Snider sent to Triple A

[damadmonk]

It's likely that Rivera would accept arb - unless a wink nudge agreement is in place.

I believe that depends on the number he produces.

[Michael Bradley]

No way the Jays offer Rivera arbitration. He will accept it in a heartbeat. Relievers are usually in high demand, which is why AA is trying to exploit the draft compensation system that way, but players like Rivera (DH/LF who can't hit) are a dime a dozen. The Jays are likely playing Rivera to trade him at the deadline in case he gets hot.

I usually hate when the Jays waste millions by getting rid of a player at his lowest value, but with Rivera, I don't think anyone in the world would blame AA for releasing him given the circumstances around acquiring him (having to take his salary for one year by getting rid of Vernon's albatross deal). Release him, play Thames and Snider everyday between LF and DH, and see what you have.

[flatjacket1]

The problem is that David Cooper can't really hit. He doesn't have the OBP skills or the power to be a full-time DH in the AL. The only chance for him to be a full-time major league contributor is if he figures out how to play 1B reasonably well.

He was 4th in OBP and 2nd in BA in the minors... (Within our team)
He was 9th in the PCL in BA and 19th in OBP (Within PCL)

His slugging percentage is 2nd on the team, and 20th in the league.
He only had 6 strikeouts in 89 PA in the minors. Lawrie had 22 in 100 PA.

I don;t see how you can start an argument that David Cooper will never produce - Right now hes arguably our best AAA hitter on our 51's.

It's 20 games in a hitting environment.

After 1 game in the PCL everybody said Snider should be back up.

After 10 games everybody wanted Juan Rivera off the team.

[flatjacket1]

No way the Jays offer Rivera arbitration. He will accept it in a heartbeat. Relievers are usually in high demand, which is why AA is trying to exploit the draft compensation system that way, but players like Rivera (DH/LF who can't hit) are a dime a dozen. The Jays are likely playing Rivera to trade him at the deadline in case he gets hot.

I usually hate when the Jays waste millions by getting rid of a player at his lowest value, but with Rivera, I don't think anyone in the world would blame AA for releasing him given the circumstances around acquiring him (having to take his salary for one year by getting rid of Vernon's albatross deal). Release him, play Thames and Snider everyday between LF and DH, and see what you have.

Why would he accept it? It would be close to 4M offer? For him to be type A or B it would require him to be a player with that caliber of stats.

We could offer him arbitration's and tell him if he accepts he is a 4th outfielder/reserve.

[Michael Bradley]

No way the Jays offer Rivera arbitration. He will accept it in a heartbeat. Relievers are usually in high demand, which is why AA is trying to exploit the draft compensation system that way, but players like Rivera (DH/LF who can't hit) are a dime a dozen. The Jays are likely playing Rivera to trade him at the deadline in case he gets hot.

I usually hate when the Jays waste millions by getting rid of a player at his lowest value, but with Rivera, I don't think anyone in the world would blame AA for releasing him given the circumstances around acquiring him (having to take his salary for one year by getting rid of Vernon's albatross deal). Release him, play Thames and Snider everyday between LF and DH, and see what you have.

Why would he accept it? It would be close to 4M offer? For him to be type A or B it would require him to be a player with that caliber of stats.

We could offer him arbitration's and tell him if he accepts he is a 4th outfielder/reserve.

Since 2007, Rivera's OPS has been .754 in 1441 plate appearances. He is 32 and can't play a lick of defense. Even if by some chance he qualifies for Type B status, the Jays will not offer him arbitration and risk paying him ~$5M next season nor will any other team want to pay him anything close to that when he is best suited as a 4th OF or bench bat at this point. No one, except Rivera, wins if the Jays offer him arbitration.

Same reason why Dotel will not be offered arbitration, IMO. Too big of a risk to accept and not enough value on the field to justify paying that much.

[victor page]

I'm always shocked at how a group of knowledgeable and enthusiastic Jays fans like those on this board miss something that's so obvious. Snider's swing has been hot garbage for a considerable amount of time. It's not just 90 ABs.

He was lost at the end of last season too - hopelessly overmatched against good fastballs. He shows up this spring the same way - and is getting mauled by breaking balls too.

There is obviously a hitch or loop in his swing. I don't know how to fix it - if I did I'd be a hitting instructor. But obviously the Jays believe it's easier to get it fixed in AAA than in the majors.

If you disagree with that specific premise, then that's a legitimate position, But all this BS about BAPIP, "he's got a lot of RBIs !!!", Cito not playing him every day, comparing last April to this April, is completely and utterly insane.

[Schad]

He was lost at the end of last season too - hopelessly overmatched against good fastballs. He shows up this spring the same way - and is getting mauled by breaking balls too.

Snider finished out the 2010 season by hitting five home runs in his final ten games (including three in consecutive games against playoff teams), with a slash line of .341/.370/.727. That doesn't look like a guy who is lost at the plate to me.

There is obviously a hitch or loop in his swing. I don't know how to fix it - if I did I'd be a hitting instructor. But obviously the Jays believe it's easier to get it fixed in AAA than in the majors.

There is an issue: he's standing too upright at the plate this year, and as a result he has to cheat to get to pitches on the outside corner. There is no hitch in his swing, though; a simple look at the side-on view of him swinging confirms that. However, it's an easily corrected flaw that shouldn't require demotion to be addressed.

If you disagree with that specific premise, then that's a legitimate position, But all this BS about BAPIP, "he's got a lot of RBIs !!!", Cito not playing him every day, comparing last April to this April, is completely and utterly insane.

That you don't understand the concept of batting average on balls in play (BABIP, not BAPIP) doesn't make it insane. As for comparing April 2011 to April 2010, that too makes sense...there are a good many hitters who are known to be slow starters, and the early returns suggest that Snider might be one such player. It's why, when people were making idiotic statements about the need to release Juan Rivera (one of the more notorious slow starters out there), others were cautioning that it would be silly to make a rash decision, given his career norms. And lo, his bat picked up, just as it was suggested it would.

[Hoopstarr]

Who used the "he's got a lot of RBIs" argument?

[Strav]

wtf?

"Snider may stay in Triple-A for another month in order to prevent him from reaching Super-2 status, The Star reports."

[evilRyu]

well if that is true, it is only based on pure speculation.. an investigation can be made if Snider's camp feels the jays are purposely holding him back for that reason.

[Schad]

If true, that's idiotic. Snider's development is more important than his Super Two status, especially when you consider that he wasn't predicted to hit Super Two anyway.

[SharoneWright]

If true, that's idiotic. Snider's development is more important than his Super Two status, especially when you consider that he wasn't predicted to hit Super Two anyway.

Its best if AA doesn't become too cute for his own good.

[Randle McMurphy]

That was Richard Griffin speculating in a mailbag, there was no actual reporting done.