Espn post suggests 4 2b for us

[The_DH]

Its an insider piece suggesting Bonifacio, Valbueno, Weeks and Espinoza. We've had 2 of them, one not well. Anyone an insider here?

[TheHurl]

that's not the article King...

 

The Toronto Blue Jays are in last place. But it's not as bad as it sounds. In a suddenly soft American League East, they're only 2½ games out of first place. So while the team is not off to the fast start that it would like -- and it comes in at No. 23 in ESPN's latest power rankings -- there is still time for the club to get things together and make a run.

 

They just need to make some adjustments. Here are four that could make the difference:

 

1. Find a better solution at second base

 

Ryan Goins was clearly not the man for the job. His .150/.203/.217 line earned him a demotion to Triple-A, and while the bad luck that comes with his .167 batting average on balls in play bears some of the brunt for his poor stat line, there is nothing in his track record that suggests he is a long-term solution.

 

Chris Getz has put together a nice line in his 15 plate appearances since being given the job, but given his history -- a career .252/.311/.310 line -- that is extremely unlikely to continue. The team overall has a 65 wRC+ at second base, which ranks 24th in the majors. There are a few directions that the Jays could go to find an improvement.

 

This weekend, they tried playing Brett Lawrie at second and Juan Francisco at third, but this is a bad idea long term. Lawrie is a plus third baseman, but he didn't grade out very well in his limited time at second base last season, and Francisco has been a below-average defender at third base throughout his career as well.

 

So where do they look? The Cubs are already out of the mix this season, and they have two competent middle infielders on their team in Emilio Bonifacio and Luis Valbuena. Blue Jays fans are familiar with Bonifacio, as he spent much of last season in Toronto. He didn't hit very well during his time with the Jays, so they discarded him, but he has hit much better in Chicago. Even if he hits the same as his first stint with the Jays, it'd be better than what they're getting. In any event, both should be available.

 

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is someone who might be a little harder to acquire, especially while Ryan Zimmerman remains on the shelf, but he would represent a big upgrade as well. Perhaps the most intriguing option is one Rickie Weeks. He has clearly fallen out of favor in Milwaukee, and his performance has suffered in a part-time role. And perhaps there is a good reason for that. Perhaps Weeks is done. But the guess here is that it wouldn't cost a lot to find out, and sometimes a change of scenery can be beneficial.

 

2. Colby Rasmus needs a platoon partner

 

It's not a secret that Rasmus isn't a very good hitter against left-handed pitching. But the Jays have been reticent to replace him in the lineup against southpaws this season -- only four players on the team have hit more against lefties than Rasmus has -- and they've suffered because of it. His 2014 .190/.261/.381 line against them is not that much different from his career .215/.285/.358 line against them. That's deep enough into a six-year major league career to say that Rasmus probably isn't going to get better.

 

 

 

[+] EnlargeMarcus Stroman

 

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Marcus Stroman posted a 1.69 ERA with 36 K's in 26 2/3 Triple-A innings before getting called up Sunday.

 

Bonifacio would also be a fit here, though a better fit would be A.J. Pollock. When Mark Trumbo returns to good health, the Diamondbacks will have more outfielders than they can play, and Pollock has a career 112 wRC+ against lefties. That would be a 36 percent upgrade over Rasmus, and Pollock plays fantastic defense as well. Other trade options could include Alejandro De Aza and John Mayberry, though Mayberry is not an ideal fit defensively.

 

3. Put Marcus Stroman in the rotation

 

The team promoted Stroman on Sunday, though it will apparently use him out of the bullpen for the time being. The team is in a bit of a pickle. On the one hand, they have five starting pitchers in R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Drew Hutchison, J.A. Happ and Dustin McGowan available to pitch. In addition, the bullpen has been a tire fire -- only three teams' bullpens have a worse ERA-minus.

 

Therefore, it's understandable that the team would want Stroman in the pen. On the other hand, Keith Law had Stroman ranked as MLB's No. 58 overall prospect entering the year. Stroman ravaged Triple-A hitters and he just may have the best fastball of any prospect in the game. Stroman can do the most good in the rotation.

 

Happ has never been worth more than 1.7 WAR in any season, and if the way he has started this season is any indication -- he has more walks than strikeouts -- he isn't going to top that this year. He is not a pitcher who should stand in Stroman's way, and despite his fortitude, McGowan really shouldn't, either.

 

4. Make some changes in the pen

 

The team desperately needs closer Casey Janssen (lower back strain) back in the fold. He has been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season, but is expected back during May. Sergio Santos isn't as bad as he has pitched; while he has a 10.61 ERA, he has a 3.50 xFIP, so things should get better for him, too.

 

But aside from some stellar work from Brett Cecil, this is a bullpen in peril. Neil Wagner, Todd Redmond, Aaron Loup, Steve Delabar and Chad Jenkins are all striking out batters at a below-average level, and aside from Delabar, they don't figure to change their stripes any time soon.

 

As a result, the difference between their strikeout rate and walk rate (K-rate minus BB-rate) ranks just 21st. In fact, the team is so desperate for solutions in the bullpen that they are now carrying 13 pitchers, which is sub-optimal. Simply put, the team has a lot of replacement-level filler in its pen. Getting Janssen back will be huge, but it won't be enough. Whether the solutions comes internally -- the team could bring up the less-heralded Sean Nolin, Liam Hendriks or Kyle Drabek in relief roles -- or externally, the team needs to be more aggressive.

 

Putting Stroman in the pen is presumably a measure to improve the team's relief efforts, but he is far too talented to be used as a reliever, particularly when he might be as talented as any starter in the organization.

 

The Blue Jays are by no means out of the race, but for the most part, the team just pressed the reset button after a lost 2013 season, and that simply isn't cutting it.

[TheHurl]

Thanks, that was confusing

 

rumours page always has links in it. 1st warning

[The_DH]

Weeks for Romero?

[flafson]

Dumb article, why would we want Boni after we ditched him? He started this season well and dropped. Why would we want him?

[TheHurl]

Dumb article, why would we want Boni after we ditched him? He started this season well and dropped. Why would we want him?

 

because he's an upgrade

[GD]

Espinosa thanks

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

I still say Happ for Scutaro would be a fair trade, even with him being injured and costing more!

[TheHurl]

Espinosa thanks

 

Continuing to play Zimmerman at 3B is the absolute worst thing the Nats can do. Not only can he not throw...he's hurting himself further when he does. I'm not sure if LaRoche has value but that is who the Nats should be moving. Or wait until the off-season and deal Zimmerman

[GD]

I still say Happ for Scutaro would be a fair trade, even with him being injured and costing more!

 

doubt SF takes this

[jaysfan2014]

1. Garbage article re: 2B situation. None of those options are any good offensively or defensively, and Espinosa is needed in Washington because of Zimmerman's injury. Rickie Weeks isn't any better than the 2B options we have now, nor is Luis Valbuena. Who wrote this tripe?

2. Rasmus doesn't really need a platoon partner. He was slow starting last year as well.

3. Duh! Although let's wait and see about our other options first. We can't just throw Stroman into the fire, when he has barely had MLB experience.

4. Why would anyone pay extra for an Insider article of stuff we already know?

[TheHurl]

1. Garbage article re: 2B situation. None of those options are any good offensively or defensively, and Espinosa is needed in Washington because of Zimmerman's injury. Rickie Weeks isn't any better than the 2B options we have now, nor is Luis Valbuena. Who wrote this tripe?

2. Rasmus doesn't really need a platoon partner. He was slow starting last year as well.

3. Duh! Although let's wait and see about our other options first. We can't just throw Stroman into the fire, when he has barely had MLB experience.

4. Why would anyone pay extra for an Insider article of stuff we already know?

 

A little too much off your schtick. Don't stray from what works...and no one pays for Insider we all use the same account.

[jaysblue]

I said the Jays should have went after Espinosa during the offseason.

 

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