So go ahead, fix the Jays

dagger · Post #1 » by **dagger** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:04 am

Fire Gibby?

Start benching/axing players?

Or be patient and just wait this out?

What's your fix?

Mine is to start tapping into Buffalo for Thole and Negrych, dropping Blanco and deRosa who are luxuries for a losing team. Their leadership hasn't translated into anything positive.

And Gibby goes by mid-May if this doesn't turn around. Just let Hale run the team.

The key for me is that this team has more holes and setbacks than I thought (Ricky/Santos/Reyes), but it's not one of the worst teams in the AL either. Gibbons has failed to instill any sense of urgency in the team since the start of spring training, and he's making terrible in-game decisions with his lineups and the running game.

Meanwhile, it's laughable, but we have the best team in AAA with guys who may not be any better than their counterparts on the Jays, but who may be hungrier and a little less beset with a sense of entitlement (JPA).

Randle McMurphy · Post #2 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:08 am

Outside of signing a DH or maybe an additional 2B, there's nothing to fix. You just wait and hope the collection of talent plays to its expected level. There's a hell of a long way to go yet.

Gibbons won't be going anywhere, nor should he. AA isn't the business of scapegoating managers/coaches like a certain Raptors executive.

RapsFanInVA · Post #3 » by **RapsFanInVA** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:10 am

I'll give them til the end of May to turn this around. EE seems to finally be rounding into form. The HR from Bautista is encouraging. We're not getting blown out anymore. Last 5 losses have been by 1 or 2 runs. I think we'll bottom out here in the end of April, then start turning things around with the Seattle series. I believe we'll be at least .500 by the end of May and trending upward. Stay the course.

dagger · Post #4 » by **dagger** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:17 am

I see a team that's 7.5 GB and could be 11.5 below by Wednesday

That's the equivalent of the Raptors 4-19 start - you don't dig yourself out of holes like that.

Post #5 » by **Geddy** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:17 am

I'd work on changing the approach at the plate to get the OBP up. Pointless to have so many solo HRs all the time.

Fire the hitting coach if you have to.

rarefind · Post #6 » by **rarefind** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:21 am

You wait it out, any move at this point would be short sighted aside from adding a 2b or a dh to platoon in the outfield (Sierra). Not really huge surprises though, not like these are the reasons for the team struggling thus far.

You have a team of pros who are currently under performing in comparison to past seasons. You bet on these guys turning it around before the season becomes a write off which quite frankly is a far ways away.

This team has yet to play good baseball and if you subtract 1 run games is playing around (slightly below) .500 ball.

Santoki · Post #7 » by **Santoki** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:27 am

We're stuck with this team minus a few additions and subtractions (Blanco, DeRosa etc). This all falls on our best players. There wasn't much room for error despite the narrative that the depth issue had been fixed. This team's best players haven't been any good combined with the slow start for everyone else and you've got the product in front of you. This team seems devoid of any identity, leadership, or passion. Two to three players, and preferably your best, have to step up. I'm looking at Dickey and Morrow to settle the rotation and Bautista, Lawrie, and Cabrera to wake up the offense. I'm not sure changing the date on the calendar will do the trick at this point.

If you're going to fire someone, it has to be Mottola but then do you just promote Murphy again? I really think AA screwed up the decision on the coaching staff. I voiced my displeasure at the time, but seemed in the minority. Rookie pitching and hitting coach along with the manager who was an afterthought in the same season you're "all-in" looks like a pretty big miscalculation at this point despite what you might say about the influence managers have on baseball teams.

Kapono · Post #8 » by **Kapono** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:29 am

Trade JPA

Randle McMurphy · Post #9 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:31 am

dagger wrote:That's the equivalent of the Raptors 4-19 start - you don't dig yourself out of holes like that.

Actually, the equivalent of the Raptors start is about 8-37. Those are the kind of holes you can't dig out of...not 9-15.

dagger · Post #10 » by **dagger** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:31 am

Brett Lawrie ‏@blawrie13 23s
The sun shall rise mañana .. Grind this **** out !! #Mentality #1Unit

Randle McMurphy · Post #11 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:32 am

dagger wrote:
Brett Lawrie ‏@blawrie13 23s
The sun shall rise mañana .. Grind this **** out !! #Mentality #1Unit

Looks like the only attitude they can and should have.

s e n s i · Post #12 » by **s e n s i** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:33 am

give andrew friedman a ring and offer bautista straight up for maddon

frizzer1 · Post #13 » by **frizzer1** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:33 am

You never fire a manager after 24 games......and it's hard to place the blame on gibby.....but...with this team playing so abysmally...I just don't know.
Anyway...I agree that Derosa and blanco must go...and they simply have to get a second baseman and a centrefielder..
Can they do it? I greatly doubt it,unless they sacrifice Sanchez and the remaining prized prospects they own.

dagger · Post #14 » by **dagger** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:34 am

Randle McMurphy wrote:
dagger wrote:That's the equivalent of the Raptors 4-19 start - you don't dig yourself out of holes like that.

Actually, the equivalent of the Raptors start is about 8-37. Those are the kind of holes you can't dig out of...not 9-15.

The difference is eight teams make the NBA playoffs in your conference, but only five teams make the MLB playoffs and three of those are division winners. Fall 11.5 or 13 back, and forget it.

J-Roc · Post #15 » by **J-Roc** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:36 am

No one trade will make a difference. We need our current guys to get going. The clear way to do that is to change their approach at the plate. It's disappointing to see Jose hit a HR today, because it reinforces his all or nothing approach at the plate. We're not winning like this. I find it hard to believe a scrub like Chad Mottola is seriously responsible for their approach. At most, he's just looking to help them with the mechanics of their swing. But to get these guys thinking about getting on base, that's on the Manager Gibbons.

Mehar · Post #16 » by **Mehar** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:37 am

Jim Negrych had an another three hit game tonight and is batting .481. I know he is a career minor leaguer, but this team needs an upgrade at Second Base, and he can do no worse than Izturis. Izturis is a pretty much a guaranteed out right now and is terrible at the plate at this moment. Right now, this team can make just make minor moves, and i would call up Josh Thole and Negrych and send down Blanco the other way, and send Mark Derosa down as well. Izturis will not be sent down because he got paid 10 M over three years by AA. Maybe have Thole catch some games as well, and give JP some time at DH. At this point in the season, you can make only minor moves, and Negrych and Thole need to be given a shot. Thole is hitting over .380 as well.

Randle McMurphy · Post #17 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:37 am

dagger wrote:
Randle McMurphy wrote:
dagger wrote:That's the equivalent of the Raptors 4-19 start - you don't dig yourself out of holes like that.

Actually, the equivalent of the Raptors start is about 8-37. Those are the kind of holes you can't dig out of...not 9-15.

The difference is eight teams make the NBA playoffs in your conference, but only five teams make the MLB playoffs and three of those are division winners. Fall 11.5 or 13 back, and forget it.

That would be quite a difference, no doubt, but it's not insurmountable this early. There are still nearly 140 games left to play. Boston will not play at this level all year, nor will the Jays.

Santoki · Post #18 » by **Santoki** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:38 am

Randle McMurphy wrote:
dagger wrote:That's the equivalent of the Raptors 4-19 start - you don't dig yourself out of holes like that.

Actually, the equivalent of the Raptors start is about 8-37. Those are the kind of holes you can't dig out of...not 9-15.

4-19 is 28% of the basketball season. We've played about 15% of the baseball season. 4 wins out of 23 = 21% winning percentage. 9 out of 24 wins = 37.5% winning percentage. To make the playoffs in the East, let's say on an average year you need to be .500. That means the Raptors would have had to have gone 37-17 the rest of the way (a winning percentage of 68.5%). In the AL, you'll have to at least get to 90 wins (and that's probably being generous). So, the Jays will have to go 81-57 the rest of the way (about a 59% winning percentage).

So, it's not as bad, but it's getting pretty close...

dagger · Post #19 » by **dagger** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:39 am

frizzer1 wrote:You never fire a manager after 24 games......and it's hard to place the blame on gibby.....but...with this team playing so abysmally...I just don't know.
Anyway...I agree that Derosa and blanco must go...and they simply have to get a second baseman and a centrefielder..
Can they do it? I greatly doubt it,unless they sacrifice Sanchez and the remaining prized prospects they own.

How about after 36 games?

Jimy Williams, 12-24 - 1989

Santoki · Post #20 » by **Santoki** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:42 am

dagger wrote:
frizzer1 wrote:You never fire a manager after 24 games......and it's hard to place the blame on gibby.....but...with this team playing so abysmally...I just don't know.
Anyway...I agree that Derosa and blanco must go...and they simply have to get a second baseman and a centrefielder..
Can they do it? I greatly doubt it,unless they sacrifice Sanchez and the remaining prized prospects they own.

How about after 36 games?

Jimy Williams, 12-24 - 1989

Can we hire Cito again?