General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2024)

[Jays24]

Bellinger can also play 1B on days Vladdy DHs. Also until Varsho shows he can hit consistently, it feels stupid to give him a full year of ABs from LF.

 

Again, don't see it happening. Probably more realistic that Chappy is brought back and then we have a glut of IFs with weak hitting Lefty OFs.

[Laika]

Can anyone explain how/why Wes Parsons is hanging on to a roster spot?

 

The models like him.

 

Former NC Dinos Ace, Arthur Wesley Parsons, was one of the best pitchers in the KBO in 2021 and for a brief time in 2022. His K/9 was among the elite during such period.

 

In 2023, in 81.2 innings at the AAA level, Arthur Wesley Parsons had a K/9 in the top 4 among SP with at least 80 innings, slotting in behind real prospects Robert Gasser, Drew Rom, and Jared Jones, and above real prospects like Gavin Stone, Joey Cantillo, and Juan Soto trade headliner Randy Vasquez.

 

Steamer presently projects him for a sub 4.00 ERA in relief, while ZIPS thinks he could be an above replacement level arm in a swing-role.

 

The Blue Jays probably think he could be competent arm for ~3 innings if they are desperate. He might be better than a random prospect, like Chad Dallas and Luis Quinones, and he might project better than most of the presently willing MiLB potential signees. He might be able to miss bats, for one turn through the order.

[Laika]

In place of who exactly? Despite Manoah being baseball's worst starter last season the club waited until the final day of the season to give Parsons a major league start so he can't be particularly high up on the totem pole of depth starter options.

 

He could be as high as 9th or 10th on the SP chart presently.

[MikeM3]

In place of who exactly? Despite Manoah being baseball's worst starter last season the club waited until the final day of the season to give Parsons a major league start so he can't be particularly high up on the totem pole of depth starter options.

 

Any injury will make Parsons the only one who has any length in him probably. If Mitch White makes the team he'll be long relief and probably unused. Otherwise he'll be DFAd.

 

That would mean Yariel's in AAA stretching out if they indeed view him as SP.

[Laika]

Any injury will make Parsons the only one who has any length in him probably. If Mitch White makes the team he'll be long relief and probably unused. Otherwise he'll be DFAd.

 

That would mean Yariel's in AAA stretching out if they indeed view him as SP.

 

White - pen

Tiedemann - AAA, not on 40 man

Rodriguez - who knows

Francis - AAA SP

 

hmmmm

[MikeM3]

White - pen

Tiedemann - AAA, not on 40 man

Rodriguez - who knows

Francis - AAA SP

 

hmmmm

 

We also have no optionable RP (that we would actually option) except Cabrera who is gonna get 5 years soon and reject demotions. So White will probably get DFAd eventually.

 

Going off last years usage, the 6 was Ryu, the 7 was Richards and the 8 was Parsons

[Laika]

We also have no optionable RP (that we would actually option) except Cabrera who is gonna get 5 years soon and reject demotions. So White will probably get DFAd eventually.

 

Going off last years usage, the 6 was Ryu, the 7 was Richards and the 8 was Parsons

 

I definitely would NOT read that from the fact that Parson's was the 8th and final guy to literally start a game. They just threw him a nothing-burger GS at the end of the year. If they needed multiple starts in games that mattered, it may have been someone else or some other strategy.

[BTS]

Gausman

Berrios

Bassitt

Kikuchi

Manoah

-----

White (will be in the MLB pen)

Rodriguez (probably in AAA if everyone is healthy)

Francis (AAA)

 

Parsons probably the 9th guy up for starts as things stand. But if they need more than a spot start or two, Tiedemann probably is probably just added to the roster and given a shot.

[Stangstag]

We also have no optionable RP (that we would actually option) except Cabrera who is gonna get 5 years soon and reject demotions. So White will probably get DFAd eventually.

 

Going off last years usage, the 6 was Ryu, the 7 was Richards and the 8 was Parsons

 

This is Bowden Francis erasure

[max silver]

Gausman

Berrios

Bassitt

Kikuchi

Manoah

-----

White (will be in the MLB pen)

Rodriguez (probably in AAA if everyone is healthy)

Francis (AAA)

 

Parsons probably the 9th guy up for starts as things stand. But if they need more than a spot start or two, Tiedemann probably is probably just added to the roster and given a shot.

 

That's exactly why it's such a massive stretch to suggest that Parsons will be starting games in May. The team would need to suffer catastrophic levels of injuries to the rotation and depth options for this to even be a possibility.

[Spanky99]

That's exactly why it's such a massive stretch to suggest that Parsons will be starting games in May. The team would need to suffer catastrophic levels of injuries to the rotation and depth options for this to even be a possibility.

 

lol... and it wouldn't matter, regardless at that point. Sell everything.

[Terminator]

Gausman

Berrios

Bassitt

Kikuchi

Manoah

-----

White (will be in the MLB pen)

Rodriguez (probably in AAA if everyone is healthy)

Francis (AAA)

 

Parsons probably the 9th guy up for starts as things stand. But if they need more than a spot start or two, Tiedemann probably is probably just added to the roster and given a shot.

 

So Tiedemann makes 10 and then Chad Dallas would be on there somewhere, though he's not on the 40 man yet.

 

Parsons is definitely barely hanging on to his roster spot. The glut of infielders and not having options made Otto Lopez next man up to get the boot but Parsons isn't far behind.

 

Parsons actually projects to be somewhat serviceable though and might be worth hanging on to through ST if they can. It would take a ton of injuries for him to break camp with the team, but let's say we get 2-3 injuries in the spring then Parsons is suddenly in AAA as the #7 or 8 SP and next up as the long man, or something like that.

[MikeM3]

This is Bowden Francis erasure

 

I don't think they see him as a SP. Even in 2022 they dropped him down to 2 innings per appearance. And last year they got him up to 4 innings a couple times but mostly stuck with 1 or 2 innings.

 

He's 28 years old..

[burlingtonbandit]

Jays will probably sign someone next week and Parsons gets removed from the 40 man making all this discussion about him moot lol. If he's seeing time on the roster this season something went badly wrong.

[Terminator]

I don't think they see him as a SP. Even in 2022 they dropped him down to 2 innings per appearance. And last year they got him up to 4 innings a couple times but mostly stuck with 1 or 2 innings.

 

He's 28 years old..

 

Yeah there were times last year where it seemed so obvious to let Francis start games but they just never really let him. They went with fat Manoah, Richards, etc. instead of using Francis.

[Laika]

Shopping for a Wes Parsons shirsey right now

[glory]

Yeah they were starting a broken Alek Manoah over Francis last season. Maybe there were reasons they didn’t want to stretch him out into a SP role in 2023 (injury?) but it was beyond logical to use him as Manoah’s replacement after Alek was demoted the first time. I think they view him as a bulk reliever.

 

My guess is it’s the starting 5 followed by White (due to options he will be on the big league team unless he stinks), Rodriguez, Tiedemann, and Francis (1-2 times through the order) in that order. If Parsons is starting games in May then the entire rotation would have gotten hurt, and at that point it wouldn’t even matter.

 

I think having an entire pen with no optionable relievers is tough. Would make sense to trade Garcia or Richards just to free up a spot for someone like Pearson, Danner, Pop, or whoever, especially if the team can actually get something useful in return.

[Spanky99]

I don't think they see him as a SP. Even in 2022 they dropped him down to 2 innings per appearance. And last year they got him up to 4 innings a couple times but mostly stuck with 1 or 2 innings.

 

He's 28 years old..

 

They signed Espino to an NRI, just for you Mikey.

[MikeM3]

Yeah there were times last year where it seemed so obvious to let Francis start games but they just never really let him. They went with fat Manoah, Richards, etc. instead of using Francis.

 

Ya they basically told us how they see it. White got DFAd, they gave up on him. He finished strong in AAA so he gets a 2nd life. If he's old White then he's gone.

 

The issue will be who do you use the spot on. If it's super early I really doubt they throw Yariel or Ricky in there so to me it'll be Parsons or a Richards opener

[MikeM3]

They signed Espino to an NRI, just for you Mikey.

 

Back fill AAA for when Parsons shoves for 60 innings

[Laika]

Toronto doesn't even need an SP7.

 

The top 4 are bulletproof and good for 32 starts each.

 

Need an SP6 to flip with Manoah but that's it.

[burlingtonbandit]

I do feel like people are forgetting how bad Kikuchi was in 2022. Its not inconceivable he turns back into a pile of crap. Even Berrios there could be some regression.

[wamco]

I’d be a bit surprised, 5 and dive seems to work for him

[max silver]

I do feel like people are forgetting how bad Kikuchi was in 2022. Its not inconceivable he turns back into a pile of crap. Even Berrios there could be some regression.

 

I see very little chance that Kikuchi returns to the 2022 scattershot control. He spent last year's offseason working at Driveline and I think the type of command he displayed for last season is more likely what can be expected of him moving forward.

[Laika]

I see very little chance that Kikuchi returns to the 2022 scattershot control. He spent last year's offseason working at Driveline and I think the type of command he displayed for last season is more likely what can be expected of him moving forward.

 

Yeah I think the changes he made were pretty simple. I think they shaped the slider a bit differently with the point of commanding it better. So he lost a tiny but of stuff on the slider but his command of it went up a full standard deviation. And then they just told him to aim for the middle of the zone more often, which may have helped the FB command significantly.

 

2022 overall: 107 stuff, 94 location

FB only 116; 91

SL only 103; 101

 

2023 overall: 105; 101

FB only 117; 99

SL only 101; 105

 

He could lose the changes I guess but it would be a big weird since they seem simple enough.

[Spanky99]

I do feel like people are forgetting how bad Kikuchi was in 2022. Its not inconceivable he turns back into a pile of crap. Even Berrios there could be some regression.

 

lulz... tElL mE mOaR

[Jimcanuck]

I do feel like people are forgetting how bad Kikuchi was in 2022. Its not inconceivable he turns back into a pile of crap. Even Berrios there could be some regression.

 

Gausman was DFA'ed a few times

 

You can make your comment about 80% of the pitchers in MLB

[saskjayfan]

Toronto doesn't even need an SP7.

 

The top 4 are bulletproof and good for 32 starts each.

 

Need an SP6 to flip with Manoah but that's it.

 

No team other than the Jays had more than 2 starters go 30+ starts. We had 4. It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling invincible, but what transpired last year is clearly not the norm. Injuries could happen to any one of the big 4. You always need depth for starting pitching. Tiedemann is getting closer though.

[saskjayfan]

No team other than the Jays had more than 2 starters go 30+ starts. We had 4. It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling invincible, but what transpired last year is clearly not the norm. Injuries could happen to any one of the big 4. You always need depth for starting pitching. Tiedemann is getting closer though.

 

Nothing intrigus me more right now than the reports of how Alejandro Kirk looks coming into camp. Will it be looks like he lost 10lbs, 20 to 30lbs, 30-40 lbs, or more than 40lbs, almost unrecognizable and a massive transformation. Someone should post a poll for predictions. I'm not good at that s***.

[Brownie19]

No team other than the Jays had more than 2 starters go 30+ starts. We had 4. It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling invincible, but what transpired last year is clearly not the norm. Injuries could happen to any one of the big 4. You always need depth for starting pitching. Tiedemann is getting closer though.

 

He's joking man...