General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2024)

[Jimcanuck]

42. Junior Arias, OF, Dominican Republic

 

Born: Oct. 6, 2006. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 190.

 

Team: Blue Jays

 

Early in the scouting process, Arias stood out for his physicality and power potential. He’s strong with more room to fill out and already can punish the ball when he connects with what should be at least above-average raw power. Arias still has things to iron out with his swing and approach, resulting in up-and-down game performance and a power-over-hit profile. He’s a below-average runner who fits best defensively in an outfield corner.

[Jimcanuck]

45. Pascual Archila, OF, Venezuela

 

Born: Jan. 23, 2007. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 165.

 

Team: Blue Jays

 

Archila is a Venezuelan outfielder who has been training in the Dominican Republic. He’s an instinctive player who impressed scouts with his feel for hitting in a skills over tools package. He has a loose swing from the left side that’s short, simple and results in a lot of contact against live pitching with doubles power. Archila has played center field, though he isn’t a true burner runner, so he could move around all three outfield spots.

[Jimcanuck]

50. Angel Guzman, SS, Dominican Republic

 

Born: Dec. 7, 2006. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 160.

 

Team: Blue Jays

 

Guzman is a smaller-framed shortstop with a good mix of athleticism and skills. He’s a high-contact hitter from both sides of the play, spraying the ball around the field with a line-drive approach and occasional doubles. He moves around with easy actions at shortstop, where he has good body control, is fundamentally sound for his age and has an above-average arm, giving him a good chance to stick at shortstop.

[Jimcanuck]

Anyone particularly promising?

 

Jays are not signing one of the top rated this year, but 4 "2nd rounders". The Dunedin complex is going to turn them into stars.

 

Unfortunately there is no information on character / personal habits.

[Stangstag]

Frenchsoup’s troll shtick was he went to jail for a few years. He probably just wasn’t posting. Anyways, so most of his posts were from that troll angle. Bringing up players that suck now that would’ve been good 3 years ago. He went to the well far too often imo.

 

But why though? What a f***ing waste of time. Some people man…

[The Cats Ass]

As added punishment to being a fan of this team, it should be required that Frenchsoup is allowed to post unabated and no one can IL him until either the Jays win a World Series or Atkins gets fired. The instant one of those two events happen, he gets booted.

 

FS is one of the few posters I actually had to break down and IL. His back to back to back to back s***** posts saying to sign Carl Crawford or whoever is just too much.

[The Cats Ass]

I think the far and away biggest concern with Snell is they typical lack of innings he provides. He has only averaged about 125 innings per season for his career so it's lunacy that he expects to receive ace level dollars.

 

His walk rate is also extremely concerning. There were 2 months last season where his BB/9 was over 7. He's doing that tight rope dance.

[L54]

FS is one of the few posters I actually had to break down and IL. His back to back to back to back s***** posts saying to sign Carl Crawford or whoever is just too much.

 

I did too

[max silver]

That's why I would take Cronenworth back. It should cut down on the return they have to give up and he was very good the two previous years to 2023. I get the contract isn't ideal and that's why he's been reported as untradable but if you can't get three to four 2-3 win seasons out of him it will be worth it, IMO.

 

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

I guess that just depends on whether you think the 2023 version of Cronenworth is what to expect moving forward. His expected stats were basically the same in 2022/2023 except the results in 2023 were far more indicative of the underlying numbers. He very well may be a worse version of Biggio moving forward except he'll be earning twice as much in 2024 and is locked in for another 7 years. I certainly don't have any interest in a player of this ilk as this contract is far more onerous than the mistake extension the club handed out to Randal Grichuk. Maybe the Jays could send Biggio back to offset the money a bit but the Padres would really be kneecapping their return if Cronenworth were included in a Kim deal so the whole thing feels a bit unlikely. One of the few teams that's been including bad contracts to save money has been the Red Sox and I can't really think of a lot of other teams that have been lessening the prospect return from trades in this fashion.

[wamco]

I did too

 

Mods, please a bit swifter next time.

[Ray]

We were supposed to sign #9 ranked overall IFA Kennew Blanco (6' 2" RHH SS) but seems like he reclassified to next year?

[Eat My Shatkins]

Baseball FA is such a slog lol

 

Is that Yariel Rodriguez ever going to make a f***ing decision. It'd be nice to add another swing man type arm with some electricity in it, to the fold.

[Abomination]

Interesting that they seem to be targeting contact hitters over pure tools. The Cards had some pretty good success with that for years, so maybe there's something to it.

[max silver]

Interesting that they seem to be targeting contact hitters over pure tools. The Cards had some pretty good success with that for years, so maybe there's something to it.

 

It will be interesting to follow whether the club is able to coax more power out of these players with training at the PDC/hitting lab. I don't know if it's ultimately a better approach to target more dudes with raw power but contact issues in hopes of taming down the strikeout issues or if it's more productive to target the hit tool dudes and try to maximize their power output.

[MikeM3]

Interesting that they seem to be targeting contact hitters over pure tools. The Cards had some pretty good success with that for years, so maybe there's something to it.

 

High contact hitters are just what you're left choosing from after the big boys sign

[Laika]

Interesting that they seem to be targeting contact hitters over pure tools. The Cards had some pretty good success with that for years, so maybe there's something to it.

 

It's just the Cleveland approach, haha.

 

Kinda works for Cleveland but they are a small market shitdog team.

 

Ideally Toronto exercises this "edge" or strategy in mid/late rounds or with small money signings but still acts like a big market team at the top of the draft and for top international signings.

 

At least the Junior Arias kid sounds like a power prospect.

 

I dunno why, but part of me thinks Manuel Beltre will really overperform expectations this year.

 

Arjun Nimmala has 70 raw power per Fangraphs so at least Toronto didn't get cute with their last top draft pick.

 

"Nimmala is a tooled-up teenage hitter with huge power projection and a risky hit tool caused by poor breaking ball recognition." ----> sounds like Orelvis haha

[max silver]

It's just the Cleveland approach, haha.

 

Kinda works for Cleveland but they are a small market shitdog team.

 

Ideally Toronto exercises this "edge" or strategy in mid/late rounds or with small money signings but still acts like a big market team at the top of the draft and for top international signings.

 

At least the Junior Arias kid sounds like a power prospect.

 

I dunno why, but part of me thinks Manuel Beltre will really overperform expectations this year.

 

Arjun Nimmala has 70 raw power per Fangraphs so at least Toronto didn't get cute with their last top draft pick.

 

"Nimmala is a tooled-up teenage hitter with huge power projection and a risky hit tool caused by poor breaking ball recognition." ----> sounds like Orelvis haha

 

Orelvis martinez who has a chance to be an above average defender at short stop is a really nice prospect.

[Laika]

Orelvis martinez who has a chance to be an above average defender at short stop is a really nice prospect.

 

Well, yeah. Nimmala will be our Carlos Correa. Starting SS in 2026.

[max silver]

Well, yeah. Nimmala will be our Carlos Correa. Starting SS in 2026.

 

That's certainly an optimistic timeline for a guy still getting his feet wet but would be just in time for Bo to leave in free agency. That would be just like how the Astros allowed Correa to leave for greener pastures when they had a ready made replacement in Pena.

[wamco]

Reports I’ve seen says above average defender at short stop isn’t going to happen. Or even at 3b

[Eat My Shatkins]

I sure hope they don't walk Bo to free agency.

 

If he doesn't come around on an extension I would hope they trade him next off season.

[max silver]

I sure hope they don't walk Bo to free agency.

 

If he doesn't come around on an extension I would hope they trade him next off season.

 

That would certainly depend on whether they can find a suitable replacement. Guys like Adames and Kim are free agents next offseason and are dudes who could provide around 80% of the total value for something like half the cost.

[Eat My Shatkins]

That would certainly depend on whether they can find a suitable replacement. Guys like Adames and Kim are free agents next offseason and are dudes who could provide around 80% of the total value for something like half the cost.

 

Yeah, Adames was the first guy that popped into my head as well.

 

The 2nd is Bogaerts, assuming the Padres might trade him to save money.

[Laika]

Reports I’ve seen says above average defender at short stop isn’t going to happen. Or even at 3b

 

He's a teenager. Bo Bichette looked like a Donkey Kong barrel when he was drafted and people were assuming he was a 3B/RF at best

[glory]

That would certainly depend on whether they can find a suitable replacement. Guys like Adames and Kim are free agents next offseason and are dudes who could provide around 80% of the total value for something like half the cost.

 

Signing Adames (for example) and trading Bo for 2-3 players that could help in other areas is probably the best way to try to keep the competitive window open beyond 2025. Although I'm not sure how much value Bo with 1 year of control left would have. I was kinda hoping they'd trade Bo this winter and then figure out a way to add an Adames or Kim in a separate trade to mitigate some of the loss at short, but that's a lot of moving parts.

[Krylian]

We were supposed to sign #9 ranked overall IFA Kennew Blanco (6' 2" RHH SS) but seems like he reclassified to next year?

 

Well that's disappointing

[wamco]

He's a teenager. Bo Bichette looked like a Donkey Kong barrel when he was drafted and people were assuming he was a 3B/RF at best

 

He’s ……22 though. Thats old for a teenager. Jays have moved him off ss, and most likely off 2b from everything I read with 2b being best case scenario but most likely LF/dh

 

 

You read anything rosier?

[Eat My Shatkins]

He’s ……22 though. Thats old for a teenager. Jays have moved him off ss, and most likely off 2b from everything I read with 2b being best case scenario but most likely LF/dh

 

 

You read anything rosier?

 

I think Laika was talking about Nimmala

 

Nimmala is 18 years old and played all 9 games in the CPX at SS last year

 

Who are you talking about?

 

 

EDIT: You're talking about Orelvis I think.

[Eat My Shatkins]

Yeah I see now, they were saying Nimmala is like Orelvis except Nimmala will likely stick at SS

[wamco]

Oh I was responding to max::

 

“Orelvis martinez who has a chance to be an above average defender at short stop is a really nice prospect.”