Blue Jays sign Ronald Belisario and Ramon Santiago

[Laika]

Of that group of arms the Jays could build something good.

 

Steve Delabar

Ronald Belisario

Preston Guilmet

Juan Pablo Oramas

Matt West

Wilton Lopez

Gregory Infante

Ryan Tepera

 

I like all of them, to various degrees. Actually Delabar might be the most hopeless on that list in my books...

[Sammy225]

I like all of them, to various degrees. Actually Delabar might be the most hopeless on that list in my books...

 

Needs heavier balls

[RealAccountant]

Of that group of arms the Jays could build something good.

 

Steve Delabar

Ronald Belisario

Preston Guilmet

Juan Pablo Oramas

Matt West

Wilton Lopez

Gregory Infante

Ryan Tepera

 

But how many games will we blow to find out

[Angrioter]

I like all of them, to various degrees. Actually Delabar might be the most hopeless on that list in my books...

 

Tepera, Infante and Oramas for me. Matt West hair is amazing.

[baubau]

Nice. Now go sign one of Badenhop, Axford or Villanueva.

[Governator]

It would be awfully nice if Drabek can turn in to something usable.

[L54]

Not sure how anyone can really criticize this move. BP sucks. AA added depth.

[Angrioter]

Nice. Now go sign one of Badenhop, Axford or Villanueva.

 

Villanueva = Estrada

 

Badenhop, Axford, Everth Cabrera and cheap SP

[TheHurl]

I was gonna bash on you hurl but then I read the rest of your sentence

 

FIP looks good. He'll come cheap. It'll definitely destroy the Jays overall attractiveness metric, though.

 

Yeah I was just preparing for the usual stuff we hear. I'm not sold on him as a huge contributor, but if it's on a minor league deal I don't care if it's Hugo Chavez.

[Laika]

Wilner says Santiago mashes lefties. Lol

 

Santiago switch hitter career 76 wRC+ vs. L, 76 wRC+ vs. R.

 

Wilner is the absolute worst Toronto media guy for spewing out garbage splits information.

 

I remember when the Jays brought in 37 year old Kevin Millar Wilner got all excited because he "RAKES" lefties. Check his career splits...

[glory]

Wilner is the absolute worst Toronto media guy for spewing out garbage splits information.

 

I remember when the Jays brought in 37 year old Kevin Millar Wilner got all excited because he "RAKES" lefties. Check his career splits...

 

@Wilnerness590: Very surprised Santiago career splits are so similar. But he did crush lefties from 2007-11, albeit SSS. #Bluejays #Jays

 

Wilner at his finest.

[L54]

Wilner says Santiago mashes lefties. Lol

 

Santiago switch hitter career 76 wRC+ vs. L, 76 wRC+ vs. R.

 

Such an idiot.

[Laika]

@Wilnerness590: Very surprised Santiago career splits are so similar. But he did crush lefties from 2007-11, albeit SSS. #Bluejays #Jays

 

Wilner at his finest.

 

That tweet is the very quintessence of Mike Wilner.

[baubau]

Villanueva = Estrada

 

I liked Villanueva back when he was with the Jays so I am a little bias. Think he could also server as a decent depth should something happen with our pitchers. He isn't a starter by any means but he can eat up quite a few innings.

[Frenchsoup]

Wilner says Santiago mashes lefties. Lol

 

Santiago switch hitter career 76 wRC+ vs. L, 76 wRC+ vs. R.

 

lol why did he say that?

[Angrioter]

Ronald Belisario tested positive for cocaine, said he used it only once lol

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/22/ronald-belisario-tested-positive-for-cocaine-said-he-used-it-only-once/comment-page-1/

[glory]

Santiago earns $1.1M if he makes the team.

 

Looks like Izturis/Santiago at 2B until Travis saves us.

[Abomination]

MiLB deal $1.7M if makes team. Not bad.

 

I don't mind the deal for that. I'd like to see us sign Axford still.

[jays76]

Could be another successful dumpster dive and a couple of bargain bin gems for AA.

[RealAccountant]

Were back to this bottom of the barrel crap from earlier in AAs career. Instead of assuring the team with strong depth he is looking for diamonds in the garbage

 

This will be his downfall

[JaysRap]

It would be awfully nice if Drabek can turn in to something usable.

 

Washroom attendant?

[G-Snarls]

Were back to this bottom of the barrel crap from earlier in AAs career. Instead of assuring the team with strong depth he is looking for diamonds in the garbage

 

This will be his downfall

 

Nothing wrong with these signings, although yes I'd have preferred a more sure thing BP in addition

[glory]

I still have hope for Drabek. Maybe I'm alone in that. Give the failed starter a chance.

[Sammy225]

So we sign a guy to a minor league deal who has been a solid middle reliever for the majority of his career and people are acting like this is the apocalypse. This guy is better then a lot of whats in our pen right now.

[jaysfan2014]

Nothing wrong with these signings, although yes I'd have preferred a more sure thing BP in addition

 

Still time left. Pitchers and catchers don't report for about 3 weeks.. free agents are going to get desperate. And when is someone going to sign James Shields??

[eastcoastjaysfan]

If Belisario was some unassuming white guy he's probably bagging groceries right now. He's still given a chance because he "looks like a closer" (i.e. super cool glasses and loves screaming and waving his arms for no apparent reason).

[Chappy]

if belisario was some unassuming white guy he's probably bagging groceries right now. He's still given a chance because he "looks like a closer" (i.e. Super cool glasses and loves screaming and waving his arms for no apparent reason).

 

wat?

[Orgfiller]

If Belisario was some unassuming white guy he's probably bagging groceries right now. He's still given a chance because he "looks like a closer" (i.e. super cool glasses and loves screaming and waving his arms for no apparent reason).

 

Super cool glasses? He's ugly as f***. This is a good baseball move, but don't expect him to be showing up up-close in commercials in the near future.

 

He actually had decent peripheral stats last season, ERA is not the only stat.

[TwistedLogic]

If Belisario was some unassuming white guy he's probably bagging groceries right now. He's still given a chance because he "looks like a closer" (i.e. super cool glasses and loves screaming and waving his arms for no apparent reason).

 

What the hell are you talking about? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing002.gif

 

You do realize that Ronald Belisario and Jose Valverde are not the same man, right?

[Angrioter]

Blue Jays searching for relief pitching; in contact with Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano, Burke Badenhop

By Justin Millar

 

The Toronto Blue Jays are continuing their search for bullpen help, per FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, who reports that the club has been "in contract" with representatives for a number of relievers including Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano, and Burke Badenhop.

The Blue Jays' search for relievers has been long noted, and the club added right-hander Ronald Belisario earlier today, though he only received a minor league deal. The Blue Jays also lost longtime closer Casey Janssen to the Washington Nationals yesterday, and as Sportsnet.ca's Ben Nicholson-Smith notes, the club currently has about $5 or $6 million available in payroll flexibility.

 

Rodriguez, Soriano, and Badenhop seem to be the clear top relief arms still available on the open market, with Badenhop representing the only one of the trio without closing experience. However, he has posted a 2.90 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 2.88 K/BB, and a 2.0 WAR over the past three years with the Rays, Brewers, and Red Sox

 

While Toronto seems to be mostly exploring the free agent market, they may also be a possible landing spot for Phillies' closer Jonathan Papelbon. However, as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal pointed out earlier today, the club's interest is "extremely limited" unless Philadelphia would be willing to take on a significant amount of money.

 

The Blue Jays are currently slated to head into the season with a rather young bullpen crop led by southpaw Brett Cecil and right-hander Aaron Sanchez, who seem to be the two frontrunners to take over for Janssen as Toronto's closer. However, the team would prefer to keep Cecil in a set-up capacity, while Sanchez is likely a starter long-term.

 

The bullpen should also include some combination of Belisario, Aaron Loup, Marco Estrada, Kyle Drabek, Steve Delabar, Chad Jenkins, and Todd Redmond. In 2014, the Blue Jays bullpen struggled, finishing 22nd in the league in WAR (1.3) and 26th in FIP (4.05).