Blue Jays (Gausman) vs Brewers (Misiorowski): 4/14/26, 7:40pm

[Jays24]

9 minutes ago, Steeljays17 said:

I would let kaz Oke DH while Springer hurt. Let him focus on hitting. Ernie and Sosa can hold down 3b 

This would work if the Jays had a good offense.  Jays need all the extra offense we can get right now.  

[Jays24]

3 minutes ago, Jonn said:

When your Closer you can't let the situation snow ball on you every night.

Snowball has reached the size of the above lol

[hanton]

flu, fischer and varland should be given a shot at closing, fulltime

[Steeljays17]

3 minutes ago, Jays24 said:

This would work if the Jays had a good offense.  Jays need all the extra offense we can get right now.  

Not sure it hurts the O. Basically Sosa for Eloy. I am not a fan of Eloy. 

[Big_Walleye]

8 minutes ago, Jays24 said:

Snowball has reached the size of the above lol

The right one for sure.

[Stangstag]

13 minutes ago, Laika said:

We are so back 

Hoffman has been great this season, you're all clowns. He didn't even look that bad for most of this appearance - things just snowballed. 

Okamoto gets like two more months before changing his position is even a discussion. If they had an elite bench infielder then late inning defensive subbing would make sense, but they don't. Schneider at 2B is a similar liability maybe.

Idk man, i think i’ve lost faith now. In him being THE closer. Hoffman has good numbers yes (unsustainable too) but has looked really shaky in the handful of save situations he’s been handed this season. And the thing is, it seems to be a continuation of what we saw for long stretches last year.

You almost wonder if he’s got a mental block at this point. He was spotted a 2 run lead and walked the fkn first batter he faced. 

[ValiantJaysFan]

Varland has yet to give up an earned run, I have full confidence he will strike out at least one batter he faces per inning, handles pressure situations and is consistent.

Hoffman gets up in the bullpen and I have 4 inches of couch fabric clenched up my ass. 
 

Give Varland a chance at closing. If it works it solves a major weakness without having to make any sort of transaction and he’s under team control for a good while.

 

really see no downside.

[Laika]

15 minutes ago, Jonn said:

When your Closer you can't let the situation snow ball on you every night.

In between the leadoff walk (bad) and the final batter walk (out of gas) he got two outs, two groundballs that found holes, and Schneider made him walk someone. A lot of baseball randomness in there. This isn't the same guy as last year, serving up meatballs. 

Poor guy has a .526 BABIP against so far lmao 

[Laika]

I don't really care who the CLOSER is but I do think Hoffman has a good personality for it. Short memory. Irrational arrogance. 

[Jonn]

11 minutes ago, Laika said:

In between the leadoff walk (bad) and the final batter walk (out of gas) he got two outs, two groundballs that found holes, and Schneider made him walk someone. A lot of baseball randomness in there. This isn't the same guy as last year, serving up meatballs. 

Poor guy has a .526 BABIP against so far lmao 

I'm not saying he's not unlucky. But his command was s*** tonight. And you gotta find a way to close a game without your best stuff sometimes. It just way to often with him. Way to often.

[philly30]

A serious contender can not run out that crap to close

[Stangstag]

6 minutes ago, philly30 said:

A serious contender can not run out that crap to close

Have you seen the Yankees and the tightrope act Bednar has been performing this year?

Megill on the Brewers we just blasted tonight?

The Dodgers cycled through 2-3 legitimate awful closers last season and managed just fine.

Jays are not the only team having closer issues 

[ComeTogether]

 

 

[Spanky__99]

My 2 cents:

Y'all f*ckin whacked out chicken little's up in this b*tch! 😅🤡

[jaysblue]

7 hours ago, dancingmachine said:

Jamie literally gave a reason for Hoffman to not be the closer lol.

Even Kevin Gregg at least got the job done. 

[jaysblue]

6 hours ago, Stangstag said:

Have you seen the Yankees and the tightrope act Bednar has been performing this year?

Megill on the Brewers we just blasted tonight?

The Dodgers cycled through 2-3 legitimate awful closers last season and managed just fine.

Jays are not the only team having closer issues 

Brewers and Yankees aren't making the Postseason this year. 

Dodgers are the Dodgers.

 

[jaysblue]

7 hours ago, Laika said:

In between the leadoff walk (bad) and the final batter walk (out of gas) he got two outs, two groundballs that found holes, and Schneider made him walk someone. A lot of baseball randomness in there. This isn't the same guy as last year, serving up meatballs. 

Poor guy has a .526 BABIP against so far lmao 

Yeah those two groundballs that found holes, Okamoto should have had at least one of them. 

Leadoff walks are always bad and always come back to bite you. 

I think I've seen enough of him used in the closers role here. I still think he's better in a setup role where he has had success and has been elite (2023 and 2024 with the Phillies). Some relievers can't be closers and that's fine. 

[jaysblue]

7 hours ago, Abomination said:

Have you looked at Bo's numbers so far this year?

It's still early and Bo is with a new team.

I'm sure his numbers with the Jays wouldn't be this bad. Sometimes players really struggle out of the gate with their new clubs. 

[Spanky__99]

1 minute ago, jaysblue said:

It's still early and Bo is with a new team.

I'm sure his numbers with the Jays wouldn't be this bad. Sometimes players really struggle out of the gate with their new clubs. 

Okamoto's on a new team and you're calling for his neck, ITT? LMAO... the self awareness is uncanny.

[jaysblue]

7 hours ago, Laika said:

We are so back 

Hoffman has been great this season, you're all clowns. He didn't even look that bad for most of this appearance - things just snowballed. 

Yes, Hoffman’s strikeout numbers are elite, but you can’t put blinders on and act like that alone makes him a fit for the closer’s role. The walk rate is too high, and the mental lapses and inability to handle pressure in the ninth have become a real problem.

I’m a big Hoffman fan and have defended him plenty, but I think the Jays need to seriously consider a role change. His numbers with the Phillies as a setup guy speak for themselves, and the contrast compared to his time with the Jays is hard to ignore.

[jaysblue]

1 minute ago, Spanky__99 said:

Okamoto's on a new team and you're calling for his neck, ITT? LMAO... the self awareness is uncanny.

Ah defensively Okamoto looks awful out there. 

I'll give his bat more time to figure things out. Ideally he's best suited for 1B/LF or DH.

If he doesn't start hitting and can't field at third, then yes it could be a bad signing. 

Might have jumped the gun in the heat of the moment of yesterday's game, so I'll take that back. He's not a write off just yet. 

[Spanky__99]

1 hour ago, jaysblue said:

Ah defensively Okamoto looks awful out there. 

I'll give his bat more time to figure things out. Ideally he's best suited for 1B/LF or DH.

If he doesn't start hitting and can't field at third, then yes it could be a bad signing. 

Might have jumped the gun in the heat of the moment of yesterday's game, so I'll take that back. He's not a write off just yet. 

Okay, thanks tips this is from Baseball America 16 games ago...

 

Quote

Kazuma Okamoto Track Record & Scouting Report

Known as the “Young General,” Okamoto is a six-time NPB All-Star who has led the league in home runs three times. He broke into the Yomiuri Giants’ first team in 2018 after three years in the Eastern League, which is the equivalent of the Japanese minor leagues. 

Once with Yomiuri, Okamoto established himself quickly, producing seven consecutive seasons of 25 or more home runs leading up to 2025. He was a key part of Japan’s 2023 World Baseball Classic championship team, hitting .333/.556/.722 over seven games in the tournament. His home run off of Kyle Freeland in the fourth inning of the WBC final against the United States proved to be the deciding run. 

Okamoto was limited to 69 games in 2025 after an elbow injury in the first half but returned to hit .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs.  

One of the most well-rounded players in Japan over the last decade, Okamoto is a highly-skilled player, both at the plate and in the field. He combines the ability to hit for power while limiting swing-and-miss. He will whiff some but has good bat-to-ball skills compared to other sluggers. 

Okamoto does particular damage against fastballs, and he whiffed on fastballs less than 10% of the time in 2025. He has shown strong on-base skills, limiting chase swings and remaining aggressive on pitches inside the zone. His game power is above-average, and he combines 55-grade raw power with the ability to launch balls to all fields. 

Okamoto falls into the category of hitters who make consistent hard contact at good angles but lack high-end exit velocity numbers. Okamoto will likely settle into the 20-25 home run range with a good supporting batting average and on-base percentage. 

In the field, Okamoto is an above-average defender at third base, and he’s won multiple NPB Gold Glove equivalents. He’s a plus-plus defender at first base and offers his signing team defensive versatility. 

Okamoto should immediately make an impact with the Blue Jays. His combination of polished hitting, game power and above-average infield corner defense could make him a star for a Toronto team looking to get back to the World Series in 2026.

I'll roll with the scouts on this one, TYVM.

[Stangstag]

28 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

Okay, thanks tips this is from Baseball America 16 games ago...

 

I'll roll with the scouts on this one, TYVM.

Noo but Jonn talked to some dude in Japan and he said Okamoto is a strict 1B. He obviously knows better 

[Jonn]

1 hour ago, Stangstag said:

Noo but Jonn talked to some dude in Japan and he said Okamoto is a strict 1B. He obviously knows better 

And you would do damn well to remember that.

Its not hopeless but he needs a lot of work at Third. So many times already he’s been late arriving on tag plays at the bag. Varland had an easy out at Third Base in the 10th but he couldn’t throw the ball because Oakamoto didn’t run to the bag.. it’s the little things that add up to big things.

[Stangstag]

6 minutes ago, Jonn said:

And you would do damn well to remember that.

Its not hopeless but he needs a lot of work at Third. So many times already he’s been late arriving on tag plays at the bag. Varland had an easy out at Third Base in the 10th but he couldn’t throw the ball because Oakamoto didn’t run to the bag.. it’s the little things that add up to big things.

That is not what happened in the 10th lol delusional 

[Jonn]

15 minutes ago, Stangstag said:

That is not what happened in the 10th lol delusional 

Watch it again. Varland looked at third and Oakamoto wasn’t anywhere near the bag and the runner was only half way to third. Had Oakamoto been in position that was an easy put out.

[Spanky__99]

7 minutes ago, Jonn said:

Watch it again. Varland looked at third and Oakamoto wasn’t anywhere near the bag and the runner was only half way to third. Had Oakamoto been in position that was an easy put out.

Okamoto bro. 

[Orgfiller]

43 minutes ago, Jonn said:

And you would do damn well to remember that.

Its not hopeless but he needs a lot of work at Third. So many times already he’s been late arriving on tag plays at the bag. Varland had an easy out at Third Base in the 10th but he couldn’t throw the ball because Oakamoto didn’t run to the bag.. it’s the little things that add up to big things.

You're wrong as usual Jonn: https://www.mlb.com/video/louis-varland-in-play-out-s-to-luis-rengifo?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

1. Varland gets the comebacker, quickly looks to second to see where the runner is. Runner is sprinting to third on contact

2. Okamoto is obviously shifted, but as soon as he's in frame you see him sprinting to third

3. Varland considers throwing to 3B, but Gimenez is yelling at him to go to first for the easy out with a 3 run lead

4. Varland reconsiders going from the risky play for a runner that means nothing to getting the easy out at first

 

Not sure what more you want Okamoto to do in this situation. He's playing where he's told due to the shift, and he can't magically teleport himself to the third base bag to be ready for a play. He reacted well and covered his position well in this scenario, there was just no need to risk it from Varland's perspective

[Stangstag]

2 hours ago, Orgfiller said:

You're wrong as usual Jonn: https://www.mlb.com/video/louis-varland-in-play-out-s-to-luis-rengifo?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

1. Varland gets the comebacker, quickly looks to second to see where the runner is. Runner is sprinting to third on contact

2. Okamoto is obviously shifted, but as soon as he's in frame you see him sprinting to third

3. Varland considers throwing to 3B, but Gimenez is yelling at him to go to first for the easy out with a 3 run lead

4. Varland reconsiders going from the risky play for a runner that means nothing to getting the easy out at first

 

Not sure what more you want Okamoto to do in this situation. He's playing where he's told due to the shift, and he can't magically teleport himself to the third base bag to be ready for a play. He reacted well and covered his position well in this scenario, there was just no need to risk it from Varland's perspective

You might as well be arguing with a brick wall in Jonn. He will continue to convince himself that this play was Okamoto’s fault, and that they should have gone for the out at 3B even though going to first is the easy choice.

[Jonn]

4 hours ago, Orgfiller said:

You're wrong as usual Jonn: https://www.mlb.com/video/louis-varland-in-play-out-s-to-luis-rengifo?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

1. Varland gets the comebacker, quickly looks to second to see where the runner is. Runner is sprinting to third on contact

2. Okamoto is obviously shifted, but as soon as he's in frame you see him sprinting to third

3. Varland considers throwing to 3B, but Gimenez is yelling at him to go to first for the easy out with a 3 run lead

4. Varland reconsiders going from the risky play for a runner that means nothing to getting the easy out at first

 

Not sure what more you want Okamoto to do in this situation. He's playing where he's told due to the shift, and he can't magically teleport himself to the third base bag to be ready for a play. He reacted well and covered his position well in this scenario, there was just no need to risk it from Varland's perspective

If Ernie is playing Third Base we get that out easily.