General 2018 Blue Jays Discussion Thread

[burlingtonbandit]

I disagree on the bullpen. It's not elite but it's not horrible either.

 

Outside Osuna it looks pretty horrible, not one guy projected to have a FIP under 4.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=RP

[Krylian]

You guys can say what you want about me. Make fun of me what ever. Most

of you were not alive when the jays first became a team so shut your mouths. Second

Anthony Alford is one step away from being Dalton Pompey all over again. Good but not

good enough to stick in the show. Come talk to me when he gets 400 or 500 ab bats in one season without

being hurt. On one team.

 

Todd, your problem is that you think you've got all this knowledge and you're really not knowledgeable at all. As stated, age does not equate intelligence... But to humour you, I was 3 when the Jays started in '77.

 

While I agree that the Jays are going to struggle this season, saying that they'll be hard pressed to win 50 games is the ramblings of a re-todd

[Ehjays]

The 2018 vision of the blue jays will be the worst team they

have fielded since the begin. They will be lucky enough to

win 50 games this year. And the jays management will

still lair to the the blue jays fans that they are trying to

build a new team.

 

ADVISE For the newbies out there.

 

This is a 3 step process to let you increase your reading enjoyment of this forum.

 

1) Go to Settings (top right of this page)

2) Lower left you will see EDIT IGNORE LIST Click on that.

3) Carefully type the name Todd in this space ......now click Okay and enjoy the rest of reading pleasure here on this site!

[Spanky99]

Shapiro on CP24...

 

https://www.tsn.ca/blue-jays-lineups-are-coming-into-focus-1.971981

 

Excellent interview by the way!

[Todd]

Look at that. Say something true and the so called now it all's on this board

block you. Time for you to put your big boy pants on and stop being a bunch of bitches.

You have called me ever named in the book. But like you i have a opinion. That you may not like and you have a opinion

that is what makes this board cool. People agree with you sometimes and sometimes you don't does mean you block them and ran away

and say s*** about them like you did then a was block for a whole year.

The powers that be have to be right down the middle not favor so called friends that take s*** about them behind they backs.

[John_Havok]

Look at that. Say something true and the so called now it all's on this board

block you. Time for you to put your big boy pants on and stop being a bunch of bitches.

You have called me ever named in the book. But like you i have a opinion. That you may not like and you have a opinion

that is what makes this board cool. People agree with you sometimes and sometimes you don't does mean you block them and ran away

and say s*** about them like you did then a was block for a whole year.

The powers that be have to be right down the middle not favor so called friends that take s*** about them behind they backs.

 

[burlingtonbandit]

Shapiro on CP24...

 

https://www.tsn.ca/blue-jays-lineups-are-coming-into-focus-1.971981

 

Excellent interview by the way!

 

Lol the interviewer did a better job than most of the Toronto sports media.

 

Going from Beeston to Shapiro is so underrated. Bigger improvement there then any single player transaction the club could have done.

[Spanky99]

Lol the interviewer did a better job than most of the Toronto sports media.

 

Going from Beeston to Shapiro is so underrated. Bigger improvement there then any single player transaction the club could have done.

 

Yeah, she was fantastic, employed by Rogers too, as they own CityTV/CP24... as for the latter, that's a no-brainer, lol.

[Ray]

I'm actually very very bullish on all the offseason moves so far. All the moves haven't been the sexiest (i.e. like the Yankees trading for Stanton), but these are all moves that considerably raise the floor for the Jays for both next season and the future. Even if we end up sucking next year, Aledmys Diaz, Yangervis Solarte, and Randal Grichuk will still be there the year afterwards. When our impact guys like Vladdy, Alford, and Bo finally get to the big leagues, it's really nice to know that we have a competent supporting cast in Grichuk, Solarte, Teoscar, and Diaz waiting in the background as opposed to Ryan Goins or Darwin Barney or Ezequiel Carrera who are basically black holes.

 

It's all about depth and having competent players around the diamond. I feel like the front office has done a fantastic job of building that without giving up much at all in prospect capital and still having tremendous financial flexibility for the future as well.

[Orgfiller]

Shapiro on CP24...

 

https://www.tsn.ca/blue-jays-lineups-are-coming-into-focus-1.971981

 

Excellent interview by the way!

 

That is one great interview, amazing job on both sides.

[Spanky99]

That is one great interview, amazing job on both sides.

 

Right, I was blown away!

[Bobthe4th]

I'm actually very very bullish on all the offseason moves so far. All the moves haven't been the sexiest (i.e. like the Yankees trading for Stanton), but these are all moves that considerably raise the floor for the Jays for both next season and the future. Even if we end up sucking next year, Aledmys Diaz, Yangervis Solarte, and Randal Grichuk will still be there the year afterwards. When our impact guys like Vladdy, Alford, and Bo finally get to the big leagues, it's really nice to know that we have a competent supporting cast in Grichuk, Solarte, Teoscar, and Diaz waiting in the background as opposed to Ryan Goins or Darwin Barney or Ezequiel Carrera who are basically black holes.

 

It's all about depth and having competent players around the diamond. I feel like the front office has done a fantastic job of building that without giving up much at all in prospect capital and still having tremendous financial flexibility for the future as well.

 

Yeah continuing the trend of acquiring controllable players without giving up significant prospects has been encouraging.

 

We still need some of our prospects to work out to be a contender, but as long as all of Vlad, Bo, Hernandez, Alford, Gurriel and Jansen aren’t busts then it’s looking promising for 2019 onwards.

 

We might sneak a wildcard this year but IMO that’d only be a bonus.

[Ray]

Yeah continuing the trend of acquiring controllable players without giving up significant prospects has been encouraging.

 

We still need some of our prospects to work out to be a contender, but as long as all of Vlad, Bo, Hernandez, Alford, Gurriel and Jansen aren’t busts then it’s looking promising for 2019 onwards.

 

We might sneak a wildcard this year but IMO that’d only be a bonus.

 

I like how we're buying low on all these guys. Diaz, Solarte, and Grichuk all are coming off down years which means that we didn't have to give up much to get them, but also that there's nothing but potential upside.

[Maine Jays]

ADVISE For the newbies out there.

 

This is a 3 step process to let you increase your reading enjoyment of this forum.

 

1) Go to Settings (top right of this page)

2) Lower left you will see EDIT IGNORE LIST Click on that.

3) Carefully type the name Todd in this space ......now click Okay and enjoy the rest of reading pleasure here on this site!

 

Ah, this place suddenly became enjoyable again. Bye, bye, Todd.

[Spanky99]

Ah, this place suddenly became enjoyable again. Bye, bye, Todd.

 

Yeah, until someone quotes him and your back to square one... and someone always does.

[SAAviour]

I just looked at the list of unsigned free agent pitchers, it is massive! We will definitely sign at least 2. How bout our old friends drew Hutchison and Dustin McGowan....maybe to minor league deals. Cahill or Garcia for the 5th spot? Or break the bank on Yu and push everyone down a spot (unlikely).

[glory]

Garcia would look nice in the bottom of the rotation. Add him and maybe one or two relievers on the cheap, and we should be good. Add minor league deals to Hutch and Liriano for good measure.

[Bobthe4th]

I just looked at the list of unsigned free agent pitchers, it is massive! We will definitely sign at least 2. How bout our old friends drew Hutchison and Dustin McGowan....maybe to minor league deals. Cahill or Garcia for the 5th spot? Or break the bank on Yu and push everyone down a spot (unlikely).

 

I'd be all over a minor league deal for Hutchison with an invite to spring training. A bit surprised the Pirates released him, he had a pretty solid year at AAA. He'd be a good depth piece if nothing else.

[Bobthe4th]

Garcia would look nice in the bottom of the rotation. Add him and maybe one or two relievers on the cheap, and we should be good. Add minor league deals to Hutch and Liriano for good measure.

 

A couple of months ago I'd have said Liriano will get a major league deal as a reliever, but with the market this slow who knows?

[Jonn]

Is any of this Winter Fest getting broadcasted?

[ColdPint]

I’m at Winterfest and can confirm that Vlad Jr has some thick, strong wrists.

 

Tabby’ll have a field day.

[CrackerJack]

I attended the Shapiro Q&A session at Winterfest today. I give him props for brutal honesty. When asked, "Assuming that more additions by the Jays are on the way, do you feel better about the team entering this season compared to last year's team?" And he didn't try to paint a rosy picture. His answer was basically, "No, because our position players are all one year older."

[Spanky99]

I attended the Shapiro Q&A session at Winterfest today. I give him props for brutal honesty. When asked, "Assuming that more additions by the Jays are on the way, do you feel better about the team entering this season compared to last year's team?" And he didn't try to paint a rosy picture. His answer was basically, "No, because our position players are all one year older."

 

I love how candid he is, a nice attribute, not to mention the smarts.

[Spanky99]

BNS and Zwelling, with some Jay news both MLB and MILB...

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-must-now-shift-focus-improving-pitching/

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/guerrero-bichette-learning-mlb-ropes-blue-jays-development-camp/

[CrackerJack]

For you Barry Davis fans, he was in da house for Winterfest in an unofficial capacity.

[L54]

For you Barry Davis fans, he was in da house for Winterfest in an unofficial capacity.

 

Excellent

[Brownie19]

For you Barry Davis fans, he was in da house for Winterfest in an unofficial capacity.

 

Hazel and Barker were there too. My kids played with theirs in the ball out. I think i lost brain cells standing beside Barker for 5 minutes.

[Jimcanuck]

DiManno in the Star today:

 

Surprisingly, the discussions that sidestepped arbitration never included a long-range extension, Donaldson confirmed. “Not to my knowledge.”

 

This is interesting.

[BlueJayWay]

I attended the Shapiro Q&A session at Winterfest today. I give him props for brutal honesty. When asked, "Assuming that more additions by the Jays are on the way, do you feel better about the team entering this season compared to last year's team?" And he didn't try to paint a rosy picture. His answer was basically, "No, because our position players are all one year older."

Wow. I'm kind of surprised he actually said that.

[Bobthe4th]

Apart from the Pannone story, some other interesting things to come out of winterfest: