Shapiro: Lack of depth could make Blue Jays 'fragile'

[Angrioter]

Shapiro: Lack of depth could make Blue Jays 'fragile'

 

The Toronto Blue Jays own one of the most prolific offenses in baseball, but president Mark Shapiro believes the major-league squad could be in jeopardy unless the club builds some depth around their biggest strength.

 

"We’ve got a very unique situation with a lot of really talented players that are in place this season, and we need to try to maximize that opportunity to win," Shapiro told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post last week. "It doesn’t take a lot of study or a lot of time to realize where the voids are. Our position-player club is one of the most dynamic in all of baseball, but there are clear starting pitching needs. We addressed one by bringing (Marco) Estrada back (on a two-year contract), and we’ll continue to work on addressing the pitching."

 

"The other issues are going to be more depth because there’s a challenge with Triple-A," Shapiro explained. "There are not a lot of players there. Which, with an aging major league team, is going to make depth (important). How we structure the roster to provide some depth is going to be important. Because we’re susceptible. It’s a fragile major league team if something happens."

[Angrioter]

Thread deserve it.

 

Shapiro f***ed AA, again.

[BTS]

I love this man.

[King]

Casey Kotchman to the rescue

[nmrch]

Managing the 40 man roster was probably AA's biggest shortcoming during his tenure. Fans pay attention to trades, FA signings and the draft but maximizing the output from what you already have is one trait where mediocre GM's standout from good ones.

[Angrioter]

I love this man.

 

Casey Kotchman signning was a message to Alex... "You suxxxx buddy"

[Sammy225]

When is the last time Beeston came out and said something this profound about his club lol.... Everyone can hate on him but this is a big step in the right direction

[Angrioter]

When is the last time Beeston came out and said something this profound about his club lol.... Everyone can hate on him but this is a big step in the right direction

 

Beeston was the president; Shapiro is our Bug Bunny.

[DaKiNdLa]

Do you guys think that gives any indication of Shapiro's plans for Revere?

[Angrioter]

Well what are we doing with Hutchison, Sanchez and Osuna. That's 3 young, controllable, SP prospects in the f***ing bullpen right now. Put them in AAA and use money to fix the bullpen. Pretty easy solution. Costs like an extra 6-8 million to fill up the pen and at the same time hopefully get Hutch, Sanchez and Osuna back on track as starters. Pretty easy solution if we had a budget as big as LAA or TEX, which we should.

 

Starter #4 >> ClozAr

[Terminator]

He's completely right. At every position other than OF (no coincidence this where we see everyone wanting to trade a pillar-revere-pompey type) do we even have a backup better than replacement level?

[Laika]

Fragility was a problem with every roster AA constructed

[G-Snarls]

Fragility was a problem with every roster AA constructed

 

It really was and everyone on here knew it

[burlingtonbandit]

Jays actually had a good year with minor league FA and depth signings last year. Collabello, Carrera, Hague all had pretty good years. Really, the only year under AA they were good in that area.

[Frag]

Fragility was a problem with every roster AA constructed

 

Especially in terms of pitching. The lack of depth among SP/RP was always frustrating.

[bendera3]

Muni was a good AA find. He may not be a superstar bat but he had good at bats.

[Angrioter]

Again.....

 

Aaron Laffey

Chien ming Wang

Ramon Ortiz

[burlingtonbandit]

Wang and his 2 K/9 lol

[FrozenRopes]

I think anyone who has watched the Jays for more than 5 minutes know how fragile we are. Saunders getting hurt pointed that out early last year. Shapiro cannot fix it overnight and by the time he does EE, JB and others will be gone.

[bendera3]

Again.....

 

Aaron Laffey

Chien ming Wang

Ramon Ortiz

 

Both Wang and Ortiz had extended success at the MLB level. I don't blame AA for rolling the dice.

[Pulk_Pull]

Are we just happy that Shapiro recited something that sounds like it could of come straight from this board?

 

Nothing groundbreaking but I'm glad he is looking to find all the weaknesses, and not focusing on the strengths. That being said, damn it sounds like he's sandbagging already!

[Pulk_Pull]

I think anyone who has watched the Jays for more than 5 minutes know how fragile we are. Saunders getting hurt pointed that out early last year. Shapiro cannot fix it overnight and by the time he does EE, JB and others will be gone.

 

Maybe not overnight but he does have an entire offseason...

 

We don't need to have all-star backups for each position. But finding a Cola or developing a Pillar is necessary for this team and we probably won't know what we have until someone goes down in 2016.

[GoJays]

Especially in terms of pitching. The lack of depth among SP/RP was always frustrating.

And still is, only this time Shapiro has little in the minors to trade and in fact little money to work with to fix it free agent wise

[Stangstag]

Well what are we doing with Hutchison, Sanchez and Osuna. That's 3 young, controllable, SP prospects in the f***ing bullpen right now. Put them in AAA and use money to fix the bullpen. Pretty easy solution. Costs like an extra 6-8 million to fill up the pen and at the same time hopefully get Hutch, Sanchez and Osuna back on track as starters. Pretty easy solution if we had a budget as big as LAA or TEX, which we should.

 

Yeah who's decision was it to put those guys in the bullpen anyways? Some dimwit name Alex...

 

Shapiro probably has all 3 of them starting in AAA next year as depth. If we add 1 more starter we could have some pretty sweet rotation depth

 

Stroman

FA starter

Estrada

Dickey

Chavez

 

Hutchison

Sanchez

Osuna

[Stangstag]

Fragility was a problem with every roster AA constructed

 

Hence, the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays.

[GoJays]

Yeah who's decision was it to put those guys in the bullpen anyways? Some dimwit name Alex...

 

Shapiro probably has all 3 of them starting in AAA next year as depth. If we add 1 more starter we could have some pretty sweet rotation depth

 

Stroman

FA starter

Estrada

Dickey

Chavez

 

Hutchison

Sanchez

Osuna

 

Good luck with that. Shapiro just doesn't have the budget or the trade chips to add a #2 starter and 3 Backend bull pen pieces. I also look at Chavez as a swingman 6th starter so I'm hoping Hutch rebounds.

I guess if he could convince EE to accept a trade he might but I just don't see that happening.

[Boxcar]

Shapiro: Lack of depth could make Blue Jays 'fragile'

 

The Toronto Blue Jays own one of the most prolific offenses in baseball, but president Mark Shapiro believes the major-league squad could be in jeopardy unless the club builds some depth around their biggest strength.

 

"We’ve got a very unique situation with a lot of really talented players that are in place this season, and we need to try to maximize that opportunity to win," Shapiro told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post last week. "It doesn’t take a lot of study or a lot of time to realize where the voids are. Our position-player club is one of the most dynamic in all of baseball, but there are clear starting pitching needs. We addressed one by bringing (Marco) Estrada back (on a two-year contract), and we’ll continue to work on addressing the pitching."

 

"The other issues are going to be more depth because there’s a challenge with Triple-A," Shapiro explained. "There are not a lot of players there. Which, with an aging major league team, is going to make depth (important). How we structure the roster to provide some depth is going to be important. Because we’re susceptible. It’s a fragile major league team if something happens."

 

I'm choosing to read this as a pro-Heyward quote.

[burlingtonbandit]

And still is, only this time Shapiro has little in the minors to trade and in fact little money to work with to fix it free agent wise

 

Also has one of the best collections of talent in the majors.. You are making it sound like he is coming into a terrible situation when it is not true.

[Pulk_Pull]

And still is, only this time Shapiro has little in the minors to trade and in fact little money to work with to fix it free agent wise

 

It's funny. As I was reading that quote, I took it as a bit of a condemnation on AA's ability to trade all the potential future AAA pitching depth.

[BigRed]

When is the last time Beeston came out and said something this profound about his club lol.... Everyone can hate on him but this is a big step in the right direction

 

It was likely a completely different structure with Beeston and AA than it is right now with Shapiro and LaCava as interim.

 

Beeston basically let AA do his thing with the team. AA was the face of the management team, not Beeston. When AA had a deal on the table or wanted more money, Beeston took that plan to Rogers and would try to sell them on it (Marlins increase, etc). Beeston was never a GM, I'm glad he let AA do his thing and stayed out of his way. He didn't need to say anything profound because he was never a scout / talent evaluator, so he left any sort of roster analysis comments to AA to the radio/press.

 

Shapiro worked his way up from player development / scouting and is a former GM. It's a little more appropriate for him to make a comment like this than somebody who was strictly looking after the business aspects of the team while AA controlled the roster.

 

Also, how is this profound? Any Jays fan knows they are incredibly thin at starting pitching, both in MLB and AAA.

 

Well what are we doing with Hutchison, Sanchez and Osuna. That's 3 young, controllable, SP prospects in the f***ing bullpen right now. Put them in AAA and use money to fix the bullpen. Pretty easy solution. Costs like an extra 6-8 million to fill up the pen and at the same time hopefully get Hutch, Sanchez and Osuna back on track as starters. Pretty easy solution if we had a budget as big as LAA or TEX, which we should.

 

Yikes. You gotta get the bullpen stocked up before pulling those guys out of there and stretching them out as starters. If they can't fill up the pen first they are wasting options and then pen is left empty.