jaysblue

Agreed, but Yastrzemski got that kind of deal last offseason.

Yeah, 2 years/$24M would be too rich for me as well. I was thinking more along the lines of 2/$18–20M for Grichuk, and that was mostly based on what Yastrzemski got last offseason. Grichuk is also coming off the better season offensively, so I’d expect his market to be at least in that range, especially it being a thin market for RHB's. Atkins also hasn’t exactly been afraid to spend money on depth and bench pieces when he thinks they fill a need - Straw being a pretty good example. Toronto might actually be one of the few teams willing to pay Grichuk $8–10M AAV for that role. That said, Lane Thomas is definitely interesting. If you can get him for less, that probably makes more sense from a roster-construction standpoint. He can handle CF, crushes LHP and gives you some insurance if Bateman regresses.

Yeah I could see Grichuk getting a two-year deal around $10-12M AAV, similar to what the Braves signed Yastrzemski for. There is a lot of risk with him since he's never been a high OBP guy and he's always been very streaky. Like he could hit .230-.240 with a sub .300 OBP and bad numbers overall.

Yeah, I think you have to platoon Grichuk with either Lukes or Barger. Ideally, though, they’d also add another everyday outfielder like Suzuki or someone similar. I don’t think you can build the outfield around multiple platoons and expect it to work consistently over 162 games. There just isn’t enough roster room to carry two separate outfield platoons unless one of those extra bats also has the versatility to play the infield.

Atkins seems like one of the few executives who might actually be willing to pay market value or even a slight premium for Grichuk. The organization obviously knows him well, and Atkins has negotiated with him before. I’m sure other teams will have interest, but I doubt many would be willing to pay $9–10M AAV for a right-handed platoon bat. The Jays are one of the few teams that could afford to do that, and they’ve already shown they’re willing to pay a premium for quality depth pieces, like they did with Straw. I could see Grichuk getting something around 2 years/$18–20M, and Toronto could easily make that kind of offer. A Grichuk/Lukes platoon in LF would make a lot of sense, and even a Grichuk/Barger platoon could work depending on how the rest of the roster is constructed.

If you're in Honolulu and are into cigars, definitely visit Brix and Stones. One of my favourite cigar lounges. Wish we had places like that here in Ontario.

Weird, especially since he came back in September and didn't pitch all that bad.

I think there’s simply too much at stake for either side to risk another lockout, where the season gets delayed or cancelled. Interest in MLB seems to be at one of its strongest points in years, and the league is in a pretty healthy spot overall. Then factor in all the money tied to television, sponsorships, sportsbooks and now prediction markets - there’s just too much revenue on the table for everyone to lose. A prolonged work stoppage could do a lot of damage at a time when baseball actually has some real momentum behind it.

Was going to say the same thing. Time to lock this down!

Agreed. That’s why adding another proven bat is so important. It raises the floor of the offense. If Santander and Barger come back healthy and produce, great, but you don’t want the lineup depending on that. Add someone like Suzuki, and suddenly those bounce-backs become upside rather than necessities.

Tough not to agree. If the front office truly viewed Bo as part of the long-term core, I think they would’ve done everything they could to keep him in a Blue Jays uniform after the 2025 season. As fans, myself included, there’s definitely some recent nostalgia attached to the idea of bringing him back. After the run they had in 2025, it’s easy to think that putting Bo and Vladdy back in the same lineup might somehow recreate some of that magic. But at some point, you have to move forward. The Jays need to find another elite bat to pair with Vladdy, and I think that should be one of the biggest priorities of the offseason.

That, and also the fear that the Phillies were going to sign him.

I agree to an extent. Losing essentially the entire season from Barger, getting almost nothing from Santander and missing Kirk for close to half the year obviously had a significant impact. Add in Vladdy having a down season, Springer’s power dropping off and Varsho not giving them what was expected, and a lot went wrong offensively. So yeah, I don’t think the lineup is completely hopeless either. A healthy Barger alone potentially adds another 25-HR bat, Kirk is one of their better hitters when healthy, and you would expect some positive regression from Vladdy. Where I disagree is using that as a reason to mostly run it back. You simply can’t count on Santander being healthy or productive at this point, and there are still too many spots in the lineup without much power. If you’re regularly starting both Gimenez and Clement, for example, you’re putting a lot of pressure on the other 6–7 bats to provide all the thump. The incumbent group could definitely be better in 2027 simply through better health and some regression to the mean, but I’d still want them to add at least one legitimate impact bat. Raise the ceiling rather than just hoping everything that went wrong in 2026 corrects itself.

All these sports leagues, teams and players need to stop advertising gambling apps and sportsbooks. Even the broadcasts constantly push betting lines and odds during games now. I find it disgusting and honestly a huge turnoff. I saw the Chiefs’ official social media account sharing betting lines before the Denver game the other day. Like seriously? Obviously they have a partnership with DraftKings, but I don’t think an actual team account should be promoting gambling on its own games. And yes, I do think the relationship between professional sports and sportsbooks has become so intertwined that it raises legitimate questions about whether certain games or situations are being manipulated. I’m not saying I can prove that every suspicious call or strange finish is connected to gambling, but when leagues, teams, broadcasts and players are all financially tied to sportsbooks, I think it’s fair for fans to question how much influence that money has. Maybe some people will call that conspiracy thinking, but the leagues themselves have created that perception by getting this deeply involved with gambling. If they want fans to trust the integrity of the product, they shouldn’t be simultaneously shoving betting odds and sportsbook promotions in our faces every five minutes.

Yeah agreed.

Haha never has happened. But we're in a different era of baseball and sports in general right now. Could end tonight possibly, but Game 6 would be another $70-$100 million in revenue. Plus an extra game for the sportsbooks, Vegas and the Polymarket. As well, from a storyline/entertainment perspective, how sweet would it be for Milwaukee to win it in front of their fans at home after all these years?

Part of the script. Brewers will win at home in Game 6.

Gausman has his house already listed on the market. I think the Jays FO would definitely welcome bringing Bo back to possibly play 2B. Would also take some pressure off Vladdy from being "the guy." Robbie Ray wouldn't be a bad target as a back-end guy, but doubt he comes back here. Varsho - I think it's time to move on, unless he came at a massive discount like a one-year deal around $8-10M, but doubt it. Springer/Scherzer - think it's time to move on from both of them. I'm okay with bringing back Scherzer for $2-3M as an insurance arm, but wouldn't guarantee him any spot in the rotation. Bieber - open to bringing him back on an incentive based contract.

MLB, broadcasters, sponsors and local businesses all have a financial incentive to see this series go six or seven games. Each additional World Series game could generate an estimated US$70–100 million in combined revenue and economic activity.

I think we should order Term a hot-ready rotisserie chicken from Loblaws.

Would like to see the series go 7 games.

A lot of the 2B options come with question marks, but most have also shown they can be legitimate difference-makers. In terms of pure tools and ceiling, though, I think there’s a pretty clear gap between Jazz and someone like Arraez or Lowe. If Jazz is right, you’re talking about a guy capable of hitting 30–35 HRs while stealing 35–40+ bases. Even with the 4+ WAR seasons he put up in 2024 and 2025, I still think there’s another level there given his overall skill set. With Lowe, maybe you can squeeze out another 4-WAR season, but I’d probably view his floor more in the 2–3 WAR range. On a four- or five-year deal, I’m just not convinced he moves the needle enough. As for Arraez, I’d be pretty surprised if we ever see another 4-WAR season from him. He can obviously still hit, but the overall ceiling just isn’t close to what Jazz can provide. Regardless, either of these bats would be upgrades over Clement at 2B.

100% Also, couldn't understand how people were lining up at the Jays Shop every morning purchasing a bunch of Blue Jays merch that said 2025 Postseason or World Series. Like seriously, don't they have jobs? I bet a lot of those people were just throwing their credit cards at any new Postseason merch that came out without much thought as well.