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Colby Rasmus has been benched.

The signs started last week, when he missed a couple of games with an alleged illness. And on Tuesday, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons called Rasmus into his office and made it official.

“I’ll be playing whenever they think I should play and I’m just going to be sitting around watching these rookies play,” Rasmus said in an interview in the visitors’ clubhouse Wednesday.

Rasmus, 28, is a free agent after the season. He said Gibbons made it clear his reduced playing time was a front-office decision.

Michael Bradley wrote:I really wish the Jays would have traded him last off-season. This decline was very predictable given his career and BABIP-influenced numbers last season. Oh well.

At least the Jays got one very good season out of him in three and a half years.

Schadenfreude wrote:While Rasmus has given us some value over the past few years, if you're too dumb to i) show up on time when in a playoff race, ii) take coaching advice when you're in a slump, iii) act like you give a damn in a contract year, you probably have earned a spot on the bench.

Graham's Cracker wrote:

Schadenfreude wrote:While Rasmus has given us some value over the past few years, if you're too dumb to i) show up on time when in a playoff race, ii) take coaching advice when you're in a slump, iii) act like you give a damn in a contract year, you probably have earned a spot on the bench.

Especially given his rep. You'd think he'd be on his best behaviour given his pending FA.

Michael Bradley wrote:I really wish the Jays would have traded him last off-season. This decline was very predictable given his career and BABIP-influenced numbers last season. Oh well.

At least the Jays got one very good season out of him in three and a half years.

Schadenfreude wrote:While Rasmus has given us some value over the past few years, if you're too dumb to i) show up on time when in a playoff race, ii) take coaching advice when you're in a slump, iii) act like you give a damn in a contract year, you probably have earned a spot on the bench.

MGD24 wrote: I’m just going to be sitting around watching these rookies play,” Rasmus said.

Schadenfreude wrote:

Graham's Cracker wrote:

Schadenfreude wrote:While Rasmus has given us some value over the past few years, if you're too dumb to i) show up on time when in a playoff race, ii) take coaching advice when you're in a slump, iii) act like you give a damn in a contract year, you probably have earned a spot on the bench.

Especially given his rep. You'd think he'd be on his best behaviour given his pending FA.

But alas, he's truly rather dumb. Not that being dumb is an impediment to success in baseball, but when you're dumb and struggling, life just ain't good.

Graham's Cracker wrote:Interesting comment about Gibby saying it's a FO decision.

Randle McMurphy wrote:Is he even struggling, though? His career rWC+ is 102, his 2014 wRC+ is 99. At the age of 28, this is kind of what he is at this point. His 2010/2013 seasons are proving to be the exception.

Randle McMurphy wrote:

Graham's Cracker wrote:Interesting comment about Gibby saying it's a FO decision.

If AA had no plans to actually use Colby the rest of the year and has given up any pretense of trying to win, his presence on the roster makes no sense. Why didn't they trade him 2 days ago for a bag of
balls?

Schadenfreude wrote:While Rasmus has given us some value over the past few years, if you're too dumb to i) show up on time when in a playoff race, ii) take coaching advice when you're in a slump, iii) act like you give a damn in a contract year, you probably have earned a spot on the bench.

Schadenfreude wrote:

Randle McMurphy wrote:Is he even struggling, though? His career rWC+ is 102, his 2014 wRC+ is 99. At the age of 28, this is kind of what he is at this point. His 2010/2013 seasons are proving to be the exception.

He's still being buoyed by his early-season numbers, to a large extent; past 45 games, he has an OPS of .679 and just 4 HRs in 170 PAs, which I'd categorize as struggling given that power is one of the two things he has on offer (the other has also fallen off the table, though his defense may be related to his injuries).

There There wrote:

Michael Bradley wrote:I really wish the Jays would have traded him last off-season. This decline was very predictable given his career and BABIP-influenced numbers last season. Oh well.

At least the Jays got one very good season out of him in three and a half years.

Rasmus has put up two 4+ fWAR seasons over the past four years.

And he was averaging 3+ fWAR per 162 games.

Even if the more likely outcome was him regressing this season, there was no need to actively create another hole in this lineup in a season in which they wanted to contend, especially considering the value if he did manage to duplicate last season.

Santoki wrote:

Randle McMurphy wrote:

Graham's Cracker wrote:Interesting comment about Gibby saying it's a FO decision.

If AA had no plans to actually use Colby the rest of the year and has given up any pretense of trying to win, his presence on the roster makes no sense. Why didn't they trade him 2 days ago for a bag of
balls?

Probably on the very unlikely chance that they find themselves somehow back in the hunt and need all the MLB-quality depth they can get.

Randle McMurphy wrote:Have absolutely no idea why you think he isn't taking coaching advice

or doesn't give a damn about what he's doing.

He just hasn't had one of his power streaks since May (which was cut short by injury). He might have had one in September instead of just petering along at league average numbers, but I suppose we'll never know now. I just wish they'd have traded him if this was how they intended to use him this month.