Mehar wrote:Kurtz wrote:Mehar wrote:With a 174 million payroll right now also. Rogers has provided the financial resources to Shatkins. Ryu, Kikuchi, and Berrios are making more combined in 2022, than the entire Payroll of the Orioles. Jays are spending significantly more than the Orioles, Rays, Twins, Mariners, and the Indians that are in the Wild Card Hunt. People forget how terrible this team was from 2017 to 2019, winning 76, 73, and 67 games those years. Fans were still patient. Last year, we had an unbelievable offense, but our Bullpen was trash in the first 3 months. This past off-season, the Bullpen was not fully addressed as Shatkins threw the Bullpen money away, to throw 36 million in the toilet (16 million this year) to a guy in Kikuchi who Seattle let go after his 5.98 ERA in his last 13 Starts of 2021. Montoyo was fired. So, now if this team misses the playoffs, it is time for both Shapiro and Atkins to be fired also. Clean house with the coaches also- including Pete Walker who has been here 10 years with dismal results. Shatkins tried their best, but the results on the field did not materialize. The organizational pitching depth is also a disgrace. Toronto will be an attractive destination to potential Shapiro and Atkins replacements, unlike in years past. An attractive destination for potential managers around the league also. I agree with your post.
I agree with the bulk of your post (except for the Pete Walker part - he's done some impressive things here), but note that 174m payroll is only the 11th highest in the league. Let's not dismiss the culpability of Rogers who specifically hired Shapiro because of the promise that he could build a sustainable contender on a
budget.
Respectfully, can you please elaborate on some of the impressive things Pete Walker has done? I keep hearing this from the media and some posters, but the Jays pitching statistics (Bullpen and Starters) have been underwhelming for a decade. People mention Robbie Ray, but Ray was an All-Star who had very good pitching seasons with the Diamondbacks. Berrios has gone south this year. Walker was supposed to transform Kikuchi into a decent pitcher, and that did not work out. Last year's bullpen in the first half was one of the worst I have seen in this franchise's history. Pete Walker was also himself a mediocre pitcher, having watched him pitch in person at the Rogers Centre when Carlos Tosca was manager nearly 20 years ago. Walker might be a nice guy, but I hope he is not back for a 11th season next year.
Well, the BP has its own coach, and given the lack of talent there I think that Matt Buschmann has done an adequate job.
As for starters - I can name you guys like Matz, Happ, Estrada, etc...but honestly, if you weren't impressed by Ray going from a near-7 ERA in 2020 to a CY Young winner in 2021 while cutting his walk rate like 3-fold under Walker then I don't think any of these other names would impress you either.
I guess I would pose this question back to you: Can you think of some names of starters who struggled here but then went on to turn their careers around under a new pitching coach?
And a secondary question: What available pitching coach would you like to bring in to replace Walker, and why?