Ehjays

https://www.mlb.com/news/players-could-play-way-onto-top-100-prospects-list The prospects ranked atop of the Top 30s draw most of the attention, but there are plenty of future stars on those lists who are just beginning to emerge. To prove that point, I've assembled a team of the best prospects who didn't rank in the top 10 in their organization and didn't make our top 10 prospects by position. I also limited the squad to players who have made their pro debuts. Several of these guys could play their way onto the Top 100 Prospects list and into the Majors in the next few years: Nick Frasso, RHP, Dodgers (No. 11) Part of the Mitch White trade with the Blue Jays last August, Frasso has a devastating 95-100 mph fastball with arm-side run and impressive extension, and he also can miss bats with his changeup and slider.

How about Gibby??? He must have put in a good 10 years but still well respected by many. Had a couple of Playoff app.

yes they had the catcher call balls and strikes. No sense framing, you get the call you want.

That exact topic was in the Star today. Chapman says him and his wife would love to stay but says its out of his hands. https://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/opinion/2023/02/19/matt-chapman-is-hoping-he-has-a-big-year-so-are-the-blue-jays-even-if-it-means-losing-him.html DUNEDIN, Fla.—Matt Chapman might have more riding on the upcoming year than any player inside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse. The third baseman is entering his second and possibly last season with the Jays. He is a pending free agent and one of the top players expected to be available in next year’s class. That’s one of several reasons Chapman feels a sense of urgency to win now. He made two trips to the playoffs with the Oakland A’s in 2018 and 2019, yet Chapman called last year’s version of the Jays the best team he had played on. He expects the Jays to be even better this season and it’s anyone’s guess if such a good opportunity to win a World Series will come again. An added benefit of the Jays’ contender status is that it will keep Chapman’s focus on the field. As a clubhouse leader, that’s never been a problem but if the Jays were to struggle, it might be easy to ignore the standings in favour of personal statistics. That shouldn’t be a problem this season, and if all goes well Chapman will put himself in position to secure a massive pay day at the end of the year, with the help of agent Scott Boras. “I’m human, I know that it’s my free-agent year,” Chapman said. “It’s a big and important year, but I’ve built a pretty good resumé and know if I play every game to win, take care of business and help this team win, what happens in the off-season after this will take care of itself. That’s the outlook that I’m taking and I’m just trusting that I can go out there and play, help this team win.” There were lots of fans clamouring for the Jays to sign Chapman to a long-term extension during the off-season. The three-time gold glove winner appears to be the perfect fit at third to mask some of Bo Bichette’s defensive weaknesses. His bat also possesses a ton of power, which should play up with the new dimensions at Rogers Centre. But striking a new deal before Chapman hit the open market never seemed realistic for either party. By the time he joined the Jays, free agency was already within sight, and Boras is an expert at pitting teams against each other to secure top dollar. It’s extremely rare for one of his top clients to forego free agency in favour of a team-friendly deal. The Jays don’t seem to have much of an issue waiting this out. Bichette recently signed a three-year deal that covers off his arbitration years and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is only going to get more expensive from here on out. The Jays are a luxury-tax-paying team, but there are limits to how much ownership is willing to spend. Their success this season, or lack thereof, will help determine the budget, which could impact how much they offer Chapman. “I know the Blue Jays enjoy having me here and want to continue having me here,” Chapman said. “I know I want to continue to be here and be a part of this team. I’m sure conversations will be had along the way but, when I signed that two-year deal, I was anticipating they would have to pay Bo and Vladdy and all these young guys. “So, I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was excited to get out of the arbitration system, not have to worry about that and I felt fortunate to have some security. I kind of always anticipated playing out the two years and seeing what would happen. That doesn’t mean I’m not open to what could be a possibility but that’s not all entirely up to me.” Chapman is coming off a season in which he hit .229 with 27 home runs and 76 RBIs. The power combined with stellar range at third meant he finished 2022 with 4.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. Only Bichette (4.5) and George Springer (4.2) were worth more. Now just imagine how much better the Jays would become if Chapman rediscovered the batting stroke from earlier in his career. In 2018 and 2019, he averaged 30 homers with a .263 average and an .856 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He finished in the top 10 in voting for the AL MVP award both years and had a combined fWAR of 12. Chapman, who changed his leg kick at the plate to more of a toe tap, is hoping some mechanical adjustments will get him back to that previous form. The goal is to go the opposite way more regularly while also cutting down on his strikeouts, which hit 170 last year. Beyond that, he had no complaints about his first season in Toronto. “My wife and I love the city, so I think it was a best-case scenario,” Chapman said of being traded to the Jays. “We had an amazing experience last year and I think this year being more comfortable, not only with the team, but the city and getting used to customs, the ins and outs of Canada, I think we’ll have an even more enjoyable year.” A big year at the plate would turn him into a lottery winner. It also would help the Jays meet their lofty expectations, which was the whole point of trading for him in the first place.

https://theathletic.com/4225876/2023/02/18/blue-jays-prospect-ricky-tiedemann/ Blue Jays top prospect Ricky Tiedemann embracing first big-league camp experience DUNEDIN, Fla. — Ricky Tiedemann delivered the pitch to his target. “There it is,” Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah called out from behind him. “Thatta boy,” said Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen, who received the ball. Tiedemann, the promising lefty, drew a crowd during his side session on Friday under the covered mounds at the player development complex. Among the usual onlookers were Toronto’s pitching coaches and a few trainers. Fellow pitchers were also paying close attention, including Manoah. When Tiedemann finished throwing, he walked toward Jansen for the customary post-side-session hug. The two began debriefing and soon were joined by a couple of Jays coaches and Manoah, who could be seen gesturing with his hands as he spoke to the prospect. After rocketing up Toronto’s minor-league system in 2022, Tiedemann is at his first big-league camp this spring. His invite wasn’t just a polite gesture, either. He’ll get an opportunity to pitch in Grapefruit League games and the Blue Jays are eager to see him continue to progress. The 20-year-old’s odds of breaking camp with the big-league team will be slim. He’s still got to prove himself in Triple A. But the real reward for Tiedemann over these next few weeks will be the chance to soak up all the knowledge he can from the major-league pitchers he’s surrounded by, such as Manoah, who not that long ago was a rising prospect himself, primed to break out. “It’s my first year, so I just want to learn from them and hopefully talk to a lot more of them and take what they have and carry on with it in my next few years,” Tiedemann said about the way he’s approaching his first camp. Drafted in the third round — 91st overall — in 2021, Tiedemann began last year in Low A and quickly rose the ranks to finish in Double A. He had a 2.17 ERA across the three levels and struck out 117 batters in 78 2/3 innings before he was shut down due to his innings limit. Going into his second professional season, Tiedemann is Toronto’s top young arm and was their sole prospect on this year’s batch of top-100 prospect lists across the industry, including The Athletic’s, where he ranked No. 47. Both Jansen and Manoah were aware of Tiedemann’s potential, but Friday was the first time either had seen the left-hander pitch live. Both described his three plus-pitches as “electric.” “The fastball comes out hot and doesn’t seem to really be straight, which is a good thing — it’s got some ride, it’s got some run on it,” Jansen said, adding he heard it was hitting about 96-97 mph on the radar gun. “The action was great on his changeup, you could tell it’s a pitch that he’s always had. It’s a good feel pitch for him. Then his slider was the same thing, it’s a good pitch.” Throughout the bullpen, Jansen said Tiedemann wanted him to set up in certain spots so he could work on filling up the zone with strikes. “He had a plan of what he wanted to do with things, which is great to see, as well, especially for a young guy,” Jansen said. After the bullpen was over, Manoah shared tips with Tiedemann on how to stay locked in on his spots. “His raw talent, it’s unbelievable, his stuff is unbelievable,” Manoah said. “That was the message to him, ‘Hey, your stuff’s really unbelievable, let’s just create little cues that get you around the plate a little bit more and just go attack.” It was only two years ago, in 2021, that Manoah had his breakout performance at Blue Jays’ camp. That set the stage for his major-league debut in May of that year after only a handful of Triple A starts. He’s since developed into a pillar of Toronto’s rotation, coming off a stellar sophomore season in which he had a 2.24 ERA and finished third in American League Cy Young voting. Manoah sees similarities between his own quick rise up the organization and Tiedemann’s. “He’s the kind of guy that’s really going to help us in the long run with depth and kind of similar to me, can come up and really make an impact,” Manoah said. “For myself, I know that I had some guys helping me in my first big-league camp, so just want him to know I’m there to help him out and I’m invested in everything that he’s trying to do and (to) get better. I look forward to him helping us.” “He definitely skyrocketed very quickly through the organization,” Tiedemann said of Manoah. “That’s something that obviously any pitcher wants to do. So just listening to what he has to say is very important to me and other pitchers, as well.” The experience of a first big-league camp could seem overwhelming but Tiedemann said he’s comfortable in this environment. “Just go out there have fun and stay loose,” he said. By contrast, the 2022 season was a bit of a whirlwind for Tiedemann, going from Dunedin to Vancouver to New Hampshire. “It was a lot in a short amount of time,” the pitcher said, but he enjoyed meeting so many new people and took the cross-continent moves in stride, trying to treat every new level the same. He established consistent routines on and off the field, something he had no idea about when he was drafted. He maintained his strength throughout his first tour through pro ball, a challenge for young players adjusting to the everyday schedule. Tiedemann’s talent on the mound is obvious, but the Blue Jays have been especially impressed with his drive to improve and the professionalism he’s shown. He spent a good chunk of his offseason in Florida, working out at the team’s facility and manager John Schneider said he’s noticed how he’s been embracing camp so far. “He’s taking it all in, but he’s not wide-eyed by any means, which is awesome,” the manager said. “(I’m) just impressed with him so far, not only the stuff on the mound but the conversations that he’s having with the staff.” After his breakout season, Tiedemann said he hopes to pitch deeper into games and maintain his consistency in both his routines and on-field performance. Expectations are high on him and it’s not unrealistic that he could be in the majors at some point this year assuming he continues to excel in the minors. It would be a fast progression for a player who was pitching in junior college two years ago, but general manager Ross Atkins said it’s not about tamping down expectations for Tiedemann, but rather focussing on the process. “And he is as focussed on it as any young player out there,” Atkins said.

Ross talks with Press about Bo signing.

Apparently Papelbon going at the Jays....what a clown!! https://jaysjournal.com/posts/former-red-sox-jonathan-papelbon-tirade-blue-jays-4th-place-team Do you remember Jonathan Papelbon, the promising Red Sox reliever whose ego and attitude forced him out of town? Then remember how he signed with the Phillies only to have them realize how toxic he is as well? Remember how the Phillies traded him to the division rival Nationals, who saw Papelbon choke out Bryce Harper in the dugout? I remember. Papelbon, now 42-years-old, has been known over the years as something of a hot head who has troubles - well, keeping his mouth shut. He recently was brought on as a guest on Audacy's podcast Baseball Isn't Boring (which is usually a great listen) and proceeded to rip the Toronto Blue Jays apart. As a matter of fact, he says the Blue Jays did so little this offseason that they are "barely above the Red Sox" for last place in the AL East division. Yes, you read that right. "What have they done this offseason?", he asked host Rob Bradford. Bradford goes on to say, "they traded for a really good relief pitcher (Swanson), signed Chris Bassitt -" to which Papelbon interrupted with a "WHO?!", and that's when the conversation really begins to go downhill. "If you're the Blue Jays and you go out and say 'I'm going to go out and sign Chris Bassitt and his 4.00 ERA' without having a bonafide No. 1 and no help in the bullpen, you need to go out and sign some damn pitching because behind Gausman, there's nobody." That is ... certainly something. Someone on Twitter was gracious enough to record the entire segment and posted it, so see below and listen for yourselves. Papelbon saying that outside of Kevin Gausman there's no pitchers of note on the entire staff is a crazy take. Does Alek Manoah not exist? Is José Berríos not coming off of a six year stretch where he was one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the entire league? Not to mention Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano in the bullpen forming one of the better backend combos in the game entering the season. When someone like this goes on air to make comments like these, they should be taken with a grain of salt. However, it's baffling that somebody with such a checkered past is still being given platforms like this to make comments that suggest he doesn't follow baseball at all. In 2014, Papelbon flipped off hometown Phillies fans. Later, he nearly got into a physical fight with longtime umpire Joe West, only to be suspended for seven games. In 2015, he was on the verge of fighting broadcaster Howard Eskin before being held back and restrained from further tarnishing his reputation. Later in 2015, he was suspended for throwing at people's heads and then later got into a physical fight with his TEAMMATE Bryce Harper in the dugout. He was released at the end of the following year and never resurfaced in the majors.

Blue Jays' Bo Bichette Speaks For First Time After Agreeing To New Contract

Wow great shot, guess someone should ask if she is still alive lol