General 2019 Blue Jays Discussion Thread

[Angrioter]

My correct take on Stroman:

 

https://www.radioscouts.com/blog/marcus-stroman-does-not-abide

 

Wao.. Nice read

[Krylian]

If the Jays trade Stroman this season it won't matter what else happens, this season will be a success.

[BTS]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2054[/ATTACH]

 

 

Amongst Stroman liked tweets today. Half a year and he's gone for sure.

 

Yikes

[DigitalRock]

I will have a party when Stroman is gone, what an idiot. Of course the Casuals will love his comments.

[Jimcanuck]

Stroman is the type of guy that will put in a half assed effort if he's not 'feeling it'

 

I expect him to be s***** until traded, which will suck

 

Surely we can get Gohara and a lottery ticket for him right now?

[Krylian]

Stroman is the type of guy that will put in a half assed effort if he's not 'feeling it'

 

I expect him to be s***** until traded, which will suck

 

Surely we can get Gohara and a lottery ticket for him right now?

 

Vince Stroman

[Boxcar]

My correct take on Stroman:

 

https://www.radioscouts.com/blog/marcus-stroman-does-not-abide

 

Yep, liking a tweet calling out his bosses for not having the balls to build a winner, just a hard nosed competitor with a chip on his shoulder and not at all an entitled moron.

 

That you'd frame this as people not liking players showing emotion is, at its most charitable interpretation, very disingenuous.

[Laika]

Yep, liking a tweet calling out his bosses for not having the balls to build a winner, just a hard nosed competitor with a chip on his shoulder and not at all an entitled moron.

 

That you'd frame this as people not liking players showing emotion is, at its most charitable interpretation, very disingenuous.

 

How dare a baseball player want to win!

 

People not liking his persona is exactly what this is. He runs hot and he is outspoken. Sometimes he is wrong, sometimes the passion fuels him to success. If you can't see that, you're just a baseball dinosaur born three decades too late.

 

Rogers ethics policeman Boxcar8 demands that all audacious players be labelled entitled morons and traded immediately.

[LGBJ29]

 

latest Stroman liked tweet. He gone

[Jimcanuck]

Time to put the stupid label on Stro?

[BTS]

 

latest Stroman liked tweet. He gone

 

Publicly expressing support for someone disparaging the president of your organization seems ill-advised.

[mtljaysfan]

Stroman the professional! providing (entertainment) value even in the off season!

 

Seriously I hope he pitches well this year and gets traded @trade deadline.

[AintNoThang]

Hi guys, off topic, but I'm bummed out today. Just caught up on the MLB network's top 100 players show, and the Jays don't have one player on it. I understand that Vlad Jr. will be on it next year. But this is a break down of the top teams:

 

Red Sox - 6

Indians - 6

Nationals - 5

Astros - 7

Yankees - 8

Braves - 4

Dodgers - 7

 

And they all have good/great farm systems with players to step in. Like Astros with Whitley and Tucker.

 

We can't compete in the forseeable future. It's simple math. We currently have 0 and those teams have 5, 6, 7. Our current best player, Smoakie, is on the wrong side of 30 and probably won't re-sign, so he can be on a winner.

 

Vlad has said to have Miggy comparisons. But Miggy can't bring a championship on his own. Look at the Tigers record the past couple of years.

 

Hypothetically speaking, even if we broke the bank to get Harper and Machado, we'd only have 3 in the top 100. Still wouldn't cut it. I dunno. Maybe I'm overthinking things. I would just hate another 20 year drought.

[Spanky99]

Hi guys, off topic, but I'm bummed out today. Just caught up on the MLB network's top 100 players show, and the Jays don't have one player on it. I understand that Vlad Jr. will be on it next year. But this is a break down of the top teams:

 

Red Sox - 6

Indians - 6

Nationals - 5

Astros - 7

Yankees - 8

Braves - 4

Dodgers - 7

 

And they all have good/great farm systems with players to step in. Like Astros with Whitley and Tucker.

 

We can't compete in the forseeable future. It's simple math. We currently have 0 and those teams have 5, 6, 7. Our current best player, Smoakie, is on the wrong side of 30 and probably won't re-sign, so he can be on a winner.

 

Vlad has said to have Miggy comparisons. But Miggy can't bring a championship on his own. Look at the Tigers record the past couple of years.

 

Hypothetically speaking, even if we broke the bank to get Harper and Machado, we'd only have 3 in the top 100. Still wouldn't cut it. I dunno. Maybe I'm overthinking things. I would just hate another 20 year drought.

 

MLB players? Of course not, we're rebuilding. Patience man.

[Boxcar]

How dare a baseball player want to win!

 

People not liking his persona is exactly what this is. He runs hot and he is outspoken. Sometimes he is wrong, sometimes the passion fuels him to success. If you can't see that, you're just a baseball dinosaur born three decades too late.

 

Rogers ethics policeman Boxcar8 demands that all audacious players be labelled entitled morons and traded immediately.

 

And, ironically, this post is liked by dinosaurs. Congrats.

[Dick_Pole]

Rogers ethics policeman Boxcar8 demands that all audacious black players be labelled entitled morons and traded immediately.

 

Fixed

[Dick_Pole]

Hi guys, off topic, but I'm bummed out today. Just caught up on the MLB network's top 100 players show, and the Jays don't have one player on it. I understand that Vlad Jr. will be on it next year. But this is a break down of the top teams:

 

Red Sox - 6

Indians - 6

Nationals - 5

Astros - 7

Yankees - 8

Braves - 4

Dodgers - 7

 

And they all have good/great farm systems with players to step in. Like Astros with Whitley and Tucker.

 

We can't compete in the forseeable future. It's simple math. We currently have 0 and those teams have 5, 6, 7. Our current best player, Smoakie, is on the wrong side of 30 and probably won't re-sign, so he can be on a winner.

 

Vlad has said to have Miggy comparisons. But Miggy can't bring a championship on his own. Look at the Tigers record the past couple of years.

 

Hypothetically speaking, even if we broke the bank to get Harper and Machado, we'd only have 3 in the top 100. Still wouldn't cut it. I dunno. Maybe I'm overthinking things. I would just hate another 20 year drought.

 

Smoak will go where he can get paid. The market for his skill set has completely collapsed. He'll probably re-sign on a one year deal for less than what he is paid this year unless he puts up over 140 RC+ this season.

[Spanky99]

And, ironically, this post is liked by dinosaurs. Congrats.

 

T-Rex is my pick.

[Orgfiller]

Our best player isn't Smoak. Already at the MLB level, our best players are Grichuk, Danny Jansen and Marcus Stroman. Unfortunately that's still not exactly elite talent to build around, but add Vladdy, Bo, the rest of the farm and make some FA signings and trades and you start having a semblance of a sustainable competitive core.

[Boxcar]

Fixed

 

Don't you start with me

[AintNoThang]

I think I mean in relation to each position. Smoak is listed as the 7th best 1st baseman according to MLB Network top 10 by position list.

[Bobthe4th]

Our best player isn't Smoak. Already at the MLB level, our best players are Grichuk, Danny Jansen and Marcus Stroman. Unfortunately that's still not exactly elite talent to build around, but add Vladdy, Bo, the rest of the farm and make some FA signings and trades and you start having a semblance of a sustainable competitive core.

 

And Pillar, even though he can’t hit and is only a 2-3 WAR player depending on fWAR or bWAR.

[Dick_Pole]

Don't you start with me

 

Coming from me, this is a compliment.

[glory]

Yeah, I'm fine with Stro's attitude for the most part, but liking posts that trash your own team president/GM is simply not professional. I think we have all been where Stroman is now (from the looks of it) in not liking the people we work for (hell, I'm there now), but I wouldn't go to social media and say it. That's a bit much.

[Spanky99]

Yeah, I'm fine with Stro's attitude for the most part, but liking posts that trash your own team president/GM is simply not professional. I think we have all been where Stroman is now (from the looks of it) in not liking the people we work for (hell, I'm there now), but I wouldn't go to social media and say it. That's a bit much.

 

Yeah, he's an idiot, but he's our idiot!

 

Between the lines Stro... Lets Go!

[Krylian]

Yeah, he's an idiot, but he's our idiot!

 

Between the lines Stro... Lets Go!

 

Hopefully won't be ours for too much longer.

[saskjayfan]

Hopefully won't be ours for too much longer.

 

the sign of a truly great gm is one who signs or extends a player he can't stand, because the player represents great long term value for the team regardless of how much a douche he is.

[Krylian]

the sign of a truly great gm is one who signs or extends a player he can't stand, because the player represents great long term value for the team regardless of how much a douche he is.

 

Another sign of a great GM is to be able to maximize the value of an asset that may have already peaked. I guess we'll see which one Stro is.

[Boxcar]

the sign of a truly great gm is one who signs or extends a player he can't stand, because the player represents great long term value for the team regardless of how much a douche he is.

 

Oh, that's the sign, huh?

[Spanky99]

Marcus Stroman’s blunt comments about the Blue Jays’ offseason seem to hint at an eventual parting of the ways between the team and the right-hander, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi opines. Stroman’s frankness probably didn’t help his chances at either a contract extension or a trade, though if he has a good first half and erases any question marks lingering from his mediocre 2018 season, Stroman will surely become an intriguing trade chip for the Jays at the deadline.

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-stroman-divergent-paths-seem-headed-divorce/ With video from Atkins, etc...

 

Blue Jays, Stroman on divergent paths, seem headed for divorce?

 

Shi Davidi

 

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Whatever you think of Marcus Stroman – and opinion on the lightning-rod 27-year-old polarized further Sunday after his remarkable castigation of the Toronto Blue Jays – he’s no dummy, and he wouldn’t at random incinerate the ground around him.

 

Consider that Saturday, after his first bullpen session at camp, he declined to speak with media, which is his prerogative. Then the next morning, he decided to speak with reporters after doing some promotional video for team use, so there was a degree of premeditation on his part.

 

The question then – after Stroman said his desire to remain with the club long-term is unrequited, insinuated that the front office hasn’t done all it can to field a competitive team in 2019 and pushed for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to open the season in the majors – is to what end?

 

What did he hope to accomplish by swinging a wrecking ball at the place during 20 minutes of riveting fervor, ego and diatribe?

 

If Stroman wants to convince the Blue Jays to extend him – "There’s no one that embodies or loves pitching for the city of Toronto and the country of Canada more than me," he said – a power play through the media isn’t going to work.

 

See Jose Bautista, spring training 2016 for Exhibit A.

 

Intriguing is when Stroman’s asserted that "I’ve been waiting to sign a long-term deal – I’ve been offered nothing," an industry source soon refuted that to Toronto media, saying a multi-year deal had in fact come up.

 

But when asked directly for a yes-no response about whether that was true, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said only that, "any negotiation, any discussion I’m not going to comment on. We’ve had lengthy discussions with Marcus’ representation."

 

Put the discrepancy in the semantics bin, the team likely categorizing an exploratory chat about parameters as an entreaty, something Stroman would justly see as nothing real on offer. Either way, it’s clear the sides had no meaningful engagement on an extension.

 

If that’s the case, then was Stroman perhaps trying to force the Blue Jays into accelerating their plans to trade him?

 

Maybe, but that’s checkers rather than chess, given that a public demonstration of the wedge between the sides only makes a deal more difficult for the Blue Jays, since they could have taken pennies on the dollar all off-season and didn’t.

 

You can bet rival GMs hit up Atkins as soon as Stroman’s comments went viral, and there’s zero chance their offers suddenly got better.

 

Still, in refusing to toe the rebuild line – Stroman said "we just need to mix in some pieces… to kind of bolster our roster," cited needs in each phase of the game, and added that "I want to make sure everybody in this organization is doing everything in their power to put the best product out on the field" – perhaps the front office will decide that keeping him until the trade deadline in the hopes of a bounce-back is more trouble than it’s worth.

 

See Josh Donaldson, summer of 2018 for Exhibit B.

 

Given all the front office rhetoric about culture and values, how can they carry a player who says, "I want it to be like ’15 and ’16. Those were the best times ever," as they prepare for a year of sifting through the sand to determine who’s worth keeping for 2021?

 

The divergence in interests between the sides is obvious, even as Atkins tried to minimize the scorching by saying, "I’m excited to have Marcus Stroman as a Toronto Blue Jay, extremely excited about his health, the way he has performed thus far, the way he looks, his energy. Been awesome in the clubhouse."

 

Yeah, right.

 

We’ll grant you that Atkins had to say something like that to try and de-escalate the situation, but is this drama really conducive to the new culture they’re trying to establish? Are these the kinds of conversations the Blue Jays want around the franchise?

 

"I agree with him that everyone in the organization needs to be doing everything we can do to put the best product out on the field. We’ll continue to do that," said Atkins. "We will look to continue to bolster our roster any way we possibly can. That doesn’t end the day the season opens… If we do look to add to our roster it will most likely be on the pitching side."

 

That’s a weak defence to repel Stroman’s rockets, and in speaking his truth and in speaking his heart, the man who started Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series and the 2016 winner-takes-all wild card game did what we implore all athletes to do – be real.

 

Stroman will be criticized for it, even though his comments, love them or hate them, will be the most filter-free words spoken at Blue Jays camp this spring. Certainly, a piece of his motivation was not more complicated than getting his message out, which he definitely did.

 

What’s clearer than ever is that just like with Bautista (who, quite fittingly, Stroman said he planned to visit Sunday) and Edwin Encarnacion and Donaldson, the Blue Jays and Stroman are headed for a divorce.

 

More so than the others, he isn’t going to hold back what he thinks on his way out the door.

 

"Just as long as the people know how I feel," he said. "That’s all I really care about."

 

Secondary to the turmoil is Stroman’s revelation that his shoulder bothered him throughout the difficult 2018 that turned so many on him – "I’d have to go out there and try at a 110 per cent sometimes to just be where I normally would be like 80, 85 per cent" – and insisted he’s far stronger this spring than he was last year.

 

"I’m excited to dominate," he promised.

 

Nothing would help the Blue Jays get him out of town faster than that, but whether they can wait for his stock to rise is another matter. We’re going to find out how much heat they’re willing to suffer in pursuit of a better return for someone who, quite literally, has Toronto tattooed on his abdomen.