General Blue Jays Thread: 2024 Off-Season

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[linery88]

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That says it all right there.What a clueless team.
Either of these lineups have worked this season with no losses,and only wins,yet they continue to switch,and put the wrong guys in the wrong spots,based on a small sample size of an individuals performance.

This worked on the road against 2 good teams..TB/NYM.



George Springer (R) RF
Bo Bichette (R) SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) DH
Brandon Belt (L) 1B
Matt Chapman (R) 3B
Whit Merrifield (R) 2B
Daulton Varsho (L) LF
Danny Jansen (R) C
Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF

George Springer (R) RF
Bo Bichette (R) SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
Brandon Belt (L) DH
Matt Chapman (R) 3B
Whit Merrifield (R) 2B
Daulton Varsho (L) LF
Alejandro Kirk (R) C
Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF

What they are doing now is unsustainable -IMO.

[Schad]

What they are doing is entirely sustainable. In fact, even with some players underperforming, the team is 7th in wRC+ at the plate and 4th in SIERA on the mound, the two metrics which best strip the luck aspect (and which there is plenty in baseball) out of performance. We're comfortably top ten in batting, pitching and defense; for its flaws, it's the most well-rounded team that we've fielded in eons.

It's a good team whose primary flaw is that their mashers are hitting too many singles, and is mostly held back by playing in the one of the best versions ever of the most dominant division in baseball.

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Levine: Marcus Stroman not anticipating contract extension as trade from Cubs could be looming - WSCR-AM | 670 The Score Chicago

After earning a win in the Cubs’ 10-4 victory over the Red Sox on Saturday at Wrigley Field, Marcus Stroman said he is not expecting a contract extension prior to the trade deadline.

"I am open to it," Stroman said. "I just don't think it's going to happen. Like I said, there are zero hard feelings. I have a great relationship with (the Cubs’ front office ) I love everything here. I just don't think they are in a position to sign me before the deadline. Yes, I hope they will be in the mix in the offseason. I love the city and the fan base. Whatever happens happens. If I have to go somewhere else for two months to pitch, so be it. I am in a good space mentally, so I am in a good place regardless."

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on Friday that the team's performance can still dictate which direction to go over the next two weeks in the trade market. According to MLB sources, the Blue Jays are one of the teams that have expressed strong interest in what may be a Stroman sweepstakes by the last week of July.

Both the Cubs and Jays have done their due diligence on the strength of each other's farm systems. Stroman was drafted and promoted through the Blue Jays’ system before getting traded to the Mets during the 2019 season. He compiled a 47 -45 record with Toronto and a 3.76 ERA in six seasons.

The 32-year-old Stroman is 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA over 20 starts this season for the Cubs.

Numerous other American League East clubs will also have feelers out on Stroman. Industry reports have as many as 10 clubs in baseball looking for starting pitching. Stroman, along with the White Sox pitchers Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn, appear to be the most talked-about rotation pitchers available for acquiring this month. The Cardinals are also considering moving some rotation pieces after having a brutal first half.

Stroman has a $21-million player option with the Cubs for 2024, which he is expected to decline. He could be seeking a five-year contract in free agency this offseason.

"I think that if they don't reach an agreement, and it doesn't appear they are talking, you might as well deal him," USA TODAY writer Bob Nightengale said on 670 The Score’s ‘Inside the Clubhouse’ show on Saturday. “He has already said he will hit free agency and take that opt- out and run with it. The team that makes the most sense is the San Francisco Giants. The same thing for him applies to Giolito. I think the Cubs will have 10 teams calling about Stroman. He is a great competitor and loves the big stage. There is a reason he has always excelled in the WBC and things like that. Of all the pitchers out there, I think he is the surest bet because he is not going to falter in the big moment."

[Boogie!]

Levine: Marcus Stroman not anticipating contract extension as trade from Cubs could be looming - WSCR-AM | 670 The Score Chicago

After earning a win in the Cubs’ 10-4 victory over the Red Sox on Saturday at Wrigley Field, Marcus Stroman said he is not expecting a contract extension prior to the trade deadline.

"I am open to it," Stroman said. "I just don't think it's going to happen. Like I said, there are zero hard feelings. I have a great relationship with (the Cubs’ front office ) I love everything here. I just don't think they are in a position to sign me before the deadline. Yes, I hope they will be in the mix in the offseason. I love the city and the fan base. Whatever happens happens. If I have to go somewhere else for two months to pitch, so be it. I am in a good space mentally, so I am in a good place regardless."

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on Friday that the team's performance can still dictate which direction to go over the next two weeks in the trade market. According to MLB sources, the Blue Jays are one of the teams that have expressed strong interest in what may be a Stroman sweepstakes by the last week of July.

Both the Cubs and Jays have done their due diligence on the strength of each other's farm systems. Stroman was drafted and promoted through the Blue Jays’ system before getting traded to the Mets during the 2019 season. He compiled a 47 -45 record with Toronto and a 3.76 ERA in six seasons.

The 32-year-old Stroman is 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA over 20 starts this season for the Cubs.

Numerous other American League East clubs will also have feelers out on Stroman. Industry reports have as many as 10 clubs in baseball looking for starting pitching. Stroman, along with the White Sox pitchers Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn, appear to be the most talked-about rotation pitchers available for acquiring this month. The Cardinals are also considering moving some rotation pieces after having a brutal first half.

Stroman has a $21-million player option with the Cubs for 2024, which he is expected to decline. He could be seeking a five-year contract in free agency this offseason.

"I think that if they don't reach an agreement, and it doesn't appear they are talking, you might as well deal him," USA TODAY writer Bob Nightengale said on 670 The Score’s ‘Inside the Clubhouse’ show on Saturday. “He has already said he will hit free agency and take that opt- out and run with it. The team that makes the most sense is the San Francisco Giants. The same thing for him applies to Giolito. I think the Cubs will have 10 teams calling about Stroman. He is a great competitor and loves the big stage. There is a reason he has always excelled in the WBC and things like that. Of all the pitchers out there, I think he is the surest bet because he is not going to falter in the big moment."

Bring him home

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Atkins offers trade deadline vision as Blue Jays' bats stay quiet vs. Padres - Sportsnet.ca

TORONTO – Consider Ross Atkins’ latest media availability a strategic positioning of the Toronto Blue Jays for the trade deadline, an outline to both the club’s fans and the wider baseball industry of how he plans to approach the critical juncture from now to 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 1.

Additions are coming because “we need to make this team better in any possible way,” although fitting new players in is somewhat complicated given how set the current roster is, said the general manager. From a position-player standpoint, “we are better suited for a right-handed bat, but we are open to any way that we can make our team better.” In terms of starters, “you can never have enough pitching, as they say, so we have to contingency plan, but having (the current group) as a starting point is a good place to be.” For the bullpen, “creating depth in our left-handed relief category” is ideal, “but it’s more just who's going to allow us to get the most outs.”

Lastly, take note of this: “What we don't want to do is subtract (from the current roster). We believe in the group that’s here. We believe they've earned that right. We can't say that we absolutely won’t, but we would prefer not to.”

Coming from an executive navigating the rumour-mill grist inherent to this time of year, that’s as specific and transparent a blueprint as you’re going to find. Given how carefully planned and managed the club’s public messaging is, you can be certain that they have a vague idea of what’s already realistic for them given where the market sits right now.

Everything is subject to change, of course. Two-thirds of teams in the majors believe they’re either a real contender, or are giving their players more runway before deciding in or out. A deadline add up the food chain may emerge. Shifts in the status of Hyun Jin Ryu and Chad Green could alter the current calculus. Other needs may suddenly take precedence.

By and large, though, Atkins made it clear the Blue Jays are planning to ride or die with who they already have.

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https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2020/cardinals/genesis-cabrera-650893

Genesis Cabrera

LHP, St. Louis Cardinals

AGE: 26

BATS: L

DOB: 10/10/1996

THROWS: L

HT: 6' 2"

WT: 180

A skinny, undersized left-hander with big arm strength when he signed with the Rays for $34,000 in November 2013, Cabrera has steadily grown into his wiry-athletic frame in the pro ranks and had his stuff tick up as a result. He reached Double-A for the first time as a 20-year-old in 2017 and he was having a solid campaign in his return to the Southern League the next year when the Cardinals acquired him as part of the Tommy Pham Deadline deal. Though he pitched to mixed results as a starter at Triple-A Memphis in 2019 and struggled in his first two starts with St. Louis (6.45 ERA), Cabrera fared much better as a reliever when he rejoined the Cardinals in mid-June and ultimately earned a spot on the club’s postseason roster after posting a 3.12 ERA across eight appearances as a September callup.

Cabrera generates easy velocity with a lightning-quick arm and explosive delivery, but he’s still learning how to harness his electric stuff and throw strikes. The mid-90s fastball he shows as a starter plays up in shorter bursts, and he topped out at 99 mph while averaging 96.4 mph with the Cardinals in 2019. He has swapped his power slider for a slower, more distinct curveball that flashes above average in the low- to mid-80s with a good spin rate and downer action. He also throws a changeup in the upper-80s that right-handed hitters struggle to square up.

Cabrera was able to trim his walk rate last season in Triple-A, but he struggles to consistently deliver quality strikes because he has a violent delivery that makes his over-the-top arm slot difficult to repeat. That, in turn, leads to questions about the southpaw’s future role, with many pegging him as a reliever long term. The Cardinals still believe in Cabrera as a starter and will develop him as such in 2020, knowing that they can easily slot him into their Major League bullpen if his control doesn’t improve.

[JN]

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"A depth starter who has options or control"
Hope it works out better than Mitch White