Laika

If Atkins is good at anything it's focusing on the MLB roster and plugging holes on a year to year basis. People have said he's bad at spending money but really the opposite is true. He has made more great decisions than poor decisions when it comes to spending money. This is evident from just focusing on the big choices like letting Ray and Matz walk, signing Gausman. Springer and Bassitt contracts look decent. Chapman and Merrifield trades were good. Berrios extension looks better now. Personally, I think even Kikuchi is almost earning his $$ this season. His fWAR is negative but his RA9 WAR is +0.8 so far. His xFIP is the same as his ERA, which is solid enough. Lots of complaints about the bullpen construction but at least that is one of the least important parts of the team. And it's fine/average. And there are still come shrewd acquisitions in the pen even if Pop/Cimber/Bass look like flops at the moment. Richards looks great this year, Swanson looks great. 2026 is definitely a critical year. 2025 will be the last year for this core. In 2026 they will have Springer and Goose but they might not be impact players by then. Berrios should be fine. Varsho, Kirk, Manoah, and Pearson. Everyone else of significance potentially gone.... but, frankly, the only ones you might even WANT in 2026 and forward are Vlad and Bo. So again it just comes back to Vlad and Bo. If Shatkins manages to extend Bo, everything looks different and you build that next five year core around Old Bo. Similar idea for Vlad, but that plan is conditional on Vlad developing. Right now he is not a "build around" player. As far as the farm goes, I think it's probably a lot better than the current "snapshot" makes us think.

Toronto needs to start putting the foot down June 18/19 is what I had circled as the potential turning point, that's when the schedule gets easier

The doubters and mostly gone are not necessarily HRs

Zach Plesac is a bad seed I heard that his church believes there are only two types of [breaking balls]

f***ing hilarious that the Guardians optioned Karinchak

Could move Brian Anderson for a pick upgrade. Not asking much. His overall numbers are still decent + playing everyday + 3B/OF.

The power outage on your team is kind of hilarious Abreu - 3 HR Meneses - 2 HR Gimenez - 4 HR Moncada - 3 HR Chisholm - hurt, so only 7 HR

basketball has weird FA rules maybe the Raps still hold the cards and would do a sign-and-trade even if he leaves

*if they start pulling the ball more

Yeah, I was never bullish on his new approach. You see it all the time with mid-career pull hitters who try to suddenly become all-fields guys. It's almost impossible to change your approach like that and find long-term success unless you have a plus plus hit tool. Defenses adjust and pitchers just change the way they throw to you, and you still have a rigid swing with technical issues/holes. I think Grichuk did this every spring. He's cutting down on strikeouts, going the other way! Buck Martinez is jizzing his pants! He's going to be so good! And then end of the year his numbers are identical.

Okay that kind of helps explain why the security guard levelled Adam Hadwin. The boys in black must have been on edge. Sounds like the Canadian crowds would/will love LIV golf...

What happened

Isn't he controlled for one more

Blame Vlad for that

I don't know if I hang that one on Schneider. Francis' minor league track record makes it seem like he's not a real starting pitcher anyway. Probably more of a once time through guy... or once through then pray the second time goes right if he had to be a normal starter (like Kikuchi). Circumstances in prior games kind of left them with little options in this one BUT Cimber wearing back to back Ls just when the team was turning it around is rough. His job on the team is in jeopardy at this point

"has been worse" is not the same as "is worse"

Wow. 114 wRC+ for Orelvis.

At least Duran is burned for the series. Probably

omfg

why would he be worth f***ing anything?

I'm not sure the sideshow had anything to do with this Could have been purely a baseball choice Yimi Garcia has better FIP and xFIP numbers. Adam Cimber is controllable for 2024. They can't lose Mitch White right now, despite how poorly he was throwing in the minors.

Who "started it" kind of matters but when we go back and delete 40 posts and there are 20 from each side of the stupid argument, it really doesn't matter who threw the first insult. You're both idiots.

The random anon on the internet "talking s*** about religion, Christians, calling people rednecks" unless you're a soft little snowflake and just cannot help but reply? that's deeply ironic, though

Do you have a persecution fetish? Would Jesus Christ ever "clap back" on an internet forum? lmao Just ignore it

Here, I started a separate Anthony Bass thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Torontobluejays/