Blue Jays Sign Christian Bethancourt, Richard Lovelady To Minor League Deals

[Barrelsandbombs]

 

[Jays24]

8 minutes ago, Barrelsandbombs said:

 

Backup catcher issue solved?

Or are we using Varsho there to make use of Straw lol. 

[Terminator]

This isn't saying much but after Grandal it seems like Bethancourt was probably the top free agent catcher on the board. He has a cannon behind the dish but not much else.

[Barrelsandbombs]

3 minutes ago, Terminator said:

This isn't saying much but after Grandal it seems like Bethancourt was probably the top free agent catcher on the board. He has a cannon behind the dish but not much else.

Yeah at least Bethancourt has something. All Heinemen has is magic tricks.

[G-Snarls]

The Blue Jays announced Wednesday that they’ve signed catcher Christian Bethancourt and left-hander Richard Lovelady to minor league contracts. Both players have been invited to major league camp during spring training.

[G-Snarls]

Is that our lefty in the pen and our backup catcher?  

Or just a couple of maybes??

[Terminator]

Looks like Bethancourt is actually a decent baserunner, particularly for a C. His sprint speed was 53rd percentile the past couple of years. So he can pinch run for Kirk late in games too lol

Minor league deal gives us some roster flexibility through the spring as well.

[G-Snarls]

4 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Looks like Bethancourt is actually a decent baserunner, particularly for a C. His sprint speed was 53rd percentile the past couple of years. So he can pinch run for Kirk late in games too lol

Minor league deal gives us some roster flexibility through the spring as well.

Then he could pinch run for Kirk late in games and not require burning an extra bench player?  Yes.  Don't hate that.  

[Terminator]

6 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Is that our lefty in the pen and our backup catcher?  

Or just a couple of maybes??

My guesses:

Bethancourt will be the backup C

Dick Lovelady is probably just a spring arm with a chance to make the team if we have an injury.

[Brownie19]

Never saw a minor league deal I didn't like.  Both seem like solid moves.  Lovelady has a great name and was lights out in AAA last year (like 13% K rate, <1% BB rate, FIP <1.00)

[G-Snarls]

9 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Never saw a minor league deal I didn't like.  Both seem like solid moves.  Lovelady has a great name and was lights out in AAA last year (like 13% K rate, <1% BB rate, FIP <1.00)

2025 Buffalo Bisons closer!

[Omar]

3 hours ago, Terminator said:

My guesses:

Bethancourt will be the backup C

Dick Lovelady is probably just a spring arm with a chance to make the team if we have an injury.

For a backup C, anything other than good defence, being a good receiver is gravy. Another good move by Rosco!

Extend Atkins now😜

[G-Snarls]

Very happy with Betahcourt as our back C really.  And for peanuts/league min.

[Jonn]

Dick Lovelady is an all-time name.

[max silver]

29 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Very happy with Betahcourt as our back C really.  And for peanuts/league min.

Bethancourt and Heineman can battle it out to see who has a less bad spring training showing. 

[Bone R]

1 hour ago, max silver said:

Bethancourt and Heineman can battle it out to see who has a less bad spring training showing. 

lmao I spit out my food laughing at this. Love your optimism 🤣🤣🤣

[G-Snarls]

Reese McGuire just signed with the Cubs so that option is gone 

[max silver]

22 minutes ago, Bone R said:

lmao I spit out my food laughing at this. Love your optimism 🤣🤣🤣

Both of these guys have awfully similar projections so it's basically a pick your poison scenario as I fully expect each of them to be pretty bad. Heineman at least appears to be a solid defender behind the plate so he has that going for him.

[Terminator]

Yeah they both suck. If the Hiney-man is a godlike framer than he would get the call.

Otherwise I think I'd go with Bethancourt. He has some tools including a cannon for an arm and he has some solid Max EV, meaning he can park a mistake into the seats once in a while. He'd be the better pinch runner for Kirk too for whatever that is worth.

Hiney-man is a slap hitter with EVs similar to that of a woman's softball player so he's probably the third C to me.

[Sorrow]

6 hours ago, G-Snarls said:

Is that our lefty in the pen and our backup catcher?  

Or just a couple of maybes??

There's actually some interesting competition for the 2nd lefty role if Brendon Little looks good in Spring Training.

We signed Josh Walker to an MLB deal earlier this winter, limited opportunities in the MLB so far and hasn't looked great.

Dick Lovelady

Eric Lauer

Easton Lucas - really good slider by Stuff+ but everything else is averagish to s***

Macko - maybe the team moves him to the 'pen as a long arm - down to 2 options never broke 100 IP

 

[BatFlip]

1 hour ago, G-Snarls said:

Reese McGuire just signed with the Cubs so that option is gone 

Aw man.... I was really hoping he'd sign here just so I could enjoy the jokes.

[jaysblue]

The Sheriff was a huge Richard Lovelady fan! He must be going crazy and getting buzzed tonight!

[Spanky99]

9 hours ago, Terminator said:

This isn't saying much but after Grandal it seems like Bethancourt was probably the top free agent catcher on the board. He has a cannon behind the dish but not much else.

I still think Toronto sign Grandal.

[Terminator]

1 hour ago, Spanky99 said:

I still think Toronto sign Grandal.

Kirk could actually pinch run for Grandal

[G-Snarls]

33 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Kirk could actually pinch run for Grandal

And he would pinch run for Salvador Perez 

[Spanky99]

48 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Kirk could actually pinch run for Grandal

Still doesn't mean, Grandal < slop.

[Bone R]

21 hours ago, G-Snarls said:

Reese McGuire just signed with the Cubs so that option is gone 

Wasn't he caught masturbating to porn on his phone in a Dollarama parking lot? 

[John_Havok]

14 hours ago, Bone R said:

Wasn't he caught masturbating to porn on his phone in a Dollarama parking lot? 

I sure hope it was porn. Jacking it to a grocery list would be weird.

[Brownie19]

3 hours ago, John_Havok said:

I sure hope it was porn. Jacking it to a grocery list would be weird.

He could be kickin' it old school with the Sears catalog...

[John_Havok]

14 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

He could be kickin' it old school with the Sears catalog...

Would you take these things off already? I don't deserve this shabby treatment. 

*buzzer*

 

If you know, you know.