Jays Minor League Signings (UPDATE: C. Overton and M. Rzepczynski)

phillipmike · Post #1 » by **phillipmike** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:10 pm

Adding to the middle infield. Panik is a good get, 29 middle infielder, bats left and a former all star. Good glove and puts the ball in play. Was a 2 fWAR player in 2017.

Can use this thread for more notable minor league signings as I’m sure a bunch more are coming.

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Post #2 » by **Schad** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:59 pm

Panik's a true marvel, in that a player who is solid defensively at a MI spot and basically never swings through a pitch and also walks at a decent clip has to try really, really hard not to be a good player. But he has managed it! It's hard to overstate how difficult it is for such a player to be replacement-level, but by god he has cracked the code.

Odds are he doesn't make the team and opts out on May 1st, but it's a worthwhile gamble. If he hits some line drives, rather than chopping the ball into the ground, he's a contributor. But for two years, he has stubbornly punished the grass one 80 mph chopper at a time, and his zeal for vengeance against those blades may not yet be sated.

phillipmike · Post #3 » by **phillipmike** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:23 pm

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Lateral Quicks · Post #4 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:23 pm

If only Panik had some positional versatility, he could slot into a back-up infielder role. With Biggio firmly ensconced at 2B, I don't see a role for him unless due to injury.

Usually I like guys that don't strike out much and can take a walk, but Panik does so remarkably little of anything else with the stick that he hasn't been worthy of a starting spot. That slugging percentage is paltry to say the least.

Still, not a bad signing at all. You could do worse than sign a former all-star and gold-glover entering his age 29 season to a minor league deal - essentially no downside.

rarefind · Post #5 » by **rarefind** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 6:41 pm

Hopefully Panik doesn't necessitate Biggio moving to CF. If Biggio is going to actually play in the of, it needs to be on his own merits... not because of a chance to take advantage on a Joe Panik gamble.

Biggio hasn't played of since high school... not in love with that idea.

phillipmike · Post #6 » by **phillipmike** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 2:28 am

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I_Like_Dirt · Post #7 » by **I_Like_Dirt** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:17 pm

rarefind wrote:Biggio hasn't played of since high school... not in love with that idea.

I don't love the idea of Biggio in CF, either, but it's only CF he hasn't played since HS, not OF in general. He's played both LF and RF as recently as in Buffalo in 2019.

SharoneWright · Post #8 » by **SharoneWright** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:39 pm

We finally have a good 2B, why mess? Who has upside and cache with fans. Go find a centre fielder if there is a problem!

phillipmike · Post #9 » by **phillipmike** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:17 am

SharoneWright wrote:We finally have a good 2B, why mess? Who has upside and cache with fans. Go find a centre fielder if there is a problem!

100%

Makes no sense to take our highest position WAR player from last season in his rookie year at 2B in hopes that he MIGHT be valuable in CF.

I can understand it if we had someone just as good or better at 2B or coming as a prospect but we don’t at this point.

So why risk Biggio’s development for something that may or may not happen only leaving you to find another long term 2B.

You take the potential above average starter at 2B and you find a CF elsewhere. Just let Fisher, Alford and Hernandez get their at bats this season. If they breakout then great. If not then you trade one of your many great upside middle infielder prospects or catching prospects for a comparable CF prospect.

Like we did with Taylor for Wallace. Wallace got Gose and Gose finally got Travis. Use trades or free agency to address your needs.

I_Like_Dirt · Post #10 » by **I_Like_Dirt** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 2:42 pm

I'm good either way. I don't really see it messing with Biggio's development, though. He's been playing multiple positions basically his entire career. You could argue that playing him exclusively at one position would be messing with his development because he's done so well every year while playing 4+ positions at every level. I'm not so sure CF is the place for him, really, but I'm also not convinced he's a long-term 2B defensively and his bat plays at any position.

youreachiteach · Post #11 » by **youreachiteach** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:15 pm

There are very few quality CFers and a lot of infielders available either by trade or on the open market. I suppose it makes sense to try considering the Jays are not really "competing" this year (outside of maybe getting to .500 or better).

Post #12 » by **Schad** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:20 pm

Biggio graded out as a league-average 2B in somewhat-limited innings...I'd leave him there until such time as he doesn't look like a 2B anymore. He isn't likely to be a good defensive CF, as he doesn't have the greatest range; if he's going to be a full-time major leaguer, it'll probably need to be in the infield. If his bat ends up platoon-y, then he can definitely be moved around more.

YelloC · Post #13 » by **YelloC** » Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:01 am

Panik seems like he could be primed for a Soogard like mini-breakout.

Black Watch · Post #14 » by **Black Watch** » Wed Jan 22, 2020 8:54 am

YelloC wrote:Panik seems like he could be primed for a Soogard like mini-breakout.

In case he's not, I hope he stays in Buffalo as an emergency fill-in in case both Bichette and Biggio are injured and our bench is thin. But it would suck if he takes away Buffalo playing time from Espinal, too.

Low expectations.

phillipmike · Post #15 » by **phillipmike** » Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:19 pm

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SharoneWright · Post #16 » by **SharoneWright** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 5:03 pm

phillipmike wrote:

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Vladdy's cousin

I guess we can expect him to be about 12.5% as good.

phillipmike · Post #17 » by **phillipmike** » Fri Feb 7, 2020 6:53 pm

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polo007 · Post #18 » by **polo007** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 6:36 pm

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Post #19 » by **Schad** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:12 pm

What Rob Friedman (@pitchingninja) has done in building a sort of self-directed scouting network is great, as is the availability of Rapsodo data. Teams' scouting resources are understandably geared toward higher-end prospects (in the minors or amateurs) and a lot of good arms can slip through the cracks and out of organized baseball.

phillipmike · Post #20 » by **phillipmike** » Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:45 pm

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