Blue Jays sign Joe Smith

[Jimcanuck]

Yeah

 

A trade for a legit full time LF (making Upton an excellent 4th OF) and then I'd call it a superb off season 100%

 

Who would you trade. I don't see any surplus on this team, so you would be raiding the prospect cupboard?

[Captain Adama]

I'm so down with this deal. f***ing called it.

[Governator]

Do we know the value of it yet?

[Dr. Dinger]

Solid middle reliever and former very good setup guy. I dig it.

[Spanky99]

Do we know the value of it yet?

 

Nothing yet, they'll have to drop someone from the 40 before they make it official... who comes off the 40? Likely one of Shultz/Tepera or Graterol.

[Ehjays]

Tepera please

[Spanky99]

Tepera please

 

Doubt it... he has an option left. It'll likely be Shultz, they have to put him through the process regardless.

[Laika]

I mean they are fine signings when you are on a shoe string budget but they might not really be needle movers.

 

- They are fine signings on any budget

- They moved my needle...

[glory]

If they can get a win out of Smith and Howell, that is significant, especially for the cost. This is how to build a pen regardless of payroll. The Jays were not going to sign Chapman, so this strategy was the next best alternative.

[jaysblue]

Trade for Curtis Granderson to play a corner and what an offseason this would be.

[Jay Train]

I recall him successfully using a similar guy (Shawn Camp) in DP situations in the late innings.

 

I miss Shawn Camp. Dude never threw a straight pitch in his life, and was seemingly always available to pitch.

[Bobthe4th]

Trade for Curtis Granderson to play a corner and what an offseason this would be.

 

Taking into account that Pompey is unlikely to be given much of a chance by Gibbons, would you trade him straight up for Granderson (or a similar OF veteran)?

[Gary]

Taking into account that Pompey is unlikely to be given much of a chance by Gibbons, would you trade him straight up for Granderson (or a similar OF veteran)?

 

John Gibbons hasn't been given a contract extension yet.

[Gary]

Taking into account that Pompey is unlikely to be given much of a chance by Gibbons, would you trade him straight up for Granderson (or a similar OF veteran)?

 

For me, the trade talks start with Smoak for Granderson.

[Bobthe4th]

John Gibbons hasn't been given a contract extension yet.

 

He's under contract for the 2017 season though.

[gruber92]

If no trade is made for an every day LF, Pompey will be given a fair chance. It's time to finally figure out what Pompey actually is.

[Bobthe4th]

For me, the trade talks start with Smoak for Granderson.

 

Mets have no need for a 1B. TBF they have no need for a young OF prospect either.

 

I'm just not sure what to do with Pompey when the manager clearly doesn't trust him, and any trade value will have disappeared if he's another year older with no significant MLB time at the end of the season.

[Gary]

He's under contract for the 2017 season though.

I know. That's a lame duck manager.

[intentional wok]

I wonder if the pen is done at this point. With these two solid acquisitions, a third should really open up Biagini to try his hand at starting. Better late than never considering there are two empty spots in the rotation penciled in for 2018.

[Laika]

I'd really like to see Biagini start too.

 

In 2015 his K rate in AA as a 25 year old stunk. He was fastball, change, curveball and the reports on the change were actually good. But his profile was basically - average stuff, pitchability, might play up in the pen.

 

He didn't throw the feel-pitch change out of the bullpen much at all but he did add a slutter that had really great results.

 

If he can slide back into a starting role with four decent pitches now, good pitchability, and MLB success and experience in his back pocket, you can imagine #3/4 upside. Tanner Roark comes to mind, as a ceiling comparison. Kind of a kitchen sink RHP with four decent enough pitches and good pitchability. And if he sucks, just pull the plug and revert to relief.

 

The move right now is Biagini to AAA and Bolsinger (out of options) as the swing man.

[The Iceman]

Stretch out Joe next season.

He is mandatory 7-8th inning guy for this season. Jays have already said that they will pitch him multiple innings in the spring but IMO he is too valuable to be pitching in Buffalo as an insurance policy.

[RealAccountant]

For me, the trade talks start with Smoak for Granderson.

 

Those trade talks don't start

[RealAccountant]

I really hope Barnes has a good spring he could be a good reliever. Days where Osuna isn't available that's the guy we need to grooming

 

Things could go down fast with this pen if time catches up to GrillI and Biagini has to start

[Laika]

If they don't stretch him out this season then they never will.

 

Biagini is not some lights out, shut down, overpowering reliever. He's a middle of the road middle relief pitcher.

Yeah he had a great 2016 but that home run rate was probably a mirage and his ERA should probably be closer to 4.00 than 3.00 in 2017, in relief.

Toronto sending him to the AAA rotation for a bit is not an insurmountable hit to the bullpen.

[Dr. Dinger]

Meh @ stretching out Biagini

 

It would essentially be a lost season for him with very modest upside. IMO we need him more as a high leverage reliever than a 6th starter with an innings limit.

[Laika]

Meh @ stretching out Biagini

 

It would essentially be a lost season for him with very modest upside. IMO we need him more as a high leverage reliever than a 6th starter with an innings limit.

 

He threw 130 innings in both 2014 and 2015. They could go straight to like, 150 innings this year pretty safely. If he works as a starter just chuck him in the MLB pen when he gets there.

 

If he's anything as a SP he's a 240 pound horse and innings are irrelevant anyway. Maybe you throw caution to the wind and just ride him into the arb3 graveyard.

[Dr. Dinger]

I'd rather just keep the Biagini I know is effective. Outside of Osuna there isn't anybody bankable in the pen, and he's about due for another TJS.

[Jimcanuck]

I'd rather just keep the Biagini I know is effective. Outside of Osuna there isn't anybody bankable in the pen, and he's about due for another TJS.

 

Agree.... a bit of a wing and a prayer bullpen. Was much stronger (on paper at least) going into 2016.

[Laika]

I'd rather just keep the Biagini I know is effective. Outside of Osuna there isn't anybody bankable in the pen, and he's about due for another TJS.

 

But if the pen has any issues and a big need arises they can always just pull the plug and call Biagini up. Having him try to start actually makes the 40 man roster more robust.

[burlingtonbandit]

Yeah well its nice to see Smith and Howell signed the pen still looks a lot worse than it did heading into last year. Cecil was one of the better relievers in baseball. While Storen sucked he was projected to be better than anyone not named Osuna.

 

This year's pen has a lot of depth with a lot of average arms but Osuna is really the only above average reliever.