RealGM

Black Watch wrote:Should we make a thread for some of the minor news pieces surrounding the Jays?

I think so.

BigLeagueChew wrote:Revere released.

Wouldn't mind a look at Carlos Gonzalez, released by the Indians today.

TORONTO – The newcomers on the Blue Jays’ roster generated plenty of discussion Friday, and rightfully so.

Cavan Biggio and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. both have a chance to be future pieces in Toronto, so their arrival here offers hope that better days await a team that’s now 20-31.

On the other side of that transaction, the Blue Jays optioned Billy McKinney to triple-A after a disappointing start to the season that saw him hit just .229/.278/.371 through 41 games. That’s a significant drop-off from the numbers he posted after being acquired in last summer’s J.A. Happ trade, but the Blue Jays believe he can return to form, especially if he starts using the whole field more.

When McKinney hits the ball on the ground, he nearly always pulls it to the right side of the infield, making him an easy candidate to shift on.

Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that his batting average on balls in play remains below league average at .279. Either way, general manager Ross Atkins believes McKinney can turn his season around once he’s in a more relaxed triple-A environment.

“Billy’s such a hard worker,” Atkins said. “He plays exceptionally hard. I think he put a little pressure on himself. Starting the season on the opening day roster, becoming almost an everyday player. It was a new role for him and he wanted it bad."

“I think he also in fairness to him was getting pitched really tough–pitched in a lot–and we thought our offensive struggles put increased pressure on him,” the GM continued. “I think he’ll benefit from getting to triple-A and having regular work there.”

BigLeagueChew wrote:Revere released.

Wouldn't mind a look at Carlos Gonzalez, released by the Indians today.

The_Hater wrote:
I had to check to see if that was the same CarGo, man did he fall off the cliff these last 24 months. He’s only 33.

BigLeagueChew wrote:

The_Hater wrote:
I had to check to see if that was the same CarGo, man did he fall off the cliff these last 24 months. He’s only 33.

Was just released by the Indians after being dfa'd making him a free agent.

Anything to put the current messy stretch in the rearview. Losers of seven of their past eight and coming off a fourth series in which they were swept, it’s been grim. In a division they were never going to be competitive in, the Jays have plummeted to 15.5 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees.

Piling on to the poor record and struggles, a nasty flu bug has swept through the clubhouse over the past week leaving more than a bad taste in their mouths.

So May and it’s 7-20 record can’t end soon enough as for the second consecutive season, the Jays will go through the month without recording back-to-back wins.

Montoyo has maintained that once a player or two starts hammering it at the plate, others will follow. That hasn’t happened yet, of course, and entering Thursday’s play, the Jays had a team batting average of .219, dead last in all of Major League Baseball. The 212 runs the Jays have managed to get across the plate are second worst in the AL.

BLUE JAYS: Almost everyone is gone now from the 2015-2016 playoff teams. But the Blue Jays have already signaled they could be aggressive in trying to trade Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, who will both be a year and a half from free agency. And “they’re in the perfect place to move guys like that,” one of the execs quoted earlier said. “Their entire fan base is sold on the concept that guys like Vlad [Guerrero] and [Cavan] Biggio are their future. So they won’t even be paying attention [to those trades] because they understand they’re building around the young guys.”

The cumulative wins above average for Toronto's non-pitchers is the worst in the league (minus-8.0) and is subzero at every position except pitcher. -- Richards