Blue Jays hire Eric Wedge

[FrozenRopes]

The Indian train continues:

The Blue Jays have hired Eric Wedge as a player development advisor, the team announced. The former Indians and Mariners manager is well known to Jays president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins from their time together in Cleveland, which included an AL Central title and a run to Game Seven of the ALCS in 2007. Wedge had been rumored to join Toronto’s front office for several weeks.

Wedge’s hiring “has the feel of manager in waiting,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) opines. A managerial change would be rather a surprise in the wake of the Blue Jays‘ AL East championship, though skipper John Gibbons has a well-known close relationship with former Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and it isn’t unusual for a new front office to install a new face in the dugout.

[GD]

Would take Gibby over Wedge

[Angrioter]

One step closed to be our manager.

Gaston and Dayton Moore won world series, Wedge is next.

[King]

"It's the new generation. It's all this sabermetrics stuff, for lack of a better term, you know what I mean?" Wedge said. "People who haven't played since they were 9 years old think they have it figured out. It gets in these kids' heads."

[RealAccountant]

Looks like Shapiro is setting everything up to have this team 10 games under at the break so he can trade bautista/encarnacion for prospects and change managers

 

Complete destruction coming.

[CrackerJack]

Looks like Shapiro is setting everything up to have this team 10 games under at the break so he can trade bautista/encarnacion for prospects and change managers

 

Complete destruction coming.

 

Then goodbye all the new season ticket holders who were out in pretty strong force on Thursday night.

[Jonn]

So if Gibbons gets in trouble this is our guy. Yikes.

[puphood]

How much he is costing Rogers? Who was the old player development manager? This Indians of the North is getting old.....

[Stangstag]

I seriously don't want Wedge as our manager.

[Stangstag]

Looks like Shapiro is setting everything up to have this team 10 games under at the break so he can trade bautista/encarnacion for prospects and change managers

 

Complete destruction coming.

 

I totally wouldn't mind a semi-rebuild under Shapiro. We would probably be meh in 2017 and good by 2018.

[Jonn]

We have 2 players over 30 locked up for the next 4 and 5 years in Martin and Tulo. We have an MVP under club control for 3 more seasons. This team isn't f***ing rebuilding lol. They would be terrified to do it as well because of the backlash alone. You litterally just got the fans back.

[FrozenRopes]

It will sure leave a bad taste if Gibby is fired and replaced by wedge. If you want to do that, do it now.

[Boxcar]

I really hope Wedge is less ignorant than he used to be.

[KingKat]

I really hope Wedge is less ignorant than he used to be.

 

I wonder if his apparent anti-analytics bias really matters in the roles he's played. Shapiro clearly values him and doesn't seem to mind. It's not like anyone is asking him to be GM.

[quizang]

bluejays sign grady sizemore to a minor league contract with invite to spring training

[Jonn]

bluejays sign grady sizemore to a minor league contract with invite to spring training

 

Toronto Indians

 

Also no link. Reported and ban pending.

[GD]

gonna assume that's a troll

 

but if true OMG Grady Sizemore <3

 

but probably not true

[Frenchsoup]

Shapiro's Cito

[Boxcar]

I wonder if his apparent anti-analytics bias really matters in the roles he's played. Shapiro clearly values him and doesn't seem to mind. It's not like anyone is asking him to be GM.

 

Would you want Harold Reynolds advising your favourite team on how to develop young players?

 

Pretty recently it was revealed that this is why every hitting prospect fails in Seattle.

[Jonn]

Would you want Harold Reynolds advising your favourite team on how to develop young players?

 

Pretty recently it was revealed that this is why every hitting prospect fails in Seattle.

 

They thought they fixed that by moving the fences in. Welp

[Rusty_Savage]

Looks like Shapiro is setting everything up to have this team 10 games under at the break so he can trade bautista/encarnacion for prospects and change managers

 

Complete destruction coming.

 

What has he done to prove to you that he is setting this team up to be 10 games under at the break?

[RealAccountant]

We have 2 players over 30 locked up for the next 4 and 5 years in Martin and Tulo. We have an MVP under club control for 3 more seasons. This team isn't f***ing rebuilding lol. They would be terrified to do it as well because of the backlash alone. You litterally just got the fans back.

 

That's AAs team. An ego maniac like Shapiro probably doesnt want to win with a team someone else built

[Boxcar]

They thought they fixed that by moving the fences in. Welp

 

The front office under Jack Z often gave conflicting or s***** advice to their prospects. Dipoto has tried to address the issue and make sure what the player hears is much more unified.

[Stangstag]

That's AAs team. An ego maniac like Shapiro probably doesnt want to win with a team someone else built

 

God you're insufferable. That is a whole lot of assumption there, and it just makes you look like an ass.

 

Do you have any sources for Shapiro being an "ego maniac"?

[Boxcar]

God you're insufferable. That is a whole lot of assumption there, and it just makes you look like an ass.

 

Do you have any sources for Shapiro being an "ego maniac"?

 

Dude, you're arguing with a guy who has trolled this board for more than a decade. Put him on ignore and let it go.

[Jimcanuck]

Dude, you're arguing with a guy who has trolled this board for more than a decade. Put him on ignore and let it go.

 

More than a decade, really? Loser.

[Boxcar]

More than a decade, really? Loser.

 

Think he started in 2003? I wasn't around back then so I'm not sure. Spanky or Hurl might know.

[flafson]

Think he started in 2003? I wasn't around back then so I'm not sure. Spanky or Hurl might know.

 

Isn't Spanky 13 years old?

[Grant77]

Think he started in 2003? I wasn't around back then so I'm not sure. Spanky or Hurl might know.

 

At least a decade, I'm sure.

[Laika]

"It's the new generation. It's all this sabermetrics stuff, for lack of a better term, you know what I mean?" Wedge said. "People who haven't played since they were 9 years old think they have it figured out. It gets in these kids' heads."

 

This just seems like a poorly worded expression of an actual issue.

 

It doesn't matter if you have the smartest analytics team in the world if you can't communicate the information effectively to the players and coaches. I'm sure some players do get confused in the process. The communication is so important.