Sorrow

I see the team running with 11 pitchers instead of 12 to carry a second back up middle infielder in case of Tulo. SP: Price, Dickey, Stroman, Estrada RP: Mark B, Sanchez, Hawkins, Lowe, Cecil, Osuna and Hendricks Bench: Cola, Navarro, Pennington, Carerra/Pompey and Kawasaki

It's been super frustrating. Giving Pillar or Revere a day off wouldn't kill the team.

As it sits today Kawakasi is the back up MIF in the playoffs. He needs some at bats.

Unless Pompey forces their hand in spring training or the early part of the season.

Over the past month or so both have been hitting really well. Both have 150+ wRC+ IIRC.

Still put up a 2.0 fWAR season this year. 5.0 in 2013. He's been really solid defensively the last 3-4 years.

Probably ends up in the bullpen if he makes it back which is a shame because he had such a good arm.

I'd generally agree but AA and Gibbons seem to have weird roster management calls and I assume they'll bring Schultz because of that. I mean Pompey hasn't had a game since he was recalled. If they had any intent on using him in the playoffs he'd be playing now.

Pitching: Price Stroman Dickey Estrada Buerhle Hendricks Cecil Sanchez Osuna Schultz Hawkins Lowe Catchers: Martin and Navarro IF: Pennington, Goins, Kawasaki, Colabello, Smoak, EE, Donaldson OF: Revere, Bautista, Pillar, Cabrera

We have Mount Thor, that's something.

3 CFs cannot win anymore. It's broken into LF, CF and RF.

He plays all three OF positions which is something the rest can't do. I also think the bat you're seeing now is what it is and it's a below league average bat, yes his D and base running make up for it but if you can get a 2.0 fWAR player on the bench as your 4th OF it might be the smarter way to go. Pompey's complete package is a whole lot more appealing to me than Pillar is. You can have him in 4+ games a week rotating through the line up, giving Saunders and Revere days off against LHP while still being insurance for Pompey again next season. I like Revere in a line up of guys who strike out as someone you can throw in the 9th slot and figure you'll get a decent at bat out of. If Saunders is healthy it wouldn't hurt to have another LHB that can potentially give you somewhere between 108-126 wRC+ (if the knee is healthy and healed up). It also gets Bautista out of the OF and moves him to a position where he might be less of a defensive liability. I think that a line up of (potentially) Travis 2B, Donaldson 3B, Bautista 1B, EE DH, Tulo SS, Martin C, Saunders RF, Pompey CF, Revere LF looks a bit better than slotting Pillar into the 8th slot and running Saunders off the bench. From what AA said earlier this season Saunders is still in the plans for next year and I think Gibbons like Revere enough to play him everyday next season.

I'd honestly like Bautista to 1B. Pillar as a 4th OF playing all 3 positions once a week at a minimum with Revere, Pompey and Saunders in LCR.

Gold Gloves changed a few years ago in the OF to now be LF, CF and RF. As long as Kiermaier is an everyday player in the MLB no other AL CF should win the CF gold glove no matter how good they are.

I'm hoping that Edwin's hand issue isn't another week or two long thing. Losing Tulo and EE in one game would not be good. Having Smoak, Colabello, Goins, Pillar and Pennington rounding out your batting order is not a site for sore eyes.

He has a staff that he's more than likely trained to take over his practice.

http://www.aggieworld.com/2015/09/battle-against-tommy-john-surgery-brace/ Really neat creation made in part by Dr. Andrews. Theoretically it's an arm brace that prevents the hyperextension of the UCL.

I'd still argue that Hudson is the best defensive second basemen that's played in Toronto. It should also be no argument that Travis should be starting over Goins as long as Travis is healthy.

If he can still field in his late 30s he might have value but it's still going to be a negative value contract. I don't think his on base ability will disappear but the power most likely will fade a bit.

This umpires strikezone is hilarious.

I listened to it twice back to back, it was quite enjoyable.

-4 DRS in 181 innings at 1B, -9 in LF in 256. So he's terrible at both. As an edit his UZR is also not good at 1B.

Happy that he's contributing, still missing Travis.

I have no issue with Goins being on the team as a bench piece, but if they think his recent run is his true talent and do something stupid like move Travis off second or trade him I'd be a bit annoyed.

Jays fan since about 2001, I have vague memories of the 93 series but I was 5 years old and of course didn't have much of an attention span. My favourite team is still the Pirates and it has been since the 90s, I'm also a big Astros fan and have been since the late 90s as well.