The Blue Jays release Greg Bird

[King]

I'm making an assumption based on how pretty much every minor league contract works, but this clause was triggered because we didn't add him to the MLB roster. This was a Blue Jays decision.

This could be true, but it could have been a mutual decision out of respect to Bird knowing that he could get a better opportunity elsewhere?

[Terminator]

Read the second BNS tweet I linked above, lol.

 

He quit before he was fired. Dude couldn’t even log one AB with the Rockies last year. He could make a major league roster but he’s not doing any better that.

[Stangstag]

lol, BNS left out the most important bit of context in his original tweet:

 

So we were speculating for nothing. This wasn't a Blue Bird decision, it was a Greg Bird decision.

 

Lol how did he leave out this info

[Jays24]

This could be true, but it could have been a mutual decision out of respect to Bird knowing that he could get a better opportunity elsewhere?

 

Is this how life works? You just willingly give up an asset you like to a potential competitor? I hardly doubt we did anything as a favour to Bird that were outside of whatever the contract stated.

[King]

Is this how life works? You just willingly give up an asset you like to a potential competitor? I hardly doubt we did anything as a favour to Bird that were outside of whatever the contract stated.

Yes, I'm pretty sure this has happened before. Not saying that's what happened here just saying it as a possibility.

 

I'm on the fence here. Agree with Grant that it could be Bird exercising his outclause as we declined to add him to the roster.

[Jays24]

Yes, I'm pretty sure this has happened before.

 

I'm betting that we didn't plan to add Bird to the opening day roster so he opted out.

[Laika]

Makes you wonder what he would have to have done to warrant a spot.

 

I guess he was just here as an insurance policy in case people got hurt

 

sucks to be Greg

[JaysAllMighty]

Bird got a backdoor agreement with another team more than likely.

[Grant77]

This could be true, but it could have been a mutual decision out of respect to Bird knowing that he could get a better opportunity elsewhere?

 

That's a possibility, but I strongly believe that Greg Bird would still be with the team if we were prepared to offer him a roster spot on opening day.

[Laika]

Most minor league deals for veterans have these opt outs

 

"if not on 40 man roster on april 4 player can terminate contract"

 

Jays were probably 99% sure he would opt out when they decided not to add him

 

I guess you can think of it like a joint decision because sometimes the veterans DON'T opt out and they actually report to AAA

[xposbrad]

Hopefully it didn't come down to carrying Collins over Bird. Bird at least can still swing his bat. He had some nice pop.

[The Cats Ass]

Nathan Lukes for the last roster spot? Bats L, hit better than Bird this ST, and can actually play the OF/CF.

[Terminator]

Nathan Lukes for the last roster spot? Bats L, hit better than Bird this ST, and can actually play the OF.

 

It could be Lukes but I’m not sure he brings anything to the table that Tilapia doesn’t unless he provides legit center field defense. Biggio can also play some outfield too so Lukes may not be necessary. It could be an infielder like Katoh.

[BuckHenry]

Man ,I remember how lights out he was in spring training with the Yanks in 2017 …. Supposedly the face of the young Yankees ! But injuries for 5+ years made everyone question his durability…. have to feel sorry for him .

[G-Snarls]

I think they made a big mistake, this guy needed a shot !! I hope it works out for him, there is talent there. I'm very shocked.

 

I just hope it doesn't work out for him in Tampa or back with the Yankees

[Krylian]

I just hope it doesn't work out for him in Tampa or back with the Yankees

 

I'm not gonna lie. I was thinking the exact same thing. He'll go to a rival and be a thorn in our side.

[guylaroche5]

This guy is known to be a perennial spring training monster that flames out/gets hurt quickly.

 

With that said I'm disappointed but if this is the worst news to come out of spring training I'll take it 99 times out of 100.

 

I remember being so deflated last year when Yates got season ending TJS, this year *knock on wood* we've been pretty blessed.

[THANOS]

Break a bone on Vlad or LGJ

 

Actually, maybe he was s*** fielding 1B and effectively a DH only guy - and the Jays have Kirk

 

Or maybe Shatkins worried Dumtoyo would play Bird more than Kirk

 

The last point could be it.

[guylaroche5]

The last point could be it.

 

If they honestly felt that why not just fire Montoyo and hire a more competent manager?

[THANOS]

If they honestly felt that why not just fire Montoyo and hire a more competent manager?

 

Because everything else he does outside of line-up construction and maybe BP management is reportedly amazing. Great with communication and players love him. As per Ross Atkins and Shapiro themselves, intangibles like that matter most with manager.

[Terminator]

lol, BNS left out the most important bit of context in his original tweet:

 

So we were speculating for nothing. This wasn't a Blue Bird decision, it was a Greg Bird decision.

 

You are reading this wrong. The second tweet does not negate the first. It just means that the Jays told Bird he wasn't making the 40-man so he exercised his opt out rather than remaining in the org at AAA.

 

He wasn't opting out if he made the 25-man team. In fact, I'm not even sure that he could opt out if he had made the team.

[InsideThePark]

He likely had a minor league contract that has an opt out clause by a certain date and the Jays declined to add him to the roster before then so he opts out. Mostly a Jays decision. Just look at how early the Jays added Phelps to the 40 man. May have seemed weird to do it a week before the season starts but he signed his minor league contract before the lockout so his opt out date was likely based on the original start of the season which was a week early. Almost all these minor league deals are the same. Player can opt out the day before the season starts if not added to the 40 man. Jays added Phelps and declined to add Bird.

 

I guess this means Collins makes the roster as a bench bat, backup 1B, emergency 3rd C that allows the Jays to use Kirk as a DH. Which TBH was the only reason I would have rostered McGuire, I wouldn't have actually played him. Collins essentially can do both Bird's and McGuire role with 1 roster spot. He's basically our Shohei Ohtani /s

[Jonn]

This Front Office refuses to have multiple left-handed hitters in the lineup.

[Stangstag]

This Front Office refuses to have multiple left-handed hitters in the lineup.

 

I think maybe they just don’t care? They want the best hitters possible regardless of whether they hit left or right.

 

And that’s not necessarily a bad plan of action, the 2010/2011 Rangers had like 1 lefty in the lineup (Hamilton) and were still a WS team. And that was back when you could bring in a lefty reliever to face 1 batter.

[bzapple]

Thanks for watching the Greg Bird spring training show - stay tuned for the next edition in March 2023.

[Laika]

Nathan Lukes for the last roster spot? Bats L, hit better than Bird this ST, and can actually play the OF/CF.

 

#TeamLukes

[Terminator]

Thanks for watching the Greg Bird spring training show - stay tuned for the next edition in March 2023.

 

Zack Collins probably sucks but I like him because it means that I don’t have to watch Greg Bird play baseball.

[TwistedLogic]

Got our first guy.

 

Guessing/hoping the last spot goes to Lukes, at least over a guy like Collins. He needs to work his s*** out in the minors.

 

And I don't think they should be or even want to be bringing up Fowler until he's worked himself back up to speed.

 

Not sure what other options exist realistically.

[Laika]

he was here all along, right in front of our faces

 

the lefty IF/OF we needed for the bench

 

lmao

[The_DH]

Except he can't play cf.