General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[BatFlip]

The weekend has passed and not a whimper out of the 6ix with any type of Shohei sighting, that dude that reported it is a vlogger with a tiny following on his s***** site, that holds zero credibility, it didn't happen.

 

Makes me sad

[glory]

DeMarlo Hale is back with the Jays as a bench coach.

 

No word on if he was at the dinner with Ohtani and Kikuchi in Toronto.

[Spanky99]

Goold from STL Today that brought up the Carlson/Manoah speculated trade, actually came from BNS... here's what he mentions in his article...

 

Toronto Blue Jays

A team that Cardinals had lengthy talks with a year ago about acquiring a catcher could also use some of its pitching depth to acquire offense. General manager Ross Atkins told reporters that the Jays “will be prioritizing position-player acquisitions,” per Sportsnet.

 

What isn’t immediately clear – either from a scan of the Jays’ roster or a canvassing of the GM Meetings – is what pitchers would be available in trades that bring in a bat.

 

When the Cardinals engaged the Blue Jays a year ago about trading for a catcher, interest was predictable – Lars Nootbaar, the name that always came up, and Donovan, to name two.

 

 

The Blue Jays have a formidable one-two punch atop their rotation in Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios and each signed a nine-figure deal. Gausman can be a free agent after the 2026 season, and that is the same year Berrios can opt-out. Chris Bassitt, a third starter, is signed through 2025. Not one of them gives off the vibe of trade candidate from a contender, even if they could command a significant bat in return.

 

Alek Manoah, however, had a brutal season with a 5.87 ERA, some time in the minors, and a search for consistency. Only 25, the former first-round pick is a year removed from a top-three finish for the Cy Young Award, a 2.24 ERA, and an 8.2 K/9.

 

Manoah would be intriguing.

 

Ben Nicholson-Smith, a baseball writer for Sportsnet, recently speculated on a series of trades that would aid the Jays, and he mused on a Carlson-for-Manoah deal.

 

BNS article... https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/mapping-out-the-off-season-10-hypothetical-paths-ahead-for-the-blue-jays/

Edited November 13, 2023 by Spanky99

[Terminator]

DeMarlo Hale is back with the Jays as a bench coach.

 

No word on if he was at the dinner with Ohtani and Kikuchi in Toronto.

 

I love how our manager sucks so bad that he needs multiple veteran bench coaches aka babysitters in order to do the job

[Jonn]

Goold from STL Today that brought up the Carlson/Manoah speculated trade, actually came from BNS... here's what he mentions in his article...

 

 

 

BNS article... https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/mapping-out-the-off-season-10-hypothetical-paths-ahead-for-the-blue-jays/

 

Nootbar or no trade. Carlson f***ing sucks.

[Ehjays]

Goold from STL Today that brought up the Carlson/Manoah speculated trade, actually came from BNS... here's what he mentions in his article...

 

 

 

BNS article... https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/mapping-out-the-off-season-10-hypothetical-paths-ahead-for-the-blue-jays/

 

I dont know, Im not too high on what Cards are willing to move. If you are dealing Manoah, Id sooner look towards the Reds and their abundance of infield options. They badly need pitching as well. I think we line up nicely with them.

[Spanky99]

I dont know, Im not too high on what Cards are willing to move. If you are dealing Manoah, Id sooner look towards the Reds and their abundance of infield options. They badly need pitching as well. I think we line up nicely with them.

 

India?

[John_Havok]

I dont know, Im not too high on what Cards are willing to move. If you are dealing Manoah, Id sooner look towards the Reds and their abundance of infield options. They badly need pitching as well. I think we line up nicely with them.

 

This is true, but I really dislike the idea of trading Manoah right now unless it's a clear win in return. The rotation depth of the Jays right now is pretty thin. Sure they can roll out 1-4 with the best of the teams in baseball but past that it's Manoah, Tiedemann and Francis in house, and Van Eyk if you really squint and get desperate. Trading away from that already thin depth wouldn't be wise imo.

[Spanky99]

Nootbar or no trade. Carlson f***ing sucks.

 

lol... Nootbar ain't happening, we went over this.

[Brownie19]

This is true, but I really dislike the idea of trading Manoah right now unless it's a clear win in return. The rotation depth of the Jays right now is pretty thin. Sure they can roll out 1-4 with the best of the teams in baseball but past that it's Manoah, Tiedemann and Francis in house, and Van Eyk if you really squint and get desperate. Trading away from that already thin depth wouldn't be wise imo.

 

I agree. The issue is we don't really have any other assets to trade unless it's our top prospects...

[Terminator]

Nootbar or no trade. Carlson f***ing sucks.

 

We won't get Nutrigrainbar but I agree that Carlson sucks. We could go sign someone for 8 mil that's just as good as him and then keep Manoah and we'd be far better off.

 

I'd be interested in other guys they have though, including Oneil and Edman/Donavan. I think there is something that could be worked out here.

[Spanky99]

I agree. The issue is we don't really have any other assets to trade unless it's our top prospects...

 

We can also sign someone, for cheap on a 1 year deal. There's a ton of arm's available.

[Spanky99]

We won't get Nutrigrainbar but I agree that Carlson sucks. We could go sign someone for 8 mil that's just as good as him and then keep Manoah and we'd be far better off.

 

I'd be interested in other guys they have though, including Oneil and Edman/Donavan. I think there is something that could be worked out here.

 

You could get back a spect along with Carlson, like Saggese or something. Donovan has 5 years of control, it'd take Manoah + to get him alone.

[connorp]

We can also sign someone, for cheap on a 1 year deal. There's a ton of arm's available.

 

Jays should just do like your Fantrax teams and list like 35 players nobody wants and hope someone is dumb enough to bite

[John_Havok]

I agree. The issue is we don't really have any other assets to trade unless it's our top prospects...

 

That is a problem yes. That's why I envision a very quiet offseason on the trade front.

 

They'll be a few FA signings but nothing exceptional and maybe a few stop gaps picked up.

 

Unless there's a blockbuster trade that nobody sees coming...

[Spanky99]

Jays should just do like your Fantrax teams and list like 35 players nobody wants and hope someone is dumb enough to bite

 

Was looking at you through my rearview mirror in every league last season.

[glory]

That is a problem yes. That's why I envision a very quiet offseason on the trade front.

 

They'll be a few FA signings but nothing exceptional and maybe a few stop gaps picked up.

 

Unless there's a blockbuster trade that nobody sees coming...

 

Teams that are shedding payroll due the RSN issues might open up the trade market a bit (MIN, MIL, etc) but yeah the Jays really can't afford to trade top prospects unless they don't care about 2026-beyond and just go all in for the next two seasons, which doesn't jive with what Shapiro would typically do. I think there will be at least one trade since the free agent pool is so bad that they can't possibly get all their needs met through there (ex. left field, third base), but otherwise it will probably be more of the same as last winter where they went for the 1 year deals for players coming off down years (KK, Belt).

[Brownie19]

That is a problem yes. That's why I envision a very quiet offseason on the trade front.

 

They'll be a few FA signings but nothing exceptional and maybe a few stop gaps picked up.

 

Unless there's a blockbuster trade that nobody sees coming...

 

I mean - the other reason to move Manoah is that he's a f***ing loser and you can't let the lazy fat ass run the asylum. I do think there's a possibility they simply take what they can get for him this offseason because the relationship is broken (and/or because they think his value will only continue to plummet).

[Key22]

This is true, but I really dislike the idea of trading Manoah right now unless it's a clear win in return. The rotation depth of the Jays right now is pretty thin. Sure they can roll out 1-4 with the best of the teams in baseball but past that it's Manoah, Tiedemann and Francis in house, and Van Eyk if you really squint and get desperate. Trading away from that already thin depth wouldn't be wise imo.

 

If you trade a pitcher for a bat you can backfill the pitcher via free agency. No bats on the free agent market but tons of pitchers. Manoah is attractive in the sense that he is cheap so teams who can't land a Blake Snell or Yamamoto because they cost too much might like Manoah or even Kikuchi at $10m for one year.

 

Sign pitchers - trade for bats.

 

Some teams also don't want a long pitching contract - If Snell is going to land a 5-6 year deal - maybe we sign him - trade Bassit with 2 years left for a couple of bats.

[Joltin Joe]

I mean - the other reason to move Manoah is that he's a f***ing loser and you can't let the lazy fat ass run the asylum. I do think there's a possibility they simply take what they can get for him this offseason because the relationship is broken (and/or because they think his value will only continue to plummet).

 

Hopefully this past season knocks some sense in Manoah.

[glory]

In Passan’s new article he mentions that the Jays want to do “something big”. It was in reference to Ohtani and his potential market in free agency. Ohtani seems like a pipe dream, and doing something big in free agency in this year’s market is probably better on the pitching side. Unless that something big is Bellinger, which I wouldn’t be thrilled with but does seem far more likely than Ohtani.

[John_Havok]

In Passan’s new article he mentions that the Jays want to do “something big”. It was in reference to Ohtani and his potential market in free agency. Ohtani seems like a pipe dream, and doing something big in free agency in this year’s market is probably better on the pitching side. Unless that something big is Bellinger, which I wouldn’t be thrilled with but does seem far more likely than Ohtani.

 

The thing is, Ohtani fits so perfectly with the Jays needs both this year and beyond that it makes a ton of sense for Rogers to back up a dump truck full of cash on Ohtani's doorstep and dare him to say no

[John_Havok]

If you trade a pitcher for a bat you can backfill the pitcher via free agency. No bats on the free agent market but tons of pitchers. Manoah is attractive in the sense that he is cheap so teams who can't land a Blake Snell or Yamamoto because they cost too much might like Manoah or even Kikuchi at $10m for one year.

 

Sign pitchers - trade for bats.

 

Some teams also don't want a long pitching contract - If Snell is going to land a 5-6 year deal - maybe we sign him - trade Bassit with 2 years left for a couple of bats.

 

Generally true but, the Jays only need 1 ML arm, the depth they are looking for right now are guys that would sign minor league deals and come to ST to compete for the 5 spot. Trading Manoah doesn't really change that since Manoah is far from guaranteed to have the 5 spot locked down. Trading Manoah just means now you're still looking for a 4-5 and then multiple minor league deals.

 

It would make more sense to trade Kikuchi for a bat and then fill his spot with the free agent market given what's out there

[Laika]

In Passan’s new article he mentions that the Jays want to do “something big”. It was in reference to Ohtani and his potential market in free agency. Ohtani seems like a pipe dream, and doing something big in free agency in this year’s market is probably better on the pitching side. Unless that something big is Bellinger, which I wouldn’t be thrilled with but does seem far more likely than Ohtani.

 

Interesting.

 

"doing something big" this offseason probably involves a big trade.

[BTS]

Aside from Soto, even the trade market is dominated by SPs: Glasnow, Burnes, Cease, Bieber

[Jonn]

Something “Big” is highly subjective. My interpretation of Big would be signing Ohtani or trading for Soto.

[Stangstag]

Something “Big” is highly subjective. My interpretation of Big would be signing Ohtani or trading for Soto.

 

That’s pretty fair to say. Luis Robert fits the bill too. Or something like signing Yamamoto

[connorp]

Sox went on record as saying he’s totally off limits- Robert- everyone else in play

[connorp]

Of course if you blow a team away, they’d consider but seems that’s what it would take.

[connorp]

If Ohtani can’t get $500m, he could probably get 3/150 with player opt outs after each year. Word is he’s open to it