BigCecil

No disrespect but I don't agree with the take that its a marketing disaster. It depends on if they will sign or not, and what the term/AAV is and what they get back if they leave. Jays fans will move on depending on the team's results just like we did from the 15/16 stars. Signings can be a sugar high. Devers, for example, has had a slow start for him on a new $300M deal. It won't be long before the BoSox fans turn on the FO and player if he doesn't pull out of it. I think he will over a 10 year deal, but its rough now. SDP and the Mets have spent a fortune on signings and so far are sucking. The FO has to make really tough decisions at times, with short term pain that produces longer term gain.

Welcome back the MLB bump tonight for Calgarys own Mike Soroka! Been a long road back.

I get their overall numbers are still pretty impressive with good sample sizes. No doubt. My point on recency bias is if you asked this question in 21 or the first half of last year you would get a lot of changing different views. It was you who said mid last year Bo is +1 hit and -1 mitt tools from Javier Baez as a player. Which I thought was a good comment at the time lol. I’m into signing both of them frankly. It comes down to 2 things. AAV/ term and if they actually want to hit the FA market or not. I have concerns about them both long term. Bo’s D at a position that usually commands premium $ and Vlad’s body type.

Recency bias rampant. Vlad in '21 people were musing putting a "4" as the first number. Bo for most of '22 was a 100 wRC+ league avg bat and is still a bottom 1/3 SS in '23. What will people say if the reverse happens this yr and his 2nd half blows? Dont get me wrong. Bat to ball skills elite. Ability to inside out the ball. Hit to all fields. Power. Its pretty cool. Neither are going to sign any deal without testing the FA market without an overpay, which I would oppose. These are both rich kids set for life regardless and they want to know what the market will pay. If they were into a long term deal it needs to reflect the value reality and risk sharing - the Franco/Riley ish deals make sense to me. No matter how you stretch out the term to lower AAV and NPV of the funds, it still affect future flexibility and decisions. To me, Vlad is an elite talent. Bat speed. Stunning EVs. Youth. But he has had one elite year with an * beside it. Yandy Diaz is out producing the s*** out of him for $8M. Vlad has been hyped so much. Think about MLB putting him in the All Star game in the home run contest with no track record. His career WAR is not that interesting. My prediction is they both sign elsewhere or are elsewhere before 2026. Just sayin'

I always forget about Mayza and that home grown talent. Overall he has been f***ing good. I don't know how really as his stuff looks "unfilthy", but he has been. Lets hope Cimber comes back better than he began the year. He can be a useful mid and take some pressure off the other arms.

I agree with this. Its rather shocking the lack of home grown, even failed starter, pen arms we develop internally. At least to to now. Pearson looks ok in the pen, but still big command issues. We talk about Pop since we got him and his potential, and he is ok too, but still issues. Don't have a lot of faith in leverage yet with either of them.

Interesting. Playing the USA teams is always humbling. My son went to a "Perfect Game" in Scottsdale this year. He pitched to a couple kids on Team USA who were 14 etc. He did better than I thought. Almost struck one out. Had him at 2 strikes and he popped out to 2B on a CB lol. In 15U AAA the adjustment to wooden bats is big. Not joking when I say that I saw at that Perfect Game there were kids who hit the ball over 400 feet with metal bats in the USA who really struggled there to adjust. I enjoy it but man is it stressful. Lost a walk off on Saturday and we blew a 5-2 lead in final 7th inning yesterday to lose again. Tough car ride home from Edmonton. My daughter is 6 as I'm a GrampDad and she is now playing coach pitch. I dont have the energy I used to! I coached for years but I dont know if i have it in me again.

I think its a toss up depending on the year and crop. Every year is different. BC is always strong.

lol. Ya I think. I'm sure I'll jinx him but 80 PAs in and he has not K'ed once this season. The next lowest on his team would be 10. Given he has 2B and 3B pop, I'm pretty pleased with that. Team kinda sucks this year. Their best player just got drafted #2 pick overall in WHL so quit baseball for hockey. Now that sounds more like a "Canadian baseball player". Played football at Acadia with a bud from NS whose son got a full ride to Oregon State Beavers. First year hit Lead off and played CF. Then hurt for 2 seasons. Its a factory though and he quickly became irrelevant. Thankfully he is healthy in Year 4 and has fought his way back into the mix and doing well. At a min he will end up with free education but its a tough go. Its a business even at that level. Always a kid wanting to take your place.

Been thinking about pen construction and investment. Bit worried at the IP that Swanson is piling up and Yimi being pretty erratic. With his arsenal its hard to believe he has had as much trouble. Must be command. Yimi - 2/11 Tyler Chatwood- $4M Yates - $5M Green - 2/9M Richards/Francis for Tellez Cimber for Panik Bass/Pop for Groshans Romano for nothing I know this FO has a philosophy of not focusing on pen investment. In principle with reliever volatility thats sound, but in 21 the pen killed us. Didn't help in last years wild card. Liam Hendriks would look good back there if he can come back and be Hendricks. I wonder what kind of cost he is going to have at the deadline?

GTFO. 11-10 over LAD. Their 39th W. Can the Rays stop f***ing winning already??!!!!

Thanks man. He played 13U AAA (lost provincial championship final game - d-oh!) and now 15U AAA Tier 1 now for the 2nd year. Not a great pitcher and fielder. Just ok. Plays 1B, 2B and OF. But he is a LHH who hits somewhere in the 3rd to 5th hole. Thats his best tool.

Been just awful. Not fun to watch. They need to win the f***ing series today. Have substituted Jays for another brand of suffering. Son playing 15U AAA in Edmonton. Got team out of jam in relief in bottom 7th. Hits a triple to drive in 2 ghost runners in top 8 extras and then serves up a walk off double bottom 8. This game!

True. Whit wasn’t vaxxed either until trade. Who knows. It’s not peanuts trading Moreno either to get a LHH OF with plus D. No easy choices.

I’m glad they passed on Nimmo. I liked Conforto but he had some risk too as bounce back candidate. They like Varsho a lot. Clearly.

Conforto free agent.

I'd be more than fine moving on from Ned Flanders. Shapiro gets a lot of respect from all corners. The Jays can't be that hard to run from a business perspective can they? A National brand in a big local market that was re-energized by 2015 & 2016 bringing us back out of the wilderness - Eternal franchise moments created. Owners investing hundreds of millions in renos, development facilities, luxury tax payroll and free agent signings. (I get that the Board's confidence in Shapiro is part of the reason they are agreeing to make those investments) Young star(s) like Vlad already there to market. If they can remain reasonably competitive, the fans and eyeballs will be there.

Not sure who caught Nate's outing last night. He battled and got through it, but the lack of command on both the FB and especially the breaking balls is concerning. He topped out at 98. The plotted breaking ball pitch chart must look like a Jackson Pollack painting.

Big Nate gets some leverage. Can we have April Chappy back in June please?

The Swanson experience.

I don’t know if it’s pressure and wanting to do too much or wanting to be the hero. Either way he will chase anything with RISP. Everyone knows it.

Solid. LGJ wont have any D value and is going to regress offensively. I see Varsho's D numbers are climbing and if there is a god he will get closer to 100 + wRC+. As long as Clements doesn't continue to PH for him lol. I don't think you will see the double though.

Lol. I know. Under New name. 5Tool. He was right about Lawrie/Machado though. By a lot!!!!

Lawrie was such a disappointment. A Cdn who came up had a 157 wRC+ over 200 PAs. 2.6 WAR. I remember arguing endlessly with "DJBLUERAY" on the old Board that he might have a better career than Machado. Man was I wrong on that one. In the end he couldn't even make any contact.

Not sure how statistically it would/could be measured but isnt another down side that as your pull% rises pitchers game plan and stay away. So you swing at a lot of pitches you roll over on being the pull hitter that you are. You just get less pitches you should/can actually pull to pull.