jaysblue

Ok didn't say they would take the division specifically unless I could find another post, but they were my sleeper pick in the NL this season, implying they could surprise to win the division or be a top WC contender.

What if the Blue Jays signed Manoah to a contract extension during the offseason? Wouldn't the Blue Jays be financially harmed by the pitch clock now as well, since Manoah turned into a pumpkin on the mound?

When Doc first was sent down, did he get hammered by minor league bats in his first couple of starts? Again, Jays need Manoah long term and even if this season is a wash for him, he can still be valuable in 2024 and 2025.

We're not talking about Stripling but okay. There were a lot of posters that wanted him back and in hindsight that contract he signed with the Giants looked pretty decent. I know he has sucked with the Giants but who knows if he still was kept around in Toronto. If he was still here, don't think he would be this bad. He seemed comfortable pitching here. Kind of like how Marco Estrada was here with the Jays. Given the way Manoah has pitched this season, Stripling would have been a helpful arm to have now. Granted, not pitching like he is with the Giants obviously. But yeah at $12.5M per season, that's a lot to pay for a guy who is your No. 5 starter, along with having Kikuchi and his $12M starting the season in the pen. Plus the Jays FO thought Mitch White could be the next Stripling but that hasn't worked out thus far. So unlikely was going to happen.

On the Cats? Series or just Game 1 tonight?

Huh?

Should the MLB also accommodate Kirk and give him a head start on the base paths every time?

Some posters on here were using excuses that since Varsho is on a new team and has a lot of pressure since the trade is the reason he is underperforming. Can we say the same thing about Teo with the Mariners and since he's in a contract year? The Blue Jays offense are missing what Teo and LGJ bats were during their tenure with the Jays. Obviously Teo is struggling this season, though definitely this lineup is missing his production from 2020-2022. Again, I don't have an issue with the trades the Jays made. Though many hitters on the Jays have been underperforming which makes it more noticeable.

Jays were paying 2.10 tonight. Put $10 on them because they're never usually at those odds. Glad they won! Buy's me a free beer tomorrow yay!

I don't get why so many posters on here get all pissy when someone compares Kirk and Moreno. Like if you say anything positive about Moreno, they get all defensive. If you say something negative about Kirk, same thing. It's okay to have different opinions on both catchers. Some posters might think Moreno could carve out a better career and that's fine. Some posters might think Kirk can be better long term and that's fine as well. It's like the pro Kirk side wants Moreno to fail badly just so they could prove a point lol. Like literally who cares? As long as Kirk is productive for the Jays and helps them win a World Series, that's the most important. Kirk has been disappointing so far this season, and there is nothing wrong in saying that. He needs to start hitting for more power. But a lot homers on this board take offense when you criticize Kirk or heck even Varsho!

D'backs were my pick to win the NL West. I mean it's still early though they've done a great job thus far, considering some of their young pitchers have been meh.

You were the one being combative from the beginning as you always are! Yes, Harper has been overhyped and never met his expectations as being one of the best players in baseball. Take away his 2015 and 2021 season, and we probably don't even have the Hall of Fame conversation. He was considered the next phenom coming up. Maybe that wasn't fair by other baseball writers and scouts. Anyways, he's still been a very solid player and yes likely will make the Hall of Fame if he can stay healthy and put together a couple more productive seasons. If he retired today or started hitting like the Angels version of Albert Pujols, he likely doesn't. What is wrong with stating that?

Yeah only way is to start training camp and the season earlier. They'll never shorten the season or make a Best of 5 series for Round 1. Owners would complain about lost revenue and NHL won't ever allow it. Plus R1 is excellent hockey, so you want to see the series go to 7 games. I recall a lot of back-to-back games this season in the NHL. They'll never get rid of that one week off per team like you said. Only thing is starting the regular season before the end of September, so shortening training camp and the exhibition season.

Yeah have to be careful which words you use to describe players on here or else the grammar police will pull out a dictionary definition of that word to prove a point like Orgfiller was trying to do with me when I was discussing Harper's career to date. Spanky though wasn't trying to level up you. Correa has been a solid bat and player, but definitely you can argue he hasn't reached those lofty expectations to when he first came up. He's never been the same type of bat since his age 22 season and given his age now and injury history, he unlikely will ever again. The Twins will be lucky if they get a couple 130-140 wRC+ seasons out of him moving forward, though doubt it. He's had a solid career to date, but yeah given to where he was as a prospect and his age 22 season, he hasn't been a consistent elite star player in this league as many scouts and people thought he was going to be.

NHL season and Playoffs seem way too long. It would be nice to have the Stanley Cup wrapped up by the end of the May or beginning of June, but that's pretty much impossible given the amount of off days and scheduling. Heck even this season in April I was asking myself when the Playoffs start and the Leafs still had regular season games on April 11th and 13th and their first playoff game was on April 18th. Crazy! They need to try to start the Playoffs earlier at the beginning of April. By time the Cup finishes mid-to-late June, then you have the NHL draft, free agency begins July 1st and by time September rolls around training camp and exhibition season begins.

Who is ASS?

I only own him in BORED. Send me a wise offer.

Never said he sucks lol geez. I just said he never matched up to the high expectations and hype when he was drafted and when he was coming up as a prospect. His 2015 and 2021 seasons he was one of the best players in baseball. Take away those two seasons and yeah. Still a very solid career but nothing spectacular as he was built up to be. Harper's WAR excluding his 2015 and 2021 seasons: 4.4 4.1 1.6 2.7 4.2 3.0 4.0 1.9 2.4 0.6 (so far this season) Still very solid, but don't consider those numbers as one of the best players in the game.

Yup I don't think anyone would complain. He's had a tremendous and real solid career to date. All I was saying was that he never met the expectations as being one of the best players in baseball. He looked it in 2015 and 2021, though never was able to string together consistent 8-9 WAR seasons.

I never said Harper has had a disappointing career. Where did I ever say that? He's definitely had a great career to this point and has solidified himself as a top player in this game. All I was saying when he came up, he had very high expectations as the next baseball phenom, kind of like LeBron James level in the NBA as you just alluded to, though those expectation consistently over his career were never met. Yes he looked like the best player in baseball in 2015 and 2021, though outside of those years, while still very good, he didn't look as one of the best players in the game. Then I compared Trout's career WAR saying it was almost double his over the same timespan to show how amazing Trout has been during his career and that Harper wasn't even close. So I don't understand why you're trying to pick an argument here and trying to prove a point. I also agree Harper should get in the Hall if he stays healthy until his mid-30s. He's had some injury concerns over the years, so yes that could possibly impact his chances if he can't stay on the field. Is he a first balloter? Depends on the class, but if he keeps up his pace and does have a couple 4-5 WAR seasons, he should be or at least inducted early.

Yeah BA's 2011 rankings had Harper ahead of Trout. Montero and Brown were both 3 and 4 lol. Teheran was No. 5 haha. Hellickson, Chapman, Hosmer, Moustakas, Myers rounded out the Top 10. Geez!

Yeah Harper still needs to play into mid 30s and put together a couple more 4-5 WAR seasons. I don't think we'll ever see Harper being a 9 WAR player ever again like he was in 2015.

At the time when they reached the Majors, both Harper and Trout were pretty much considered two of the best future young stars of the game. Trout obviously went to another level and lived up to those expectations as one of the best players all time in baseball whereas Harper has had a solid career, though never lived up to the lofty expectations when he was coming up as a prospect. Was using that comparison showing how good Trout has been over the last 10 or so years and how Harper hasn't even come close. You probably had some scouts and baseball writers back in 2011/2012 think Harper was going to be better than Trout. There was definitely more hype surrounding Harper when he made the Show. Harper is definitely trending towards the Hall if he stays healthy and produces a couple more 4-5 WAR seasons. He's had a real solid career. Though don't think he lived up to all the hype when he was coming up as a prospect.

That's the NHL for you. At least the Stanley Cup won't be played at the end of June!

Kyle Dubas hired as President of Hockey Operations in Pittsburgh. Wow!