General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2025)

[Big_Walleye]

2 hours ago, Olerud363.354 said:

Kind of funny how this team is the complete opposite of the 2021 team.

2021 team 8 games below expectations, this team 6 games above. 

2021 team was seemingly full of generational stars with MVP near triple crown level Vlad, a 45 homer 2nd basemen, a fast 6 bbrefWAR Bo,  peak Teoscar Hernandez and prime George Springer.

2025 team has Eric Hosmer level Vlad, Ernie Clement as the second basemen,  a slow Bo with broken knees that can no longer play, peak Nathan Lukes, and past-prime George Springer but somehow rejuvinated back 5 years to prime.

2025 team had Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, 10kper 9 Alec Manoah, Jose Berrios sitting at 95.

2025 team has just released Alec Manoah, disabled Jose Berrios, but I guess hoping Trey Yesavage is 2021 Alec Manoah.   

2021 Jordan Romano had exactly 1/2 the ERA and 1/2 the homeruns compared to Jeff Hoffman.    

Yet last Saturday of the season 2021 Jays had one improbable path to a 5 game playoff series, they needed to win out, needed help from the Nationals or Rays, then would have needed to win a tie breaker, then a wild card game.  This year they already have a 3 game series locked and multiple paths to a 5 game series. 

Playoffs are mostly luck but one thing I do think is you don't know exactly how good a team was until the next season.  Like what if Yesavage is really good, Beiber is recovered from TJ,  Hoffman hasn't really lost it,  Santander is still good,  Vlad's power hasn't really disappeared, Barger is getting better, Fluharty is good, etc.  Don't know any of that for sure until next year.  So it's like the opposite of 2021.  2021 team wasn't good as good as we thought as many players looked a bit better than they were long term.   2025 team could be better than at first glance depending on long term true talent levels. 

If memory serves, that 45 homer 2nd baseman cost them a trip to the playoffs when he couldn't make the simplest throw to first.  It would have been nice to see what that team could have done in October. 

As for this team, sometimes they feel like a team of destiny and the next minute it feels like they're doomed to collapse.  If they could ever get the offense firing on all cylinders again I think they could do some damage.  They're all going through a down period right now but it might be good to be coming out of it at the right time.  Get Bo back and Vlad, Barger and Kirk come around and let's see what happens. 

[Jays24]

8 hours ago, max silver said:

Manoah is averaging 90 MPH with awful command. I have a really hard time seeing how there would be a team interested in trading for a player like this, and if they did it would be absolutely nothing of value coming back in return. I don't think there's a lot of worry about this being a Chris Carpenter situation barring a dramatic improvement to his stuff and command.

Its just a bad penny pinching move you expect from small market teams with a high risk/low reward type of situation.  It just feels like there must have been stuff going on behind the scenes to do something like this.  We'll find out eventually what type of move this is but from the outside, there's a legit worry it could backfire.  

[Jayzfan79]

20 hours ago, Jayzfan79 said:

These guys are killing me....a week ago it was basically a sure thing lol.

Down to the last day.  Fk sakes lol

[Masterbather]

10 hours ago, Big_Walleye said:

If memory serves, that 45 homer 2nd baseman cost them a trip to the playoffs when he couldn't make the simplest throw to first.  It would have been nice to see what that team could have done in October. 

As for this team, sometimes they feel like a team of destiny and the next minute it feels like they're doomed to collapse.  If they could ever get the offense firing on all cylinders again I think they could do some damage.  They're all going through a down period right now but it might be good to be coming out of it at the right time.  Get Bo back and Vlad, Barger and Kirk come around and let's see what happens. 

I know it seems petty considering the season he had but I have never been able to let go of that loss because of Semien's completely unnecessarily lazy throw to first base. It was so obviously lazy.

That team should have been in the postseason.

[max silver]

10 hours ago, Big_Walleye said:

If memory serves, that 45 homer 2nd baseman cost them a trip to the playoffs when he couldn't make the simplest throw to first.  It would have been nice to see what that team could have done in October. 

As for this team, sometimes they feel like a team of destiny and the next minute it feels like they're doomed to collapse.  If they could ever get the offense firing on all cylinders again I think they could do some damage.  They're all going through a down period right now but it might be good to be coming out of it at the right time.  Get Bo back and Vlad, Barger and Kirk come around and let's see what happens. 

That's patently unfair to blame the 6 win second baseman for a single errant throw as being the reason the club didn't make the post season. If not for his contributions that year the team wouldn't have even been in contention.

[max silver]

7 hours ago, Jays24 said:

Its just a bad penny pinching move you expect from small market teams with a high risk/low reward type of situation.  It just feels like there must have been stuff going on behind the scenes to do something like this.  We'll find out eventually what type of move this is but from the outside, there's a legit worry it could backfire.  

I wouldn't be surprised if there are extenuating circumstances in this situation. Manoah simply didn't really resemble a major league caliber pitcher during his rehab stint and I think it's far more likely he's never a rotation member for any team in the majors again vs this move being something the Blue Jays regret.

[SeranthonySantander]

So it turns out we definitely could afford at least 6/7 of Hoffmans blown saves and those 6 games truly didn't matter.  If we win tomorrow he is off the hook.  Kind of annoyed because someone told me every game matters and every vote counts, but what major election was ever won by 1 vote?

[Big_Walleye]

2 hours ago, max silver said:

That's patently unfair to blame the 6 win second baseman for a single errant throw as being the reason the club didn't make the post season. If not for his contributions that year the team wouldn't have even been in contention.

It's not that unfair. He should have made that throw.   I don't think he was that great.  Yeah he hit a lot of homers but he's all about Marcus.  He didn't deserve the gold glove either.  I watched him ole a bunch of hard hit balls that year.

[max silver]

1 minute ago, Big_Walleye said:

It's not that unfair. He should have made that throw.   I don't think he was that great.  Yeah he hit a lot of homers but he's all about Marcus.  He didn't deserve the gold glove either.  I watched him ole a bunch of hard hit balls that year.

Come on man, the guy was a down ballot MVP candidate for crying out loud so it should be easy to recognize the impact the guy provided in his season as a Blue Jay. Semien posted comparable defensive metrics to Merrifield and Fletcher that season at second base and any one of them were completely deserving as gold glove candidates. A few unmade plays that you witnessed doesn't negate the 11 DRS/6 OAA that Semien produced that season. Not being able to retain Semien was the biggest factor in my view of the team's inability to hit the next level in the following seasons as the club was never able to fully replace his impact as he was a plus player in all phases of the game.

[Big_Walleye]

1 minute ago, max silver said:

Come on man, the guy was a down ballot MVP candidate for crying out loud so it should be easy to recognize the impact the guy provided in his season as a Blue Jay. Semien posted comparable defensive metrics to Merrifield and Fletcher that season at second base and any one of them were completely deserving as gold glove candidates. A few unmade plays that you witnessed doesn't negate the 11 DRS/6 OAA that Semien produced that season. Not being able to retain Semien was the biggest factor in my view of the team's inability to hit the next level in the following seasons as the club was never able to fully replace his impact as he was a plus player in all phases of the game.

He should have made that throw.  I would have hit Vladdy between his pecs 100 out of 100 times.  That's what I remember.  That's what a lot of people remember.  That's the way it is.

[GoBlue41]

It's not quite as big as a win or you're out type of game but this really is a do or die game knowing that you can go from the 1st to 4th seed, you would have to play an additional series and you don't have extra time to get Bo healthy. I sure hope Gausman is up to the task and I hope the bats come out on fire!! LFG! I'm not gonna sleep tonight!!! 

[Spanky__99]

How bout dem Blue Jays...162 for the title, Bitches!!!

 

[jaysblue]

Rolling with Gausman today, you hope the Jays can pull out a win or the Yankees lose and avoid the WC round. 

If not, I guess Gausman is available for a potential Game #3 of the WC. That would suck, though the Jays don't have any other choice but starting Gausman today in order to try for the division. 

 

[Laika]

1 hour ago, jaysblue said:

Rolling with Gausman today, you hope the Jays can pull out a win or the Yankees lose and avoid the WC round. 

If not, I guess Gausman is available for a potential Game #3 of the WC. That would suck, though the Jays don't have any other choice but starting Gausman today in order to try for the division. 

 

Have to go for it 

This game is worth more than one game in a wild card series. Win today is like winning the entire wc round.

Bradish should give the Yankees fits too...

 

[Olerud363.354]

Only other times I remember things coming down to the last day day was 1990 and 2021.  Both times needing other teams to lose.

Wait.  Of course 1987.  

Since they created the 5 team division the Yankees have won it 17 times, Red Sox 5, Rays 4, Orioles 3 and Blue Jays 1.  

The only Toronto front office team to win the American League East in the Wild Card era is the team of Paul 'Track Team' Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos.  After their track team did not win they traded everybody else.  Beeston and Anthopoulos were loved by the fans and they loved the fans.  Beeston loved the fans so much he refused to hold Saturday night games, just to make sure everyone would be back for Saturday Evening Barbeque.   Anothopoulos was so loved, the fans all went to Baltimore to chant his name as the 200+ run differential Blue Jays won the division with a 15-2 victory on Wednesday.  The next 5 days Cliff Pennington and Dalton Pompey got to play.   

Whatever you think of Shapiro he did listen to Beeston about the Saturday games and gets everyone home early enough.   And he also got one of the prospects traded at the 2015 deadline back, elite closer Jeff Hoffman.  Maybe he should have got Matt Boyd back instead.    The team of Shapiro and Atkins, sometimes known as Shatkins is not exactly loved by all, but today they have a chance to win the division and get the best win total since 94.     For a while it looked like they might win on Wednesday too until they started getting beat 2-1 and then 20-1 then 2-1 again.  The run differential is like 70 or something, but they have a chance today to surpass the 2015 win differential.  

[John_Havok]

On 9/24/2025 at 8:07 AM, mphenhef said:

That's true, but they would also have Bieber, Scherzer, Bo, France, Seranthony, IKF and Bassitt coming off the 40.

And they have as many guys on the 60 day IL. You never want a full 40 man in the offseason

[SeranthonySantander]

The end of this season played out better than my wildest dreams.  I wish there was a 6 games streak yankee parlay to bet on because everyone knew they weren't going to lose.  Gate 14 guys mentioned they were going to make that bet last Sunday.

[Masterbather]

9 minutes ago, SeranthonySantander said:

The end of this season played out better than my wildest dreams.  I wish there was a 6 games streak yankee parlay to bet on because everyone knew they weren't going to lose.  Gate 14 guys mentioned they were going to make that bet last Sunday.

We all knew with the softer schedule the Yankees could go on a run, and indeed the Yankees ended up winning 11 of their final 13 games to end the season. 

[G-Snarls]

15 minutes ago, Masterbather said:

We all knew with the softer schedule the Yankees could go on a run, and indeed the Yankees ended up winning 11 of their final 13 games to end the season. 

They stepped on everyone's neck except ours 

[John Balkabella]

Has anyone asked Michael Kay whether it is OK to hang off the rim now?

[thatoneguy]

George Springer just put up the second best season of his career by fWAR with zero (well, negative actually) defensive contribution and, by a considerable margin, his best season by wRC+ (166) vs. 155 in 2019. He is third in MLB in wRC+ behind Judge and Ohtani. Finishes with a .309 average and a .959 OPS.

[Stangstag]

55 minutes ago, thatoneguy said:

George Springer just put up the second best season of his career by fWAR with zero (well, negative actually) defensive contribution and, by a considerable margin, his best season by wRC+ (166) vs. 155 in 2019. He is third in MLB in wRC+ behind Judge and Ohtani. Finishes with a .309 average and a .959 OPS.

Wonder how many piss tests the dude has been required to take this year lol. I’d bet like 5+

[BTS]

So playoff rotation is what - Gausman, Bieber, Yesavage 1-3 then figure it out from there if a 4th is needed?

[max silver]

1 hour ago, BTS said:

So playoff rotation is what - Gausman, Bieber, Yesavage 1-3 then figure it out from there if a 4th is needed?

I would guess that Bassitt is likely going to figure into the ALDS rotation as well if required.

[Stangstag]

1 hour ago, BTS said:

So playoff rotation is what - Gausman, Bieber, Yesavage 1-3 then figure it out from there if a 4th is needed?

God i hope so, but wouldn’t be shocked if they tried to slot Scherzer in there somewhere. I really dont want to give him the ball again though, he probably shouldn’t be on the roster.

[Brownie19]

9 hours ago, thatoneguy said:

George Springer just put up the second best season of his career by fWAR with zero (well, negative actually) defensive contribution and, by a considerable margin, his best season by wRC+ (166) vs. 155 in 2019. He is third in MLB in wRC+ behind Judge and Ohtani. Finishes with a .309 average and a .959 OPS.

Couldn't happen to a better guy.  Springer is the type of guy you want your kids to idolize.  

[Terminator]

 

Good morning Jays fans 🌞

[mphenhef]

33 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

God i hope so, but wouldn’t be shocked if they tried to slot Scherzer in there somewhere. I really dont want to give him the ball again though, he probably shouldn’t be on the roster.

If they could figure out a way to avoid first inning Scherzer that would be great.  Maybe ~10 days off will help him too.

[Vancouverite]

21 minutes ago, mphenhef said:

If they could figure out a way to avoid first inning Scherzer that would be great.  Maybe ~10 days off will help him too.

I know Scherzer has had his struggles of late

 

But its Max Freaking Scherzer. This is what we got him for, for the big lights, big pressure.

 

Personally there's nobody else other than Scherzer id rather have on the mound this post-season. Some guys are made for the post season in every sport. Every year its the same thing... doesn't matter how regular season was, playoffs they elevate.

 

I have no doubt thats Max and he needs to be in there

[glory]

1 hour ago, Stangstag said:

God i hope so, but wouldn’t be shocked if they tried to slot Scherzer in there somewhere. I really dont want to give him the ball again though, he probably shouldn’t be on the roster.

I feel like they’ll go with Yesavage and Bassitt (in whichever order) after Gausman and Bieber. Maybe Max out of the pen out of respect to him, but I can’t imagine he starts a playoff game after the way he looked down the stretch.