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General 2016 Blue Jays discussion thread

G-Snarls

By G-Snarls
in Toronto Blue Jays Talk

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HERPDERP Vancouver Canadians

HERPDERP

Old-Timey Member
Posted
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Anyone remember Brad Lincoln? I try to forget him.

 

Its amazing how many +95 throwers this team has got over the years but they have completely faltered in the BP

Pendleton Vancouver Canadians

Pendleton

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Was thinking about starting a Bullpen mgm thread as I was rehashing yesterdays gm in my head this am. Gibby is driving me insane.

 

Storen is quickly working his way up the ladder for biggest reliever acquisition bust in Jays history - Claudill, Myers, CoCo, Francisco.

 

Hon Mention: Gregg.

 

Cant put BJ on this list as for part of his contract he was dominant before he broke down.

 

Ken Dayley going back aways. He put up six excellent seasons of left handed relief for the Cards and then flamed out immediately after signing a pretty big three year deal with the Jays (10 appearances over 3 years due to vertigo problems).

King All-Star

King

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-stroman-sanchez-relishing-opportunity-hit/

 

TORONTO — There was a little extra life around the Rogers Centre batting cages Saturday morning as Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ stepped out of the Toronto Blue Jays dugout carrying pine tar, batting gloves and 32 ounces of lumber each.

 

That trio of Blue Jays starters will take the mound during Toronto’s three-game series in San Francisco this week, which means they’ll also be taking at-bats under National League rules.

 

The veteran Happ has pitched for years in the NL and been through this all before. But the 20-somethings Stroman and Sanchez have never taken an at-bat in the majors, and are relishing the opportunity.

 

"You grow up wanting to be in the big leagues as a hitter," says Sanchez, who played shortstop for his entire life until the Blue Jays drafted him as a pitcher. "At least that’s how it was for me. And now I get a chance. So I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be cool."

 

"I miss it—I miss it a lot," added Stroman, who played second base at Duke University. "Obviously the first priority will be to get the bunt down if there’s guys on. But if not, I’m pretty excited to swing it."

 

And swing it they did Saturday morning, against Blue Jays third base coach Luis Rivera, who was throwing flat batting practice fastballs at around 60-mph. Blue Jays hitters stretching nearby heckled and jeered, especially when Stroman and Sanchez were in the box, offering constant commentary on the cuts the young pitchers were taking.

 

The young starters had fun with it, grinning and celebrating every time they made solid contact. They each hit a pair of pitches over the wall, and made sure everyone within earshot knew it had happened. Stroman even got an enthusiastic bear hug from Ryan Goins after his second long ball to left field.

 

"It’s pretty funny how they’re all amped up. They think they’re going to go out there and hit homers," Happ said after taking his cuts. "And maybe they will, who knows? They’re confident guys—that’s for sure. All I’d tell them is this game has a way of humbling people. So, we’ll just let the game play out and we’ll see. Either way, it’ll be fun to watch them out there. I love their enthusiasm."

 

Happ actually has hit a homer in the majors, off Josh Collmenter in 2011. He ambushed a first-pitch cutter and sent a no-doubter 387-feet into the right field bleachers. He got the ball back from the fan that caught it and still has it at home.

 

"I definitely got lucky with that one," he says, bashfully. "My first at-bat that day I flew out to the warning track, so they gave me the green light to go ahead and swing it. I was fortunate enough to run into one."

 

Last year, when the Seattle Mariners sent Happ to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline, he knew there was a good chance his new team could be headed to the post-season and he didn’t want to be a liability. So he began logging daily sessions in the batting cages in hopes of improving his swing.

 

"I worked quite a bit at just trying to catch up, get up to speed and be reasonable up there," Happ says. "You’re so overmatched anyways, and then you’re out of the National League for a while and you aren’t hitting regularly, and then you jump back in and it’s really a challenge."

 

Happ went 2-for-22 with the Pirates down the stretch, with three sacrifice bunts and 13 strikeouts. He never did get to hit in the post-season as the Pirates were eliminated in the NL wild card game, but all that work showed during batting practice at Rogers Centre as he made hard, line drive contact much more consistently than his younger peers.

 

"I don’t know if I’d say I’m looking forward to hitting again," Happ says. "But it’s always interesting. I do like a lot of the things about National League baseball."

 

One of those is certainly a somewhat easier out against the opposition pitcher. Happ will get Matt Cain, who’s 4-for-53 since the beginning of 2014. Sanchez will get Jake Peavy, who actually has three hits in 10 plate appearances this season, but is a career .170 hitter.

 

But unfortunately for Stroman, Madison Bumgarner awaits. The Giants ace isn’t just one of the best left-handed starters in the game; he’s also an accomplished hitter who swatted five homers last season and has a .718 OPS in 177 plate appearances since 2014.

 

"I don’t even get that free out," Stroman says, nonplussed. "Bumgarner’s one of the better hitting pitchers in the game. Actually, he’s just a great hitter in general. But I’m excited. It’s going to be fun to get in the box against him."

 

Stroman hasn’t taken an at-bat of any significance since 2011, when he played both ways for Duke, making 30 starts at second base on the days he wasn’t the starting pitcher. He batted .250/.321/.358 in 120 at-bats that year, hitting 9 doubles and a pair of triples. He says he was an aggressive free-swinger at the time, one who looked to take scrappy at-bats and put the ball in play.

 

"I’m not going to put my weaknesses out there. You’re not getting the scouting report," Stroman says. "But I think I’ll be okay. I was ACC freshman of the year as a position player. So, I know what I’m doing."

 

The last time Sanchez took competitive at-bats was as a senior at Barstow High School six years ago. He hit .403 that season.

 

"I had a couple walk-off homers; a lot of two-homer games. High school was fun for me, I’ll just put it like that," Sanchez says. "I thought I could hit. I was only 17-years-old, but I had some pop."

 

Stroman and Sanchez, two of the more self-assured young men you’ll meet, haven’t been shy to let their teammates know about their acumen as hitters before they were drafted. The home runs they hit during batting practice only fed the fire.

 

"These guys, man—they think they can hit," says Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada, shaking his head with a grin. "I guess all pitchers think they can hit. But it’s going to be a lot different than what they’re used to. It comes out a lot quicker at this level. They might learn the hard way it’s not that easy."

G-Snarls Cooperstown

G-Snarls

Community Moderator
Posted
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Posted
I'd give Sergio Santos an honourable mention too.

 

He was sooooo good when he was ON though... Damn what a waste

Brownie19 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Brownie19

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
We have traded someone named Martin Medina to the Nationals for cash!!!

 

Call this the TSN turning point in the season....Shatkins making things happen!

Governator Vancouver Canadians

Governator

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
We have traded someone named Martin Medina to the Nationals for cash!!!

 

It costs a lot of money to have replacement players.

HERPDERP Vancouver Canadians

HERPDERP

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
I know that batting average is a poor metric for overall judging of hitting performance but we have three regulars below Mendoza. And it's almost mid may

 

"its okay its only May 9

Governator Vancouver Canadians

Governator

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
Synder 2-2 2.58

Sanchez 3-1 2.58

 

Look at that he Sanchize does not lose very often

 

Maybe we can call Sanchez Loki.

Olerud363 FCL Blue Jays

Olerud363

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
How many wins?

 

Aaron Sanchez - born July 1 1992 171 innings pitched 12-9 2.62

Noah Syndergard - born August 29 1992 188 innings pitched 11-9 3.11

 

The super-scouts like Grant and JimCanuck - see two guys, both tall, both young, both throw hard as hell, both have a low era, Sanchez lower. Both induce weak Contact, Sanchez weaker.

 

The egg heads say that Sanchez is an illusion, a non-real undesirable mediocrity with a high FIP, while Noah is a god among men, standing behind Ryan and Clemens only because he was born in the 90s instead of the 60s. As time marches on (as it tends to do) Noah will stand with the legends, Sanchez will stand with Brandon League.

 

That is the story so far... Let the debate continue.

G-Snarls Cooperstown

G-Snarls

Community Moderator
Posted
  • Author
Posted
ERA sucks

 

Yeah

 

Sanchez FIP 3.40 xFIP 3.47 fWAR 0.8 (good)

Syndergaard FIP 1.56 xFIP 2.15 fWAR 1.7 (crazy good)

Olerud363 FCL Blue Jays

Olerud363

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Yeah

 

Sanchez FIP 3.40 xFIP 3.47 fWAR 0.8 (good)

Syndergaard FIP 1.56 xFIP 2.15 fWAR 1.7 (crazy good)

 

ERA doesn't suck. It just takes longer to stabalize.

 

If in 18 years Sanchez is 240-140 2.58 and Syndergard 229-188 3.10, then the ERA will be reliable

 

Brainiacs - there is nothing special about Sanchez so the ERA will fall

 

but... if in 20 years the ERA hasn't fallen then there is something special about Sanchez. Not that I think there is... just saying it's more about sample size and randomness than ERA.

Cyborg FCL Blue Jays

Cyborg

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Arnold Leon is being stretched out in Buffalo and has been impressive so far. In his 3 games he has 12 IP, 16 K, and just 2 BB.
glory Vancouver Canadians

glory

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Thor should pitch to contact more - he's hasn't been able to get into the 7th inning in his past 2 starts.

 

A tear trickled down Pete Walker's cheek as he read that.

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