2017 Blue Jays Spring Training thread

[G-Snarls]

[burlingtonbandit]

Will be heading down there late February/Early March.

[G-Snarls]

Will be heading down there late February/Early March.

 

Nice!!

[G-Snarls]

I'll be in Orlando with a bunch of family for first week of March, plan to see a road game vs the Tigers with my son and mother

[Horses Fart]

So we should soon see a couple moves from the FO? I Didn't realize that camp opens in a month or so.

[Brownie19]

Got tickets for Jays at Twins and will catch a TB home game while I'm down in FL in early March.

[Pendleton]

Just over five weeks away, can see the light at the end of the snow tunnel.

[G-Snarls]

Just over five weeks away, can see the light at the end of the snow tunnel.

 

Through that light I see a very average team

[Brownie19]

Through that light I see a very average team

 

squint more.

[G-Snarls]

squint more.

 

I'm trying!!! LOL

[Pendleton]

Through that light I see a very average team

 

Quit looking at the Orioles, we're over here! Haha no seriously I agree but in those five weeks I'm still expecting at least a move or two of significance and either way it would take a worse looking team than this to stifle my enthusiasm for baseball being back.

[L54]

Would like to get down to ST this year. Get out of the cold and watch some baseball for 4-5 days.

[KingKat]

Hammel seems to have some of persistent stamina issue. ERA climbs up a full run in the second half for his career. OPS against goes up 80 points. BABIP goes up 20 points. Whip goes up by 0.17.

[West Texas Forever]

Would like to get down to ST this year. Get out of the cold and watch some baseball for 4-5 days.

 

Where in the States are you located that it's cold? Midwest?

[L54]

Where in the States are you located that it's cold? Midwest?

 

I live in Canada once again, but when I was in school I lived in a couple of midwestern states yup.

[TwistedLogic]

Speaking of how close we are to spring training, is it weird for there to still be so many decent free agents on the board? Bautista, Trumbo, Saunders, Wood, Holland, Wieters, Hammel, Napoli, Valbuena, Carter, Pagan, Alvarez, Moss, Blanton, Romo, Utley feels like there's a lot of quality still available. Maybe it's a recency thing and it's always like this, and maybe it's because there's a lot of guys that fit the Jays needs (OF/RP) but I don't remember the market being this rich this late into the offseason.

[Nafro]

Speaking of how close we are to spring training, is it weird for there to still be so many decent free agents on the board? Bautista (age, strikeouts/regression/defense) , Trumbo (strikeouts/defense), Saunders(strikouts/defense), Wood (can find pitcher at league min with same skillset), Holland (wants a 2 year contract with an opt out/injury), Wieters (injuries), Hammel(can find pitcher at league min with same skill set), Napoli (age/strikeouts/defense), Valbuena(strikeouts/defense) Carter(strikeouts/defense), Pagan (injuries), Alvarez(strikeouts/defense), Moss (strikeouts/defense), Blanton, Romo (can find pitcher with same skill set at league min/injuries) Utley(age) feels like there's a lot of quality still available. Maybe it's a recency thing and it's always like this, and maybe it's because there's a lot of guys that fit the Jays needs (OF/RP) but I don't remember the market being this rich this late into the offseason.

 

I put each reason I feel these players are not signed yet. I think there may be a trend emerging.

[TwistedLogic]

I put each reason I feel these players are not signed yet. I think there may be a trend emerging.

 

Is the emerging trend that you can find something to nitpick about every player in baseball? lol. I think you can erase everything beside Bautista and replace it with "draft pick". And I'm not sure why you put (strikeouts/defense) next to Valbuena. He doesn't seem to have a real problem with either.

 

There is always a large portion of the free agent crop that has question marks but it still feels like there are more middle-of-the-road guys available than normal. I even forgot to list Logan, who would still be a good fit for the Blue Jays and is also still weirdly available.

[Nafro]

Is the emerging trend that you can find something to nitpick about every player in baseball? lol. I think you can erase everything beside Bautista and replace it with "draft pick". And I'm not sure why you put (strikeouts/defense) next to Valbuena. He doesn't seem to have a real problem with either.

 

There is always a large portion of the free agent crop that has question marks but it still feels like there are more middle-of-the-road guys available than normal. I even forgot to list Logan, who would still be a good fit for the Blue Jays and is also still weirdly available.

 

Yeah I admittedly got a little lazy, and just decided to put strikeout/defense for each of them. I will concede the draft pick is as influential as anything. Contact I guess would be the proper wart for Valbuena maybe.

 

It is early and I'm cranky. I really don't know if there are more than normal or not. I would say that if all are unsigned by end of February, it may be strange. I honestly think that I would be content signing Holland. The rest I'm not real excited about. It depends on what kind of value you could sign them for. I would consider them all, at the right price.

[TwistedLogic]

Walking away with something like Holland, Valbuena, Logan, Iannetta and Pagan would be excellent. Even better if you can fit Bautista into it somehow, although I don't think the team has the budget to sign Bautista if they intend on getting another outfielder, a back-up catcher and at least two pen arms, and if they don't intend to get them via trade.

[color="#000000"][font=Verdana](1B) Valbuena / Bautista			(SP1) Marcus Stroman
(2B) Devon Travis				(SP2) Marco Estrada
(3B) Josh Donaldson				(SP3) Aaron Sanchez
(SS) Troy Tulowitzki				(SP4) JA Happ
(LF) Pagan / Upton				(SP5) Francisco Liriano
(CF) Kevin Pillar					
(RF) Steve Pearce				(RP1) Roberto Osuna
(CA) Russell Martin				(RP2) Greg Holland
(DH) Kendrys Morales			(RP3) Jason Grilli
						(RP4) Boone Logan
(B1) Chris Ianetta				(RP5) Joe Biagini
(B2) Darwin Barney				(RP6) Glenn Sparkman
(B3) Pagan / Upton				(RP7) Aaron Loup
(B4) Carrera / Goins[/font][/color]

World Series contender? There's no hole on that roster until somebody gets injured.

 

How much should that realistically cost? Something like 4/1 for Iannetta, 6/1 for Pagan, 18/3 for Logan, 8/2 for Holland, 21/3 for Valbuena? I might be a little low on a few of those (and maybe a bit high on a few?) but that's about 27M added to the 131.8M they're sitting at now. They've said to have more than that available, right?

 

If you're cool with going Carrera/Upton/Pompey for the third outfield spot (and therefore eliminating Pagan) and you can get Bautista for something like 28/2 to replace Valbuena, that should still settle the final payroll under 160M.

[G-Snarls]

Going to the game March 7 vs team Canada with my mom, my fiancee and my son

 

Never been to Dunedin before

 

Looking forward to it

[Laika]

Going to the game March 7 vs team Canada with my mom, my fiancee and my son

 

Never been to Dunedin before

 

Looking forward to it

 

wow child out of wedlock? edgy

[G-Snarls]

wow child out of wedlock? edgy

 

Child from previous marriage - he's in his early teens

[RealAccountant]

The bullpen looks atrocious beyond Osuna, Grilli and Biagini

 

I assume Loup is the left hander so he is in, plus the Rule 5 Picks

 

That leaves two spots for everyone else to compete for. If Floydd is healthy he probably starts of with one.

 

Need to add at least one more good option here, though I rather spend on Left Field. relievers are so fickle.

[Horses Fart]

How much cash we have left to spend?

[TholesWeirdEye]

How much cash we have left to spend?

 

They have $8

[G-Snarls]

How much cash we have left to spend?

 

By most peoples estimates probably about 8-9M

[G-Snarls]

They have $8

 

I'd spend it at 5 Guys

[RealAccountant]

I think Shatkins would rather keep the room and see how the team is first. Then make a Liriano Upton type deal

[Stangstag]

I'd spend it at 5 Guys

 

Not even enough for a regular burger