jaysblue

Hopefully the asking price for one year of Soto isn't that much. If the Jays can acquire Soto, he essentially gives you what you were wanting from Vlad. Soto + Bo would be the key guys offensively in the lineup. Soto could likely produce 5-6 WAR and Bo 4-5 WAR. Likely could get 10+ WAR combined from those two. Add in another bat with some pop like Teo or Soler or JD Martinez, the lineup is looking good. If Vladdy returns to somewhere between his 2021 and 2022 season, even better. Overall, I don't think it's smart to count on Vladdy as being an anchor/elite bat for this lineup. Need to bring in someone else.

I expect Varsho to bounce back and produce a 3-4 WAR season as a full-time CF. I don't want him hitting anywhere in the middle-of-the-order though, unless he proves throughout the season otherwise. Hopefully he slots somewhere #7-9 in the batting order. I hope Springer could bounce back as well, but worried about his age and injury history. He could end up being a dead asset.

Yeah his last two seasons have been brutal. Was a beast in 2021, but chances of him returning close to that form in 2024 is very unlikely. He would only be good as a last resort if the Jays were unable to sign a 1B/DH type bench bat and if they had the roster space.

Bring back Cito Gaston. He'll teach these hitters to pull the ball and will play veterans over young bats!

Leafs played sloppy last night. Every time they tied up the game, Buffalo scored like a minute or two later. Unbelievable. Don't understand how some Leafs fans paid like over $400-500 for a pair of Green's last night haha. It's going to be Deja Vu all over again. Once the Playoffs role around, Leafs will have an early round exit in R1 or R2. Sucks they can't put together a legit Stanley Cup contender with guys like Matthew, Marner, Nylander etc.

The Padres declined Wacha's two-year, $32 million option for 2024-25 on Saturday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. That's a real head scratcher. Wacha has posted a 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 228:74 K:BB over 261.2 innings over last two seasons. You would think he's worth $16M. Padres likely losing Snell as a free agent as well, so don't get why they didn't pick up the option on Wacha. Padres definitely selling Soto and Machado this offseason.

Best Buy sells Christmas trees? Haha.

Leafs suck.

I'm starting to see Rachel ads for women's pantyhose and tights now. This site is crazy.

I think Atkins does make a big move or two this offseason. Lineup will be the priority. I could see the Jays being aggressive in any Juan Soto discussions. They will also sign a bat with some pop like Teo, Pederson, Soler or Hoskins.

Yeah would be a great PR move signing him, but from a baseball perspective Jays should probably aim higher especially early in the offseason. From looking at his last two years, tough giving him 300-400 ABs on a team planning to contend for a World Series, so I take that back from what I said earlier. Still wouldn't mind him as a bench bat if the Jays needed to fill up a bench spot later in the offseason and if he came cheap.

Bet the Bruins that game and definitely was happy with the results. Leafs are going to be a frustrating team again this season. Lucky if they make it to R2 again.

Yeah I might not renew my MLB TV subscription next season. Postseason should be included FFS.

Yeah that's the issue - he seems like an a-hole.

Yeah obviously if Belt would cost the same as Votto. It's possible Votto has some magic left in the bat and would be a nice feel good story if he was able to win a World Series in his hometown. From a business perspective, he would be a really nice fit with the Jays as a part-time 1B/DH/lefty bat. Jays definitely could market him and would sell a lot of jerseys. I still think he ends back with the Reds or he retires.

How would Tim Anderson look at 2B? Would kind of remind me as when the Jays signed Semien to a one-year deal for the 2021 season. Has a chance to be a bounce back candidate.

Does Votto retire now? I don't think he's a starter anymore. Reds would be smart to bring him back as a part-time 1B/DH who gets around 300 or so ABs. Would love the Blue Jays to sign Votto to kind of fill the same role as Brandon Belt did in 2023. Would be awesome if he won a World Series in Toronto.

So all the games tonight are part of this in-season tournament?

Blue Jays should sign reliever Will Smith. He became the 1st player in MLB history to win 3 straight World Series rings with 3 different teams. Let's make it a 4th in 2024 haha.

Todd is back haha

Yeah exactly. As well, most of the WC teams are different teams from the beginning of the season depending on if they've added at the trade deadline. Blue Jays during the JPR years had no chance of contending for the Postseason. If there was an expanded WC format, who knows if one of those Jays teams like in 2003 or 2006 make a push at the trade deadline to upgrade their roster, get into the Postseason and go on a run.

Last year in the NHL and NBA Playoffs, we saw two teams make it all the way to the Finals in each league respectively that probably shouldn't have gone that far. Both the Florida Panthers and Miami Heat were like the 7th/8th place team in their conferences. Both teams lost to the superior teams in the Finals (Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Denver Nuggets). You are starting to see more parity across all sports since more teams do make the Playoffs and you are seeing lower playoff seeded teams going on runs for a couple of rounds knocking out the top seeded teams. Owners and the Leagues want more teams to make the Playoffs because that means more money. It happens in any sport, whether it's hockey, basketball and even soccer like at a World Cup. Only sport where you don't see that too often is in the NFL Playoffs. Since 2000 in baseball, World Series winners who were the WC teams were the Anaheim Angels (2002), Florida Marlins (2003), Boston Red Sox (2004), St. Louis Cardinals (2011), San Francisco Giants (2014), Washington Nationals (2019) and the Texas Rangers (2023). 7 in 23 years. Those earlier WC teams were the 4th best teams in their leagues, so definitely a lot closer to the elite division winners. Even when the one game WC was announced in 2012, only the Giants and Nats were the two teams to go all the way. The difference now in baseball is that more teams are allowed in, so you will have weaker borderline WC teams sometimes in the World Series. You likely will have a team like the D'Backs every so often go on a run, knock out a couple top teams and make it to the World Series. Same happens in the NHL and NBA with 8 teams making it. That's what happens when you allow more teams in to compete in the Postseason.

The game definitely did ruin a bunch of parlay's and most money in Vegas was probably put down on the Bucks last night. I'm sure some of it was fixed. I did bet the under 224.5 and also bet the Bucks point spread by 4 since I thought it was good value. After the Bucks were down like 10 or 15 in the first, bet a small amount on them Money Line because basketball games could swing quickly. They were coming within striking distance, but were never able to fully stop the Raptors. Overall, didn't lose a whole bunch of money but happy the Raptors won to end their 3 game losing streak. Playing in Philly tonight will be tough though.

Raps killing the Bucks so far. I hate betting against or for Toronto teams FFS!

Arizona definitely catching a break.