General 2019 Blue Jays Discussion Thread

[Krylian]

What's Rob Ducey up to?

[saskjayfan]

Seriously. What's the fascination with Axford. Is it just cause he's Canadian? Are we really still doing that.

 

It has nothing to do with the fact that he's Canadian. There's some serious Canadian hate on this board. It has everything to do with his Oscars picks. Seriously though, he's a great guy and will be good for clubhouse culture. We're going to suck this year and he put a 4.02 FIP for us last year. He's not great, but he's not terrible. We need guys to pitch innings and having a few veterans around in the clubhouse isn't such a bad thing.

[saskjayfan]

My opinion on this is as follows: I think we will actually have a good team. We have a bunch of young guys who were better then the veteran talent we kept putting out there last year. They are hungry and there is competition for every spot just about. The SPs are hungry either to keep a spot or rebuild their value, and almost all have upside. The team will get a big shot of adrenaline when Vlad is called up and/or if someone like a Bichette, Biggio etc makes it up.

 

Having said that, we will be a young team and young teams generally play with their emotions on their sleeves. I would really hate for a guy like Borucki to go out and bust his ass pitch 6 solid innings, the young guns play good D and build us a lead, only to have it all disappear because some has been relief guys blows it all away and doesn't even give the closer a chance. I think with this young team, those kind of losses will be very demoralizing more so then our teams of the past 4 years.

 

I want to give new guys with upside a shot vs a guy we know sucks and will probably suck more after he has aged another year..

 

We traded for Richard to pitch in our rotation. We're going to suck next year. Managers get paid to put the best relievers in games in high leverage situations.

[Carlos Danger]

We traded for Richard to pitch in our rotation. We're going to suck next year. Managers get paid to put the best relievers in games in high leverage situations.

 

And that is not John Axford..

[P2F]

It has nothing to do with the fact that he's Canadian. There's some serious Canadian hate on this board. It has everything to do with his Oscars picks. Seriously though, he's a great guy and will be good for clubhouse culture. We're going to suck this year and he put a 4.02 FIP for us last year. He's not great, but he's not terrible. We need guys to pitch innings and having a few veterans around in the clubhouse isn't such a bad thing.

 

Who from the 40-man are you firing out of a cannon and into the sun to make room?

[BTS]

Who from the 40-man are you firing out of a cannon and into the sun to make room?

 

There isn't currently a player I'd remove from the 40 to make room for Axford. Pompey is cuttable, but we have enough interesting relievers outside the 25-man that I wouldn't cut an OF to add a replacement-level reliever. Ditto Urena: if he's cut it needs to be for someone who can play short. And I certainly wouldn't cut any of the arms for Axford. A guess a 60-day DL stint could change things, but barring a new injury, we don't currently have anyone scheduled to be put on the 60-day.

[P2F]

There isn't currently a player I'd remove from the 40 to make room for Axford. Pompey is cuttable, but we have enough interesting relievers outside the 25-man that I wouldn't cut an OF to add a replacement-level reliever. Ditto Urena: if he's cut it needs to be for someone who can play short. And I certainly wouldn't cut any of the arms for Axford. A guess a 60-day DL stint could change things, but barring a new injury, we don't currently have anyone scheduled to be put on the 60-day.

 

Bingo, Brian. Bingo.

[TheHurl]

What's Rob Ducey up to?

 

He's a bunting Coordinator with the Phils. That is the equivalent of a Windows 95 tech in our offices.

[Laika]

Who from the 40-man are you firing out of a cannon and into the sun to make room?

 

Well they wouldn't have to if it's just a minor league deal with a ST invite, which Axford is probably hoping to do better than. I think he will end up settling for that with Toronto and then he probably won't even make the team. I wonder if he'll go to Buffalo or just retire at that point.

[Dick_Pole]

Look Axford is never going to be signed because the FO needs him to remain unsigned so people are busy talking about him instead of guys who could actually contribute to the team like Keuchel or Moustakas.

[The Cats Ass]

Look Axford is never going to be signed because the FO needs him to remain unsigned so people are busy talking about him instead of guys who could actually contribute to the team like Keuchel or Moustakas.

 

Why the f*** would we want Moustakas?

[Jimcanuck]

He would solely be for the purpose of flipping at the deadline, I suppose. Not a good reason to sign him.

 

And already have Smoak and Morales for that already, fingers crossed they have a good 1st half.

[Terminator]

If Morales wasn't on the team Moose would make a ton of sense. Could play 3B, 1B and DH. Even with Morales on the team you could make it work but someone's ABs would be getting pinched.

 

Smoak and Morales are both gone after this year though so Moose still wouldn't be a bad signing if it was a 2 or 3 year deal.

[BTS]

This team isn't nearly good enough to thumb their nose at a 2-3 win player who probably signs for like 1/6. Just punt Morales.

[Terminator]

This team isn't nearly good enough to thumb their nose at a 2-3 win player who probably signs for like 1/6. Just punt Morales.

 

Yeah they did it with Tulo so why not with Morales? I'd try and grab Moose on a longer deal, something like 3 for 24 mil deal or something and then punt Morales would be awesome. Trading Smoak and keeping Morales would be another option.

[The Cats Ass]

This team isn't nearly good enough to thumb their nose at a 2-3 win player who probably signs for like 1/6. Just punt Morales.

 

Trade Vlad and play him at 3B? Makes no sense to DH him, pretty sure Morales is a better bat than Moose, if not they're equal.

[King]

Trade Vlad and play him at 3B? Makes no sense to DH him, pretty sure Morales is a better bat than Moose, if not they're equal.

Obviously, you put Moose at 3B and Vlad at 1B/DH.

[BTS]

Trade Vlad and play him at 3B? Makes no sense to DH him, pretty sure Morales is a better bat than Moose, if not they're equal.

 

Vlad isn't going to play the first 2-3 weeks of the season, and he isn't going to play 3B every day after that. Moose fits nicely in a fully healthy roster:

 

- 3B every day until Vlad is called up

- 3B twice a week after April, and then another 4-5 starts at 1B/DH.

- insurance against Vlad getting hurt or not being viable at 3B

 

I think he's a pretty clean fit, and easily worth what he's likely to get. Definitely an improvement on Morales.

Edited February 1, 2019 by BTS

[The Cats Ass]

Vlad isn't going to play the first 2-3 weeks of the season, and he isn't going to play 3B after that. Moose fits nicely in a fully healthy roster:

 

- 3B every day until Vlad is called up

- 3B twice a week after April, and then another 4-5 starts at 1B/DH.

- insurance against Vlad getting hurt or not being viable at 3B

 

I think he's a pretty clean fit, and easily worth what he's likely to get. Definitely an improvement on Morales.

 

I'd rather use that 6 Million to buy a better food spread for the minor leaguers.

[P2F]

[Laika]

Vlad isn't going to play the first 2-3 weeks of the season, and he isn't going to play 3B after that. Moose fits nicely in a fully healthy roster:

 

- 3B every day until Vlad is called up

- 3B twice a week after April, and then another 4-5 starts at 1B/DH.

- insurance against Vlad getting hurt or not being viable at 3B

 

I think he's a pretty clean fit, and easily worth what he's likely to get. Definitely an improvement on Morales.

 

Agree with cutting Morales, of course. I'd rather sign Marwin for 2 or 3 years. I imagine that Marwin/Moose are waiting for the Machado domino to fall to see if a disappointed suitor will pony up something half-good.

[Laika]

Sign no one. Vlad plays 3rd or die trying. Bichette SS. Biggio, Gurriel, Drury, Travis at 2B.

 

Put all the surplus prospects who need MLB ABs at 1B/DH. Even Danny Jansen could benefit from an empty DH slot. You can still get his bat in the lineup and have McGuire get C reps.

 

I'm surprised this board is so in favour of signing these marginal players. We're not even playing for anything.

 

Free agency is a market inefficiency right now. If Toronto can lock up a versatile, 29 year old, league average-ish position player (Marwin) for 2020 and maybe 2021 right now, then they should.

[BTS]

Sign no one. Vlad plays 3rd or die trying. Bichette SS. Biggio, Gurriel, Drury, Travis at 2B.

 

Put all the surplus prospects who need MLB ABs at 1B/DH. Even Danny Jansen could benefit from an empty DH slot. You can still get his bat in the lineup and have McGuire get C reps.

 

I'm surprised this board is so in favour of signing these marginal players. We're not even playing for anything.

 

The team is currently projected at 77 wins. I don't think that's bad enough that you throw in the towel in February. The Rays and A's would have also projected at around 0.500 a year ago too IIRC.

[Laika]

Well he's 30 in a month, so this is his age 30 season. You'd be looking at his age 30-32 seasons. Most likely all will be sub 2 WAR seasons. Projections have him under 2 WAR already next year. His xwoba has always been bad and his big year was a complete outlier. He's not really a plus defender anywhere. I don't really see the upside. It's possible we wouldn't even want him on the roster for free by 2021.

 

How much money do you think Marwin will get? He made like $5M in arb 3. His salary will be dumpable in 2021 if he sucks then. The team will only be paying him to be a 1 WAR player in all likelihood, and he'll have upside comfortably above that.

[Jimcanuck]

The team is currently projected at 77 wins. I don't think that's bad enough that you throw in the towel in February. The Rays and A's would have also projected at around 0.500 a year ago too IIRC.

 

That's the kind of thinking that led, in part, to 20 years of .500 ball. The only FA thing the Jays should do is fill roster holes with guys that could potentially be moved at the deadline.

 

Or take on a bad contract or two accompanied by prospects.

[BTS]

That's the kind of thinking that led, in part, to 20 years of .500 ball.

 

Sure, but absent any of the other errors in thinking that happened over that time it’s also the right way to approach things. Adding a few quality vets on cheap FA deals to a team projected at 77 wins is a no-brainer.

[Jimcanuck]

Sure, but absent any of the other errors in thinking that happened over that time it’s also the right way to approach things. Adding a few quality vets on cheap FA deals to a team projected at 77 wins is a no-brainer.

 

I agree, where roster holes exist. Which is in the pitching department. Maybe an OF, Grandy type.

[Laika]

That's the kind of thinking that led, in part, to 20 years of .500 ball. The only FA thing the Jays should do is fill roster holes with guys that could potentially be moved at the deadline.

 

Or take on a bad contract or two accompanied by prospects.

 

Nope.

[Terminator]

Marwin would be awesome. He plays a lot of the positions where we have question marks including LF. He also helps out a lot in case of injury.

 

So many scenarios where he could be useful. On scenario is start him at 2B and then late in the game move him to LF (where he's really good) to replace the crap defense of Hernandez/McKinney and put Galvis in.

[BTS]

I agree, where roster holes exist. Which is in the pitching department. Maybe an OF, Grandy type.

 

There is nothing resembling a roster crunch on the 25-man right now. Morales can be sent packing. Pompey can be DFA'd. McKinney, and Hernandez can be optioned. Travis will probably be on the DL most of the year. The team could comfortably go out and get Span, Moustakas, and Marwin, and nothing of value would be lost.