Blue Jays (Gausman) vs. Rangers (deGrom): 5/26/25, 4:05pm

[neverbeenhere]

Another man on with no one out

[Spanky__99]

1 minute ago, John_Havok said:

OAA backs up the eye test so far. 89th percentile fielding run value and 83rd percentile in range. Still not enough throws to qualify for the arm stat, but... I have to think he's 85th percentile minimum. 

95 minimum, lol. Thanks for that, cool. 

[neverbeenhere]

Varsho needs a triple

[Spanky__99]

lol... he legit hit it too hard, Stefanic would've been dead if they sent him.

[Omar]

This late in the game with a one run lead maybe you gamble and send him and make the opposition execute the out.  

[John_Havok]

1 minute ago, Spanky__99 said:

lol... he legit hit it too hard, Stefanic would've been dead if they sent him.

lol, legit cursed with RISP right now. Everything is roped right at defenders or hit too hard to score a guy from 2nd on a single. Ah well, at least theyre hitting it hard. 

[John_Havok]

1 minute ago, Omar said:

This late in the game with a one run lead maybe you gamble and send him and make the opposition execute the out.  

I was thinking the same but... man they would have had all kinds of time to nail him even on an errant throw unless it was WAAAAY offline. 

[Spanky__99]

Shut it down Big Hoff!

 

[Abomination]

That single by Vladdy was 111 mph.

[Spanky__99]

2 minutes ago, John_Havok said:

lol, legit cursed with RISP right now. Everything is roped right at defenders or hit too hard to score a guy from 2nd on a single. Ah well, at least theyre hitting it hard. 

Exactly, all you can do is laugh, it's such a fickle sport, baseball. 🤪 

[John_Havok]

I really wish they'd forget Hoffman's splitter exists. He wipes guys out with the fastball/slider...just pack up the splitter and give it a courtesy 5-10% usage as the showme, like Gausman does with his slider. 

[neverbeenhere]

13 pitches

[John_Havok]

Ballgame!

See y'all tmorrow

[Omar]

Anything is easier than playing the Devil Rays.  JAYS WIN!!

[Spanky__99]

Good start and W to the series, we play and pitch like that, we'll win this series.

[Spanky__99]

12 minutes ago, John_Havok said:

I was thinking the same but... man they would have had all kinds of time to nail him even on an errant throw unless it was WAAAAY offline. 

Yeah, I agree with Omar's point as putting pressure on a play at the plate. But Stefanic wasn't even at 3rd yet when the fielder had it. 

[G-Snarls]

What a great win for so many reasons 

[jaysthebest]

It doesn't matter if we win this series..

We are going to get swept next series...

[G-Snarls]

1 minute ago, jaysthebest said:

It doesn't matter if we win this series..

We are going to get swept next series...

Reverse jinx?

It's 4 games at home against the A's

[Stangstag]

36 minutes ago, John_Havok said:

I really wish they'd forget Hoffman's splitter exists. He wipes guys out with the fastball/slider...just pack up the splitter and give it a courtesy 5-10% usage as the showme, like Gausman does with his slider. 

Almost gotta wonder if Hoffman is insisting on showing/developing the splitter in order to plead his case to become a starter??

Seems extremely obvious to anyone watching (and the FO should know this you think) that he can be an elite RP without the splitter 

[Laika]

1 hour ago, John_Havok said:

I really wish they'd forget Hoffman's splitter exists. He wipes guys out with the fastball/slider...just pack up the splitter and give it a courtesy 5-10% usage as the showme, like Gausman does with his slider. 

Came here to say this again 

Judging from Gameday, he threw three splitters today with nearly disastrous results. Almost hit a batter, then gave up a long flyball on a middle middle splitter, then almost hit the next batter 

[Laika]

I wonder if there was some sort of assurance like "if you make it through 2025 healthy we will give a chance to start in 2026" so he is refusing to shrink his arsenal 

[Masterbather]

Crap we had an early game?!

I was looking forward to this matchup. 

Oh it was Memorial Day. Damn it!

[G-Snarls]

29 minutes ago, Masterbather said:

Crap we had an early game?!

I was looking forward to this matchup. 

Oh it was Memorial Day. Damn it!

Bummer you missed it 

Gausman and Varsho killed

[John_Havok]

43 minutes ago, Laika said:

I wonder if there was some sort of assurance like "if you make it through 2025 healthy we will give a chance to start in 2026" so he is refusing to shrink his arsenal 

Maybe, but shrinking his arsenal is one thing....more than doubling the usage of a demonstrably s***** pitch is another. 

I'm more of the belief that the organization really loves that pitch amd if you tell them you throw one...its gonna get abused until it works ...even if it never does. It's not a pitch with great velo separation from his fastball, it doesnt have great movement... so using it nearly 30% of the time just doesnt make sense.

[Laika]

3 minutes ago, John_Havok said:

Maybe, but shrinking his arsenal is one thing....more than doubling the usage of a demonstrably s***** pitch is another. 

I'm more of the belief that the organization really loves that pitch amd if you tell them you throw one...its gonna get abused until it works ...even if it never does. It's not a pitch with great velo separation from his fastball, it doesnt have great movement... so using it nearly 30% of the time just doesnt make sense.

I think the lack of command on it is the biggest problem 

Most of them are non competitive or down the middle 

[John_Havok]

14 minutes ago, Laika said:

I think the lack of command on it is the biggest problem 

Most of them are non competitive or down the middle 

Could just be one of those pitches that is only effective as a really rare change of pace/different look. 

23 more splitters he will have already thrown as many as he did all of last season, and it was decently successful for him.

[jaysblue]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

I wonder if there was some sort of assurance like "if you make it through 2025 healthy we will give a chance to start in 2026" so he is refusing to shrink his arsenal 

Yeah interesting point. Makes you wonder.

Jays losing Bassitt as a free agent this offseason and Scherzer only here for one season anyways, so that leaves two vacant spots in the rotation for 2026. That is if you include Francis as still part of the rotation heading into 2026, which I don't think is a guarantee given how he has pitched this season, so it's possible the Jays might have three spots vacant. Also, we'll see how Manoah is when he comes back, so he might occupy one of those spots. 

Last offseason we saw the price for mid-rotation arms via free agency was pretty high in November/December. Unless you played the waiting game (e.g. Pivetta), but that is never a guarantee and not the strategy the Jays should take with a massive void to fill in their rotation. 

Using Hoffman as a starter in 2026 actually makes some sense given the Jays situation and circumstances. Easier to go out and sign another high leverage reliever or promote a closer from within. Maybe Yariel at the end of 2025 looks like he's capable of handling the ninth inning duties where the Jays give him the chance in ST to audition for the role. 

We've seen relievers make the successful transition back to the rotation in their early 30's, like Seth Lugo and Clay Holmes, so definitely not out of the question with Jeff Hoffman if the Jays decide to give him that opportunity. Might be able to squeeze a 3-4 WAR season out of Hoffman if he pitches like Lugo in 2024 or Holmes in 2025. 

 

[Laika]

1 hour ago, jaysblue said:

Yeah interesting point. Makes you wonder.

Jays losing Bassitt as a free agent this offseason and Scherzer only here for one season anyways, so that leaves two vacant spots in the rotation for 2026. That is if you include Francis as still part of the rotation heading into 2026, which I don't think is a guarantee given how he has pitched this season, so it's possible the Jays might have three spots vacant. Also, we'll see how Manoah is when he comes back, so he might occupy one of those spots. 

Last offseason we saw the price for mid-rotation arms via free agency was pretty high in November/December. Unless you played the waiting game (e.g. Pivetta), but that is never a guarantee and not the strategy the Jays should take with a massive void to fill in their rotation. 

Using Hoffman as a starter in 2026 actually makes some sense given the Jays situation and circumstances. Easier to go out and sign another high leverage reliever or promote a closer from within. Maybe Yariel at the end of 2025 looks like he's capable of handling the ninth inning duties where the Jays give him the chance in ST to audition for the role. 

We've seen relievers make the successful transition back to the rotation in their early 30's, like Seth Lugo and Clay Holmes, so definitely not out of the question with Jeff Hoffman if the Jays decide to give him that opportunity. Might be able to squeeze a 3-4 WAR season out of Hoffman if he pitches like Lugo in 2024 or Holmes in 2025. 

 

I'm all for it if he gets through this year clean 

Even the way Toronto has used him this year kind of hints at it. Those two inning games.

[Stangstag]

2 hours ago, jaysblue said:

Yeah interesting point. Makes you wonder.

Jays losing Bassitt as a free agent this offseason and Scherzer only here for one season anyways, so that leaves two vacant spots in the rotation for 2026. That is if you include Francis as still part of the rotation heading into 2026, which I don't think is a guarantee given how he has pitched this season, so it's possible the Jays might have three spots vacant. Also, we'll see how Manoah is when he comes back, so he might occupy one of those spots. 

Last offseason we saw the price for mid-rotation arms via free agency was pretty high in November/December. Unless you played the waiting game (e.g. Pivetta), but that is never a guarantee and not the strategy the Jays should take with a massive void to fill in their rotation. 

Using Hoffman as a starter in 2026 actually makes some sense given the Jays situation and circumstances. Easier to go out and sign another high leverage reliever or promote a closer from within. Maybe Yariel at the end of 2025 looks like he's capable of handling the ninth inning duties where the Jays give him the chance in ST to audition for the role. 

We've seen relievers make the successful transition back to the rotation in their early 30's, like Seth Lugo and Clay Holmes, so definitely not out of the question with Jeff Hoffman if the Jays decide to give him that opportunity. Might be able to squeeze a 3-4 WAR season out of Hoffman if he pitches like Lugo in 2024 or Holmes in 2025. 

 

Great points, I agree the splitter usage makes no sense unless he still sees himself as a starter. And maybe the FO gave him certain assurances when signing him