Alex Anthopoulos addresses Arencibia rumours

polo007 · Post #1 » by **polo007** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 7:56 pm

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FanAudio ... erview.mp3

Alex Anthopoulos has seen his team in more than a few rumours during the first two days of the winter meetings, and he's getting slightly annoyed by them.

The Toronto Blue Jays general manager was a guest Tuesday on the Jeff Blair Show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan where he addressed a number of issues, including catcher J.P. Arencibia's belief that he will not be traded before the start of next season.

The 26-year-old's name has been mentioned frequently as a player the Blue Jays might move in a package for a starting pitcher. On Monday at the winter meetings, Arencibia told Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell (video above), "I'm going to stay a Blue Jay."

On Tuesday, Anthopoulos said he hadn't given Arencibia any such assurances, but that he had called him following last month's 12-player trade with the Miami Marlins that netted Toronto veteran catcher John Buck.

"I told J.P. John Buck is coming in to be the backup, you're still the starter," Anthopoulos explained. "I just do that out of courtesy, not because people call me. I know if trades happen it's going through someone's mind. They're getting texts and they're getting hit up by media so you just do it right away.

"Beyond that, I don't promise anyone anything. J.P. is our everyday starter, he's the guy we plan on starting."

Raps in 4 · Post #2 » by **Raps in 4** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 8:37 pm

JPA is gone.

Yeezus_ · Post #3 » by **Yeezus_** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 8:52 pm

UssjTrunks wrote:JPA is gone.

Griff83 · Post #4 » by **Griff83** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 9:08 pm

UssjTrunks wrote:JPA is gone.

As much as I'd love that I dont see it happening.
It seems like management thinks alot more highly of the guy then many on the internet. All you have to do is look at his advanced stats in comparison to other catchers in the league and you'll see hes pretty junk.

EventHorizon · Post #5 » by **EventHorizon** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 10:07 pm

Smokescreen.

torontoaces04 · Post #6 » by **torontoaces04** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 10:28 pm

John Buck for starter!!!!!

Back2back2back · Post #7 » by **Back2back2back** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 11:53 pm

UssjTrunks wrote:JPA is gone.

dagger · Post #8 » by **dagger** » Wed Dec 5, 2012 3:16 am

Wouldn't surprise me if he's gone as soon as d'Arnaud establishes at BUF that he has no after effects of his injury.

So, June maybe?

Yosemite Dan · Post #9 » by **Yosemite Dan** » Wed Dec 5, 2012 3:30 am

Griff83 wrote:
UssjTrunks wrote:JPA is gone.

As much as I'd love that I dont see it happening.
It seems like management thinks alot more highly of the guy then many on the internet. All you have to do is look at his advanced stats in comparison to other catchers in the league and you'll see hes pretty junk.

At best JPA stays for 2013 but there is no way he is a Jay in 2014. He's average at best defensively and with game calling and there is no way you can waste the catcher's slot with a .230 hitter who is a streaky power hitter. D'arnaud is the real deal and is projected to be better than JPA in every facet. He is a star in the making and will be the Jays catcher for the next decade.

Indiana Jones · Post #10 » by **Indiana Jones** » Thu Dec 6, 2012 2:47 am

I hope he gets moved. Having multiple guys hit .230 over the course of a season certainly isn't in the team's best interest.

Kurtz · Post #11 » by **Kurtz** » Thu Dec 6, 2012 4:11 am

Martin hit .222 last year, and that earned him an 8.5 mil contract this off-season. If you exclude Mauer, the two best catchers in the AL last year were Santana and Wieters, and they batted .252 and .249 respectively.

It's not the end of the world to have a .230 hitter at C if he can give you average D and 20 homers.

Let's not forget that JP has only played for 2 years, and has shown immense progress on D in year 2. What's to say that he won't show offensive progress in year 3?

That's not to mention that he's a leader on this team and in the community, and comes at a bargain.

I'm all for moving him for a guy like Dickey, but it's not at all bad to have this guy pencilled in as our starter next year.

Skin Blues · Post #12 » by **Skin Blues** » Thu Dec 6, 2012 3:31 pm

Lets also not forget that batting average is meaningless. Bautista batted .260 in 2010 and was one of the most valuable hitter in the league.

The problem with JP is not that he has a low batting average, it's that he has a career .275 OBP. He's a pretty terrible hitter, overall, and not particularly good at defense either. I don't know where this idea comes from that he has a ton of trade value. He's cheap, I guess, which is about the only thing he has going for him.

flatjacket1 · Post #13 » by **flatjacket1** » Sat Dec 8, 2012 6:14 am

Skin Blues wrote:Lets also not forget that batting average is meaningless. Bautista batted .260 in 2010 and was one of the most valuable hitter in the league.

Batting average doesn't mean nothing. It just encompasses a single skill.

Use fWAR, which claims he is a fringe scrub.

Hendrix · Post #14 » by **Hendrix** » Sat Dec 8, 2012 7:49 am

flatjacket1 wrote:Use fWAR, which claims he is a fringe scrub.

No it doesn't

War is a little sketchy for catchers. But, if you are going to use it, it pegs him somewhere around a solid starter.

"scrubs" are full time players (600+PA's) that put up between 0-1 WAR.

JP is a part time player that had only 372 PA's, and had 1.3 WAR. 1.3 WAR in that few PA's is quite a bit ahead of a scrub.

flatjacket1 · Post #15 » by **flatjacket1** » Sat Dec 8, 2012 5:34 pm

Hendrix wrote:No it doesn't

War is a little sketchy for catchers. But, if you are going to use it, it pegs him somewhere around a solid starter.

"scrubs" are full time players (600+PA's) that put up between 0-1 WAR.

JP is a part time player that had only 372 PA's, and had 1.3 WAR. 1.3 WAR in that few PA's is quite a bit ahead of a scrub.

Better than the alternatives. fWAR might not be the best for catchers. Maybe he's not a scrub but when scouts are saying d'Arnaud could be a potential All-Star (4+ fWAR) you don't keep a player who is posting 2 fWAR seasons in his prime.

agk47 · Post #16 » by **agk47** » Sat Dec 8, 2012 8:41 pm

plz dont trade JP - i believe in that bat. he's consistenly improved throughout his entire career, all he's done is answer his critics. case in point check out the improvements he made between his 2 seasons at AAA. Improving his batting average and consistency at the plate is the next step. He will make it. And fwiw, with his current approach he only needs to hit 240 to challenge 40 hrs.

long term i see no reason why he cant be a similar asset to mike napoli.

flatjacket1 · Post #17 » by **flatjacket1** » Sun Dec 9, 2012 1:52 am

agk47 wrote:plz dont trade JP - i believe in that bat. he's consistenly improved throughout his entire career, all he's done is answer his critics. case in point check out the improvements he made between his 2 seasons at AAA. Improving his batting average and consistency at the plate is the next step. He will make it. And fwiw, with his current approach he only needs to hit 240 to challenge 40 hrs.

long term i see no reason why he cant be a similar asset to mike napoli.

At AAA? What about his last 2 seasons at a level where it matters where he regressed? That's like me saying Drabek will be solid next year, slot him in #2. No? Look at his minor league numbers!

BA means significantly less than OBP, which is sub-300. He would need close to 40 HR's with his current output to be considered an above average starter.

I'd keep him in a heartbeat if it wasn't for a superior catcher sitting in AAA.

At your loose projection of 40 HR and around .285 OBP with TOR park effects and 450 PA in 120 games (with minus defense), he is a 1.3 fWAR catcher (as per WAR calculator). Please note, I think this is an absurd assumption. The chances of that happening are around equal to d'Arnaud hitting his ceiling IMO.

Now lets say d'Arnaud ends up being around where expected, at .260/.320/.420 with plus defense and equal baserunning to JP. He is worth around 2.9 fWAR. His ceiling of around .275/.340/.450 puts him at 3.5 fWAR, borderline All-Star.
All d'Arnaud really needs to do to be equal with his defense and equal baserunning is hit .200/.250/.380 (which adds up to around 1.3 fWAR)

So basically, d'Arnaud at .200/.250/.380 = JPA with .240/.285/.470.

People greatly undervalue catcher defense. I am willing to bet d'Arnaud hits better than .200. People greatly undervalue catcher defense which JPA is inferior at.

Only reason JPA is so valued is because he's making pennies relative to the league for the next few years, and his numbers in Vegas are good.

agk47 · Post #18 » by **agk47** » Sun Dec 9, 2012 2:59 am

flatjacket1 wrote:
agk47 wrote:plz dont trade JP - i believe in that bat. he's consistenly improved throughout his entire career, all he's done is answer his critics. case in point check out the improvements he made between his 2 seasons at AAA. Improving his batting average and consistency at the plate is the next step. He will make it. And fwiw, with his current approach he only needs to hit 240 to challenge 40 hrs.

long term i see no reason why he cant be a similar asset to mike napoli.

At AAA? What about his last 2 seasons at a level where it matters where he regressed? That's like me saying Drabek will be solid next year, slot him in #2. No? Look at his minor league numbers!

BA means significantly less than OBP, which is sub-300. He would need close to 40 HR's with his current output to be considered an above average starter.

I'd keep him in a heartbeat if it wasn't for a superior catcher sitting in AAA.

At your loose projection of 40 HR and around .285 OBP with TOR park effects and 450 PA in 120 games (with minus defense), he is a 1.3 fWAR catcher (as per WAR calculator). Please note, I think this is an absurd assumption. The chances of that happening are around equal to d'Arnaud hitting his ceiling IMO.

Now lets say d'Arnaud ends up being around where expected, at .260/.320/.420 with plus defense and equal baserunning to JP. He is worth around 2.9 fWAR. His ceiling of around .275/.340/.450 puts him at 3.5 fWAR, borderline All-Star.
All d'Arnaud really needs to do to be equal with his defense and equal baserunning is hit .200/.250/.380 (which adds up to around 1.3 fWAR)

So basically, d'Arnaud at .200/.250/.380 = JPA with .240/.285/.470.

People greatly undervalue catcher defense. I am willing to bet d'Arnaud hits better than .200. People greatly undervalue catcher defense which JPA is inferior at.

Only reason JPA is so valued is because he's making pennies relative to the league for the next few years, and his numbers in Vegas are good.

when he first got to triple a, he was known as a prospect who struck out too much and probably couldnt hit for average, one year later he almost won the triple crown.

when he got to the big leagues he was thought to be the worst defensive catcher in the league and literally wasnt allowed to call pitches. too years later hes pretty much an average defensive catcher.

he put in a TONNE of work on the defensive side of the ball, now thats he more comfortable in that arena, his hitting approach is next!

flatjacket1 · Post #19 » by **flatjacket1** » Sun Dec 9, 2012 3:06 am

agk47 wrote:when he first got to triple a, he was known as a prospect who struck out too much and probably couldnt hit for average, one year later he almost won the triple crown.

when he got to the big leagues he was thought to be the worst defensive catcher in the league and literally wasnt allowed to call pitches. too years later hes pretty much an average defensive catcher.

he put in a TONNE of work on the defensive side of the ball, now thats he more comfortable in that arena, his hitting approach is next!

In a league where Gomes almost hit for the same average. He hit for average for only 1 year, and it was in Vegas. Tell me that's not a red flag.

And he still is a terrible defensive catcher.

I am doubtful, you don't see improvements like that typically this late in the game.

IMAN5 · Post #20 » by **IMAN5** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:44 pm

Not that it really means anything, but JPA is announced as a Bobblehead Day giveaway towards the end of the 2013 season.

I don't look into that too much though he can still very easily be traded tomorrow.

I think the Blue Jays marketing and strategy team just didn't think that one over with his name all over trade rumors.