Blue Jays Free Agent Thread-Who should we sign?

[The Iceman]

I am under the opinion that there will be bargains like never seen before, but unfortunately Toronto (Canada) will be very low down on the destinations of choice list for top guys or guys signing 1 year deals looking to boost their value.

 

With this in mind 4 guys high on my target list of obtainable don't break the bank FA pitchers are Happ, Paxton, Ray and Shoemaker. Happ on a 1 year deal is my first choice.

If we can add a couple of these veterans to our starting rotation it pushes all other pitchers down the depth chart.

 

Ryu

Paxton

Pearson

Happ

Shoe

Ray

Stripling

 

Pick 2 FAs

 

I do not see any way the team can have Roark in any other spot but relief until shown otherwise.

[King]

Trevor May

[BTS]

I don't really want any of those 4 starters. Maybe Paxton if he comes on a 2-year deal.

 

Ignoring Bauer, Springer, Realmuto, LeMahieu, and Turner, names that are interesting to me:

 

IF - Semien, Simmons, Gregorius, LaStella, Hernandez, Wong

CF - Pillar, JBJ

SP - Morton, Tanaka, Quintana

RP - Hendriks, Hand, Greene, May, Colome

[connorp]

It’ll be interesting what Semien gets. He’s been league average at best with the bat all but one season. His defense numbers only jumped off the page recently but he’s not a spring chicken. Does he take a 1 year deal to build value or take what he can get on multi-year deal. If he underperforms again he’ll prob never see another big payday again.

 

Guys like Didi and LaStella are much less costly/risky. LaStella at least showed 2 years ago wasn’t fluke. Didi made it seem like his bad season was an outlier. Not sure what happens if Didi signed though, position wise for Jays I mean

[Jays24]

Thanks for creating this thread. It became confusing which of the threads to use to talk free agency in lol.

 

I want us to re-sign Walker and 1 of Schumaker or Ray and then get a real ace. Love Ryu but I think hes a number 2/3 on a real contender.

 

?

Ryu

Pearson

Walker

Schumaker/Ray

 

For position players, we need a stud CFer and stud SS, especially defensively. This will improve our suspect defense immensely. Bo would be a ++ defender at 2b. Aiming for Springer and Simmons or Bradley and Lindor.

[connorp]

Thanks for creating this thread. It became confusing which of the threads to use to talk free agency in lol.

 

I want us to re-sign Walker and 1 of Schumaker or Ray and then get a real ace. Love Ryu but I think hes a number 2/3 on a real contender.

 

?

Ryu

Pearson

Walker

Schumaker/Ray

 

For position players, we need a stud CFer and stud SS, especially defensively. This will improve our suspect defense immensely. Bo would be a ++ defender at 2b. Aiming for Springer and Simmons or Bradley and Lindor.

 

Why put a ? for #1 SP, may as well put “Bauer or bust”

[Laika]

I want us to re-sign Walker and 1 of Schumaker or Ray...

 

lol, man, there are a lot more fish in the sea than the ones who were on your tv last year

[Jays24]

Why put a ? for #1 SP, may as well put “Bauer or bust”

 

I would love Bauer but if we dont get him then we try to get another ace next year or through trade. I'd even love a Paxton/Klueber/Morton. Just more high end rotation guys to ease the pressure off Ryu.

[Jays24]

lol, man, there are a lot more fish in the sea than the ones who were on your tv last year

 

This is how you expose guys who are Jays fans and guys who are MLB fans. I dont watch much baseball outside of the Jays and the Playoffs lol.

 

I really liked Walker. When Schumaker has been healthy, he's pitched like a top of the rotation guy. Because of his health, I think he can be brought back cheaply as our 5th starter. We should have enough depth in the system to fill in for him next year if he does get hurt again.

 

Who do you think are better options for the bottom our rotation?

[saskjayfan]

Trevor May

 

I like May, Trevor Rosenthal as well. Either Trevor would work really. Kluber on the cheap is for sure. Morton or Paxton on the not so cheap, but not ridiculously expensive either....and Bauer....well one can dream.

 

I don't know why, but I don't think Turner is a total slam dunk to resign with the Dodgers. I'd love DJ, but I think he's a lock to sign with the yankees. We should help bid that price up though. Gregorious is interesting, but he may want too many years.

[connorp]

I would love Bauer but if we dont get him then we try to get another ace next year or through trade. I'd even love a Paxton/Klueber/Morton. Just more high end rotation guys to ease the pressure off Ryu.

 

Gotta think if I’m a billionaire that just took over the NY laughing stock Mets, Bauer would be a great splash

[Spanky99]

I would love Bauer but if we dont get him then we try to get another ace next year or through trade. I'd even love a Paxton/Klueber/Morton. Just more high end rotation guys to ease the pressure off Ryu.

 

Oh that's all. lol

[connorp]

Oh that's all. lol

 

Look at Spanky getting snarky. Must be off to the races already

[Spanky99]

Look at Spanky getting snarky. Must be off to the races already

 

[connorp]

 

I’m ok with being a younger, white Mr. Clean. He’s a bad mofo

[Laika]

I’m ok with being a younger, white Mr. Clean. He’s a bad mofo

 

How old do you think Mr Clean is?

What race do you think Mr Clean is?

 

You’re probably a shorter, uglier Mr Clean who smells like Axe instead of lemons

[connorp]

How old do you think Mr Clean is?

What race do you think Mr Clean is?

 

You’re probably a shorter, uglier Mr Clean who smells like Axe instead of lemons

 

Is that a product diss on Axe? I didn’t understand the burn there.

[Jays24]

Oh that's all. lol

 

Lol in a normal year I wouldn't say such things.

 

Just knowing we are a team that has money to throw around as stated by shatkins, I feel super confident we will get at least 1 major peice. Especially when you factor in the amount of teams that will be cash strapped.

 

This pandemic might be a "perfect storm" for us in the baseball sense.

[Spanky99]

Lol in a normal year I wouldn't say such things.

 

Just knowing we are a team that has money to throw around as stated by shatkins, I feel super confident we will get at least 1 major peice. Especially when you factor in the amount of teams that will be cash strapped.

 

This pandemic might be a "perfect storm" for us in the baseball sense.

 

Easy, man. Wait till FA starts to gauge where this is going. We know they said they'd make similar moves as last year, we'll see.

 

ETA: Sorry, re-read your post, yes I believe we'll make a very good main piece acquisition.

[Jays24]

Easy, man. Wait till FA starts to gauge where this is going. We know they said they'd make similar moves as last year, we'll see.

 

ETA: Sorry, re-read your post, yes I believe we'll make a very good main piece acquisition.

 

Report: Blue Jays aggressively beginning free-agency process

https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2046182

 

If you thought I was overly excited before... look at what I just read. Now my expectations are Bauer, Springer AND trading for Lindor

[The Iceman]

I wonder too if teams will move some highly paid all star calibre players needing to cut some $$$

 

Lindor, Arenado come to mind and fill a BJ need.

[Abomination]

We could also see teams willing to cough up a good prospect in exchange for eating the remainder of a bad contract. We're probably one of the few teams in a position to do so.

[Jays24]

I wonder too if teams will move some highly paid all star calibre players needing to cut some $$$

 

Lindor, Arenado come to mind and fill a BJ need.

 

For sure. I expect some Liriano type trades around the league at a minimum. Heck, if Betts got traded this offseason, Dodgers could have gotten a bigger steal.

[Terminator]

I don't really want any of those 4 starters. Maybe Paxton if he comes on a 2-year deal.

 

Ignoring Bauer, Springer, Realmuto, LeMahieu, and Turner, names that are interesting to me:

 

IF - Semien, Simmons, Gregorius, LaStella, Hernandez, Wong

CF - Pillar, JBJ

SP - Morton, Tanaka, Quintana

RP - Hendriks, Hand, Greene, May, Colome

 

I like your list although I'm not certain that we have to ignore those big names. Realmuto doesn't make sense given our needs and older players from big markets like LeMahieu or Turner don't seem like they'd jump ship to join the Jays. That said, with a suppressed market I could see the team at least kicking the tires on Bauer (unless the team doesn't like his personality) and Springer.

 

Otherwise, I think the team will definitely be in on those second tier guys you mentioned. Semien would be an awesome pickup. Good defensive SS with offensive upside entering his age 30 season.

[Terminator]

Lindor is obviously a great player but with a ton of SS options in free agency in a down market I wonder how much it would take to get him when he's going to make $25M next year? I'd be kicking the tires on him too.

[Terminator]

It’ll be interesting what Semien gets. He’s been league average at best with the bat all but one season. His defense numbers only jumped off the page recently but he’s not a spring chicken. Does he take a 1 year deal to build value or take what he can get on multi-year deal. If he underperforms again he’ll prob never see another big payday again.

 

Guys like Didi and LaStella are much less costly/risky. LaStella at least showed 2 years ago wasn’t fluke. Didi made it seem like his bad season was an outlier. Not sure what happens if Didi signed though, position wise for Jays I mean

 

Semien got off to a very slow start. Had an OPS under .500 for the first two weeks of the year and something close to .800 after that. He's obviously not a 7 WAR player like he was in 2019 but he should be good for 3.5, maybe more.

[Spanky99]

Semien got off to a very slow start. Had an OPS under .500 for the first two weeks of the year and something close to .800 after that. He's obviously not a 7 WAR player like he was in 2019 but he should be good for 3.5, maybe more.

 

Or not. ;p

 

So many of these guys will take 1 year if need be.

[G-Snarls]

Kris Bryant.

 

Great fresh start candidate...

[Spanky99]

Lindor is obviously a great player but with a ton of SS options in free agency in a down market I wonder how much it would take to get him when he's going to make $25M next year? I'd be kicking the tires on him too.

 

The Indians seem to have f***ed s*** up. Lindor and Ramirez might be both asking out.

[bendera3]

I'd be curious to see what it would take to get Chris Archer up to Toronto.