Blue Jays (Yesavage) vs Mariners (Hancock): 7/5/26, 5:00pm

[Smokinitup420]

42 minutes ago, bronson44 said:

I guess Popkins isn't a genius after all

Looking like it was mattingly

[Eat My Shatkins]

Well, they are trying very hard to make the FOs direction at the deadline a very easy decision.

Too bad that just about all the players on expiring contracts are playing like bags of wet crap.

Bieber, Gausman, Springer, Varsho, etc

Just not getting the job done.

[Smokinitup420]

All I’ve seen from Springer, Vladdy, varsho is very selfish poor at bats all year, add in Kirk who is trying but just ain’t got it and then a bunch of singles guys, one homerun hitter that strikes out a ton, this team is all playing for themselves minus a select few, it just ain’t the same team as last year, I really want to see them tank til the deadline and let’s bring up some young guys. see what we got 

[G-Snarls]

That's an awful lot of scoreless innings 

[SeranthonySantander]

Big improvement on yesterday.  11-0, 4-0.  7 run improvement.  And Vlad showing signs of coming around.  

[Bob_Gratton]

The young guys are already here, other than Yesevage, Valenzuela, Keys, Pinango, Macko, I don't see who they can call up. King, Parker, Sanchez, Nimmala are no ready for MLB. What Atkins can do, is to trade players like Gausman, Rogers, Hoffman, Varsho, Lukes, they will bring good return, and with the CBA lockout in 2027, guys like Gausman, Rogers should be traded before, coz they will be less good in 2028, and their trade values will decrease a lot. I like Rogers, but he's already 36, so at 38 no sure he will be as good than this year. Varsho, Gausman will be a mistake to sign them long term. Lukes reached his max values, so depending of the return, Atkins should listen. Ofc I will be happy if Vlad, Gimenez can be traded, but this seem to be a utopic dream😅Clement, Varland, Yesevage need to be signed long term.

[max silver]

48 minutes ago, Smokinitup420 said:

Looking like it was mattingly

This is an interesting take as Mattingly was largely blamed for the team's offensive struggles in 2023 and 2024.

[hanton]

1 hour ago, bronson44 said:

I guess Popkins isn't a genius after all

which hitting coach is?  I think it's a little more complicated than just blaming the hitting coach

[bronson44]

I knew last year had a metric tonne of fairy dust sprinkled on it so I didn't expect them to have the same kind of season this year but I did not expect it to be this. I guess there is still time to turn it around but I don't see any indications of it happening.

I hope they can get some lottery tickets for Springer, Bieber and Varsho. They have been pretty good in identifying talent in nothing trades. Good riddance Varsho. I will never forgive you for not being able to get a ball in the air to win the World Series.

Hopefully we can get a little better for Gausman if he doesn't have any more blowups until the deadline. 

I would still look to trade prospects for anyone that can help next year so we don't have to do all of the re-tooling in free agency.

 

[bronson44]

4 minutes ago, hanton said:

which hitting coach is?  I think it's a little more complicated than just blaming the hitting coach

Yeah I know but he got all the credit for last year so he should take some lumps for this year. Mostly tongue in cheek

[Brownie19]

20 minutes ago, hanton said:

which hitting coach is?  I think it's a little more complicated than just blaming the hitting coach

1000% it is, but this board spent 2 years blaming Guillermo Martinez and Donny Baseball for the offensive struggles, then 1 year gagging on Popkins' dong for fixing everything.

I continue to believe the hitting coach has little impact.

[Governator]

We suck

[Olerud363.354]

43 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

1000% it is, but this board spent 2 years blaming Guillermo Martinez and Donny Baseball for the offensive struggles, then 1 year gagging on Popkins' dong for fixing everything.

I continue to believe the hitting coach has little impact.

It depends what the reason is behind some of the inexplicable hitting slumps particularly Kirk, Springer, and Vlad.  What are they like a .350 slugging combined?   Insane. 

If the reason is injuries then the hitting coach can't do anything.   If it is age hitting coach can't do anything.  If it is PEDs and the tests are evolving hitting coach can't do anything.  If it is sign stealing, and the other teams have adjusted hitting coach and hitting strategists maybe need to adjust?  

If it's something else, like a semi-random phase shift then I guess the right hitting coach could get them out of it.  Like if some mechanical or mental thing got them into it and not injuries, then something should be able to get them out of it.    

 

 

 

[hanton]

24 minutes ago, Olerud363.354 said:

It depends what the reason is behind some of the inexplicable hitting slumps particularly Kirk, Springer, and Vlad.  What are they like a .350 slugging combined?   Insane. 

If the reason is injuries then the hitting coach can't do anything.   If it is age hitting coach can't do anything.  If it is PEDs and the tests are evolving hitting coach can't do anything.  If it is sign stealing, and the other teams have adjusted hitting coach and hitting strategists maybe need to adjust?  

If it's something else, like a semi-random phase shift then I guess the right hitting coach could get them out of it.  Like if some mechanical or mental thing got them into it and not injuries, then something should be able to get them out of it.    

 

 

 

yea there are so many factors, we can't know for sure on the injuries but we do know Kirk missed alot of time, this is his spring training, Springer could in fact be age, Vlady is so messed up with all the instruction, he needs to go back to his original natural swing and approach

[Bob_Gratton]

1 hour ago, hanton said:

yea there are so many factors, we can't know for sure on the injuries but we do know Kirk missed alot of time, this is his spring training, Springer could in fact be age, Vlady is so messed up with all the instruction, he needs to go back to his original natural swing and approach

It's mostly Kirk in very bad shape

[Bob_Gratton]

2 hours ago, hanton said:

which hitting coach is?  I think it's a little more complicated than just blaming the hitting coach

Hitting coach isn't only about the swing but also need working on mental. So Vlad can practice and change the way he's batting, but if he don't have the right mindset and confidance , this won't work. Probably Mattingly was the guys who can help with the mental aspects, and Popkin more about swing