You Fix The Team

[jaysblue]

I don't think there is going to be that many drastic changes as there was last offseason.

 

The Blue Jays need to solidify themselves behind the plate. JPA should not be a starter. He'll likely still be on the team my guess, though I'd like to see the Jays sign a solid vet like Carlos Ruiz or even bring back Jose Molina.

 

A second baseman is needed, most importantly someone who can field. I doubt Howie Kendrick gets moved to Toronto. Personally, I'd love to see the Jays traded for Marco Scutaro or buy low on someone like Danny Espinosa. Scutaro would be a nice bat at the top of the lineup, and if you bring in a guy like Espinosa there's no problem in him batting 8th or 9th.

 

The Blue Jays likely will go after another starting pitcher. Dickey, Buehrle are here to stay, and so is Morrow. I'm worried Happ is kept as the No. 5 starter but we'll see. Don't see the Jays bringing in an ace, though someone who'll likely provide 200 quality innings. There's not much on free agency, since its going to cost a lot of $ to sign Garza. I'd like to see the Jays make a trade for Gallardo possibly. Other than that, the Jays likely will sign a bunch of guys on minor league deals, as I wouldn't mind Marcum brought in on a minor league deal.

[G-Snarls]

Starting rotation depth we will have next year

 

It's a top of the rotation starter that's sorely needed, but those are hard to come by

[KSaw]

I don't think there is going to be that many drastic changes as there was last offseason.

 

The Blue Jays need to solidify themselves behind the plate. JPA should not be a starter. He'll likely still be on the team my guess, though I'd like to see the Jays sign a solid vet like Carlos Ruiz or even bring back Jose Molina.

 

A second baseman is needed, most importantly someone who can field. I doubt Howie Kendrick gets moved to Toronto. Personally, I'd love to see the Jays traded for Marco Scutaro or buy low on someone like Danny Espinosa. Scutaro would be a nice bat at the top of the lineup, and if you bring in a guy like Espinosa there's no problem in him batting 8th or 9th.

 

The Blue Jays likely will go after another starting pitcher. Dickey, Buehrle are here to stay, and so is Morrow. I'm worried Happ is kept as the No. 5 starter but we'll see. Don't see the Jays bringing in an ace, though someone who'll likely provide 200 quality innings. There's not much on free agency, since its going to cost a lot of $ to sign Garza. I'd like to see the Jays make a trade for Gallardo possibly. Other than that, the Jays likely will sign a bunch of guys on minor league deals, as I wouldn't mind Marcum brought in on a minor league deal.

 

Marcum is likely done. Arencibia will be non tendered.

[G-Snarls]

Starting pitcher free agents as per MLBTR:

 

-

 

Top 34 Free Agent Starting Pitchers

 

By Tim Dierkes [september 10, 2013 at 4:18pm CST]

 

Sometimes, there's just not a $100MM free agent pitcher out there. C.J. Wilson benefited from a weak free agent starting pitching class after the 2011 season, nabbing $77.5MM to lead the group. In the upcoming offseason, the top end of the starting pitcher segment is similarly uninspiring. Here are my early rankings, which are subject to change. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section or on Twitter.

 

Matt Garza - In terms of pure free agent starters, I think Garza will receive the largest contract this offseason. He's ineligible to receive a qualifying offer because he was traded midseason, which boosts his value. He may have quieted health concerns by making all of his starts since his May 21st big league season debut and averaging nearly seven innings per start.

 

Masahiro Tanaka - Tanaka, a righty with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, is not technically a free agent but belongs here since he can be obtained by bidding the most (assuming he is posted). I don't want to give too much credit to the unknown, but there are some who would take Tanaka over Garza, especially since Tanaka will pitch next year at age 25.

 

Ervin Santana - A quality arm whose stock will be damaged by a qualifying offer, if he turns one down and reaches the open market.

 

Hiroki Kuroda - He'll play next season at age 39, but in feedback on early drafts of this list, most thought he should be this high.

 

A.J. Burnett- Burnett said in March he wouldn't want to play anywhere but Pittsburgh, and I imagine the team's success this year only solidifies that stance.

 

Tim Lincecum - I had Lincecum ranked better in earlier versions of the list, as a case can be made he's at least equal to Santana, if you're willing to look past ERA. Like Santana, a qualifying offer could suppress his market.

 

Ricky Nolasco - I'd want to pay Nolasco like a 4.00 ERA guy, despite a 2.07 mark since joining the Dodgers in a July 6th trade. He doesn't have to worry about a qualifying offer, and could sign a new deal with the Dodgers during the exclusive signing period.

 

Bronson Arroyo - He's not flashy, and he'll pitch at 37 next year, but he supplies innings and avoids the free pass. Arroyo spoke recently about wanting a multiyear deal, but turning down a qualifying offer from the Reds could put him in a bind on the market. I don't expect the Reds to chance it.

 

Dan Haren - Haren will likely avoid a qualifying offer from the Nationals, as they won't want to risk giving him a raise on this year's $13MM. Despite a 5.23 ERA, Haren's K/BB ratio remains sparkling, and I still think there's hope for a sub-4.00 ERA given a few more groundballs and BABIP and HR/flyball swinging back his way.

 

Scott Feldman - Ineligible for a qualifying offer, Feldman is in line for a multiyear deal. He's re-established himself as a solid mid-rotation arm, and he'll pitch at 31 next year.

 

Paul Maholm - Maholm started his season with 20 1/3 scoreless innings, after which he's posted a 5.09 ERA in 120 1/3 frames. He also missed a month with a wrist contusion, and may have to settle for another one-year deal.

 

Roberto Hernandez - I like Hernandez more than most. Though he hasn't done it since 2010, I see the skills of a sub-4.00 ERA pitcher. His combination of a decent strikeout rate and big-time groundball rate is rare, but among the flyballs he has allowed, a whopping fifth of them have left the yard.

 

Scott Kazmir - There's a lot to like about Kazmir, who I originally had inside my top ten. He's still young, he's got strikeout stuff from the left side, and he's sporting the lowest walk rate of his career. But he should finish the season with around 160 innings, a total he last reached in 2007. The Indians signed Kazmir to a minor league deal in December; MLBTR's Steve Adams covered his rise and fall in a June post. I think he could find a multiyear deal.

 

Ubaldo Jimenez - He has the second-best strikeout rate in this free agent class, behind Burnett. If he can push his walk rate back under four per nine innings, as it was with the Rockies, he'd be close to the front-rotation hurler the Indians thought they acquired at the 2011 trade deadline. Some feel he's among the ten best in this free agent class, and he will be able to score a multiyear deal.

 

Bartolo Colon - I reluctantly pushed Colon up to 15th, as over 300 innings of 3.22 ball since 2012 can't be ignored. Colon's career, elbow, and shoulder were resurrected in an April 2010 stem cell procedure, and he was later suspended 50 games for a positive PED test in August of last year in an apparently unrelated incident. He'll pitch most of next season at 41, and is succeeding with a subpar strikeout rate.

 

Josh Johnson - Johnson's final start of the year came on August 6th in Seattle, and at least that one outing was reflective of what we used to say about him: he pitches well when he's on the field. His final injury was a strained forearm that will not require surgery, but unlike years past, Johnson did not pitch well while on the field this year, with a 6.20 ERA in 16 starts. His downfall was a fluke in theory, in that his strikeout and walk rates were solid while his BABIP and HR/flyball went through the roof. A qualifying offer is unlikely -- Johnson would probably accept, and that would not be a good deal for the Blue Jays.

 

Phil Hughes - Hughes was demoted to the Yankees' bullpen earlier this month. He had a respectable 2.85 K/BB ratio in 26 starts, but the extreme flyballer also allowed 23 home runs. There's a 4.00 ERA pitcher in there somewhere, especially away from Yankee Stadium, where he allowed 17 of those longballs. Hughes won't turn 28 until June next year, and as the youngest free agent starter, the former phenom should be a popular one-year deal reclamation project target.

 

Jason Vargas

 

Chris Capuano

 

Roy Halladay - The former ace had labrum and rotator cuff surgery in May, returning to make a few starts this month.

 

Tim Hudson - Hudson was pitching well before his season ended in July with an ankle fracture.

 

Jason Hammel

Wandy Rodriguez

Andy Pettitte

Joe Saunders

Jake Westbrook

Ryan Vogelsong (club option)

Edinson Volquez

Chad Gaudin - Gaudin has been quietly solid in a dozen starts for the Giants, with a 3.53 ERA.

Mike Pelfrey

Shaun Marcum

Scott Baker

Colby Lewis

Randy Messenger

 

Jon Lester, Jorge De La Rosa, and James Shields were excluded from this list, under the expectation their club options will be exercised.

[DuckDuckGose]

Starting pitcher free agents as per MLBTR:

 

-

 

Top 34 Free Agent Starting Pitchers

 

By Tim Dierkes [september 10, 2013 at 4:18pm CST]

 

Sometimes, there's just not a $100MM free agent pitcher out there. C.J. Wilson benefited from a weak free agent starting pitching class after the 2011 season, nabbing $77.5MM to lead the group. In the upcoming offseason, the top end of the starting pitcher segment is similarly uninspiring. Here are my early rankings, which are subject to change. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section or on Twitter.

 

Matt Garza - In terms of pure free agent starters, I think Garza will receive the largest contract this offseason. He's ineligible to receive a qualifying offer because he was traded midseason, which boosts his value. He may have quieted health concerns by making all of his starts since his May 21st big league season debut and averaging nearly seven innings per start.

 

Masahiro Tanaka - Tanaka, a righty with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, is not technically a free agent but belongs here since he can be obtained by bidding the most (assuming he is posted). I don't want to give too much credit to the unknown, but there are some who would take Tanaka over Garza, especially since Tanaka will pitch next year at age 25.

 

Ervin Santana - A quality arm whose stock will be damaged by a qualifying offer, if he turns one down and reaches the open market.

 

Hiroki Kuroda - He'll play next season at age 39, but in feedback on early drafts of this list, most thought he should be this high.

 

I'd really like to land Kuroda. Stealing him from the NYY would be huge.

[G-Snarls]

I'd really like to land Kuroda. Stealing him from the NYY would be huge.

 

They cannot afford? Great success...

[DuckDuckGose]

They cannot afford? Great success...

 

I suspect the Yankees will be big players in the SP market this off-season. However, I feel they will take a run at Garza and Tanaka before Kuroda. If AA comes in early with a strong offer he may not shop around very long.

[GD]

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2013&month=0&season1=2013&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=978,6176,126,512,1701,1292,769,375,2047,6283,3886,4684,1077,232,3340,1303,4538,1451,1757,3273,921,7450,3374,4567,5879,4897,3283,4930,1259,833,5705,8678,6204,105,3830,571,5203,840,2586,7507,3200,755,4366,7059,8044,1011,3990,2074,412,3196,944,1783,6432&sort=19,d

 

There's a leaderboard of all the starters. Tanaka needs to be on there too though.

[GD]

Two of Abreu, Tanaka, Kuroda, Infante, Peralta, Ruiz, McCann, Molina, and Lincecum is pretty much what we need.

[o2cui2i]

Tanaka or Kuroda

 

Infante/Peralta or Espinosa

 

McCann or Ruiz

 

Pick up Lind's option and sign Baker......we're money!!

 

Dream big.

 

watching 1993 series. game 1 they have an interview with Olerud. he talks about being selective because he cant hit the tough pitches. then he sweetly strokes one out. God I miss good baseball in Toronto.

[DuckDuckGose]

Tanaka or Kuroda

 

Infante/Peralta or Espinosa

 

McCann or Ruiz

 

Pick up Lind's option and sign Baker......we're money!!

 

Dream big.

 

Is that really dreaming big though? Seems more like dreaming reasonable to me.

 

Cano, Garza, McCann and Tanaka please. That'd be dreaming big and bring payroll up to the same level as the big boys .

[GD]

We may finish 0.500 with those additions.

 

That's probably best case scenario while staying realistic, in all honesty. This team just isn't really built to contend. We'd need numerous contributions internally to improve while keeping the payroll <150m.

[o2cui2i]

I believe it's reasonable, I believe in a significant payroll jump, many don't believe me, but I think it'll happen.

 

I agree that they will most likely pump more money into the team next year. I just dont see AA and his gut not making the same mistakes next year. AA just doesn't know any better and isn't smart enough to bring in someone who does.

[DuckDuckGose]

I believe it's reasonable, I believe in a significant payroll jump, many don't believe me, but I think it'll happen.

 

If Rogers drops $50M attendance could go up, anything less than a huge splash and it is going down.

[KSaw]

I really think that the team is tweaks from contending. Get a real catcher. Get Morrow back healthy. Bring Drabek, Hutchison and McGowan to ST as starters. Add a few tweaks. I still like idea of trading Lind and signing Beltran but to me that's a tweak.

[DuckDuckGose]

I still like idea of trading Lind and signing Beltran but to me that's a tweak.

 

Has to be the other way though; sign Beltran and trade Lind.

[o2cui2i]

I really think that the team is tweaks from contending. Get a real catcher. Get Morrow back healthy. Bring Drabek, Hutchison and McGowan to ST as starters. Add a few tweaks. I still like idea of trading Lind and signing Beltran but to me that's a tweak.

 

JPA is not going anywhere, AA told him so. lol amazing that the guy who is probably hurting the team more than any other is considered untouchable. you just cant beat a marketable face for asset value.

[KSaw]

JPA is not going anywhere, AA told him so. lol amazing that the guy who is probably hurting the team more than any other is considered untouchable. you just cant beat a marketable face for asset value.

 

You don't really believe that do you? He's going to be non tendered. The best he's going to get is a free agent minor league deal from anyone in baseball this off season.

[KSaw]

Ruiz, Navarro or McCann will be Toronto's starting catcher next year. I'm betting on Ruiz.

[o2cui2i]

You don't really believe that do you? He's going to be non tendered. The best he's going to get is a free agent minor league deal from anyone in baseball this off season.

 

I just dont see it... that would be the first step in the right direction, but I really dont see AA being that smart.

[KSaw]

I just dont see it... that would be the first step in the right direction, but I really dont see AA being that smart.

 

He's a clear non tender. And AA is that smart. He bet on the wrong horse and has to live with it. Now time to shoot the horse.

[o2cui2i]

He's a clear non tender. And AA is that smart. He bet on the wrong horse and has to live with it. Now time to shoot the horse.

 

it's not like he made "ONE" mistake. lol

[KSaw]

Been saying this for almost 3 years now-- Arencibia is too weak as a catcher to play the position and the work it takes trying takes away any hope of him developing his hit skill. He needs to become a LF and focus on hitting to have any shot at a decent career. This should have happened more than a year ago. Might be too late now.

[KSaw]

All GMs make mistakes. Player evaluation is not an exact science.

[G-Snarls]

Been saying this for almost 3 years now-- Arencibia is too weak as a catcher to play the position and the work it takes trying takes away any hope of him developing his hit skill. He needs to become a LF and focus on hitting to have any shot at a decent career. This should have happened more than a year ago. Might be too late now.

 

And it should be done in AAA

[G-Snarls]

All GMs make mistakes. Player evaluation is not an exact science.

 

Of course

 

But the have been too many costly ones lately

[Laika]

Here's what I'd do:

 

Break Ryan Goins' legs.

 

Team fixed.

[GD]

Here's what I'd do:

 

Break J.P. Arencibia's legs.

 

Team fixed.

 

ftfy

[jaysblue]

You don't really believe that do you? He's going to be non tendered. The best he's going to get is a free agent minor league deal from anyone in baseball this off season.

 

I hope your right. I would dance down Yonge Street if this was the case!

[kgm1]

You don't really believe that do you? He's going to be non tendered. The best he's going to get is a free agent minor league deal from anyone in baseball this off season.

 

They are not going to non tender him , They will send him down to AAA . He has options hell he should have been sent down in July