General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2021)

[z3r0s]

Tough to gain ground in this race. We pull off an 8-2 in our last 10 games, but its matched exactly by the Rays, Yanks, and A's. Only team we gained on was the BoSox but that's only because we were the one's beating their asses.

[Scion]

Tough to gain ground in this race. We pull off an 8-2 in our last 10 games, but its matched exactly by the Rays, Yanks, and A's. Only team we gained on was the BoSox but that's only because we were the one's beating their asses.

 

Those teams had really easy schedules over the last 10. We will hopefully gain some ground moving forward, especially since the Red Sox have series against the Rays and Yankees this week which means someone has to lose.

[Laika]

Those teams had really easy schedules over the last 10. We will hopefully gain some ground moving forward, especially since the Red Sox have series against the Rays and Yankees this week which means someone has to lose.

 

As much as I would like to see the Red Sox just lose every game from here on, they are the weakest team of the three so we might need to hope that they take a few wins from the other guys.

[Scion]

As much as I would like to see the Red Sox just lose every game from here on, they are the weakest team of the three so we might need to hope that they take a few wins from the other guys.

 

Perhaps against the Yankees, but I don't see us catching the Rays in any event so I wouldn't mind them losing to them. Also, I just want no part of the Rays in a wild card format.

[Signal]

Perhaps against the Yankees, but I don't see us catching the Rays in any event so I wouldn't mind them losing to them. Also, I just want no part of the Rays in a wild card format.

 

Have to disagree. It is August 9th and there is time for the Jays to take the Division.

[saskjayfan]

Have to disagree. It is August 9th and there is time for the Jays to take the Division.

 

There is time, but the Rays have a team OPS of .729 15th in the league and yet 4th in runs scored. They lost Glasnow, traded Castillo and are 23rd in earned runs allowed in the MLB. They just continue to win. They will strike out 15 times in a game, get 5 hits all in the same inning and score 5 runs and win 5 to 4.

 

The Rays have voodoo magic going or something. I really hope they go on an extended slide. Time will tell I guess.

[Masterbather]

LA series concerns me. I've seen it a lot of times after an emotionally draining series at home, a team goes out on the road, especially going out west, and comes out flat to start. That would not be good considering we have two games in that first day, with our fifth and sixth starters. Considering that Ohtani is pitching the 4th game of that series, they really can't afford to come out flat. Walsh also expected back just in time for that series. Serious trap series vibes on this.

[TwistedLogic]

Hilarious tweet.

 

[Governator]

MLB Power Rankings lollllll

 

EDIT: I'll keep this here for shame, already posted above

 

[bronson44]

[Virgil_Hiltz]

 

hopefully he can give The Jays 2 months of service

Having JM and NP at "full go" for relief would be such a boom for the team......yeah I know.."DUH"!

[max silver]

 

I'd like to take the cautious optimism approach with this one. Adding a healthy Merryweather for the stretch run would be a huge boost to the bullpen. I fully expect to ultimately be disappointed when he ends up getting shut down for the season after yet another setback though.

[Stangstag]

I'd like to take the cautious optimism approach with this one. Adding a healthy Merryweather for the stretch run would be a huge boost to the bullpen. I fully expect to ultimately be disappointed when he ends up getting shut down for the season after yet another setback though.

 

Yeah there’s no way he’s coming back. He’s already hit his yearly innings limit of 10

[Krylian]

Yeah there’s no way he’s coming back. He’s already hit his yearly innings limit of 10

 

LOL. Yearly...

[max silver]

LOL. Yearly...

 

Yeah that's a ridiculous understatement. Merryweather has already smashed past that limit as he managed 13 innings in 2020. If the Jays manage his workload and stick to a 20% increase year over year he should be good for 15 innings this season.

[Jays24]

Really want Merryweather back man. Adding a lockdown bullpen arm with the potential of Pearson too would take our bullpen from one of the worst before the recent adds to one of the best.

[spats]

MLB Power Rankings lollllll

 

EDIT: I'll keep this here for shame, already posted above

 

 

These rankings are a joke. Jays go 9-2 on the home stand and the 2 losses were in extra innings.

[Stangstag]

Yeah where the f*** is Pearson in all if this? Feel like I haven’t heard any updates in a while

[max silver]

Yeah where the f*** is Pearson in all if this? Feel like I haven’t heard any updates in a while

 

Pearson threw one inning in a simulated game at the Blue Jays player development complex in Dunedin on Saturday. He tossed 18 pitches and sat 96-99 mph. The next steps for Pearson could include throwing another rehab outing in Florida in a formal game setting or moving up to Triple-A Buffalo to get some rehab outings before determining if he can join the Blue Jays’ bullpen.

 

https://theathletic.com/2759638/2021/08/08/this-week-in-blue-jays-george-springer-delivers-his-signature-toronto-moment-lingering-questions-for-stretch-run/

[Stangstag]

https://theathletic.com/2759638/2021/08/08/this-week-in-blue-jays-george-springer-delivers-his-signature-toronto-moment-lingering-questions-for-stretch-run/

 

Nice, thanks

[jerb]

[AMS528]

The Jays have three guys (Vlad, Semien, Springer), playing at basically MVP levels and Bichette a tier below that. Teo is having a solidly above average year as well. With Berrios/Ray/Ryu/Manoah/Matz as a solidly above average rotation it would actually be a tragedy to miss the playoffs this year, and especially knowing they've underperformed in terms of their expected wins thanks to their record in close games.

 

You can't really rely on this level of performance repeating itself. Vlad is amazing but he might not be 180wRC+ amazing next year. Bryce Harper put together one of those ridiculous seasons and then settled into a solid star but has never come close to matching it. Semien may not be around and it's unlikely whoever his replacement is (unless it's like Correa or similar) will get close to what he's done this year. Springer will be one year older. Ryu is already showing signs. I don't doubt that with the prospects out there they'll continue to put out solid teams with consistent playoff chances, but man getting three position players performing at this level in a single year is tough.

 

They're good enough to be in the playoffs. Really have to hope they continue their current level and at least get one game out of it.

[Jimcanuck]

The Jays have three guys (Vlad, Semien, Springer), playing at basically MVP levels and Bichette a tier below that. Teo is having a solidly above average year as well. With Berrios/Ray/Ryu/Manoah/Matz as a solidly above average rotation it would actually be a tragedy to miss the playoffs this year, and especially knowing they've underperformed in terms of their expected wins thanks to their record in close games.

 

You can't really rely on this level of performance repeating itself. Vlad is amazing but he might not be 180wRC+ amazing next year. Bryce Harper put together one of those ridiculous seasons and then settled into a solid star but has never come close to matching it. Semien may not be around and it's unlikely whoever his replacement is (unless it's like Correa or similar) will get close to what he's done this year. Springer will be one year older. Ryu is already showing signs. I don't doubt that with the prospects out there they'll continue to put out solid teams with consistent playoff chances, but man getting three position players performing at this level in a single year is tough.

 

They're good enough to be in the playoffs. Really have to hope they continue their current level and at least get one game out of it.

 

I think the Jays are on the rising part of the win curve and will be for a few years yet.

[Ray]

It realllllllllly sucks how many games this bullpen blew early on in the season. Even if we end up finishing up strong and landing at 90 wins, there’s a chance we don’t make the playoffs. Which really is unfortunate, because this offense and rotation are championship level IMO. The bullpen is what it is, but you just need it to get hot for one month in October.

 

Hoping for the best here, but it would be a heartbreaker to barely not make the playoffs with this offense and rotation firing on all cylinders. It a super special offensive group and I’ll put up a top 4 of Berrios-Ray-Ryu-Manoah against anyone. And you also aren’t guaranteed to have guys like Ray/Semien return next season.

 

Hope we can squeak in. The Red Sox are faltering, but they have an easy schedule down the stretch. The Yankees are playing better. The Rays and A’s are showing no signs of slowing down. Even if we continue playing well, no guarantee other teams slow down.

[DevoW]

 

I'll believe it when I see it. That said, adding Merryweather and Pearson to the pen would be a game changer.

[Eat My Shatkins]

Who would have more value in a trade right now between Smith and Biggio?

[Spanky99]

Who would have more value in a trade right now between Smith and Biggio?

 

The trade simulator has Biggio and it isn't close, but as Laika's mentioned, his value likely lags, it should be a little closer than what they have, I think.

 

https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trade-simulator/

[Laika]

IMO Kevin Smith should be a 45+ FV prospect at the minimum. He might even be a 50 FV prospect which would mean backend of the top 100 territory. 45+ FV would mean more like a top 150 prospect.

 

So he is about as valuable as some guys like:

 

Ryan Vilade

Clarke Schmidt

Drew Waters

Travis Swaggerty

Taylor Walls

Ezequiel Duran

JJ Bleday

 

Of course most of the guys with a 50FV on Fangraphs I would clearly take over Smith. I just listed a few who he might comp to.

 

45+ puts him over Hoglund and Hiraldo in Toronto's system. 50FV could even place him in the same spot ordinally, in the system since it has no 45+ guys per Fangraphs.

 

Keith Law thinks he's a league average position player now if I am remember a recent comment correctly

[max silver]

It realllllllllly sucks how many games this bullpen blew early on in the season. Even if we end up finishing up strong and landing at 90 wins, there’s a chance we don’t make the playoffs. Which really is unfortunate, because this offense and rotation are championship level IMO. The bullpen is what it is, but you just need it to get hot for one month in October.

 

Hoping for the best here, but it would be a heartbreaker to barely not make the playoffs with this offense and rotation firing on all cylinders. It a super special offensive group and I’ll put up a top 4 of Berrios-Ray-Ryu-Manoah against anyone. And you also aren’t guaranteed to have guys like Ray/Semien return next season.

 

Hope we can squeak in. The Red Sox are faltering, but they have an easy schedule down the stretch. The Yankees are playing better. The Rays and A’s are showing no signs of slowing down. Even if we continue playing well, no guarantee other teams slow down.

 

If the club can add most of Pearson, Merryweather, Mayza and Soria back to the pen it suddenly starts bordering on elite. If Borucki can get his s*** together as well that adds another potential fireman to the club to snuff out opposition rallies. These are 5 high quality potential reinforcements that will force the lower end options off the 26 man roster and hopefully make the constant bullpen worries a thing of the past.

[Ehjays]

Yeah where the f*** is Pearson in all if this? Feel like I haven’t heard any updates in a while

 

 

https://www.tsn.ca/monday-with-mitchell-merryweather-inching-closer-to-return-1.1679900?fbclid=IwAR2s9EOHPvAH4Z1DIEryk-n_80PGbesZzZLeYuAcgJwuuFg76SkzCm4at18

 

 

A Little more info on JM and NP

 

TORONTO — After multiple setbacks with his left oblique injury over the last couple of months, Julian Merryweather hopes to finally be on his way back.

 

The 29-year-old right-hander, who quickly proved to be a force at the back end of the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen during a brief, four-appearance cameo in April before getting hurt, is throwing off a mound at the team complex down in Dunedin and inching closer to facing live hitters.

 

“It’s really just kind of unfortunate at this point with the setbacks,” Merryweather said over the phone from Florida. “But the position I’m in now, I’m a lot more confident going into, hopefully, some live ABs and some games here soon in the next week.

 

“This next week’s going to be a big one. If I come out feeling really good, that’s going to be a huge sign that I’m pretty much game ready.”

 

Once Merryweather starts facing live hitters, a rehab stint could be on the horizon later this month.

 

Even though he hasn’t pitched since April 13, he’s a potential difference-maker for the Jays’ bullpen group.

 

Headlined by a dominant heater that averaged 98.2 mph and a plus changeup, Merryweather’s Toronto tenure has been marked by health issue after health issue, leaving the Berkeley, Calif., native frustrated at times.

 

“The rehab process will definitely drive you crazy, kind of starting over from square one — back to Go, don’t collect $200, in Monopoly terms,” Merryweather said. “It’s been a grind, man. I’ve been through the rehab thing and it does take a toll, but at the end of the day the time I’m taking now to get right is small in comparison to the length of my whole career.

 

“It was definitely frustrating getting up to a pretty high intensity level and then having a setback,” he added. “Every time I’d get to a certain threshold, I’d have that same kind of sharp snake bite in the oblique. Just getting so close is probably the most frustrating part, but I kept my head down, working hard and now I’m back in a really good position, probably the best I’ve felt. It’s taken a lot longer than expected, obviously, from my point of view and the team’s point of view, but I’m just excited to, hopefully, be good enough to get back there for this run and help this team solidify what they’ve already been doing most of the year.”

 

Oblique injuries are notoriously tricky, and Merryweather’s has been exactly that.

 

The club has used the downtime to take a look at his mechanics.

 

“We’ve done a lot of deep diving into trying to make mechanical changes, just small tweaks that can kind of alleviate some of the stress I put on the oblique and I feel like a lot of that’s working,” Merryweather said. “It’s just on certain pitches I try to create a little bit more than I normally would. Whether that’s reaching back or changing my posture a little bit or my follow through, so it’s mostly something I can feel on my own.

 

“My fastball and changeup, it actually feels pretty good on those two. It’s the small differences in mechanics when I throw a curveball or slider, those are the things I’ve focused on. It’s just a matter of getting the reps now in games and having the intensity be where it need to be to get out of here.”

 

Watching the excitement surrounding his team from afar over the last couple of weeks has given him a boost.

 

He’s hoping to be a part of it down the stretch.

 

“Once we put everything together, this team is super dangerous and it’s a lot of fun to watch,” he said as the Jays finished up their series with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. “The fans up there, the electricity, I can feel it through the phone.”

 

 

THINGS I PROBABLY TWEETED

Sunday’s win over Boston improved the Jays’ record in one-run games to just 8-13 … On Monday, George Springer became the first Blue Jays player to win AL player of the week two weeks in a row … Nate Pearson threw a simulated game Saturday and is expected to progress to rehab games this week. Pearson was sitting 96-99 mph with his fastball across his 18 pitches … Considering he’s been worth 1.3 fWAR across just 166 plate appearances — the 18th most valuable catcher in baseball — it’s pretty amazing Rees McGuire was available for free on waivers back in April. It’s mostly defensive value, but his arm is a weapon and he’s even chipped in with a 95 wRC+. A handful of people believe the confusion surrounding his misdemeanour public masturbation case from spring training 2020 is the reason he’s still a Blue Jay and he’s been able to turn his career around after being DFA'd in April.

 

 

 

STAT DIG: 27-15

That’s the record the Jays have run up since June 19, the best winning percentage in the American League during that stretch at .643.

 

Their plus-123 run differential trails only the Houston Astros’ plus-149 in the AL.

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It felt like a playoff game. We kind of needed to win this game — and I don’t want to say needed, because every game counts — but if we take today, that’s three out of four against a good team. And to come back like this, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

—Charlie Montoyo on winning Sunday’s series finale against Boston

 

 

THE CALL-UP LIST

Five players closest to a promotion to the big leagues when a need arises:

1—UTIL Cavan Biggio, 10-day IL: When he was placed on the IL last week, Montoyo said he hoped Biggio would only need the minimum amount of time. He’s eligible to return from his nagging neck/back muscle issue this weekend.

2—RHP , Nate Pearson 7-day IL: The Jays will be cautious to make sure he doesn’t have another setback with his sports hernia, but he’s trending towards a return before the end of the month.

3—RHP , Thomas Hatch Triple-A: With six starters performing well at the major-league level, Hatch could help the bullpen later on down the line. For now, he’ll stay stretched out.

4—LHP , Ryan Borucki Triple-A: Optioned over the weekend with a 5.12 ERA, the 27-year-old lefty will get some time to figure things out in a low-pressure setting.

5—SS/3B Kevin Smith, Triple-A: In addition to not being on the 40-man roster yet, the play of Santiago Espinal and is keeping Smith out of the big leagues

Edited August 10, 2021 by Ehjays