jaysblue

Would actually be cool if the Rays played some home games at the Rogers Centre if it's available haha.

Yeah not a bad idea. Sure they can play some series down in Puerto Rico or Dominican. MLBPA would have to approve and some teams might object to playing somewhere else geographically. Could also play some games at the Marlins ballpark or Truist Park in Atlanta when they're not being used. Turner Field in Atlanta is still up, but Georgia State renovated it and turned it into a football stadium lol.

Ah darn. Not sure where else in Florida they could go.

Not sure if any team plays there throughout the year. They probably could schedule maybe like 40 or so home games during the regular season. Orlando is a tourist spot, so might get some decent attendance.

Yeah but the Dunedin Jays play there throughout the season. It's gonna be tough to play at a ST ballpark since most are used during the season. George M. Steinbrenner Field is right next to the football stadium where the Bucs play, so it's right in Tampa. Don't think any minor league club plays there throughout the year.

Am I okay making my pick now?

I guess since Spanky has two consecutive picks, he gets a 12 hour window total.

Since the Rays are an AL East team, I think Montreal would make the most sense. Only other option is if they play down in a ST park somewhere in Florida but that will be tough with minor league ball going on or Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

Don't have to worry about Hurricanes in Montreal. Just bad snow storms. They would be used to playing in another s*** hole. Pretty much the O is like the Trop. Closest to home-field they would get haha.

Rays should play in Montreal next season.

Made my pick and e-mailed Spanky. Will still be around to make my pick after Jay makes his two.

Baty was a highly-touted prospect coming up and has some upside. Might be a great buy low.

At the end of the day, can't use those excuses in the corporate world. If a company doesn't have a strong quarter or year, the people at the top are held accountable.

Bills responded by adding Amari Cooper from Cleveland. Division is definitely wide open between the Bills & Jets.

He's still only 24 as well. Wonder if it makes it easier now for the Mets to part with Brett Baty.

Chicks dig the long ball.

Connor, sent you some trade offers bro!

Wonder if they can swing a trade for a power bat or a #3/4 SP with some years of control. They likely can only afford one power bat via free agency. Even a lower tier guy like O'Neill or Pederson minimum would cost around $15M AAV to sign here on a one or two-year deal. As for a starter, wonder what Bieber would cost on a one or two-year deal? Worth taking a gamble and the Jays have arms to fill out the rotation until he's ready. Some cheap SP options who likely could sign for one-year and under $10M would be Matt Boyd or Spencer Turnbull. Wouldn't be bad cheap options since most veteran FA arms are likely to get 3 or 4 year deals and would cost $15M-20M AVV per season. Walker Buehler would be interesting as well as a reclamation project if he signed for under $10M. But he likely signs with a team in a pitcher friendly park where he can build back some value. Yeah they likely can roll with Clement/Barger at 3B to save some money, with Vladdy getting some time in at the hot corner as well. They likely can sign one good BP arm and then aim for a upside play or bounce back candidate with the second BP arm. Reese McGuire or another backup that would cost only $1M should work.

I know I just said that it would be tough lol. Those are all the areas on the 26-man roster they need to add to or make upgrades though. So yeah might have to get creative via the trade market.

Jays might have to get creative on the trade market in order to make the improvements necessary. $45-$50M isn't a lot in today's market and the Jays need to spend it wisely if that's all they have available to spend this offseason. Team needs: - 2 power bats - another mid-rotation SP - a third baseman - two high leverage BP arms - backup catcher Not sure they can acquire all those pieces via free agency. Atkins might have to get creative on the trade market as well.

Yeah pretty much we're drafting the last 3 to 4 players on our rosters, which are bench guys anyways. Most of the remaining Top 100 or 150 guys are high floor/low ceiling type of guys. It's alright to take some swings on some young guys with upside and hope they breakout and become a potential keeper.

Probably had to take him there Jay since we won't pick for a while now. Felt like I had to make a reach as well to grab Dick since he's likely going to start with the Raps!

f*** I wanted Coby White.

What rubber fence? Did you really think all of a sudden the Jays entire lineup in 2023 after struggling heavily over 162 games and displaying a lack of power was all of a sudden going to figure things out in Game 163 and 164? Again, I don't understand what is so controversial on what I just said above.

You're dunking on nobody. Your dunk attempt has been swatted away! Nobody ever said the MLB Postseason isn't a crapshoot. Any team can win in a short 3-game or 5-game series. You can even put the White Sox in the DS and they could possibly knock out a team like the Yankees or Dodgers lol. 7-games is more ideal to get a better grasp of who the better team is, but it's still a crapshoot as well. The D-Backs and Rangers got into the Postseason last year as Wildcards, which did benefit them. Wildcard teams have shown that they can get hot and go on an extended run. Teams that have a 4 or 5 game layoff can be at a disadvantage, as we know baseball is a game of consistency, routines and timing. I don't think anyone on here said the D'Backs and Rangers were the best teams on paper. Did they have solid pieces that could have went on an extended run in the Postseason and upset some of the better teams? Yes they did. Myself and many other posters even said the same thing about the Blue Jays with their rotation and BP in 2023 on how they can be a dangerous team that could on an extended run in the Postseason. As for the Blue Jays getting eliminated in the WC Rounds, most of us were upset that they never added any offense at the 2023 trade deadline when it was very well known and a given that offensively the team had issues and needed offensive upgrades in the lineup. Would have that made a difference in the series against the Twins? Maybe or maybe not. But regardless, a lot of us didn't get our hopes high with that 2023 lineup and it's not like all of a sudden guys were going to figure things out for Game 163, 164 and 165 after 162 games. Also, the way they handled Berrios in Game 2 was the icing on the cake. As for the 2022 WC series against the Mariners, defensive mistakes and in-game management of the defensive substitutions & bullpen cost them that series. I hope MLB does fix the playoff format when it comes to the WC and DS series. I think the DS series should be 7 games, especially after a long gruelling 162 games season. Also, makes things less of a crapshoot. As for the WC series, I think they need to happen quickly after the regular season and reduce the amount of scheduled off-days before and after the series. I would even make the WC round where the #2 and #3 WC teams play a winner-take-all game and the winner then goes plays the #1 WC team the following day. So the #2 and #3 WC teams have to go play and win 2 games, where the #1 WC team only plays and has to win one. Can either schedule the off-day on the Monday before the WC round or one-day after and then start the DS on the Thursday instead of the Saturday. Gives teams the incentive to win their divisions as they're all guaranteed at least 7-games in the DS and the luxury of being able to set their pitching rotation, whereas the WC teams will be at a disadvantage when it comes to that as they enter the DS. Also, starting the DS the same week on the Thursday versus on the Saturday benefits teams who won the division as they don't have that long of a layoff and allows MLB to stretch the DS to 7 games without extending the Postseason schedule that much at all.