happens is another matter, but the Blue Jays have some interesting options.

Jonathan Lucroy, recently released by Atlanta, is a free agent, while Jacob Stallings of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs and Tucker Barnhart of the Cincinnati Reds are -- to varying degrees -- available and offer up-market options with club control beyond this year.

Stallings, who’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, will need to be valued as an everyday catcher to be pried away from the Pirates, who also have some other notable players of interest to the Blue Jays, reliever Richard Rodriguez among them.

Contreras won’t be eligible for free agency until after next year and with the Cubs seemingly not planning to extend him, the Blue Jays could target him along with a number of other fits on the soon-to-be-stripped roster such as Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera and Kris Bryant.

Barnhart, meanwhile, is a left-handed bat who comes with a reasonable $7.5 million option for next year. With the Reds stuck in no man's land and Tyler Stephenson emerging, this might be the time to get him.

While adding any of the three would to some extent block the current young trio behind the plate, top prospect Gabriel Moreno increasingly seems like the Blue Jays’ catcher of the future and one of the veterans would help bridge the gap to his arrival and ease his transition.

[Parataxis]

At what point do we need to start asking if maybe we're not actually better than our record? Maybe we're exactly the team that our record suggests, at least for this season.

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To trade or not to trade? For these five MLB teams, it's not an easy decision - ESPN.com

Toronto Blue Jays

Short history: After three straight losing seasons, the Blue Jays made the playoffs in 2020 thanks to the expanded postseason. With youngsters Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette ready to hit their prime, the Jays sort of went all-in for 2021. They gave big money to George Springer and signed Marcus Semien to a one-year deal, but they really only went halfway on the pitching staff, re-signing Robbie Ray (coming off a bad year), trading for Ross Stripling and signing Tyler Chatwood. Still, the belief was the Blue Jays could be strong contenders in the AL East.

What's happened in 2021: Guerrero has exceeded expectations with a Triple Crown chase, Semien has had a huge season and the rotation has been pretty good (Ray is 8-4 with a 2.93 ERA). The bullpen gets a lot of blame, but it's middle of the pack in ERA in the majors (13th) and win probability added (15th). Not great, not horrible. They've underperformed their expected record by six wins (they're 6-10 in one-run games, but have more blowout wins than losses). A return to Toronto, after playing in Dunedin and Buffalo so far, could be an energizing boost.

Biggest problem: Everyone points to the bullpen and that's worth upgrading, but the offense does have some holes: their catchers are 23rd in the majors in OPS, their DHs 11th out of 15 AL teams, and Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. both sport sub-.300 OBPs. Adding another starter feels paramount.

Thinking big: OK, you're not going to upgrade catcher. Kyle Gibson just got shelled, but he's available, was great in the first half, has a reasonable salary and is signed through 2022. Nelson Cruz would be a nice fit at DH, although another lefty bat would be nice (Cavan Biggio is the only regular lefty in the lineup).

Thinking small: They already traded for relievers Adam Cimber and Trevor Richards, and since their chances of winning the division are small -- 8.8% entering Tuesday, via FanGraphs -- that may be as all-in as owner Rogers Communications desires to go.

What they should do: Yes, climbing past both the Rays and Red Sox will be difficult, but that still leaves the wild card in play. The Blue Jays do have a strong farm system to deal from and they can add around the edges without dealing any of their top prospects. Is adding around the edges enough? Note that the Blue Jays have a better run differential than the Red Sox or Rays, so I think it's reasonable to suggest they are as good as those two clubs, but just haven't had the ball bounce their way.

I really like the idea of trading for Cruz. He's owed about $4.5 million the rest of the season and the market for him won't be super robust since several of the AL contenders are already locked in at DH. Finally: Max Scherzer is a fit here. Even if you end up as a wild card, at least the Blue Jays could hand the ball to him and like their chances.

[SharoneWright]

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So Zeuch goes out the same way the world ends… not with a bang, but a whimper.

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Monday with Mitchell: Trade deadline primer - TSN.ca

While unexpected names are traded each year, here’s a look at five areas the Jays could upgrade and some of the available talent at each spot.

Impact Starter

Top options: German Marquez, Rockies; Max Scherzer, Nationals; Jose Berrios, Twins; Luis Castillo, Reds; Sonny Gray, Reds

Lower-end help: Kyle Hendricks, Cubs; Michael Pineda, Twins; Kenta Maeda, Twins; Kyle Gibson, Rangers; Jon Gray, Rockies; Mike Minor, Royals

This is where the Jays could toe the line between adding for this year and looking to 2022, as well, with Marquez, Berrios, Castillo, Gray and Hendricks all at least under contract for next year.

They could also look to do what they did last year — add a reclamation project type like a Ray or a Stripling and at least give pitching coach Pete Walker another starter to work with. Scherzer is the big fish with the playoff pedigree that every contender will be after if he’s on the market.

Bullpen

Top options: Craig Kimbrel, Cubs; Richard Rodriguez, Pirates; Raisel Iglesias, Angels; Taylor Rogers, Twins; Ian Kennedy, Rangers; Brad Hand, Nationals

Lower-end help: Yimi Garcia, Marlins; Tanner Scott, Orioles; Daniel Hudson, Nationals; Greg Holland, Royals; Daniel Bard, Rockies; Mychal Givens, Rockies

It seems to be the obvious area of need for the Jays, so all of the names in the top group are easy fits.

These types of bullpen arms tend to cost a lot in the hours leading up to the deadline and this Jays front office regime has up to this point shown a tendency to troll for more under-the-radar relief help.

If they pay the price for a top closer, they’ll likely be adding elsewhere, too, and making a push.

Third Base

Top options: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland; Kris Bryant, Cubs; Eduardo Escobar, Diamondbacks

Lower-end help: Jorge Polanco, Twins

The easiest spot to upgrade in the lineup, which would push Cavan Biggio to a super-utility role, Bryant is easily the top rental and will cost a lot.

If Cleveland truly puts Ramirez on the market, there’s a relationship there with both the player and the Ohio front office that could lead to conversations.

Escobar, a free agent this winter and a switch-hitter to boot, is an intriguing fit and the price might be reasonable.

Veteran Catcher

Top options: Yadier Molina, Cardinals; Willson Contreras, Cubs

Lower-end help: Tucker Barnhart, Reds; Roberto Perez, Cleveland; Yan Gomes, Nationals; Robinson Chirinos, Cubs

With Danny Jansen sidelined for a significant stretch by another hamstring injury, the front office has to ask itself whether it’s comfortable with Alejandro Kirk and Reese McGuire behind the dish.

The Cardinals sit right at .500, but the ageless Molina would be a fun rental to add to this young Jays clubhouse.

More realistically, a capable veteran defensive catcher with a touch more offensive upside than McGuire or Jansen is likely the thought process.

Left-Handed Bats

Top options: OF Joey Gallo, Rangers; OF Kyle Schwarber, Nationals

Lower-end help: OF Ian Happ, Cubs; 1B Carlos Santana, Royals; OF Kole Calhoun, Diamondbacks

The Jays don’t need an outfielder, but moving one in a trade — Randal Grichuk or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are the candidates — would allow them to shift some things around if they wanted to add Gallo in a blockbuster.

A left-handed bat is on the shopping list, and one who could play multiple positions like Happ would be ideal.

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[Cyrus]

What do you guys want the jays to do this trade deadline? Go for it? Make some win now moves, even though they have to jump 3 teams in their own division and like 6 teams in the wild card race to make it?

[vaff87]

What do you guys want the jays to do this trade deadline? Go for it? Make some win now moves, even though they have to jump 3 teams in their own division and like 6 teams in the wild card race to make it?

Mostly stand pat. Maybe add another guy to the bullpen.

[Schad]

Add a 'pen arm with control remaining. Maybe two if the value is right. I'm going to keep stumping for Paul Fry of the Orioles, because he's still a left-handed flyball-suppression god with three years of control, who shouldn't be too expensive. Scott Barlow with the Royals (three years of team control, very good peripherals) would also make sense, though now that he's closing there might be a premium paid there.

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[Parataxis]

What do you guys want the jays to do this trade deadline? Go for it? Make some win now moves, even though they have to jump 3 teams in their own division and like 6 teams in the wild card race to make it?

If we can make trades that upgrade the team and bring in players with controlable years left, I'd love to see that.

I don't think we're in a position to make a push with short term rentals. I also don't think we need to throw in the towel (but if somebody offers us something ridiculous for Semien or etc, we should at least consider it)