General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[Orgfiller]

 

Great, another good dead pull hitter working on his all-fields approach. Can't wait to sign him for $200M and then have him underperform his xWOBA by 30 points by continuously hitting 375-390 foot bombs to LF-CF and straight CF.

[Laika]

Great, another good dead pull hitter working on his all-fields approach. Can't wait to sign him for $200M and then have him underperform his xWOBA by 30 points by continuously hitting 375-390 foot bombs to LF-CF and straight CF.

 

LOL I think he is using weighted bats here

 

I doubt driveline is telling him to not pull the ball

[hanton]

Great, another good dead pull hitter working on his all-fields approach. Can't wait to sign him for $200M and then have him underperform his xWOBA by 30 points by continuously hitting 375-390 foot bombs to LF-CF and straight CF.

 

check his spray chart from 2023, it worked

[Krylian]

Great, another good dead pull hitter working on his all-fields approach. Can't wait to sign him for $200M and then have him underperform his xWOBA by 30 points by continuously hitting 375-390 foot bombs to LF-CF and straight CF.

 

375 to Left Centre gets it done at Rogers Centre now.

[max silver]

Great, another good dead pull hitter working on his all-fields approach. Can't wait to sign him for $200M and then have him underperform his xWOBA by 30 points by continuously hitting 375-390 foot bombs to LF-CF and straight CF.

 

Bellinger hasn't generally been a dead pull hitter for most of his career though and certainly wasn't in 2023 with a 44/37/19 split. The results back up this approach as well as he produced 183 wRC+ to the pull side, 187 wRC+ up the middle and only 73 wRC+ to the opposite field. It's certainly fair to wonder if he has much of a chance to recreate the success on balls up the middle as these included a .397 BABIP.

[Frenchsoup]

I like Belli's aggression at the plate but he has a 7.5% walk rate so his plate discipline doesn't seem to be that great. But that's really the only problem I have with the guy. Should play a plus LF for us and give us an everyday lefty bat. Now 200 million is pretty expensive for that lol...

[Frenchsoup]

Go get Ben Rice from the Yankees, im sure you could get him for less then 200 million and Cashy can be had.

[Orgfiller]

LOL I think he is using weighted bats here

 

I doubt driveline is telling him to not pull the ball

 

check his spray chart from 2023, it worked

 

375 to Left Centre gets it done at Rogers Centre now.

 

Bellinger hasn't generally been a dead pull hitter for most of his career though and certainly wasn't in 2023 with a 44/37/19 split. The results back up this approach as well as he produced 183 wRC+ to the pull side, 187 wRC+ up the middle and only 73 wRC+ to the opposite field. It's certainly fair to wonder if he has much of a chance to recreate the success on balls up the middle as these included a .397 BABIP.

 

This was bait btw.

 

To max silver's point, I doubt Belli can continue having success with an all-fields approach given that his barrel rate and hard hit rate cratered even relative to his awful 2021 and 2022 seasons. Unless he's mastered the art of sending weak bloopers over the infield, if you're hitting the ball less to your pull side you better be crushing it oppo ala Judge or make it difficult to shift against in the outfield. His xWOBA with 2023's approach point to him being more of 110 wRC+ hitter than his actual output. So he either needs to continue getting stronger/better at driving the ball, or he'll see his numbers up the middle regress heavily.

[Frenchsoup]

Kyle Schwarber or Cody Bellinger who would you rather have? Give me meaty and that sexy contract.

[wilko]

Kyle Schwarber or Cody Bellinger who would you rather have? Give me meaty and that sexy contract.

 

Kyle Schwarber is what's wrong with baseball today. If you bat under .200 you should be banned from the league.

[Frenchsoup]

Don't like Massive Dingers Razor Ramon??? Lmao

[Jays24]

Kyle Schwarber is what's wrong with baseball today. If you bat under .200 you should be banned from the league.

 

But he can outscore the entire Jays offense by himself in the playoffs so I wouldn't go that far lol.

[G-Snarls]

I've come around to just giving Bellinger what he wants

 

The risk is probably just worth it at this point

 

Then sign a 1-2 year DH deal with someone and a cheap depth starter in case Manoah suxx or someone gets hurt in spring training

[Abomination]

okay but what TWO infielders can they possibly bring in that would bump him down the depth chart?

 

I would expect he and Biggio will split time at 2nd with the odd appearance in the outfield and 3rd. I guess it's possible Whit is resigned, but I kind of doubt it. Most of the playing time at 3rd will likely be addressed with another option (who knows what at this point, but neither he nor Biggio are likely someone you want to put at 3rd full time).

[Abomination]

I've come around to just giving Bellinger what he wants

 

The risk is probably just worth it at this point

 

Then sign a 1-2 year DH deal with someone and a cheap depth starter in case Manoah suxx or someone gets hurt in spring training

 

Yeah, if we wait for ideal we'll never be able to field the team we need right now with our window. Sign him and sacrifice an analytics guy to appease the baseball gods.

[max silver]

I've come around to just giving Bellinger what he wants

 

The risk is probably just worth it at this point

 

Then sign a 1-2 year DH deal with someone and a cheap depth starter in case Manoah suxx or someone gets hurt in spring training

 

I'd give Bellinger what it takes for him to choose the Jays over the Cubs but that's it. There's no sense and caving into Boras's ridiculous demands at this point and paying the guy like a true star player as he simply hasn't shown that he's that type of player moving forward.

[jaysblue]

Speaking of Davis Schneider, he has to be a locked in starter out of spring training right? 2B job needs to just be his.

 

2 WAR in 141 PA last year.

2 WAR projection in just 400 projected PA.

113 wRC+ projection.

 

They are not going to sign anybody that should bump him out of playing time.

 

I think 2B could be filled internally between Schneider and Biggio. Unless the Blue Jays make a trade for India or someone.

[G-Snarls]

I think 2B could be filled internally between Schneider and Biggio. Unless the Blue Jays make a trade for India or someone.

 

Agreed

 

I'm cool with that for 2B

 

(I just don't feel good about them trying to fill BOTH 2B and 3B with rookies/Biggio/Espinal. A trade feels in order if they don't bring back Chapman)

[Laika]

I think 2B could be filled internally between Schneider and Biggio. Unless the Blue Jays make a trade for India or someone.

 

Is India even better than Schneider? I don't really think so. Worse 2023 in much more playing time, and worse projections.

 

Hmmmmm I dunno bros.

[max silver]

I think 2B could be filled internally between Schneider and Biggio. Unless the Blue Jays make a trade for India or someone.

 

I wonder if Keston Hiura will be of any interest to the club. He was above average offensively in 2022 (115 wRC+ despite the 41.7% k rate). His 2023 numbers in AAA looked good and the strikeout rate was more manageable.

[L54]

Is India even better than Schneider? I don't really think so. Worse 2023 in much more playing time, and worse projections.

 

Hmmmmm I dunno bros.

 

No he’s not

 

I don’t know why they wouldn’t just roll with Schneider as the defacto starter to begin the year. If his 200 AB’s last year were a mirage you just go back to Biggio and Espjnal

 

There’s like half a dozen internal options at second. I see no reason to persue anyone to play there next year

[Laika]

No he’s not

 

I don’t know why they wouldn’t just roll with Schneider as the defacto starter to begin the year. If his 200 AB’s last year were a mirage you just go back to Biggio and Espjnal

 

There’s like half a dozen internal options at second. I see no reason to persue anyone to play there next year

 

Pretty much my opinion too. Schneider, Biggio, Espinal, Barger, Orelvis, Clement can all do it at 2B to some extent.

 

3B is a tougher defensive position for most of those guys (noodle arms, mostly) and the MUCH bigger hole.

[Spanky99]

Pretty much my opinion too. Schneider, Biggio, Espinal, Barger, Orelvis, Clement can all do it at 2B to some extent.

 

3B is a tougher defensive position for most of those guys (noodle arms, mostly) and the MUCH bigger hole.

 

Barger has a cannon.

[Laika]

Barger has a cannon.

 

your mom has cannons

[jaysblue]

I really don't want Bellinger at $200+ million. I would rather patch up the roster with stopgap options for 2024 and save that $200+ million on someone like Soto or Bregman next offseason.

 

- Sign Rhys Hoskins as a 1B/DH to a one-year contract worth anywhere between $18-$22M.

- Sign two bats to platoon in LF - sign one LHB like Gallo, Brantley, Meadows, Rosario with a RHB like Taylor, Profar, or Duvall.

- Trade for a 3B like Polanco or Moncada or sign a guy like Escobar/Solano/Anderson/Kiner-Falefa + a vet bat like Longoria as insurance.

- If the Jays trade an arm like Kikuchi for Polanco, sign an arm like Paxton/Montas/Lauer/Wood to a one-year deal. Would try to sign Lauer either way as a guy to compete for the No. 5 spot with Manoah during ST.

- Sign Jake Junis as a swingman - nice insurance to have as a starter and could pitch multiple innings out of the pen.

 

I think with those moves along with a couple of bounce backs from maybe Vladdy, Varsho, Kirk, and Springer, they're a 90+ win team with the potential to be better.

[jaysblue]

Is India even better than Schneider? I don't really think so. Worse 2023 in much more playing time, and worse projections.

 

Hmmmmm I dunno bros.

 

Yeah I'm fine with Schneider and Biggio sharing time at 2B in 2024. Unless the Jays FO did trade for India (who is available). Though I don't think it's necessary. Would rather trade for a 3B like Polanco if we could.

[Spanky99]

your mom has cannons

 

lol

[jaysblue]

I wonder if Keston Hiura will be of any interest to the club. He was above average offensively in 2022 (115 wRC+ despite the 41.7% k rate). His 2023 numbers in AAA looked good and the strikeout rate was more manageable.

 

Nice buy low option and bounce back candidate. If there is room, would definitely bring him into the mix.

[Orgfiller]

I wonder if Keston Hiura will be of any interest to the club. He was above average offensively in 2022 (115 wRC+ despite the 41.7% k rate). His 2023 numbers in AAA looked good and the strikeout rate was more manageable.

 

I wouldn't give him more than an MiLB deal with a spring training invite. He's a R/R 1B only guy with a horrendous K rate and doesn't have the walks or the power (although the power is good) to make up for it. I think he's the definition of a AAAA guy, consistently rakes in AAA with a decent K rate and is fully exposed at the MLB level. When his BABIP isn't .350+ he's one of the worst hitters in the league. I'd rather have Gallo. He also has extremely weird splits; he's blind against lefties or something, as a right handed hitter.

[Orgfiller]

Nice buy low option and bounce back candidate. If there is room, would definitely bring him into the mix.

 

Bounce back to what? The only time he was good was as a rookie running a .400 BABIP with really bad defense. The fact that the Brewers didn't call him up at all in 2023 should be very telling, and they were trotting out Rowdy Tellez and his 78 wRC+ more than half the season.