Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2026)

[Laika]

Unfortunately they need to trade Nathan Lukes. He has a thin blue line Batman American flag tattoo. Nothing more cringe exists in the universe 

[jmomcc]

Feels like we need a trade for a right handed hitter. The Sosa experiment probably could end. Not sure what's out there though

[Angrioter]

Sosa

103 PA, 0 BB

[John_Havok]

9 hours ago, Angrioter said:

Sosa

103 PA, 0 BB

how many times has he even seen a 3 ball count??? - 5 times. 

 

For contrast, Clement has 13 in 197 PA. 7 walks. 

[John_Havok]

About to see Chandler, Skenes and Keller when the Pirates ride into town. Tough test for the boys 

Chandler vs Gausman, Skenes vs Corbin, Keller vs Cease

Chandler cant throw strikes, but our guys seem to be allergic to walks so... who knows how that will go. Gausman will keep us in it and give us a chance.

Skenes is Skenes so we know how that will go. Corbin's magic has to wear off eventually. 

Keller vs Cease is our best matchup for sure. 

 

Hopefully Chandler implodes and Cease lays down the hammer and we take 2 of 3. 

[Laika]

16 minutes ago, John_Havok said:

how many times has he even seen a 3 ball count??? - 5 times. 

 

For contrast, Clement has 13 in 197 PA. 7 walks. 

Absurd stuff 

The Sosa trade is the worst move Atkins has made in a long time. I guess it was a desperate reaction to how brutal Schneider looks + the complete lack of RH hitting depth on the 40 man 

[Orgfiller]

29 minutes ago, Laika said:

Absurd stuff 

The Sosa trade is the worst move Atkins has made in a long time. I guess it was a desperate reaction to how brutal Schneider looks + the complete lack of RH hitting depth on the 40 man 

In retrospect we could really have used a Randal Grichuk back when the Yankees dumped him. You'll be hard pressed getting him from the White Sox now that they're actually making some noise in the AL Central and the WC race.

[glory]

Grichuk and the FO must have had a falling out or something. He's made sense as a pickup for a while and the Jays have the financial muscle to spend. Trading someone to the Rockies might be unforgivable though, so not sure I blame Grichuk. 

[Brownie19]

2 hours ago, Laika said:

Absurd stuff 

The Sosa trade is the worst move Atkins has made in a long time. I guess it was a desperate reaction to how brutal Schneider looks + the complete lack of RH hitting depth on the 40 man 

If trading a nobody for Sosa is the worst thing in recent memory than I think he's doing OK.

[Laika]

58 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

If trading a nobody for Sosa is the worst thing in recent memory than I think he's doing OK.

More about the playing time given to Sosa than anything else 

[Brownie19]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

More about the playing time given to Sosa than anything else 

Yeah that's fair.  I have to think there's something in his profile they thought could help the offense and it's difficult to give up on him after a SSS of at bats.  Now they're in that uncomfortable position where I suspect the models suggest he should turn a corner here at some point (he was a 100 wRC+ hitter with 22 HRs last year), but you can't wait much longer for him to get hot.  

I don't think teams can predict when hitters get hot.  Almost every hitter is streaky.  It certainly sucks goats that Sosa's been stone cold since arriving.  I thought it was worth a flyer to see if he could give the offense a shot in the arm, maybe we could catch him during a hot streak, but it's been the complete opposite.

I suspect they're just hanging onto him until someone else gets healthy...or maybe 2 people get healthy because you could certainly send an equality disappointing DS down to AAA.

I understand why they acquired Sosa and applaud them for doing "something" and not waiting.  I think the results are generally outside of Atkin's control.  This is all about when you pull the plug and try to throw something else against the wall and hope it sticks.  

This is the type of stuff I hate seeing fans blame the FO for.

[Laika]

17 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Yeah that's fair.  I have to think there's something in his profile they thought could help the offense and it's difficult to give up on him after a SSS of at bats.  Now they're in that uncomfortable position where I suspect the models suggest he should turn a corner here at some point (he was a 100 wRC+ hitter with 22 HRs last year), but you can't wait much longer for him to get hot.  

I don't think teams can predict when hitters get hot.  Almost every hitter is streaky.  It certainly sucks goats that Sosa's been stone cold since arriving.  I thought it was worth a flyer to see if he could give the offense a shot in the arm, maybe we could catch him during a hot streak, but it's been the complete opposite.

I suspect they're just hanging onto him until someone else gets healthy...or maybe 2 people get healthy because you could certainly send an equality disappointing DS down to AAA.

I understand why they acquired Sosa and applaud them for doing "something" and not waiting.  I think the results are generally outside of Atkin's control.  This is all about when you pull the plug and try to throw something else against the wall and hope it sticks.  

This is the type of stuff I hate seeing fans blame the FO for.

They have had some success in buying low on flawed / overly aggressive hitters before. 

Clement mainly but they fixed Straw. Valenzuela kind of an example. They tried it with Gimenez as well, without success. 

The issue with Sosa is that the rest of his profile is horrendous. No defensive value or speed, limited defensive utility even. Every other hacker acquisition came with secondary skills. Sosa has zero. There was never much upside on his range of outcomes. 

[Spanky__99]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

They have had some success in buying low on flawed / overly aggressive hitters before. 

Clement mainly but they fixed Straw. Valenzuela kind of an example. They tried it with Gimenez as well, without success. 

The issue with Sosa is that the rest of his profile is horrendous. No defensive value or speed, limited defensive utility even. Every other hacker acquisition came with secondary skills. Sosa has zero. There was never much upside on his range of outcomes. 

You fawned over the move at the time we acquired him, he was basically an emergency fill in, it's really a nothingburger.

[Brownie19]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

They have had some success in buying low on flawed / overly aggressive hitters before. 

Clement mainly but they fixed Straw. Valenzuela kind of an example. They tried it with Gimenez as well, without success. 

The issue with Sosa is that the rest of his profile is horrendous. No defensive value or speed, limited defensive utility even. Every other hacker acquisition came with secondary skills. Sosa has zero. There was never much upside on his range of outcomes. 

I agree - that's why he cost nothing but a lottery ticket.  We were just hoping to catch lightning in a bottle.  I suspect they thought a new voice or a tweak in his approach may unlock something as well.  Same reason they grabbed Sanchez when Santander went out for the year.  Sometimes you don't catch that lightning.  If it were easy to do, everyone would do it.

I applaud the GM for not sitting on his hands - he's shown some urgency to add/plug holes at reasonable/low cost.  Those will always be long shots.  I guess the criticism is that he didn't got bigger and get more proven bats.  I'm not sure it was critical enough at the time that we wanted to start emptying the farm.

Injuries to Kirk, Springer, Barger and Lukes, combined with Vlad and DS sh*tting the bed has made it near impossible for any secondary move like to really have much impact either way.  I think if Atkins would have known that this is what would have happened, he may have taken another approach - but I don't think anyone would have predicted this (except for a few of the most knowledgeable fans of all-time of course, who just knew this was going to happen).

[Laika]

Eloy back on a minor leaguer. 

Preparing for the Sosa DFA. Honestly Eloy would be better on the big team.

[Olerud363.354]

2 hours ago, Brownie19 said:

he was a 100 wRC+ hitter with 22 HRs last year

Career 80 wRC+ and something like .278 .320 .420 in the minors which projects to pretty much exactly what he does in the majors. 

[Olerud363.354]

34 minutes ago, Laika said:

Eloy would be better on the big team.

Eloy 112 OPS+ average in majors.  .300 .355 .493 in minors.  141 OPS+ high end best peak performance.

Sosa 80 OPS+ average in major.  278 .320 .420 in minors.  100 OPS+ high end best peak performance. 

[JaysForever]

By the end of the season, Kasevich will be the utility infielder. Right handed bat who can play ss and 2b. It is inevitable.

At some point, they will have to sort out collection of left handed bats in the corner outfield. They cannot keep them all forever. And Pinango will not be the one going, his bat is the real deal.

[Bob_Gratton]

On 5/21/2026 at 7:20 AM, Laika said:

Unfortunately they need to trade Nathan Lukes. He has a thin blue line Batman American flag tattoo. Nothing more cringe exists in the universe 

As long he don't have the piggy face of Donald Trump tattooed on his arm, I don't understand why some people are mad he have tattoos🤔

[Laika]

18 hours ago, Bob_Gratton said:

As long he don't have the piggy face of Donald Trump tattooed on his arm, I don't understand why some people are mad he have tattoos🤔

Because it's just a bad and cringe tattoo lol 

[Laika]

The upcoming lefty OF logjam is ruining my weekend 

Pinango has been so good, Sanchez has been good for two weeks now, Barger is a monster, and Lukes is a hero 

There is no solution that will be comfortable 

Trading Sanchez is ideal to me 

[jmomcc]

I would say they will probably option Pinango again.

But while I doubt you could trade Sanchez straight up for a rightie bat, there must be a team that needs leftie hitting. Try to get prospects that are not on the 40 but closeish. 

[Rynodb1]

On 5/22/2026 at 6:02 AM, John_Havok said:

About to see Chandler, Skenes and Keller when the Pirates ride into town. Tough test for the boys 

Chandler vs Gausman, Skenes vs Corbin, Keller vs Cease

Chandler cant throw strikes, but our guys seem to be allergic to walks so... who knows how that will go. Gausman will keep us in it and give us a chance.

Skenes is Skenes so we know how that will go. Corbin's magic has to wear off eventually. 

Keller vs Cease is our best matchup for sure. 

 

Hopefully Chandler implodes and Cease lays down the hammer and we take 2 of 3. 

Bet you didn't think Corbin would outfield Skenes. Who saw that coming?? 

Now we hope Cease seals the sweep today. 

[Eat My Shatkins]

I wonder if the Jays could swing a trade for another high velocity BP arm for one of their LH hitting corner OFs?

 

Someone like Vodnik? Sanchez for Vodnik?

 

Edit - just noticed Vodnik is out for 4 to 6 weeks

 

Anyways, Id love the Jays to dig up another Varland type pitcher with control. Someone with velocity and stuff they can help mold into another high leverage monster.

I'm not asking much here.....haha

 

[jaysblue]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

The upcoming lefty OF logjam is ruining my weekend 

Pinango has been so good, Sanchez has been good for two weeks now, Barger is a monster, and Lukes is a hero 

There is no solution that will be comfortable 

Trading Sanchez is ideal to me 

But if injuries start piling up again - Varsho, Barger, Lukes, etc. - the Jays could be scrambling for bats all over again.

I wouldn’t trade Sanchez just yet, and honestly, I prefer Sanchez to Lukes anyway. Lukes isn’t the same player he was last season, and you can’t just expect him to repeat what he did. Even last year, his numbers weren’t anything crazy: 103 wRC+ and 1.8 fWAR. At some point, you have to move on from the 2025 World Series run and focus on the present. Right now, Sanchez > Lukes.

As others have already said, what the Jays really need more than anything is a right-handed bat who can platoon with Sanchez and occasionally with Barger.

As much as I hate to say it, I’d probably send Pinango down for now. You can’t really keep Lukes buried in AAA, and I wouldn’t trade Sanchez just for the sake of trading him - unless the Jays can eventually land a more significant LF upgrade with a legitimate impact bat.
 

 

[jaysblue]

On 5/22/2026 at 11:26 AM, Brownie19 said:

If trading a nobody for Sosa is the worst thing in recent memory than I think he's doing OK.

There was nothing wrong with the Sosa trade at the time. The Jays needed to roll the dice on someone, and they needed a healthy body. Sosa had shown some pop, as evidenced by the 22 home runs last season, so there was at least a chance they could unlock something.

But as Laika said, the issue is really the playing time more than the trade itself. He’s appeared in 25 games, had 73 ABs with the Jays, and has produced a 30 wRC+ and -0.7 fWAR. At this point, he can’t be starting anymore, and he really needs to be the next one off the roster.
 

[Laika]

Then sell high in Pinango for a real asset. Like selling Alan Roden.

Yeah he looks good but he's a flawed corner outfield dude. 

[jaysblue]

1 minute ago, Laika said:

Then sell high in Pinango for a real asset. Like selling Alan Roden.

Yeah he looks good but he's a flawed corner outfield dude. 

Sure, that’s also an option. Maybe you can flip him for a high-K reliever. Worst case, he goes back to AAA and gives you depth in Buffalo, which really isn’t a bad thing.

The bigger issue is rostering both Sanchez and Lukes, because that feels like a misuse of roster spots. If you could flip one of them for a right-handed bat, that would be ideal. Sanchez probably has more trade value than Lukes at this point.

Trade for Esteury Ruiz from the Marlins. I’d love to see him in a platoon with either Sanchez or Lukes.
 

[JaysForever]

Chances are someone will almost always be injured and Pinango will just flip back and forth between the Majors and AAA until a trade happens. Springer is bound to end up on the DL again at some point.

If Barger can fill in at 2B in emergencies for now, they could just DFA Sosa and option Schneider, and not carry any additonal infielders. I would probably do that instead of carrying rh bats that cannot hit better than the lh bats.

Barger can platoon with Okamoto at 3B until both of them get back on track.

Who gets traded will also depend on what is offered in return.

 

 

[JaysForever]

 

Let the Fantasy Trades Begin!