Jays interested in Steve Pearce

[Gary]

Per Rosenthal: Sources: #BlueJays interested in Steve Pearce, possibly as RH platoon partner for Smoak at 1B. @Shidavidi first mentioned possibility.

[burlingtonbandit]

nice. If they sign him, I can live with the Morales deal.

[L54]

Nice

[burlingtonbandit]

Although I would hope he's used more than just a platoon partner for Smoak lol. He's likely better than Smoak vs RHP.

[Governator]

In Shatkins we trust

[Gary]

Can Pearce play OF too?

[Brownie19]

Can Pearce play OF too?

 

Yes

[THANOS]

Fantastic!!

 

http://i.imgur.com/raUQi7g.gif

[Gary]

Yes

 

Nice. So between LF and 1B he'd get full time at bats.

[Angrioter]

Pearce could play more games at 2B than Travis next season

[SweetSmellingChacin]

http://i.imgur.com/jfNEr.gif

[burlingtonbandit]

Pearce could play more games at 2B than Travis next season

 

Doubt it. I wouldn't trust Pearce defensively at 2nd for more than a few emergency games.

[Laika]

This is my dream signing.

 

I would probably just play Pearce every day unless they get a better platoon partner than Smoak. I don't think Smoak is even good against RHP.

[jaysguy44]

Nice! I wish Smoak would f*** off

[burlingtonbandit]

They should just release Smoak. A backup 1st baseman is just a waste of a roster spot.

[G-Snarls]

They should just release Smoak. A backup 1st baseman is just a waste of a roster spot.

 

Agreed

 

In a real pinch Barney or our backup catcher can play 1B

 

Edit: presuming they sign Pearce or Edwin of course

[Governator]

They should just release Smoak. A backup 1st baseman is just a waste of a roster spot.

 

Surely they could eat 75%+ of his contract in a trade somewhere when a team suffers an injury?

[burlingtonbandit]

Agreed

 

In a real pinch Barney or our backup catcher can play 1B

 

Edit: presuming they sign Pearce or Edwin of course

 

Morales could play 1st, in a real emergency you could throw Martin there and have the backup catcher behind the plate.

 

Smoak just doesn't do anything well. Even before he signed the extension he's been a league average bat. Its obvious he can't hit offspeed pitches and hasn't made the adjustment. And I can't stand how overrated he is defensively.

[RealAccountant]

Pearce has never ever been healthy though, still though half a season of him is probably worth 2 WAR. He would be a great add.

[SAAviour]

I understand the excitement for Pearce, having said that the guy has played over 100 games once in his career.

 

If we are replacing EE, Bautista, and Saunders with Pearce, Smoak and a chubby DH it might be a long year.

 

After all the casuals that are jumping on board the train it's the wrong time to have an average year in my opinion...still early in the off season I know. We need a bigger move then these nice depth pieces.

[G-Snarls]

OK, I like the Morales signing and want Pearce too - moreso actually

 

But...

 

I thought the plan was to get younger and more athletic

[SAAviour]

OK, I like the Morales signing and want Pearce too - moreso actually

 

But...

 

I thought the plan was to get younger and more athletic

 

Also a great point.

[Gary]

I understand the excitement for Pearce, having said that the guy has played over 100 games once in his career.

 

If we are replacing EE, Bautista, and Saunders with Pearce, Smoak and a chubby DH it might be a long year.

 

After all the casuals that are jumping on board the train it's the wrong time to have an average year in my opinion...still early in the off season I know. We need a bigger move then these nice depth pieces.

Fowler and Reddick.

[burlingtonbandit]

I understand the excitement for Pearce, having said that the guy has played over 100 games once in his career.

 

If we are replacing EE, Bautista, and Saunders with Pearce, Smoak and a chubby DH it might be a long year.

 

After all the casuals that are jumping on board the train it's the wrong time to have an average year in my opinion...still early in the off season I know. We need a bigger move then these nice depth pieces.

 

I don't think anyone believes they would stop after Pearce.. They still likely acquire 2 more OFs and a backup C + pen pieces.

[fatcowxlive]

OK, I like the Morales signing and want Pearce too - moreso actually

 

But...

 

I thought the plan was to get younger and more athletic

 

You don't get younger through FA. These guys are gonna be on max 2-3 year deals, enough time to build and grow some talent in the minors, that's where the youth will come from. These guys will just bridge the gap in the mean time. At least this is my understanding

[burlingtonbandit]

OK, I like the Morales signing and want Pearce too - moreso actually

 

But...

 

I thought the plan was to get younger and more athletic

 

You don't really need to be young or athletic to play 1B or DH.

 

Also they signed Gurriel....

[jays4life19]

2 years, 11 million. Get er done.

[G-Snarls]

Also a great point.

 

I mean if the deal becomes signing a bunch of early-mid 30's guys who can string hits together, to complement a good starting rotation, that could work too

 

But if so we might be subtracting both power AND speed

[BTS]

OK, I like the Morales signing and want Pearce too - moreso actually

 

But...

 

I thought the plan was to get younger and more athletic

 

You don't really acquire young, athletic players on short term free agent deals. I think people expecting this team to maintain success are overstating the extent to which this team was built sustainably. Look at what's happened to most of the key contributors from 2015:

 

Price - left in free agency

Buehrle - retired

Dickey - declined, left in free agency

Bautista - declined, free agent

Encarnacion - free agent

Cecil - free agent

Martin - ageing, declined?

Tulowitzki - ageing, declined

 

Maintaining this as a true talent 87 or 88 win roster for multiple seasons was always going to be next to impossible. I think expectations should be shifted a bit:

 

- built a roster that projects somewhere between 81 and 85 wins

- avoid long-term financial commitments

- continue building for the future so that the next elite team is sustainable

- cross fingers that the low 80s win teams catch some breaks and sneak into the playoffs

[G-Snarls]

You don't get younger through FA. These guys are gonna be on max 2-3 year deals, enough time to build and grow some talent in the minors, that's where the youth will come from. These guys will just bridge the gap in the mean time. At least this is my understanding

 

That totally makes sense too, avoiding long term FA deals while they draft and develop young talent without trading it away