BREAKING: Jays acquire Melvin Upton Jr.

[BTS]

Welcome back anemic0ffense!

[worldchamps2016]

Welcome back anemic0ffense!

 

worldchamps2015 actually. Although i've often held similiar view as anemicOffence.

[BTS]

worldchamps2015 actually. Although i've often held similiar view as anemicOffence.

 

"libtard" was a favourite term of his. You guys are pretty similar!

[Terminator]

If Upton is ONLY playing against righties, he won't play until August lol. Hopefully Gibby uses Upton to give Saunders and JB some time off their feet. Maybe even Pillar a few times a month.

 

From what I've read on Twitter Gibby's plan is to play him against lefties every time. He'll also give Saunders and Bautista days off at DH by putting Upton and EE in the field together. And Upton likely plays pretty much everyday as a pinch runner or defensive replacement as well according to Gibby.

 

He's like a win to a win and a half improvement on defense over Bautista or Saunders so I'd prefer he just play everyday but if they want to stroke Smoak by playing him once in a while it's whatever. At least he won't see lefties anymore.

 

Zeke is pretty much redundant at this point. I guess he can be the poor man's Upton but buried further on the bench. He can pinch run for one of the slow guys and in some circumstances if Upton is already in the game and could pinch hit/defensive replacement if necessary.

 

He's out of options though I think and he has no trade value. Would be nice if they could trade him to an NL team who views him as a 4th or 5th OF who has 3 years of control and would be willing to give up a rental RP for him.

[vilifyingforce]

Should be working, I just checked and it's fine on my end.

 

Clicked on the link on SN instead of just scrolling down where it showed all the videos lol. ugh.

[L54]

From what I've read on Twitter Gibby's plan is to play him against lefties every time. He'll also give Saunders and Bautista days off at DH. And Upton likely plays pretty much everyday as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.

 

This is the perfect way to utilize him. Start vs LHP, give him starts vs RHP to get Saunders, Bautista and Edwin off their feet. Can be used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement off the bench. I really like this acquistion.

[Stangstag]

This is the perfect way to utilize him. Start vs LHP, give him starts vs RHP to get Saunders, Bautista and Edwin off their feet. Can be used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement off the bench. I really like this acquistion.

 

I'm totally cool with this if its the plan. As long as Upton doesn't hit any higher than 6th

[thatoneguy]

Lol @ IL'd posters starting threads, smfh.

 

Steal of a deal turning the wheels of appeal. Love it.

[Grant77]

BREAKING NEWS: Upton is a better defender than Pillar.

 

- Gregg Zaun

[Jonn]

BREAKING NEWS: Upton is a better defender than Pillar.

 

- Gregg Zaun

 

That was a dumb comment. But we're going to see plays in the corner outfield spots that we haven't seen get made in awhile. Probably since Pillar played LF lol.

[BigCecil]

That was a dumb comment. But we're going to see plays in the corner outfield spots that we haven't seen get made in awhile. Probably since Pillar played LF lol.

 

Revere isn't a great OF but he made some big catches for us Saunders, Zeke, Melky or Jose would never have made.

[John_Havok]

BREAKING NEWS: Upton is a better defender than Pillar.

 

- Gregg Zaun

 

Wtf.... lol

[Terminator]

That was a dumb comment. But we're going to see plays in the corner outfield spots that we haven't seen get made in awhile. Probably since Pillar played LF lol.

 

Upton over Bautista/Saunders is about the equivalent of replacing an average CF with Kevin Kiermaier.

[Angrioter]

Jays should pay 3 more millions for 4 games more against the Padres.

[Jonn]

Upton over Bautista/Saunders is about the equivalent of replacing an average CF with Kevin Kiermaier.

 

Yea they are that bad. I agree. I want to see him play RF. His arm profiles really well. Hes had some lazers this year. His arm is underrated.

[closetjaysfan]

Aaron Sanchez is not the same physical person he was last year. He's 25lbs heavier and a lot stronger. There's no guarantees that moving him to the pen will prevent injury. His strengthening and conditioning program in the winter can be applied just like adding in another season of work. Pitchers frequently would jump in innings pitched years ago and it rarely resulted in TJS.

 

Nolan Ryan went from 150 IP to 330 in one year in his early years, and maintained an average of over 270 innings for years. He took care of himself physically and is a big guy. Same goes for Sanchez. If there is a noticeable decrease in velocity and bite to his curve, then there should be reason to speculate. If he says he's fine and isn't feeling any discomfort during and after his starts, then let him go.

 

I dont usually agree with you Gruber but this is pretty bang on. Too much attention is paid to pitch counts and hard innings caps. Physical conditioning is the first consideration. I would further suggest that the things the average pitchers complain about and struggle with during a 162 game schedule should be the focus of any science that gets applied. Pitching a game in really cold weather, pitching off a cruddy mound, pitching an overly long inning, dehydration, nagging injuries, long road trips, pitching in the 76' sox jerseys and so on... all of these things will make a pitchers start more taxing than the mean.

 

With pitch and inning caps, coaching staffs are basically saying: The average pitcher takes an average amount of physical wear in an average start. Sometimes the wear is more and sometimes it is less but it averages out to 100 pitches and xyz innings cap.

 

It completely ignores the static physical fitness of the individual, the overall wear sustained, that human bodies heal at different rates, and that more physically fit bodies are less susceptible to injury.

 

To see teams announcing at the beginning of a season that a particular pitcher will have 150 innings cap is a joke. (looking at you 2011 blue jays)

[gbill2004]

Lol @ IL'd posters starting threads, smfh.

 

Steal of a deal turning the wheels of appeal. Love it.

WTF is up with this d-bag??!!

[Spanky99]

WTF is up with this d-bag??!!

 

You!

[King]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/scouting-newly-acquired-padres-prospect-hansel-rodriguez/

 

Here's a good report on the piece we gave up, Hansel Rodriguez.

[Krylian]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/scouting-newly-acquired-padres-prospect-hansel-rodriguez/

 

Here's a good report on the piece we gave up, Hansel Rodriguez.

 

I read somewhere that Hansel has touched 97 this year.

[King]

I read somewhere that Hansel has touched 97 this year.

Yep that is the common report. I would go with that over the 89-93 report in the fangraphs article.

 

The general consensus, since we signed him, was that he was all arm strength (mid 90s fastball) but just needed refinement with his secondary pitches.

[KingKat]

Could be a good asset but you had to give up SOMETHING with actual value to get Melvin at such favorable terms and with other teams reportedly competing for him to boot.

[King]

Could be a good asset but you had to give up SOMETHING with actual value to get Melvin at such favorable terms and with other teams reportedly competing for him to boot.

Right, it was a good trade. It seems like the Padres love HanRod so we might have taken advantage of that here too.

[gbill2004]

Right, it was a good trade. It seems like the Padres love HanRod so we might have taken advantage of that here too.

 

f***, with a nickname like that, I'm now wishing we kept him!

[admin]

Could be a good asset but you had to give up SOMETHING with actual value to get Melvin at such favorable terms and with other teams reportedly competing for him to boot.

 

I'd be playing him everyday. Then can keep him next year or trade him in the offseason, his value could be through the roof at $5M.

[gbill2004]

This trade could resurrect his career.

[gbill2004]

Pretty clear what Shartkins are doing here:

 

Upton = Bautista insurance

Smoak = Edwin insurance

[Spanky99]

f***, with a nickname like that, I'm now wishing we kept him!

 

Are you serious?

[gbill2004]

Are you serious?

 

How fun is HanRod??!!

[STLJaysFan]

Not sure why he has Upton Jr on his jersey. His brother doesn't play on the same team anymore and his father isn't playing at all. Jose Cruz Jr never had the Jr on his jersey and his dad DID play in the major leagues at one point!