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General Blue Jays Thread, 2019

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#21 » by polo007 » Thu Jun 6, 2019 4:13 am

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#22 » by polo007 » Thu Jun 6, 2019 4:32 am

Olney: Why it'll be a buyer's trade market this summer -- and who benefits most

The other day, a high-ranking baseball executive referred to a time when most teams operated very, very differently than they do now, and remembered how aggressively clubs used to pursue a wild-card entry into the playoffs, how they would be willing to overpay in a midseason trade to merely reach the postseason.

Really, it was just a decade ago. But given the explosion in baseball analytics and the change in the rules for postseason berths, with wild-card entrants guaranteed only one game, the executive said, teams have a different perspective. "Nobody's going to be hyperaggressive if they think their only shot [for the playoffs] is a possible wild card," he said. "Nobody thinks that way anymore."

This is important to remember in framing the upcoming trade market, because it appears that half of the division races will be regarded by front offices as locked down.

The Twins, Dodgers and Astros probably won't overpay for anything these days, given their current context.

If there are fewer buyers, as it appears, then teams such as the Phillies, Braves, Yankees and Rays could benefit.
The Yankees need a starting pitcher, and as they talk with Keuchel about a possible deal, they have the leverage of understanding that there are plenty of other market options to consider -- Madison Bumgarner, the Jays' Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, the Mariners' Marco Gonzales, perhaps Mike Minor of the Rangers and Matthew Boyd of the Tigers. Even if the Yankees, Braves and Phillies wait out the high prices, they're probably bound to get somebody decent.

A common practice of sellers is to try to dump salary close to the trade deadline, leaving big-market teams in a commanding position to grab more expensive veterans -- an advantage the Phillies might have over the Braves, because the Phillies are flush in available dollars and Atlanta has very little flexibility.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#23 » by polo007 » Sun Jun 9, 2019 7:55 am

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With that said, this recent roster turnover took place because the Blue Jays wanted to create playing time for their emerging core of young players. This time last year, many of them were in the minors, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Brandon Drury, Cavan Biggio and Rowdy Tellez, all of whom started Saturday.

While that doesn’t excuse this team’s slow start at the plate, it does help explain it. These guys were facing double-A and triple-A pitching a year ago. Now they’re facing Zack Greinke. That adjustment requires some patience.

Case in point, Guerrero Jr. collected two hits Saturday but didn’t advance past first on a ball he hit off the wall because he thought it was gone and didn’t run at full speed. Later, he fielded a routine grounder too slowly, leading to an infield hit.

"He’s got to learn from that," manager Charlie Montoyo said.


At times the losses can blur together, creating the illusion that it’s the same old story. To an extent that’s understandable. Losses are losses, and there’s no guarantee of future success for the Blue Jays, despite their highly-ranked farm system. But don’t let the sameness of the results overshadow how much this team has changed in the last year.

As that transition continues in Toronto, the Blue Jays want their young players to emerge as leaders regardless of how they happen to be hitting. With that in mind, Montoyo pulled Biggio and Jansen aside ahead of Saturday’s game and urged them to feel free to speak up at times.

"I heard you guys were leaders in the minor-leagues," Montoyo told them.

"Just do it. Don’t worry about your averages, you’re actually having good at-bats."While Blue Jays rookies lead baseball in hits (143) and homers (23), Biggio (.614 OPS) and Jansen (.496 OPS) have both struggled."Just be yourself. Be a leader. Be who you are," Montoyo continued. "Because you were a leader in the minor-leagues, you can be a leader here. You guys are going to be here for a long time. Start now."

That message shows confidence that Biggio and Jansen will be here for a long time.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#24 » by BigLeagueChew » Thu Jun 13, 2019 8:23 pm

The Blue Jays have acquired right-hander Nick Kingham from the Pirates for cash considerations, as announced by the Pirates.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/06/blue-jays-acquire-nick-kingham.html

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#25 » by Schad » Thu Jun 13, 2019 11:42 pm

Kingham was a pretty significant prospect not that long ago. It's pretty doubtful there's much to him at this point -- poor command and an inability to consistently miss bats isn't a great combination -- but sure, why not.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#26 » by polo007 » Tue Jun 18, 2019 3:58 pm

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#27 » by Cyrus » Tue Jun 18, 2019 5:00 pm

That Edwin deal is probably at best what we can hope for in a prospect for Smoak, and likely worse than that as Edwin is having a better year than smokey.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#28 » by polo007 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:21 pm

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#29 » by SharoneWright » Tue Jul 2, 2019 8:45 pm

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#30 » by Ong_dynasty » Tue Jul 2, 2019 10:56 pm

From the current team.
Who do you guys think will be around going forward?
Vlad
Biggio
Gurriel?
Anyone else?
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#31 » by I_Like_Dirt » Wed Jul 3, 2019 2:53 pm

Ong_dynasty wrote:From the current team.
Who do you guys think will be around going forward?
Vlad
Biggio
Gurriel?
Anyone else?


If we're talking more prospects who might be good enough to keep around or who will at least be quality players for whichever team they're playing for, then these guys are a solid start. I still think Jansen deserves to be on that list, too. The decision to focus exclusively on defense this season was an odd one that seems to have tanked his offense but even then he was better than his results indicated and his offense has been coming back with an .810 OPS over the last month. I'm also a believer in Borucki - hopefully he can get and stay healthy.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#32 » by Skin Blues » Wed Jul 3, 2019 6:21 pm

Ong_dynasty wrote:From the current team.
Who do you guys think will be around going forward?
Vlad
Biggio
Gurriel?
Anyone else?

I imagine Jansen, Grichuk, Tellez, Borucki, SRF, and Thornton will all be on the roster for the next 3+ years. Pannone as well, who was just sent down. Maybe Teoscar, too, although not in CF and I think it's kind of silly they're trying him there. Tellez is borderline but he's finally hitting for power which is what was missing for a while.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#33 » by BigLeagueChew » Thu Jul 4, 2019 2:54 am

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lourdes-gurriel-jr-destroyer-of-sliders/

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#34 » by Schad » Fri Jul 5, 2019 2:24 am

Ong_dynasty wrote:From the current team.
Who do you guys think will be around going forward?
Vlad
Biggio
Gurriel?
Anyone else?


As fixtures, I'd expect Vlad, Biggio, Jansen, and Gurriel, plus Bichette. Grichuk is likely owing to his contract, but it also wouldn't shock me if he was moved at some point in the next couple years, assuming he's doing well enough to be moved. With Gurriel now as a corner OF,

PItching staff is pretty wide open...there isn't anyone that I'd say is a guarantee to be an average-or-better starter.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#35 » by polo007 » Fri Jul 5, 2019 8:25 pm

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#36 » by polo007 » Sat Jul 6, 2019 6:03 am

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So what happened? How did Gurriel go from potential bust to one of the most dangerous mashers in the league, all in less than three months?

It starts, oddly enough, with defence.

At six-foot-three, 215 pounds, Gurriel never possessed the traditional build of a middle infielder. More than just fighting against body type, Gurriel simply struggled to handle second base and shortstop, grading out as below average by both scouts and advanced metrics. Shifting him to the outfield would prove to be a crucial step on the way to Gurriel’s redemption.

"The attitude," Blue Jays hitting coach Guillermo Martinez said, when asked what the biggest change has been in Gurriel’s game. "He’s more comfortable now. Especially with defence, to be more comfortable in the outfield lets him get more comfortable at the plate."

Martinez said that change in attitude started to show up soon after Gurriel arrived at triple-A Buffalo. By playing left field every day, away from the crush of big-league pressure, Gurriel became "mentally more free."

That improvement in attitude has manifested itself in multiple ways on the field. If we go further back to Gurriel’s lacklustre 2018, we can see some pronounced changes.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#37 » by dagger » Sat Jul 6, 2019 5:09 pm

Jays have announced Stroman won't pitch in the all-star game, so I guess he'll get one more start after the ASG and then be shut down until a trade
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#38 » by vaff87 » Mon Jul 8, 2019 10:37 am

Pretty impressive that Jansen hasn’t struck out in his last 13 games.
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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#39 » by BigLeagueChew » Fri Jul 12, 2019 12:31 am

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Re: General Blue Jays Thread, 2019 

Post#40 » by polo007 » Sun Jul 14, 2019 5:53 pm

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