Laika

You can find the entry level and early career Baseball Research Analysts on their website and google them. See their resumes. It's kind of fun. They seem pretty smart. Some examples: Claire Wilson, 2022 Notre Dame grad. Interned for the Cubs in school. Marlins after school. Emma Ritcey, MSc in AI, Comp Sci major, former OUA basketball for Queens. Peter L'Oiseau, Masters in Math a few years ago... you can find his Fangraphs articles from a few years ago about things like aging curves for statcast metrics But yeah at the top end, who knows. Maybe for the Director level positions on the Analytics side, Toronto isn't a desirable spot.

He is just bad everywhere for some combination of bad footwork or throwing. They've tried him at every position, 2B 3B CF... Sort of seems like the 1B thing is just short term since the Brewers depth chart is weakest there. They've been giving Jake Bauers 1B reps and Gary Sanchez DH reps. Definitely see them just throwing him in LF when it opens up. god damn the Brewers developmental system has become elite

well it ain't working replace Click!

Dignity not required

Also, in many ways Shapiro and Atkins are just figureheads Look at how many people are in the modern front office https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/team/front-office-directory If the Jays main problem is modern game prep, then couldn't the bad egg reasonably be below Atkins? Maybe it's Click himself, the "Vice President, Baseball Strategy" Or if the main problem is on the developmental side, it's probably some very complex cluster of sub-optimal employees? Poor performance from the Director or Assistant Director(s) of Player Development? Who f***ing knows!

I don't know. Ask Shapiro why he loves Atkins. Just saying what I think is more likely. The pros for Atkins are sort of obvious. He's generally good at certain things, and probably a middle of the pack GM at worst. Gets value in trades more often than not, makes good free agent signings more often than not. Avoided extending the trap prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (saved the franchise let's be honest). Almost everything they do at the MLB level in terms of transactions is fine, sensible, and good (despite a lot of belly-aching around here about "not fixing the offense" in one offseason or whatever). I am envisioning a co-GM scenario where Atkins still has most of the day to day control over the MLB roster. He is the one on the phone, making trades, negotiating with free agents, talking extensions. And then his co-GM is the one who focuses more on drafting and development and more on the statistical side of things - how to do advanced game prep better, communicate information to players and coaches better, and so forth (the stuff Atkins may be bad at).

True for some players but not all of them. I see a lot of guys putting their A swing on pitchers pitches, earlier in counts. So just misidentifying the pitch or being too aggressive leading to weak contact. To the bolded point, it definitely does seem like there is some form of collective confusion. Something like, the game-planning meetings are generally confusing the players are not getting the right (effective) information across. Whatever they have been doing with or for Springer, Vlad, Bo, Kirk.... they need to just stop doing that immediately.

I think Ray is right. If the current structure at the top is something like: - Atkins makes 95% of baseball decisions - Shapiro has final say on 5% of baseball decisions (major moves, systemic changes, etc.) Then perhaps they need to change that to something more like that: - Shapiro makes 0% of baseball decisions. His baseball role is strictly budgetary liaison with ownership and being that kind of thread between ownership and the team. - They identify what Atkins is good at and narrow his role. He can keep his title but he now effectively makes 50% of baseball decisions. - Someone like Click, or Mr. Outside Hire with a track record of being good at Atkins' weaknesses, makes 50% of baseball decisions. I think ^ this type of reorg is more likely to happen than a house cleaning. Maybe? Coaching staff, different story. I personally don't even think John Schneider is a bad manager at all but the hitting side of the team... something must be rotten there. I don't think it's Hunter Mense. I have read some interviews from him and seen his social media and while he does not seem extremely progressive, he's not a dinosaur. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/torontos-hunter-mense-on-developing-good-swing-decisions/ I think the Blue Jays are too hesitant at firing org people. Need to more aggressively hunt internal developmental talent.

Lolllllll legendary

Justin Turner has a great wRC+ and IKF has been good value so far You can't even say they should have done something else specifically in the offseason. I mean you can, it just doesn't make much sense when you think about it. Even the Varsho trade looks okay at the moment. No, the issues are far deeper. Coaching, player development, high level game preparation...

You guys realize it probably takes a fat multi year deal to sign Teoscar, right? He's not picking the Jays over the Dodgers at even money

I feel like this discussion is great for my brand so I am HERE for it

Only thing we can hope for is something like this: Clean house this month

They can't possibly run this team back in 2025. Just retool for 2026 at this point. Trade everyone who is only controllable through 2025 and might have any value. Salary dump everyone that can be dumped including Vlad. Consider trading Gausman and Varsho as well even though they are under control in 2026.

Honestly a really impressive inning by the Jays there Top of the order, third time through, and they did manage to make the pitcher throw more than 10 pitches Bravo

now, some good teams would RESPOND to a half inning like this and go up there and battle I wonder if the Jays will even see 10 pitches next inning? I am expecting a 3 pitch K, one pitch groundout, and then maybe a nice competitive five pitch flyout.

Isbel hit was a bloop Witt and Perez hits were probably outs if the infield wasn't playing in (i.e. if they had any confidence in the offense whatsoever)

you are... on an island

having trouble understanding

new?

wdym

f***, now he is on third with 1 out the game is OUT OF REACH

leadoff double for KC = game over it's actually over the Jays cannot come back from this even though it is 0-0

It is no longer April

I hate this team so much 84 wins, not making the playoffs