General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2024)

[max silver]

15% splitters to the back stop

 

It would be imperative to have him throw primarily to Kirk as he's one of MLB's most effective pitch blockers.

[burlingtonbandit]

This might be just personal bias but it seemed while watching last year that Pearson was super inconsistent appearance to appearance. One inning he would look like an elite reliver blowing high 90s past guys and a wipeout slider, other games he couldn't throw a strike and was more mid 95-96. And the bad games he was really bad.

[Orgfiller]

Honestly with Pearson, aside from his poor command, one of his biggest disappointments to me is that the fastball isn't actually an 80 pitch. Averaging 97.9 is great and all, but a lot of guys can get it up there these days. Among relievers pitchers with at least 40 IP, he ranks 21st, lower the threshold to 20 IP and he's 28. The command is too mediocre for the fastball not being overpowering enough. A lot of these elite relievers can get away with mediocre command because they usually have an 80 fastball and a 60-70+ secondary, both of which they can at least throw it down the middle for and it's good enough.

 

Pearson not consistently hitting 99-100+ is as big of a disappointment as anything else in his prospect trajectory. He was supposed to be doing that as a starter!

 

Him hitting 96 at all is a complete travesty.

[Laika]

Honestly with Pearson, aside from his poor command, one of his biggest disappointments to me is that the fastball isn't actually an 80 pitch. Averaging 97.9 is great and all, but a lot of guys can get it up there these days. Among relievers pitchers with at least 40 IP, he ranks 21st, lower the threshold to 20 IP and he's 28. The command is too mediocre for the fastball not being overpowering enough. A lot of these elite relievers can get away with mediocre command because they usually have an 80 fastball and a 60-70+ secondary, both of which they can at least throw it down the middle for and it's good enough.

 

Pearson not consistently hitting 99-100+ is as big of a disappointment as anything else in his prospect trajectory. He was supposed to be doing that as a starter!

 

Him hitting 96 at all is a complete travesty.

 

I think the FB is FINE and the issue is more about pitch mix and breaking ball inconsistency

 

He had decent run values on the FB last year, stuff+ likes it, and a .313 wOBA on the FB is not bad.

 

The slider got nuked to a .343 wOBA.

 

Too many fastballs, and too many bad breaking balls.

 

Yeah the velo being up and down was a problem though

[The_DH]

A splitter is a whiff out of zone pitch, not an earned strike pitch. It will probably add nothing for him. He needs to find strikes in the zone.

 

Not necessarily the case. The delivery of the split finger may cause confusion with the regular fastball. I would say its worth a try.

[Jays24]

Not sure if it's been talked about but I really wish we brought back Ryu on a cheap deal and traded another starter for some much needed offense.

[Spanky99]

There are plenty of success stories with this organization helping to turn around struggling pitchers. Stripling had a great year with the club, as did Matz. Ray won a Cy Young award, Kikuchi went from being one of baseball's worst starters to a mid rotation level of performer etc.

 

Bingo, Walker's underrated on this forum, don't get why honestly, a lot more success stories than not, all the pitchers love the guy.

[Spanky99]

The eternal optimist. How many more years of “make-or-break seasons” does he get exactly? I know it’s only “a bit of” to you lol. Some would say that was 3 years ago. At this point he’s just trying to prove he’s a mlb pitcher in smaller role

 

And that's why he's *COMPETING* for a job 3 foot, ya dingleberry.

[Spanky99]

Not sure if it's been talked about but I really wish we brought back Ryu on a cheap deal and traded another starter for some much needed offense.

 

Ryu signed in the KBO today. He went home.

[connorp]

And that's why he's *COMPETING* for a job 3 foot, ya dingleberry.

 

That doesn’t really negate any of my reply to Max, dbag.

[Jays24]

Ryu signed in the KBO today. He went home.

 

Ya, it seems like he went home because he got no legit offers to stay in the MLB. I thought he was alright last year and saved us from tanking when Manoah got sent down.

 

We really had no Plan B that could have kept us afloat last year. With some more time removed from the injury, thought hed have a solid season. I guess we'll never find out.

[Spanky99]

That doesn’t really negate any of my reply to Max, dbag.

 

You're legit, dumb as a stump, meat. Your comments are full troglodyte at this point, just STFU.

[Spanky99]

Ya, it seems like he went home because he got no legit offers to stay in the MLB. I thought he was alright last year and saved us from tanking when Manoah got sent down.

We really had no Plan B that could have kept us afloat last year. With some more time removed from the injury, thought hed have a solid season. I guess we'll never find out.

 

Toronto likely offered the guy 7-8M to pitch a year here, but he wasn't down for that, I was in on a Ryu signing a 1 year deal at a cheap price, have said it all winter. They went with Yariel, nothing wrong with that. Ultimately he chose home for more money, nice for him. It makes sense.

[Stangstag]

I'm sure he was done with the Blue Jays when they didn't put him on the play off roster.

 

It was a 3-game series lol. Dumbass

[max silver]

I think the FB is FINE and the issue is more about pitch mix and breaking ball inconsistency

 

He had decent run values on the FB last year, stuff+ likes it, and a .313 wOBA on the FB is not bad.

 

The slider got nuked to a .343 wOBA.

 

Too many fastballs, and too many bad breaking balls.

 

Yeah the velo being up and down was a problem though

 

Nate underperformed his statcast expected stats by a decent degree. Add a touch more effective results on top of actual and expected stats lining up to a closer degree and you're likely left with a pretty effective reliever. (Stats are pulled directly from baseballsavant)

 

Slider .320 wOBA .270 xwOBA

Curveball .287 wOBA .254 xwOBA

ERA 4.85

xERA 3.90

[Spanky99]

I'm sure he was done with the Blue Jays when they didn't put him on the play off roster.

 

[max silver]

Not sure if it's been talked about but I really wish we brought back Ryu on a cheap deal and traded another starter for some much needed offense.

 

The only starter that Ryu would have any chance outperforming would be Manoah if Alek doesn't recapture his previous stuff and/or command. Trading any of the other starting options and replacing them with Ryu would be a step backwards both in expected results and likelihood to avoid the injured list.

[max silver]

And that's why he's *COMPETING* for a job 3 foot, ya dingleberry.

 

In an interesting bit of news Nate suspects that he was tipping his pitches last season. I'm not necessarily buying that as a primary reason why he was so ineffective at times due to the suspect command but it certainly wouldn't help things any.

 

https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/nate-pearson-working-on-new-pitch-for-blue-jays

[Jays24]

LOL this board is so damn mean man. It's hilarious when you're not the target lol.

[Dick_Pole]

Noticeable trend for Max ITT. Every jobber the Jays let go is s***. Every jobber the Jays keep is gold and must be defended in essay-like rants.

 

Had Ryu returned, he would have outperformed Pearson. Granted, he'd also come at a higher cost.

[max silver]

Noticeable trend for Max ITT. Every jobber the Jays let go is s***. Every jobber the Jays keep is gold and must be defended in essay-like rants.

 

Had Ryu returned, he would have outperformed Pearson. Granted, he'd also come at a higher cost.

 

Is Nate a jobber in your view? He still has a tremendous ceiling, unlike Ryu who likely maxes out as a decent back of the rotation pitcher. They wouldn't even serve the same roles in the first place so I'm failing to see why you are directly comparing the two of them to start with.

[Orgfiller]

In an interesting bit of news Nate suspects that he was tipping his pitches last season. I'm not necessarily buying that as a primary reason why he was so ineffective at times due to the suspect command but it certainly wouldn't help things any.

 

https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/nate-pearson-working-on-new-pitch-for-blue-jays

 

Meh, this just seems like a broader symptom of him not having a repeatable delivery and struggling with his mechanics. Not really a cause of his struggles, just another piece that would be addressed by having better consistency in his delivery, which would also see improved command of all his pitches.

[Spanky99]

Noticeable trend for Max ITT. Every jobber the Jays let go is s***. Every jobber the Jays keep is gold and must be defended in essay-like rants.

 

Had Ryu returned, he would have outperformed Pearson. Granted, he'd also come at a higher cost.

 

Of course he would, he's a starter man? At least Max is very informative and open to learn. Now you can...

 

 

[max silver]

Meh, this just seems like a broader symptom of him not having a repeatable delivery and struggling with his mechanics. Not really a cause of his struggles, just another piece that would be addressed by having better consistency in his delivery, which would also see improved command of all his pitches.

 

My take on a lot of his struggles was that the opposition could largely ignore the offspeed pitches and zero in on the heater vs Nate tipping his pitches.

[Spanky99]

Concerning Big Nate, I've all but lost faith in him being a multi-inning fireball stopper ala Mark Eichorn or something, just surprise me at this point kid, the control is getting old hat.

[Spanky99]

To me Davis is one of the most interesting watches for this year. MLB is cruel. A historic beginning turns into ........ ?

 

Projections are solid. Uggla V 2.0? or an Eric Hinske ish?

 

I'm seeing him as the Whit replacement, and believe he's a very good replacement, hope it pans out as the projections spit out.

[DonJays]

Is Nate a jobber in your view? He still has a tremendous ceiling, unlike Ryu who likely maxes out as a decent back of the rotation pitcher. They wouldn't even serve the same roles in the first place so I'm failing to see why you are directly comparing the two of them to start with.

I wanted to stay out of this l don’t give a f*** about Pearson and think the chances of him ever contributing are remote…but tremendous ceiling? That’s very incorrect and you should adjust expectations. Nate isn’t a top prospect anymore. He is a fringe BP option that likely won’t be w the team for much longer

[John_Havok]

And now, the long awaited "VLad is in the best shape of his life .." piece from the athletic.

 

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was preparing to step to the plate for batting practice during Tuesday’s first full-squad workout when a fan called out.

 

“Hey, Vladdy — looking good!”

 

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman responded to the fan’s compliment with a friendly thumbs-up.

 

That random fan wasn’t the only one who took note of Guerrero’s leaner physique. After an offseason dedicated to getting fitter, the 24-year-old slugger arrived at the Blue Jays’ player development complex this week looking noticeably slimmer and stronger. It was similar to how he prepared ahead of his monster 2021 season and the Blue Jays can only hope this process leads to the same result.

 

“He looks great,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Guerrero. “He put a ton of work in and I love the way he looks, love the way he’s prepared, and that’s what really good players do. They take ownership of everything in the offseason and they’re ready to go.”

 

 

Guerrero has been the planet Toronto’s offence has orbited around since he debuted in 2019. Since he stepped onto a big-league field, Guerrero has been an above-average hitter. But since his breakout season in 2021, when he had an American League-leading 1.002 OPS with 48 home runs and finished second behind Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting, his offensive numbers have declined. He had a .818 OPS in 2022 and a .788 OPS in 2023.

 

Guerrero’s floor is high considering even his down years are better than the major-league average. But, as he proved in 2021, his ceiling is as high as they come. He’s capable of being one of the game’s few elite hitters. This offseason, Guerrero re-dedicated himself to being in a better position physically to be that guy once again. With just two seasons left before he hits free agency, now is the time to prove that 2021 wasn’t a fluke.

 

Speaking candidly to reporters on Tuesday, Guerrero said via Blue Jays interpreter Hector Lebron that while he worked hard last offseason, “I didn’t work as hard as I did this year.”

 

Guerrero spent most of this past offseason in Florida, where he worked out at a private facility in Tampa. (If you follow Guerrero on Instagram, you probably saw him posting videos of his progress throughout the winter months.) He said his goal was to improve his entire body and report to camp in as good shape as he’d been ahead of the 2021 season.

 

“I achieved all the goals that I wanted to achieve,” Guerrero said. “Of course, being in shape like I used to be, like I felt before in previous years, and I really believe that I achieved that goal. And I feel great right now.”

 

Asked if he feels faster and stronger, Guerrero quipped, “Faster? I don’t know about that. But stronger? Yes.”

 

Getting out of bed every morning, he feels fresher, Guerrero said. The hope is that he can maintain that feeling throughout the demanding 162-game season. Last year, Guerrero said, he was rarely feeling at his best.

 

The first baseman had documented issues with his left wrist and right knee last year — he missed a handful of games, but was never placed on the injured list — but he said his pain spanned “from head to toes.” That said, Guerrero didn’t want to use nagging injuries as an excuse for his performance, instead saying the onus was on him because he didn’t prepare as well as he could have.

 

“If I tell you that I didn’t play with pain in a lot of games, I would be lying,” he said. “But that’s not an excuse. It’s part of the game. Sometimes you got to go on the field and grind, even if everything hurts. Also, I probably won’t blame that because I didn’t have the best preparation in the offseason last year.”

 

Along with working out this offseason, Guerrero was also working through the arbitration process. After the Blue Jays and Guerrero failed to agree to terms before the January deadline, the two parties went to a hearing, where independent arbiters ruled in Guerrero’s favour and awarded him a record $19.9 million contract for the 2024 season.

 

Guerrero attended the hearing in Arizona (when asked why, he said: “If I don’t go, I lose”). Considering the proceedings can make for uncomfortable listening for players, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the responsibility was on the front office to ensure there were no hard feelings between Guerrero and the team.

 

“It’s not something I’m worried about at all,” Atkins said. “Having said that, I do acknowledge that it’s not an easy process. These are stressful things to go through. We would love to avoid that. But money isn’t just the solution. There’s a process that’s in place that we have to be respectful of.”

 

For his part, Guerrero said he understands it’s part of the business. He has spoken to the front office and said, “I don’t feel bad at all.”

 

“You turn the page and it’s all good,” he said.

 

Now looking ahead to the upcoming season, Guerrero is optimistic about what the Blue Jays can do this season, especially as they aim to improve their offensive numbers from a year ago when they were a middle-of-the-pack scoring team. Guerrero is particularly pleased about the addition of veteran Justin Turner, who the Blue Jays first baseman tried to recruit when the 39-year-old was playing for the rival Boston Red Sox.

 

“Last year at first base, I talked to him and I told him, ‘Hey, you’re going to become a free agent next year, so you might take a chance and sign with us,’” Guerrero said.

 

As for his own game, Guerrero said he wants to approach the season much like he did in 2021. That year, he said, he didn’t think of specific numbers or goals he wanted to hit, instead keeping his mind unburdened from expectations. He is hopeful that the same strategy will work once again.

 

“Maybe (I’ll have) the same numbers,” he said. “Maybe better.”

[wilko]

I'm ready to get hurt again.

[deanmike]

And now, the long awaited "VLad is in the best shape of his life .." piece from the athletic.

 

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was preparing to step to the plate for batting practice during Tuesday’s first full-squad workout when a fan called out.

 

“Hey, Vladdy — looking good!”

 

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman responded to the fan’s compliment with a friendly thumbs-up.

 

That random fan wasn’t the only one who took note of Guerrero’s leaner physique. After an offseason dedicated to getting fitter, the 24-year-old slugger arrived at the Blue Jays’ player development complex this week looking noticeably slimmer and stronger. It was similar to how he prepared ahead of his monster 2021 season and the Blue Jays can only hope this process leads to the same result.

 

“He looks great,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Guerrero. “He put a ton of work in and I love the way he looks, love the way he’s prepared, and that’s what really good players do. They take ownership of everything in the offseason and they’re ready to go.”

 

 

Guerrero has been the planet Toronto’s offence has orbited around since he debuted in 2019. Since he stepped onto a big-league field, Guerrero has been an above-average hitter. But since his breakout season in 2021, when he had an American League-leading 1.002 OPS with 48 home runs and finished second behind Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting, his offensive numbers have declined. He had a .818 OPS in 2022 and a .788 OPS in 2023.

 

Guerrero’s floor is high considering even his down years are better than the major-league average. But, as he proved in 2021, his ceiling is as high as they come. He’s capable of being one of the game’s few elite hitters. This offseason, Guerrero re-dedicated himself to being in a better position physically to be that guy once again. With just two seasons left before he hits free agency, now is the time to prove that 2021 wasn’t a fluke.

 

Speaking candidly to reporters on Tuesday, Guerrero said via Blue Jays interpreter Hector Lebron that while he worked hard last offseason, “I didn’t work as hard as I did this year.”

 

Guerrero spent most of this past offseason in Florida, where he worked out at a private facility in Tampa. (If you follow Guerrero on Instagram, you probably saw him posting videos of his progress throughout the winter months.) He said his goal was to improve his entire body and report to camp in as good shape as he’d been ahead of the 2021 season.

 

“I achieved all the goals that I wanted to achieve,” Guerrero said. “Of course, being in shape like I used to be, like I felt before in previous years, and I really believe that I achieved that goal. And I feel great right now.”

 

Asked if he feels faster and stronger, Guerrero quipped, “Faster? I don’t know about that. But stronger? Yes.”

 

Getting out of bed every morning, he feels fresher, Guerrero said. The hope is that he can maintain that feeling throughout the demanding 162-game season. Last year, Guerrero said, he was rarely feeling at his best.

 

The first baseman had documented issues with his left wrist and right knee last year — he missed a handful of games, but was never placed on the injured list — but he said his pain spanned “from head to toes.” That said, Guerrero didn’t want to use nagging injuries as an excuse for his performance, instead saying the onus was on him because he didn’t prepare as well as he could have.

 

“If I tell you that I didn’t play with pain in a lot of games, I would be lying,” he said. “But that’s not an excuse. It’s part of the game. Sometimes you got to go on the field and grind, even if everything hurts. Also, I probably won’t blame that because I didn’t have the best preparation in the offseason last year.”

 

Along with working out this offseason, Guerrero was also working through the arbitration process. After the Blue Jays and Guerrero failed to agree to terms before the January deadline, the two parties went to a hearing, where independent arbiters ruled in Guerrero’s favour and awarded him a record $19.9 million contract for the 2024 season.

 

Guerrero attended the hearing in Arizona (when asked why, he said: “If I don’t go, I lose”). Considering the proceedings can make for uncomfortable listening for players, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the responsibility was on the front office to ensure there were no hard feelings between Guerrero and the team.

 

“It’s not something I’m worried about at all,” Atkins said. “Having said that, I do acknowledge that it’s not an easy process. These are stressful things to go through. We would love to avoid that. But money isn’t just the solution. There’s a process that’s in place that we have to be respectful of.”

 

For his part, Guerrero said he understands it’s part of the business. He has spoken to the front office and said, “I don’t feel bad at all.”

 

“You turn the page and it’s all good,” he said.

 

Now looking ahead to the upcoming season, Guerrero is optimistic about what the Blue Jays can do this season, especially as they aim to improve their offensive numbers from a year ago when they were a middle-of-the-pack scoring team. Guerrero is particularly pleased about the addition of veteran Justin Turner, who the Blue Jays first baseman tried to recruit when the 39-year-old was playing for the rival Boston Red Sox.

 

“Last year at first base, I talked to him and I told him, ‘Hey, you’re going to become a free agent next year, so you might take a chance and sign with us,’” Guerrero said.

 

As for his own game, Guerrero said he wants to approach the season much like he did in 2021. That year, he said, he didn’t think of specific numbers or goals he wanted to hit, instead keeping his mind unburdened from expectations. He is hopeful that the same strategy will work once again.

 

“Maybe (I’ll have) the same numbers,” he said. “Maybe better.”

 

lol