Jays get Josh Donaldson for Lawrie, Graveman, Nolin and Barreto

[raBBit]

Gotta say, Lind would fit quite wonderfully on this team.

 

S SS Reyes

L LF Saunders

R RF Bautista

R 1B Encarnacion

R 3B Donaldson

L DH Lind

R C Martin

R CF Pompey/Pillar

2B Travis/Izturis/Goins

[Stangstag]

Gotta say, Lind would fit quite wonderfully on this team.

 

S SS Reyes

L LF Saunders

R RF Bautista

R 1B Encarnacion

R 3B Donaldson

L DH Lind

R C Martin

R CF Pompey/Pillar

2B Travis/Izturis/Goins

 

Yes, Lind would look nice in the middle of the lineup there. Hopefully a Smoak/Valencia platoon provides similar production. I think we have enough offense without Lind though

[G-Snarls]

Smoak might not be a better hitter than Lind, but:

- He doesn't need a platoon partner

- Provides league average defense at 1B (which Eddie and Lind can't)

- Costs $1M instead of $7.5M

 

All good as long as AA uses the savings to improve elsewhere

[G-Snarls]

I'm pretty sure Russell Martin counts as this.

 

I still can't believe Russell Martin is a Blue Jay.

 

Obviously he does and I feel the same way - wow I can't believe it

 

But he still has payroll savings at his disposal

[Stangstag]

Hopefully AA is allowed to bring the payroll to at least 130-135 million. Maybe Rogers has been telling him to get the payroll under 120 for 2015, which would suck.

[Statman]

I'm pretty sure Russell Martin counts as this.

 

 

I still can't believe Russell Martin is a Blue Jay.

 

I wasn't surprised.

[Deadpool]

Hopefully AA is allowed to bring the payroll to at least 130-135 million. Maybe Rogers has been telling him to get the payroll under 120 for 2015, which would suck.

 

Frankly, so far we've gotten more upgrades at a lower cost than I expected this off season, so I'm not all that worried if our payroll doesn't go up, because the quality of the team definitely has.

 

Hell, if we could make some even crazier trades that added 10 WAR and lowered the payroll by another $20M (I have no examples of such trades, this is just fireballing here...) I'd be way happier than I would be adding 10 WAR and raising the payroll to $160M...

[G-Snarls]

Frankly, so far we've gotten more upgrades at a lower cost than I expected this off season, so I'm not all that worried if our payroll doesn't go up, because the quality of the team definitely has.

 

Hell, if we could make some even crazier trades that added 10 WAR and lowered the payroll by another $20M (I have no examples of such trades, this is just fireballing here...) I'd be way happier than I would be adding 10 WAR and raising the payroll to $160M...

 

The only trade that could do that would have to involve Reyes and Buerhle.

[Deadpool]

The only trade that could do that would have to involve Reyes and Buerhle.

 

Three team deal, Jays ship out Reyes and Buherle, get Trout and Kershaw. Angels and Dodgers eat all salary... Also, we get a capable SS in the deal somehow.

 

MAGIC!

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Three team deal, Jays ship out Reyes and Buherle, get Trout and Kershaw. Angels and Dodgers eat all salary... Also, we get a capable SS in the deal somehow.

 

MAGIC!

 

So Colorado is in on this now too! Yikes

[burlingtonbandit]

I was wondering about that... Oakland offers the possibility for a corner IF to make plays deep into foul territory, plays that aren't even available to players in other parks. I wonder if that gives Donaldson's defensive numbers a boost? I can't help but wonder if we see the defensive ratings for Lawrie and Donaldson even out now that they've traded home parks.

 

Thats what I was thinking as well. I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone say anything about it because it can make a pretty big difference. When Lawrie grades higher on Inside Edge it makes me think that Donaldson does get a huge boost. I mean we all saw how good Lawrie was at 3rd base and when he doesn't have many errors you have to wonder how accurate the metrics are when Donaldson is SO much better, yet commits more errors.

[Orgfiller]

Thats what I was thinking as well. I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone say anything about it because it can make a pretty big difference. When Lawrie grades higher on Inside Edge it makes me think that Donaldson does get a huge boost. I mean we all saw how good Lawrie was at 3rd base and when he doesn't have many errors you have to wonder how accurate the metrics are when Donaldson is SO much better, yet commits more errors.

 

He commits throwing errors mostly, he has elite range as evidenced by the metrics. A lot of good fielders' errors (Lawrie can be included in this also) comes from getting to balls that others wouldn't come close to.

[KingKat]

He commits throwing errors mostly, he has elite range as evidenced by the metrics. A lot of good fielders' errors (Lawrie can be included in this also) comes from getting to balls that others wouldn't come close to.

 

Yes but my point is that wouldn't his elite range be somewhat boosted by having access to all that extra foul territory? When most people think of an infielder having range, they think of the line drives they can get to not the pop ups they can field but does UZR make that distinction?

[G-Snarls]

Interesting:

 

Mlbtr:

 

The Indians were one of several teams who asked the Athletics about Josh Donaldson, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The A’s said Donaldson wasn’t available, though that obviously ended up not being the case as the third baseman was dealt to the Blue Jays. Pluto wonders if the Tribe could’ve topped Toronto’s trade package had Donaldson been more openly shopped, or if A’s GM Billy Beane specifically liked what the Jays had to offer.

[Angrioter]

Interesting:

 

Mlbtr:

 

The Indians were one of several teams who asked the Athletics about Josh Donaldson, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The A’s said Donaldson wasn’t available, though that obviously ended up not being the case as the third baseman was dealt to the Blue Jays. Pluto wonders if the Tribe could’ve topped Toronto’s trade package had Donaldson been more openly shopped, or if A’s GM Billy Beane specifically liked what the Jays had to offer.

 

Lindor + Chisenhall could be a great package

[burlingtonbandit]

He commits throwing errors mostly, he has elite range as evidenced by the metrics. A lot of good fielders' errors (Lawrie can be included in this also) comes from getting to balls that others wouldn't come close to.

 

But I have a hard time believing Donaldson's range is that much better than Lawrie's. Lawrie probably gets to just as many balls on the infield and committed less errors.

[G-Snarls]

[Spanky99]

 

Posted 2wice now, welcome to reality...

[baubau]

FU. Get that Lawrie stuff outta here!

I still cannot believe we got Donaldson. Its only been a few weeks but feels like months. I need it to be April already. Can't wait another 4 months.

[Boxcar]

Smoak might not be a better hitter than Lind, but:

- He doesn't need a platoon partner

- Provides league average defense at 1B (which Eddie and Lind can't)

- Costs $1M instead of $7.5M

 

I have hope for Smoak. He has some things going for him, pedigree, good plate discipline. I really wouldn't be surprised to see him turn his career around in Toronto.

[canadiansportsjunkie]

I have hope for Smoak. He has some things going for him, pedigree, good plate discipline. I really wouldn't be surprised to see him turn his career around in Toronto.

Agree typical AA move and there is nothing not to like about it.

[Stangstag]

I have hope for Smoak. He has some things going for him, pedigree, good plate discipline. I really wouldn't be surprised to see him turn his career around in Toronto.

 

Lol wut.

 

Smoak does have MASSIVE power though. Hopefully he finds his stroke

[reedjohnsonfan]

Lol wut.

 

Smoak does have MASSIVE power though. Hopefully he finds his stroke

 

No he doesn't you're making that up. He's a big guy, it ends there.

[Laika]

No he doesn't you're making that up. He's a big guy, it ends there.

 

Yeah he's got surprisingly little pop. Big enough to muscle 20 out of the Rogers Centre, but he's not going to be hitting many second deckers or anything.

 

This is evident in his minor league SLG and OPS along with the MLB ISO.

[Boxcar]

Yeah he's got surprisingly little pop. Big enough to muscle 20 out of the Rogers Centre, but he's not going to be hitting many second deckers or anything.

 

This is evident in his minor league SLG and OPS along with the MLB ISO.

 

There's untapped potential there. Pretty rare for scouts to whiff on the power grade, even if it didn't show in the numbers.

 

See? I'm trying. #scoutscouting

[reedjohnsonfan]

There's untapped potential there. Pretty rare for scouts to whiff on the power grade, even if it didn't show in the numbers.

 

See? I'm trying. #scoutscouting

 

You can tell he has terrible bat speed for a big strong guy. A player's look sometimes gives him way too much praise for potential, but really he's garbage.

[Key22]

Still a lot of offseason left but Blue Jays Banter wonders if we are a better team now than in September.

 

http://www.bluejaysplus.com/blue-jays-offense-better/#sthash.4aWYJsn4.dpbs

[Boxcar]

You can tell he has terrible bat speed for a big strong guy. A player's look sometimes gives him way too much praise for potential, but really he's garbage.

 

cool man

[Laika]

You can tell he has terrible bat speed for a big strong guy. A player's look sometimes gives him way too much praise for potential, but really he's garbage.

 

Every time I've seen Smoak play it's like he's swinging a pool noodle.

[Laika]

There's untapped potential there. Pretty rare for scouts to whiff on the power grade, even if it didn't show in the numbers.

 

See? I'm trying. #scoutscouting

 

He's certainly beeeeeg and strooooong.