Why was Vernon Wells Held Back in 2001?

[jayscurveone]

He spends 2000 in Syracuse (AAA) at 21 years of age, does not put up very good numbers offensively (.243/.313/.432) with 23 steals and 4 caught stealing. Then at 22 in 2001, he hits .281/.333/.453 at AAA but they keep him down there until he joins the MLB club full time in 2002 at 23. The Jays had Stewart, Mondesi and Jose Cruz as their starting outfielders in 2000 and 2001, with Fullmer as their DH. Everyone knew Wells was the future of the franchise. Why not trade Stewart, Mondesi, Cruz or Fullmer in 2001 to make room for Wells, or rotate Fullmer, Stewart, and Delgado between first base and DH?

[connorp]

You get a point for trolling originality at least

[Grant77]

The burning question of the mind of every Blue Jays fan.

[connorp]

The burning question of the mind of every Bluejays fan.

 

Could’ve made it into the worst contracts in Bluejay (or mlb) history and would’ve been relevant

What I find interesting in VW is the risk of giving a 30yo CF (SS same thing) a contract where defensive value factors as decent portion of the deal

[connorp]

That’s kind of a swipe at Lindor lovers. Good lesson there

[jayscurveone]

Could’ve made it into the worst contracts in Bluejay (or mlb) history and would’ve been relevant

What I find interesting in VW is the risk of giving a 30yo CF (SS same thing) a contract where defensive value factors as decent portion of the deal

 

No I am talking about when he was 22 and 23. Not the contract when he was 30.

[Spanky99]

The burning question of the mind of every Blue Jays fan.

 

lol

[Jimcanuck]

He spends 2000 in Syracuse (AAA) at 21 years of age, does not put up very good numbers offensively (.243/.313/.432) with 23 steals and 4 caught stealing. Then at 22 in 2001, he hits .281/.333/.453 at AAA but they keep him down there until he joins the MLB club full time in 2002 at 23. The Jays had Stewart, Mondesi and Jose Cruz as their starting outfielders in 2000 and 2001, with Fullmer as their DH. Everyone knew Wells was the future of the franchise. Why not trade Stewart, Mondesi, Cruz or Fullmer in 2001 to make room for Wells, or rotate Fullmer, Stewart, and Delgado between first base and DH?

 

https://twitter.com/jpricciardi1

[Grant77]

https://twitter.com/jpricciardi1

 

Gord Ash was the GM in 2001.

[Jays24]

Hey Vernon, welcome to the board lol.

[connorp]

Hey Vernon, welcome to the board lol.

 

Can’t be. If Vernon had 1 bone of bitterness in his body that’d be messed up. Dude is still too busy laughing on his way to the bank

[Spanky99]

Can’t be. If Vernon had 1 bone of bitterness in his body that’d be messed up. Dude is still too busy laughing on his way to the bank

 

You're right, he still likes the Jays for more than just the dough, though. He's always at alumni functions, etc.

[The Iceman]

It was obvious Jays wanted to delay by one season their 7 year $126 million commitment

[jayscurveone]

Wow you guys don't know anything. JP wasn't GM until 2002. The huge Wells contract was many years later. Surely there have to be some Jays history buffs here who would know why they kept Wells in AAA in 2001.

[Spanky99]

Wow you guys don't know anything. JP wasn't GM until 2002. The huge Wells contract was many years later. Surely there have to be some Jays history buffs here who would know why they kept Wells in AAA in 2001.

 

He went after management in a scuffle about the decision to hold him back till mid-June to gain a year's service in Dunedin, I thought everyone knew this?

 

Same goes for Pillar, Lawrie, etc... among others. Oh yeah, and George Bell. Nobody's above the emblem man, nobody. s*** happens.

[Deadpool]

This is 100% just based on memory from 20 years ago but like, wasn't it RIDICULOUSLY uncommon for guys in their early 20s to be in the show back then? Like, considerably less common than it is now?

 

This same comment applies to the Delgado thread as well, since it's the same f***ing thread

[Carlos Danger]

You're right, he still likes the Jays for more than just the dough, though. He's always at alumni functions, etc.

 

I think I have told this here story before. However, Wells told me personally, basically and I am para phrasing, "f*** no" I am not coming back to the Jays, I am going to the Rangers (this is pre-extension). He didn't want to play in TO, he wanted to be a home state Ranger, but then you throw a lot of money at a problem and sometimes it works...

 

Which means with Springer, your saying there is a chance....

[jayscurveone]

I think I have told this here story before. However, Wells told me personally, basically and I am para phrasing, "f*** no" I am not coming back to the Jays, I am going to the Rangers (this is pre-extension). He didn't want to play in TO, he wanted to be a home state Ranger, but then you throw a lot of money at a problem and sometimes it works...

 

Which means with Springer, your saying there is a chance....

 

It doesn't count to say "someone told me that". You could be making it up about Vernon Wells saying that to you. Like when people say they are asking for a friend when they are actually asking for themself and they don't want anyone to know it is their question.

[jayscurveone]

This is 100% just based on memory from 20 years ago but like, wasn't it RIDICULOUSLY uncommon for guys in their early 20s to be in the show back then? Like, considerably less common than it is now?

 

This same comment applies to the Delgado thread as well, since it's the same f***ing thread

 

That could be that things have changed for how early players get called up. I tried to find an article that would examine trends in age of when MLB players get called up, but couldn't find such an article.

[Carlos Danger]

It doesn't count to say "someone told me that". You could be making it up about Vernon Wells saying that to you. Like when people say they are asking for a friend when they are actually asking for themself and they don't want anyone to know it is their question.

 

You lost me.. But he told me personally. Not third hand.

[Deadpool]

That could be that things have changed for how early players get called up. I tried to find an article that would examine trends in age of when MLB players get called up, but couldn't find such an article.

 

Here is a list of qualified players in 2001 sorted by age. There were four qualified players under the age of 23 in 2001. There were 8 in 2019. It's still not really all that common, but it was less so 20+ years ago.