TheHurl

Is animosity a negative for a board? We all new this would happen when the team started playing better, when they start losing again or the next major injury happens...everyone will be anti Dickey and Buehrle or AA or just whoever. People are excited about the team right now so they are more than willing to overlook the holes, of course we're still just as close to the Astros as we are to the 2nd wildcard.

Seriously...f*** Davis, lets get one that we are comfortable to put in CF and can make better contact. I'm very anti Rajai, I'd love to see some intelligent ball players here, get some f***ing True Cardinals.

and in Texas they were saying that Martin and Gentry platoon over Hamilton was an LOL, they haven't even hit all that well and have done the job better than he can. Gose should never ever see a lefty but Gose and the right defensive platoon easily replace Rasmus (and I am far from a Gose guy).

but we have a mess on the 40 man still and we don't have guys that you can trust to stay healthy in positions of depth. There are only 2 or 3 guys that have value and can be moved. If it's time to start looking at next year moving Rasmus might be the best way to fill holes without losing value. If the thoughts are to compete this year...well good luck to them. It better be successful.

Glad you pointed that out, no sense throwing Dickey out there over and over when we have Cy Wang sitting there ready to throw CG shutouts every outing.

They are playing much better now that I've been missing so many games.

Similar type player, however there are a bunch of Rios' peripheral stats which have remained somewhat consistent, I think with him it was mental (or lacking effort), with Lawrie I don't think we'd ever question his effort.

I said this when he was a prospect and it still holds true IMO. He'll never be a consistent hitter. He was inconsistent as a minor leaguer (from month to month and season to season) all the signs go to that he's "uncoachable" (an exact quote I got from Marty Lehn http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=98&nav=messages&webtag=ml-bluejays&tid=71620). When he's healthy I think his natural abilities take over, when he's not healthy, things don't go as well and he has no ability to make an adjustment. Age may improve his head, but I'd question that. Best comp for him is BJ Upton...BJ has been the most impossible player to predict from year to year.

hypothetical trade threads are fun...but when you miss the first 9 pages of the thread, it just makes your head hurt. There is a lot I disagree with in this thread, some that I agree with but BTS is the most correct (others said it too) it won't happen as AA doesn't have the balls. Lets deal with possible trades.

My apologies if already posted. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/r-a-dickey-talks-about-his-health/ R.A. Dickey Talks About His Health by Eno Sarris - June 13, 2013 Before R.A. Dickey struck out five Giants over 8.1 innings of scoreless ball in early June, we sat down for a brief second to talk about his health, his knuckler, his new situation, and what he’s learned this year. Eno Sarris: The last time we talked a while back, you were having a great season that had something to do with your fast knuckleball. You were throwing those more than ever, and hitting top speeds with them. I took a look recently and it looks like you’re throwing them a little slower this year. Does that have something to do with your back? R.A. Dickey: I would think so. I started the year not healthy and that’s contributed to me not being able to step on the gas a little bit more. Recently, over the last week and a half, I’ve felt better than I have all year. Sarris: What exactly is wrong? Dickey: I’ve had an upper back issue, whenever I extend, it would bite me pretty good. I’ve had to back it down. Sarris: That’s interesting, because you played through a torn plantar… Dickey: And I had a hernia, and then against the Royals early on this year I did this thing to my back, and the WBC was this year. Sarris: But this has been worse. Dickey: This is worse because it affects the way I throw. Mechanically, I’m having to alter things to try to avoid the pain of it and still make my starts. Sarris: Why don’t you just take 15? Dickey: Because I can still muster through six or seven innings. Even though I haven’t had my best knuckleball, I still have seven or eight quality starts. So I can still give something. Just a matter of not being as dominant as I was because I’m missing a weapon or two. It’s feeling better, though, this last week. Sarris: How does this relate to, you called it 75% effort vs when you were a conventional thrower… Did this remind you of your age? The thing about knuckleballers is “oh, they can pitch forever.” Dickey: I don’t know if it reminds me of my age, as I look to my left and right, I see far younger players on the DL for far lesser things. Sarris: Touche. Dickey: So it’s hard or me to equate this with just my age. What’s much more important to me is to take the ball every fifth inning and be counted on for 200 innings. You have to be able to take the ball when you’re not feeling great. The guys that can’t really pitch unless they are 100% that don’t ever get to those milestones. Do I feel old? Not really. Am I old? Sarris: Sorry about that. Dickey: No that’s okay, that’s a completely valid question. But the answer is that I don’t think it’s a contributing factor right now. Sarris: I guess what I meant is, did it make you feel more like a conventional pitcher again? Dickey: No, because if I was a conventional pitcher, with this injury, I’d be out. There would be no way. I couldn’t pitch. In fact, in Texas I had a similar injury to my rhomboid in 2004 and I was out for more than a month. Sarris: There you go. Dickey: Tangible proof. Sarris: So you’re still adding value. Dickey: Exactly. Sarris: Has it made you think about offseason regimens? Dickey: It makes me think about the WBC a little bit. I was in the World Baseball Classic and having to ramp up everything a little early might have, you know… but as far as my offseason workouts, I felt really good going into spring training and it just got interrupted for about a month for WBC stuff. Sarris: No matter what, it means your season is a lot longer. Dickey: Yeah, and another thing too, this is equivalent, for me, to 2011, when we had such a cold start to the season. The weather has been horrible. Real cold, not much humidity. I like humid, warm, and it’s been pretty cold. Sarris: So what about the dome? We were all trying to figure out what you might do in the dome. Dickey: I don’t have a big enough sample size. The dome is like… against the White Sox? I gave up two hits in six innings, and struck out seven. Sarris: What about the idea that you’re sending it out there with a half- or quarter-turn and you’re waiting for the wind, or natural effects, to push it one direction or another? Isn’t there less wind in the dome? Dickey: There’s still a current moving, it’s not like a vacuum. It’s like in Tampa Bay or Toronto, it’s the same, they still have to pump air conditioner or heat and you’re getting some circulation, and it’s a lot more manageable, because it’s always consistent. You’re not going to get 20mph wind gusts. Sarris: What about today? Dickey: Oh it’s alright, I’ve actually pitched well here usually. Sarris: Nice to talk to you again. Dickey: Likewise.

I really don't think it's that much more than Profar for Stanton.

if he's healthy and pitching well for the next month he's going to draw a top 100 prospect at the very least. Why take a pick, pay that pick a Million+ (plus the development, all while paying JJ another $5-7M. It's not a bright decision unless the deals aren't there. if a trade for a young MLB ready arm is there you jump at it. I still think the Pirates will jump at him if James McDonald isn't ready. They do have Burnett as a Free Agent at the end of the year...so maybe they wouldn't deal for another FA pitcher but they have a shitload of young arms (Cole, Taillon, Kingham, Wilson, Locke, Heredia, McPherson) at least 4 of those are ready. Rotation next year should have McDonald, Liriano and Wandy in it so they have room to make for a push for JJ.

Now I'll speak on Heaney...I like him but I already have him in the FC league and while i figured he was gone in this pool already, I was staying away anyway. Lat injuries scare me (don't be offering me Strasburg) with pitchers, Heaney needs to develop the change still and setbacks scare me. He's back now and isn't a big effort guy so he should be fine.

again just based on raw data, Molina is actually ahead of his 2011 numbers. It's very possible that JPA has improved to date...small sample size though.

Morgan drops until the summer...then he plays against the top players and if he's successful he climbs again. Part of staying in Toronto. He's hardly a lock for top 20 though.

one thing that should be noted here is that through raw data (and i can't find the SPN’s TruMedia Pitch F/X scouting service available...but I haven't really looked all that hard) is that JPA still gives away a lot of strikes. It's possible that he's improved framing balls (his numbers last year were -57 on this system and I think it was -88 on the raw data in the fast report, so lets see if it's an improvement that can stay and hopefully someone can work with this data for a better conclusion) ...but his downward swat causes a shitload of low in the zone pitches to be called balls. Then of course this causes pitchers to pitch up in the zone...and well Jays pitchers are among the league leaders in HR's given up. Not blaming JPA for the Jays pitching issues here, just saying that it is the tendency.

Guy was somewhere near .325/.365/.415 when they changed his approach and told him a guy his size has to hit for more power. While I agree that if he'd never make the majors without power but it was so annoying to hear that interview.

http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/780855807.gif?1371091050

at least we get an anthem. why can't I embed video? I'm following this...http://www.bluejaysmessageboard.com/misc.php?do=bbcode#videocode

On Queue....Coke takes a 10th inning loss in KC

damn people should post the whole trade. I go off of my email I get...I don't like to look at the league when I'm getting rocked. Got to agree he did well. Giolito will be a MiLB roster clogger and probably dropped before he ever sees the majors. Ventura is a September callup who I love though

Subject: (insert clever name) / A Wrench In the Plan trade To insert clever name: Yordano Ventura, Lucas Giolito, #88 To A Wrench In the Plan: #76 This one confuses me I must say...is there something I'm missing with this deal on the major league side?

Kennedy just hit Puig in the face...he's up and jogging though

quite the catch by Bourjos http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=27934027&partnerId=as_mlb_20130612_8768464&topic_id=11493214

Izzy the tough guy