General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2025)

[BatFlip]

28 minutes ago, bones said:

yessir, I dont have access to that email I used over there, new account.

Welcome back to the fold bones!

[Laika]

30 minutes ago, bones said:

yessir, I dont have access to that email I used over there, new account.

Brock Boobchamp can merge your accounts if you care 

[Spanky99]

1 hour ago, bones said:

yessir, I dont have access to that email I used over there, new account.

@Brock Beauchamp can restore your account, if you want to, just an fyi.

[Brownie19]

Blue Jays selected the contract of LHP Richard Lovelady from Triple-A Buffalo.

 

Lovelady has been officially added to Toronto’s 40-man roster, which gives him a strong chance at breaking camp in the club’s season-opening bullpen. The 29-year-old lefty was in camp as a non-roster invitee after posting a respectable 4.46 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 26/11 K/BB ratio over 34 1/3 innings last year between the Rays and Cubs.

 

Manoah was added to the 60 day DL

[Terminator]

50 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Blue Jays selected the contract of LHP Richard Lovelady from Triple-A Buffalo.

 

Lovelady has been officially added to Toronto’s 40-man roster, which gives him a strong chance at breaking camp in the club’s season-opening bullpen. The 29-year-old lefty was in camp as a non-roster invitee after posting a respectable 4.46 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 26/11 K/BB ratio over 34 1/3 innings last year between the Rays and Cubs.

 

Manoah was added to the 60 day DL

Yeah Lovelady is out of options so you'd have to think that if they are adding him to the 40 it means they are adding him to the 26 man as well.

[BB17]

What’s the bullpen to start the season?

Hoffman

Garcia

Green

Sandlin

Little

Lovelady/Walker

Rodriguez

Yarborough

 

If Scherzer starts the season on the IL that likely moves Rodriguez to the rotation and another spot is open.

Honestly that bullpen looks pretty shaky. Hoffman and Garcia are elite I would say and Green is pretty good but there’s a big drop off after that. It would be tough to argue that there are more than 3 relievers you could count on to be above average. 
 

Wonder if the Jays would try to trade a guy like Leo Jimenez for a good reliever. 

[Spanky99]

Hah...
 

 

[Terminator]

Fangraphs is doing their yearly positional power rankings. Jays off to a great start:

• Catcher: 4th
• 1B: 1st
• 2B: 3rd

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2025-positional-power-rankings-second-base/

 

[Spanky99]

Vlad yapping his gums again, lol. Says he's worth 565M current value 200M less than Soto. A 500M floor if he has a bad season(LMFAO) 700M if he has another MVP type season, oh yeah, and he will talk to the Yankees too. He says he doesn't want to be a distraction, since he's said that he's had 6 separate sit-downs with Spanish reporters, this clown needs to just STFU and play ball.

[Eat My Shatkins]

The guy is a clown

[Brownie19]

Zach Pop has been shut down from throwing after experience right elbow inflammation.

 

Pop will be shut down for 7-10 days according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider, but an MRI showed no structural damage. The 28-year-old is now likely to open the season on the injured list, but assuming the inflammation subsides — a risky bet based on how this often goes — there’s a chance he’ll be back near the end of April.

[Terminator]

14 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Zach Pop has been shut down from throwing after experience right elbow inflammation.

 

Pop will be shut down for 7-10 days according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider, but an MRI showed no structural damage. The 28-year-old is now likely to open the season on the injured list, but assuming the inflammation subsides — a risky bet based on how this often goes — there’s a chance he’ll be back near the end of April.

Addition by subtraction

[max silver]

15 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Addition by subtraction

That's assuming the other depth options are actually better than Pop. I suppose this opens the door for someone like Nance to make the opening day roster.

[Terminator]

Just now, max silver said:

That's assuming the other depth options are actually better than Pop. I suppose this opens the door for someone like Nance to make the opening day roster.

Yeah I'd like to see Nance get a shot. His Stuff+ ratings are among the best.

[Orgfiller]

17 minutes ago, max silver said:

That's assuming the other depth options are actually better than Pop. I suppose this opens the door for someone like Nance to make the opening day roster.

Pop hasn't been replacement level (or above, naturally) since 2022. It's hard to think a literal replacement level reliever wouldn't be an upgrade. Nance, Josh Walker, Dillon Tate, Nick Robertson (who?) are all likely better or at the very least, not worse.

[Laika]

Blue Jays’ Shapiro On Guerrero Jr.: “I Think We’re Going To Extend Him”

March 20th, 2025 at 11:03am CST • By Steve Adams

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.‘s self-imposed deadline for an extension — the first full day of spring training — came and went more than a month ago, with no deal coming to fruition. Guerrero has left the door slightly cracked, indicating that while he doesn’t plan to negotiate any further, he’d be amenable to hearing the Jays out if they presented a new offer. That mindset is all the more notable now, given that Jays CEO Mark Shapiro flatly stated this morning that he expects to eventually agree to an extension with the team’s star first baseman (via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi). Said Shapiro:

 

“…I guess my overarching feeling is one of optimism. I think we’re going to sign him. I think we’re going to extend him. The reason I feel that way is because we have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome. Vlad wants to play his whole career as a Toronto Blue Jay. We want him to end his career in a Blue Jays uniform to be a true legacy player for the Toronto Blue Jays. … Could be before free agency, could be during free agency, but I’m optimistic we will sign him.”

.....

 

Kind of a nothing burger, headline makes it seem like Shapiro said something more impactful. But read between the lines and this is Mark saying "Vlad, we are ready to let you test free agency and we are pretty confident the deal you are asking for won't be there"

[Orgfiller]

Safe the say Vlad is losing the PR battle badly.

[BatFlip]

16 minutes ago, Orgfiller said:

Safe the say Vlad is losing the PR battle badly.

By all accounts, the team has made a genuine and fair (I think MORE than fair) attempt to sign this player to an extension.  The org has been willing to recognize his intangible value to the team and has been willing to overlook his many flaws, risks, and inconsistent performance.

Given the above, the way Vlad has conducted himself in interview and social media has come across as entitled, self absorbed, deluded, childish, and just plain f***ing annoying.  Honestly, if he had said nothing and shut his big trap and allowed his agent to work behind the scenes, I'd see things very differently.  Instead, he is determined to run himself into another sure out.

I was a huge fan of this guy and one of the few who still believed in him when many were yelling about sending him to Indy ball last year.   

Now, if things don't work out with the team, I'm pretty confident my sentiment will be "don't let the door hit your fat ass on the way out."  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Spanky99]

My sentiment too, Batflip. Just shut-up and play ball, Vlad. Talk to ya in the winter when we match your real market value.

[Laika]

inb4 "Vladimir Guerrero Jr. turned down more money from the Blue Jays in order to sign with the Yankees" 

[BB17]

I can see Vladdy not wanting to admit defeat and resigning in Toronto in FA if it’s less than what they offered this offseason. Just the optics of it would look bad and I can completely see him going elsewhere because of that. Now if they offer him 350 and everyone is at 300 he probably goes back to the Jays but not so sure if the total is 10-20M on the same years.

Vladd my is also completely delusional if he thinks he’s getting Juan Soto money. He would have to put up like a 10 War season with something like a 220 wRC+ and less than 10% strikeout rate for him to get that. I  think there is a better chance of him putting up a 3 war season than one above 6, in which case he probably signs a short term deal with opt outs after each year. 

 

 

[jaysblue]

Anyone planning to see the Jays play in Minny this June? Thinking of going down to Target Field for that weekend series. Never been. 

[Terminator]

If Varsho starts on the IL we have 5 spots for the following 6 players:

• Wagner
• Lukes
• Schneider
• Barger
• Straw
• Roden

[Vancouverite]

5 minutes ago, Terminator said:

If Varsho starts on the IL we have 5 spots for the following 6 players:

• Wagner
• Lukes
• Schneider
• Barger
• Straw
• Roden

i think Wagner, Schenider and Barger are locks 

But between Lukes, Straw, and Roden I'm hoping for Straw really

Roden i don't see why they'd pick him unless they're going to give him playing time which i don't see. no need ot keep a top prospect on the bench.

Straw has been hot this spring training and while i don't think he can maintain such a pace for a full season maybe he can start hot for a couple weeks and give you gold glove defense in center field. Worthy gamble in my opinion, we still have to pay his 5M either way.

[Jays24]

Ya I agree that we should milk Straw while we need him and looks good, he won't be as useful once Varsho comes back. 

The only issue is that Straw isn't on the 40 man so you'd have to get rid of someone to use him for however long Varsho is out for.  

[Spanky99]

The Loperfido demotion makes for good news for Roden, Straw's a break glass in case of emergency type of situation as he isn't on the 40.

[Vancouverite]

5 minutes ago, Spanky99 said:

The Loperfido demotion makes for good news for Roden, Straw's a break glass in case of emergency type of situation as he isn't on the 40.

Does roden need to be added to 40 or is he on there already?

[Spanky99]

8 minutes ago, Vancouverite said:

Does roden need to be added to 40 or is he on there already?

Hah, had me check, yeah he does need to be added. Hmm... I just counted 39 on the 40 man roster, they have space for one more player. So it doesn't seem to matter, but Roden needs to be added at some point regardless, they'll likely keep Straw in Buffalo for insurance, it's basically a 5M dollar option. 😜

 

 

 

[Ryu In My House]

15 hours ago, Vancouverite said:

i think Wagner, Schenider and Barger are locks 

But between Lukes, Straw, and Roden I'm hoping for Straw really

Roden i don't see why they'd pick him unless they're going to give him playing time which i don't see. no need ot keep a top prospect on the bench.

Straw has been hot this spring training and while i don't think he can maintain such a pace for a full season maybe he can start hot for a couple weeks and give you gold glove defense in center field. Worthy gamble in my opinion, we still have to pay his 5M either way.

These are exactly my thoughts. I think Roden needs to stay down to get consistent playing time and avoid starting his service clock, tbh. I would love it if Myles Straw starts the season hot. Maybe he then becomes a trade candidate when Varsho is healthy. I really think a lot of Lukes, but I don't see him getting much of a chance in the org. I can see him going somewhere like Pittsburgh and becoming a consistent 2 fWAR outfielder there. I was 100% ready to give up on Schneider, but man, he's had a great sping. He is an easy guy to cheer for. 

[Omar]

Can Wagner stick at playing 3b?

I'm not high on Clement.  Jays have to give Wagner his reps and see if his bat can measure up. If he can play a decent 3b we may have something. 

He is the most likely candidate to break out this season and surprise.