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Duffman100 wrote:Does this mean we're out on Edwin?

Schad wrote:Really like this. As stated above, he's arb-eligible for another season, and a good candidate to bounce back. And if he fails to do so, no harm done.

It probably makes more sense for Shaw to play 3B and Vlad to play 1B, but sticking at 3B seems to be a motivator for Vlad, so whatever.

Coming off the worst season of his career, one that forced the Milwaukee Brewers to non-tender the 29-year-old infielder earlier this month rather than pay him around $5 million in salary for 2020, the Blue Jays believe Shaw is closer to the 30-homer left-handed bat he was in 2017 and 2018 than one of the worst hitters in baseball, which is exactly what he was this past season.

There’s no getting around the fact Shaw was bad — really bad — in 2019, slashing just .157/.281/.270 with seven home runs in 270 trips to the plate, output that earned the five-year veteran a pair of trips to Triple-A.

But prior to cratering in his age-29 season, Shaw had been worth a total of 7.1 fWAR — 3.5 in ’17 and 3.6 in ’18 — and had posted back-to-back 30-homer campaigns for the Brew Crew, helping further the nickname Mayor of Ding Dong City, a moniker given to him during his time with the Boston Red Sox, the club that drafted him in the ninth round of the 2011 draft out of Kent State University.

With the Brewers pivoting to former Blue Jay Justin Smoak at first base this week, the Jays and Shaw were an obvious match.

If Shaw can rediscover his stroke in 2020, he’ll help lengthen a Blue Jays lineup that has just one other left-handed hitter, Cavan Biggio, slated to hit in the top half of manager Charlie Montoyo’s lineup.

The plan is to play Shaw at first base almost every day, but he can also move around to third base — his best position at plus-26 Defensive Runs Saved over his career — and second base on occasion.

That versatility gives Montoyo the ability to use Guerrero Jr. more as the DH, especially if versatile infielder Brandon Drury struggles with the bat in spring training and doesn’t make the club.

Another aspect drawing the Jays to Shaw is the fact he’s still arbitration eligible in 2021, giving them another year of team control at a reasonable cost if he does, indeed, rebound.

If that happens, you could make the case it would be in the best interest of the club to flip-flop Shaw and Vladdy Jr. by opening day 2021 in order to make the most out of the veteran's glove and let the kid start getting used to the spot most believe will end up being his long-term position in the not so distant future anyway.

Even with the versatility, cheap price tag, and past history of big-league production, Shaw, unsurprisingly, does come with some warts.

agkagk wrote:

Duffman100 wrote:Does this mean we're out on Edwin?

Things that never crossed my mind before;

Why not both?

Tellez goes back to buffalo and unless drury hits his way on the team he can be dfa’d

Schad wrote:Really like this. As stated above, he's arb-eligible for another season, and a good candidate to bounce back. And if he fails to do so, no harm done.

It probably makes more sense for Shaw to play 3B and Vlad to play 1B, but sticking at 3B seems to be a motivator for Vlad, so whatever.

Scott Hall wrote:Like this as a part time UTIL player not exactly thrilled as a full time player whatever though
had no real expectations or high hopes anyways.

Hoopstarr wrote:This much closer to an all-legacy-player roster.

Blue Jays sign Travis Shaw to a 1-year, $4 million dollar deal

One of my favorite non-tenders finally landed with Travis Shaw signing in Toronto on Sunday morning. Shaw had a brutal 2019 that he wants to forget, posting just a 47 wRC+ after seasons of 119 and 120 with 30 HR in each. He was terrible before his wrist injury in mid-May, terrible upon his return, and terrible after his multiple Triple-A stints. However, I am slightly heartened by the fact that those minor league trips were strong.

He hit .286/.437/.586 with 12 HR in 174 minor league PA, so he didn’t completely forget how to hit. While 2019 was a total disaster, I’m not sure there are any compelling reasons to believe that it’s who he is now so I’m kinda writing it off as a lost season. Steamer likes him for a substantial rebound, back up to a 102 wRC+. I could easily envision a push north of 115 and another 30-HR season. I’m definitely buying back in.

Ultimately, for one-year and $4 million, this is the kind of move rebuilding clubs should be lining up to make. If Shaw doesn’t hit, the team can swallow the money and find someone else to man first base. But even modest improvement makes this a bargain of a contract, and given Shaw’s underlying batted ball indicators and recent history of success, there are plenty of reasons to think he can bounce back. A return to form won’t necessarily propel Toronto to the top of a very competitive AL East, but combined with a number of promising young players, it would go some way toward making the Blue Jays a fun club to watch in 2020. Between that and his potential re-sale value, what’s not to like?