Official Blue Jays 2025 Spring Training Thread

[bluerap23]

Inflation is a Biatch. Another reason they should have extended him earlier. They could have gotten him locked in at a way lower number if they did it after the Judge contract. Stop the madness #fireshatkins

Do you mean during the two year stretch where he was hitting mostly groundballs, wasn’t even a top 60 player in the league by WAR and only had one elite year in five seasons in baseball? All while having fluctuating weight issues at the age of 23-24 and providing awful defense/baserunning. Yeah, definitely a guy you want to fork over hundreds of millions to. Just an amazing level of revisionist history here.

You make him sound like a worse version of Vogelbach.

Even over those years he averaged ~30 HRs, 95 RBI’s and had a .800 OPS

Yeah fans were disappointed because we expected so much more, but the FO should’ve had the foresight to see that upside potential was so much more than the downside.

They’re should’ve been running to sign him on the cheap rather than taking him arbitration over $0.5m

Yup - I'm disappointed that he didn't turn into the best hitter in baseball. I thought he might, but he is still a top 10 hitter in baseball with room to get better. Those don't grow on trees. The FO has screwed this team over and over again. They walked into an ideal situation and were practically given a blank cheque to build a contender. They have failed. Stop the madness Fire Shatkins

[Randle McMurphy]

Do you mean during the two year stretch where he was hitting mostly groundballs, wasn’t even a top 60 player in the league by WAR and only had one elite year in five seasons in baseball? All while having fluctuating weight issues at the age of 23-24 and providing awful defense/baserunning. Yeah, definitely a guy you want to fork over hundreds of millions to. Just an amazing level of revisionist history here.

You make him sound like a worse version of Vogelbach.

Even over those years he averaged ~30 HRs, 95 RBI’s and had a .800 OPS

Yeah fans were disappointed because we expected so much more, but the FO should’ve had the foresight to see that upside potential was so much more than the downside.

They’re should’ve been running to sign him on the cheap rather than taking him arbitration over $0.5m

Yup - I'm disappointed that he didn't turn into the best hitter in baseball. I thought he might, but he is still a top 10 hitter in baseball with room to get better. Those don't grow on trees. The FO has screwed this team over and over again. They walked into an ideal situation and were practically given a blank cheque to build a contender. They have failed. Stop the madness Fire Shatkins

You don't get to be considered a top 10 hitter in baseball if you can't even string two good seasons together your entire career.

I thought DeRozan was the most overrated player in Toronto sports history before this outburst from the fans (although the tide is shifting the past few days now that it has become clear how little he actually wants to be here), but this guy may be approaching that.

[WuTang_CMB]

Trade him before the season. This is going to be a stupid distraction. These guys have no balls. There's no deal to be had so let's all move on now.

[Mehar]

Trade him before the season. This is going to be a stupid distraction. These guys have no balls. There's no deal to be had so let's all move on now.

I agree. Now is the best time to trade him. Otherwise, it will be a distraction all year for this team. Also the longer this organization waits in the coming months, other teams will start offering less and less (knowing Vlad is a free agent who will test the market).

The return in terms of elite controllable prospects and MLB talent will still be enormous for Vlad right now coming off the year he did. I commend the organization for not offering the outrageous 585 million demand from Vlad. He is no Ohtani or even a Soto (when he views himself as such). If Vlad reverts back to his 2023 self, chances are no team even offers him anything past the 340 million the Jays offered him over 10 years.

[WuTang_CMB]

"Ross dismissed trading him before season begins"

bunch of bafoons

Watch on YouTube

[StopitLeo]

Soto obviously raised the ceiling of Vlad's next contract but $585M/13y is ridiculous if that's accurate. When Shapiro says they made "a lot of progress" I take that to mean they got Vlad to come down from his initial ask. I imagine he was probably looking for $40M AAV, which is clearly more than his production warrants when compared to Soto, Ohtani, and Judge.

[polo007]

https://www.instagram.com/letsgoyanks_/p/DGQiP7zu-9f/

[Harry Palmer]

Trade him before the season. This is going to be a stupid distraction. These guys have no balls. There's no deal to be had so let's all move on now.

I agree it’s going to be a distraction, but if we are making the right kind of trade this season won’t amount to much anyways, and if we’re making a trade to try and approximate his production this year I hate the idea, because if it’s anywhere close it’ll be someone on the downside.

Years ago I meant to a deep dive into what phase of the season do selling teams get better value and never did. I wish I knew, but the belief seems to be deadline deals draw more competitive offers.

[Randle McMurphy]

Read on Twitter

[WuTang_CMB]

"Griffin: ‘I think the stumbling block here has been Shapiro’
full link https://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050/griffin-on-the-blue-jays-striking-out-on-guerrero-jr-his-elevated-value-and-the-management-under-the-spotlight-1.2254732

[COY0607]

Do you mean during the two year stretch where he was hitting mostly groundballs, wasn’t even a top 60 player in the league by WAR and only had one elite year in five seasons in baseball? All while having fluctuating weight issues at the age of 23-24 and providing awful defense/baserunning. Yeah, definitely a guy you want to fork over hundreds of millions to. Just an amazing level of revisionist history here.

You make him sound like a worse version of Vogelbach.

Even over those years he averaged ~30 HRs, 95 RBI’s and had a .800 OPS

Yeah fans were disappointed because we expected so much more, but the FO should’ve had the foresight to see that upside potential was so much more than the downside.

They’re should’ve been running to sign him on the cheap rather than taking him arbitration over $0.5m

Between 2022 and 2023, Vlad ranked 69th in the league in WAR between Max Muncy and Lane Thomas and just 6 spots ahead of Ty France (who Seattle DFA’d halfway through last season). So yeah, not all that far off really.

He was certainly not the kind of player the Jays should have been going out of their way to throw hundreds of millions at.

I think you know uses ridiculous to compare a guy hitting 30 HR, 800 OPS and 95 RBI in down years to whoever Lane Thomas is

[Randle McMurphy]

You make him sound like a worse version of Vogelbach.

Even over those years he averaged ~30 HRs, 95 RBI’s and had a .800 OPS

Yeah fans were disappointed because we expected so much more, but the FO should’ve had the foresight to see that upside potential was so much more than the downside.

They’re should’ve been running to sign him on the cheap rather than taking him arbitration over $0.5m

Between 2022 and 2023, Vlad ranked 69th in the league in WAR between Max Muncy and Lane Thomas and just 6 spots ahead of Ty France (who Seattle DFA’d halfway through last season). So yeah, not all that far off really.

He was certainly not the kind of player the Jays should have been going out of their way to throw hundreds of millions at.

I think you know uses ridiculous to compare a guy hitting 30 HR, 800 OPS and 95 RBI in down years to whoever Lane Thomas is

The Jays drafted and traded Lane Thomas, so one would assume most here would be aware of who he is (and who he is more specifically in this context is someone who was approximately equivalent in value to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from 2022-2023). Again, also not a player I'd be throwing around hundreds of millions to.

[bluerap23]

You make him sound like a worse version of Vogelbach.

Even over those years he averaged ~30 HRs, 95 RBI’s and had a .800 OPS

Yeah fans were disappointed because we expected so much more, but the FO should’ve had the foresight to see that upside potential was so much more than the downside.

They’re should’ve been running to sign him on the cheap rather than taking him arbitration over $0.5m

Yup - I'm disappointed that he didn't turn into the best hitter in baseball. I thought he might, but he is still a top 10 hitter in baseball with room to get better. Those don't grow on trees. The FO has screwed this team over and over again. They walked into an ideal situation and were practically given a blank cheque to build a contender. They have failed. Stop the madness Fire Shatkins

You don't get to be considered a top 10 hitter in baseball if you can't even string two good seasons together your entire career.

I thought DeRozan was the most overrated player in Toronto sports history before this outburst from the fans (although the tide is shifting the past few days now that it has become clear how little he actually wants to be here), but this guy may be approaching that.

I get it. You hate Vlad. I disagree with you and the statistical data over the last 5 years says you are wrong. Move on to replying to someone else.

[Madvillainy2004]

Lmao he's already thinking about playing for other teams just trade him man. Mr "No distractions" ok

[GoRapstheoriginal]

Did we get Yarborough back?

[Raptors Realtor]

Did we get Yarborough back?

Yep minor league deal...

https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/report-toronto-blue-jays-ryan-yarbrough-agree-to-minor-league-deal-1.2255086

[bluerap23]

Also - great that they traded that their second best 1st baseman and the most promising bat they've developed in a while for a no-bat 2nd baseman..,

[Randle McMurphy]

Yup - I'm disappointed that he didn't turn into the best hitter in baseball. I thought he might, but he is still a top 10 hitter in baseball with room to get better. Those don't grow on trees. The FO has screwed this team over and over again. They walked into an ideal situation and were practically given a blank cheque to build a contender. They have failed. Stop the madness Fire Shatkins

You don't get to be considered a top 10 hitter in baseball if you can't even string two good seasons together your entire career.

I thought DeRozan was the most overrated player in Toronto sports history before this outburst from the fans (although the tide is shifting the past few days now that it has become clear how little he actually wants to be here), but this guy may be approaching that.

I get it. You hate Vlad. I disagree with you and the statistical data over the last 5 years says you are wrong. Move on to replying to someone else.

I don’t hate anyone, I just see Vlad for what he is and you apparently refuse to.

[Randle McMurphy]

Also - great that they traded that their second best 1st baseman and the most promising bat they've developed in a while for a no-bat 2nd baseman..,

You mean the 1B that just underwent wrist surgery and is missing the start of the year? For the guy projected to lead their team in WAR in 2025?

Yeah, that was a pretty excellent trade.

[Randle McMurphy]

Did we get Yarborough back?

Good depth signing for a team in need of starting pitcher depth still.