KingKat

Any excuse to go to Montreal is a good excuse. I had a great time at the games (the first one was especially great) and in the city. The only thing that sucked was the trip back. Had to dig out the car out in Montreal. Drove through crap weather in a rental with no winter tires and got stuck in the snow twice in Fredericton, once in my driveway when I unloaded the car and then again trying to bring it back to the rental place. I'm really sore from all the shovelling and pushing.

The only excuse I can make for the team is that Reyes is probably being a lot more forthright now than he was before. Players are awful when it comes to this sort of thing. I listened to Dickey's audiobook on the trip to Montreal and there's a line in there where he says his number one advice to young players is never ever take yourself out of the game, never admit injury, never let them Wally Pipp you. That's pretty much insane but it's a pervasive mentality in sports.

Could this team actually have an incompetent training staff? Is that even a thing in pro sports?

I really didn't want to make a big deal out of Reyes playing in Montreal but this is a pretty damning quote: “It wasn’t 100 per cent at all, when I was hitting in the box I was obviously thinking about running. I said in my mind, base hit, fly ball – I don’t know how I’m going to run fast.” It doesn't sound like the decision should have been left to Reyes at all. He should have been on the DL. I guess Reyes and the team go too caught up in the idea of Reyes starting the season healthy. I think that had more to do with it than a marketing decision. I can pretty much guarantee that not as single ticket in Montreal was purchased because of Jose Reyes. It was predominantly an Expos crowd with surprisingly little knowledge about current baseball players. The only player who was getting recognition from the crowd was Bautista. All the other Toronto plate appearances were treated the same by the crowd. No special recognition for Reyes or even Edwin. GSnarls can confirm this. When we met during the game, we talked about how it really wasn't a Blue Jays crowd at all. Most people just wanted to pretend they were watching the Expos.

Maybe but I don't really see what difference it makes. They could have held him back and had him play in the minors but he probably still starts the season in TB because it wasn't major and he felt he could play through it. Maybe he would have run more in the minors and maybe he would been forced to the DL then instead of now but so what. If the problem is that they rush guys back from injures, losing the possiblity to backdate the DL is probably a blessing in disguise. Reyes was bound to miss time sooner or later. It just so happens it's now and not later. That's just no a big deal to me. We all saw this coming. Most of us wanted AA to do something about it and he didn't. That's the only issue. Constantly second guessing the handling of a player who is bound to get injured anyways is completely futile.

Pretty much a moot point since he would have started the season in TB regardless.

I don't really get the big deal with Reyes playing in Montreal. It was an occasion for Reyes to test the hamstring and make sure he could handle game action and turf action and he looked fine and passed the test. If he hadn't, they would have known to start the season with him on the DL. By a weird quirk of timing he pulled up lame on his first AB of the season. If he skips Montreal and pulls up lame in the third TB game is that any better? Using stuff like WBC or the Montreal games as excuses just obscures the real issues with the roster construction of this team. The team has a left side of the infield that's pretty much a lock to miss significant time every year and they have not constructed a bench that can deal with it. That's the problem. Not the trainer, not the manager, not the coaches. The general manager is the issue.

Isn't Diaz a bit of a defensive specialist? Doesn't he draw John MacDonald comparisons?

When they said they wouldn't move Goins to SS, that pretty much dictated Diaz. Gosh that end of the lineup is going to be brutal.

Did Michael Taylor clear? I would have traded a pitcher to get him. I certainly would take him if he's just sitting there. A Taylor/Gose platoon might actually be a serviceable 2015 CF scenario.

Ultimately the Thole/Kratz dichotomy is a bit of a false one. The best for the Jays is to carry three catchers and give Navarro half the DH platoon.

'Cause Thole was so amazing?

http://www.uloc.de/screenshots/9/9f10_10_lyle_lanley_skizze_suckers.jpg

It's borderline criminal that the money that was offered to Santana couldn't be offered to Drew. Goins to Drew is a bigger upgrade than Santana over McGowan and whoever else ends up filling the 5th spot.

...and he throws pretty hard too.

That settles it. Comish, give me my shortstop.

Like an afternoon game of catch.

Yeah but I think Jeffress making the team is just AA being strategic about when to try to sneak him through to the minors. I think he gets sent down early just like last season.

Oh wait... I misunderstood this. I was thinking it would be unfair to someone else who made a promotion and is at their limit now and I just assumed since he was mentioned that Spanky must have done a promotion. That's why I said he should be allowed an extra add. That should apply to somene else in my position not necessarily Spanky. I realize now that he was mentionned because he's my opponent. I suppose he could be upset by this but really as long as every owner is allowed to ask the comish to activate their players for them if they are concerned about add limits, it should be fair to everyone. As NJH mentions, it's not like players get activated all the time.

Anyone else thinks Jeffres will get sent down before Kratz?

If Spanky reaches his limit, he should be allowed a comish added move if he needs it. Cool?

That would be nice but I feel like it would be cheating. Other owners have activated players and have had it count against this ridiculously long 5 add window. I'd rather the limit be scrapped although I kind of doubt the comish tools would let you at this point.

Is it even 2 % of the extra 2%? Josh LUEKE has contributed 0.2 WAR to the Rays cause over three season. He's a positive asset only in the very strictest sense of the word.

Yahoo! is pissing me off. I have 3 empty roster spots that I can't fill because of the 5 add limit. Because it counted the Australia games as part of week 1, my adds didn't refresh today like they should have and I'm frozen until next week. I don't even have a starting SS because I can't activate Chris Owings and Drew is still M.I.A.

Aren't they both at 7?