Dick_Pole

EE Possibly Reddick A little bit of dumpster diving on the bullpen Navarro as backup (though if it takes $7M like one poster suggested let him go unemployed)

I just assumed that was one of Moogy's toned down profiles. Not a new kid.

I'll take the team that can be consistently over .500 with a 5% chance at winning a championship over the 5 years than the team that has tanked to record proportions, will probably average being under .500 for the next 5 years but might have a fluke season thus improving their chances of a championship to 10% during that time. I don't get the mindset of championship or bust under all circumstances. The Blue Jays and the Marlins both have 2 World Series under their belts. The Marlins have done it in less years. Would anyone argue that the Marlins are a better franchise than the Jays? No. The Marlins are an absolute joke. And so are the 76ers.

Yeah it only took them three years of setting or nearly setting all sorts of futility records in order to maybe have a chance at the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference next year.

Isn't that kind of the point though? Grab #2 and hope for two 40-45 win teams until the finals. I was a little disappointed over the off-season. Thought Masai could have done much more with the flexibility he had. But I don't hate this team. Beyond Lowry and Carroll everyone else is under 28 years old. Solid and deep young core. As long as Lebron James is in the league and not in a Raptors uniform, getting to a Championship game is always going to be an uphill battle. But every year he's getting a year older. If someone tells me that the Raptors don't win a championship in the next four years but the team averages 45-50 wins, a couple of Atlantic division titles, 4 playoff spots and several playoff round wins I think that's a decent outcome that I'd be happy with. Hell of a lot better than the Triano years. I know some people have this all-or-nothing opinion that unless there's championship hopes you might as well tank. I can't disagree with that more. I don't want to cheer for the Nets or 76ers. s*** for half a decade and still no end in sight. Not every team is going to get lucky like the Timberwolves. As long as the Raptors remain in that tier 2 group of teams that would have a decent shot if the Warriors folded and James retired, the franchise will remain strong. Fans and the ownership are going to want to support it and players are going to want to play here. Losing doesn't breed winning down the road (through high draft picks). Losing breeds more losing and causes players like Vince Carter to be traded for peanuts.

Yeah but wasn't that his whole thing last year too? Go off on weak teams/defenses? (Ok excluding Cleveland). I'm not opposed to his skill set. The Raptors need to take out the weaker teams on a consistent basis if they want another top 2 seed this year.

Here's a question for the people who are upset at Gibbons staying: When was the last time the Blue Jays had a manager you liked? Do you see where this question is headed? This is a case of the grass being greener on the other side.

I think they'll be dealing from strength. Especially if the FO strikes out on the FA market to fill up the outfield.

Not sure why everyone has such a love affair for Steve Pearce. 33 year old journeyman who had one good 60% of a season in his life. If you want him for a versatile bench piece, fine. If you'd rather have him than Smoak, fine. But the way people are talking in here you'd think he's the team's answer to replacing Encarnacion.

Lots of work but also lots of opportunity and probably lots of fun for the Jays FO as builders and us as fans. ~$50M for your entire starting rotation and three best relievers. That's an almost criminal head start for a team with a budget in the mid-$100's.

The reason why Goins has been around as long as he has was that the team had no above replacement level 2B and two men made of glass at 3B and SS two years ago. If Devon Travis plays 150 games next year Goins doesn't see more than 50 PA with this team next year.

That's the FO off-season equivalent of a player going 0-4 with 4 K's in a game. Bad, and a very unlikely event. It's not going to happen. Even if they completely strike out on the re-sign/FA front and have to trade one of their pitchers for an outfielder it'll be better than that.

With Biagini as a possible SP5 candidate as well, I think the Jays have some options with their starting rotation to fill in holes. I wouldn't be opposed seeing Happ traded for a decent OF with control if the other team absorbs the salary.

In the meantime we can make our warm up posts in this thread: Goins, Upton, Smoak, Loup and Tepera for Mike Trout.

The Jays will have one of the best if not the best WAR/$ projection for all 5 of their starters next year and it's October 19th. It's the envy of I'd say of at least 20 teams in the league with several key positions locked up on the diamond as well. Consider that along with a payroll that will be at least in the top half of the league, if not higher. I don't think it's that hard of a job for the FO to make this a competitive team next year.

Quite sure as well. I wasn't even in that camp to begin with.

The biggest regret we should have as Blue Jays fans is he didn't get started a few months earlier. If he had that might have been enough offense to convince Halladay to stay. Imagine how the team would have been with Roy still on it in 2010.

See how Biagini and/or Osuna do with being stretched out. If successful the Jays can trade one of their starters to fill another hole.

Well that's it. I enjoyed posting here and living in the universe. If the universe doesn't cave in on itself on Friday when no game is played, it probably means we need this thread for next year.

The silver lining to any Jays loss is that the stupid people will go away, at least for several months.

70% chance of showers overnight. Maybe they are planning on extra innings.

Took the words right out of my mouth. The name of the game is to minimize the chances of Miller hurting the Jays. And that is done by maximizing the chance of scoring runs early and often and putting in your most suitable line up to start. Worry about the 7th inning at 6pm if needed. Not now.

Relax. Game 6 GDT already exists. So the Jays must win game 5 so the universe can maintain its order of causality.

Because the Jays cannot lose as long as the GDT for the next game has been created already. It'll cause the universe to blow up from paradoxes, or something. I read it in a science book once. And in the very small chance that a bad thing happens tomorrow, well life's not worth living anyways so let the universe blow up.

Put on an Andrew Miller mask first. That should get the juices flowing....