raBBit

It was last year at Comerica. Sale pointed out to CF and made a binoculars motion after having an exchange with Victor Martinez.

Just rolled under his glove. Little league stuff. He's typically very strong over there, no?

You're inherently biased. It's a used and condemned practice.

Samardzija took a no-no into the 6th last time out. Jays don't seem to hit anywhere near the same level away from the Rogers Centre. Obviously it's a hitters environment there, but the deviation is steep. Whispers around the MLB Jays are tipping pitches in CF. Is that reverberating in Tdot?

lol that's bad. Anthony Alford would be involved. Ultimately I think Samardzija ends up in Houston though.

What a Marlins move. Dude takes a hometown discount to go to Miami and they drop his ass after a slow (albeit very slow) start.

Not to bring up in older post, but anyways, in the '80s-'00s the White Sox fan base adored Hawk probably at 75%-25% ratio. His homerism was too much for some but most loved his passion. Now it's probably 40-60. He can't call games anywhere near when he was in full health. He's in a his seventies and the Sox org is kind of stuck with him for better or worse. I love this thread though. You guys do a great job in here, it's a great catch all after a long day at the diamond.

Closer to ~750K

fAA is stacking up on those 1B/DH options. Even if Wilkins isn't much of an "option." When he was drafted it seemed like he would move quickly through the system given that he was an older player who had success in an elite collegiate league. That didn't end up being the case and not because Wilkins didn't do his part, but rather because the White Sox brass held him back to give the opportunities to other first base prospects who were not really much more than borderline prospects anyways. He's not a guy who scouts will see and love but at the end of the day he fills the stat sheet. After getting drafted, the player development team gave him the directive to cut down on strikeouts and he did do that. It was a testament to the hard worker he is. He always plugged along and put together good seasons but last year he beat the piss out of the ball. Just had an incredibly stretch where he was barreling up everything. At first glance, one could assume that his increase in superficial numbers were a result of his home stadium having a drastic hitters' park factor (Charlotte's park is new, but figures to be most hitter friendly park in IL when sample size is sufficient). However, he mashed on the road even more than at home. He is also a good teammate and well-spoken but these personal qualities are often found in these AAAA type players. I suspect he lacks the bat speed and pitch recognition to become an MLB regular. The difference in speed/rigor of the game in AAA in contrast to MLB is about as significant as I have ever seen and any significant sample size of Wilkins in the MLB would justify that ideal. I don't know if we have any Buffalo Bisons' fans here but Wilkins might be one of your favorite players this year. Interestingly enough, the Jays/White Sox have had a long history together despite past transgressions. They seem to have a similar eye for talent and have had a lot running dialogue that hasn't always surfaced in the mainstream. Obviously the Jays have cleared house in the FO since the bitterness but the White Sox have plenty of long time executives upstairs. Regardless, it's a good thing for both teams though.

Prayers and thoughts to Stroman and the Blue Jays organization. Such a sad loss for the team and baseball. I have always been a proponent of Stroman and his great makeup. Hang in there Toronto!

The North Side of Chicago for one. His workout with the White Sox wasn't with just the White Sox in attendance. Why would he be working out for other teams if he had a deal with the Jays?

I am excited to see Rowdy Tellez's progress. Every passing round I was hoping he would be snatched. Looking at things just through the lens of currency, that was a tremendous value pick for the Jays.

If a team breaks the 15% threshold, they cannot sign any int'l amateur for more than $300,000 for the next two years. Problem is, there may be an international draft in 2017 depending on the how the negotiations/conversations with Cuba and Player's Union turn out.

I don't want to break any hearts but there are more fan bases than just the Jays that think their team has Vlad Jr. locked up. I wouldn't etch that into your brain until July. Anyhow, what is very interesting this year is the course of action of the teams who cannot make a signing of 300K+. There should be a few trades involving these slot values. If a trade were to arise, a team receiving a slot can only acquire up to half of their international pool (a team can only increase their spending pool by 50%). The team's that went over 15% last year were the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Brewers (the penalty being that these teams cannot sign any int'l signee for over $300,000). It'll be interesting how those aforementioned teams leverage those slots as they can trade them, but they are not afforded the opportunity to use them themselves unless they strap themselves with a bunch of less-sought after, <300K signings. So the utility of these slot values are best served via trade. With the new CBA coming, teams will only get one to pick their move in their sole experience with the current system. You would think the most prudent teams would make the effort to move these slots and procure some sort of value - I am looking at you Cherrington/BoSox.

That's not true. Valencia is a much better bet and overall player but Viciedo's power is only behind Bautsista, EE and Donaldson. Viciedo's power is legit.

He has more than raw power. He's hit 20 HR's a few times. He has detriments but if the Blue Jays improve his approach even marginally he can hit 30 HR's in a full season. Obviously he's unlikely to get that many PA's and it would come at the expense of defense (unless he's DH) and OBP but he does guarantee a specific skill set despite his warts.

Hello all, more of a reader than a poster but just wanted to drop in when I can add something. First off, no reason to get upset here. Those of you posting memes and calling AA a retard don't understand the process. There is no downside here. He's on a MiLB deal being paid peanuts. This is a kid who has considerable upside. I do work out in Chicago and have been able to be see Viciedo a lot. He's a great kid. His teammates loved him and his coaching staff knew he put in a lot of work. Todd Steverson, the White Sox hitting coach, made a vow to get Viciedo near his ceiling. Obviously that didn't happen but we saw flashes. He needs to get disciplined and he has shown he can do it in bunches. Worst case he is a legit option against LH pitching. He started the year on a tear and was working ahead of the count a lot but eventually fell back into his ways. Later on he got injured, did a lot of film study and came back strong only to fall back to his ways again. He has the problem a lot of hitters have. He's a hacker and can't hit well-located off speed stuff. When he's disciplined he's a plus bat. This guy's power to RF is of the best in baseball and you saw the videos in the preceding pages of his power to LF. Getting with some new coaches will do Dayan well. It seems the Jays have somewhat of an opportunity between LF/DH and there are much worse options. As far as his defense he is terrible and is likely never to improve. Bad jumps, bad routes but a plus arm. The arm is plus in strength and accuracy. The White Sox quandary was his bat wasn't good enough for DH and his glove was too terrible for LF. Whichever poster said he could fill in at 3B was completely off-base. This man should not be anywhere but the corner outfield positions and even that is a stretch. His defense is going to be a detriment wherever he is slotted. I am happy for Viciedo going to Toronto. It's a nice environment for his profile and the coaching staff in Toronto has worked wonders with plenty of hitters. As every columnist will tell you, right-handed power is at a premium. This is not a bad lottery ticket to have while you all wait for Saunders to heal. Perhaps he forces his way into getting some ABs once Saunders returns. With Pillar being the alternative, Viciedo has much more in the ways of potential. Pillar is probably the better basement but every scout will tell you to take the chance on the power. Have a good Saturday night everyone.

Corresponding move coming from ChiSox. Danks/Viciedo

One injury and this whole concoction goes out the window.

Gotta say, Lind would fit quite wonderfully on this team. S SS Reyes L LF Saunders R RF Bautista R 1B Encarnacion R 3B Donaldson L DH Lind R C Martin R CF Pompey/Pillar 2B Travis/Izturis/Goins

I wouldn't discount the distinct possibility that he could have a back issue. It wouldn't be the first time the Jays traded for damaged goods. Sirotka, Reyes and Santos come to mind.

I'll try and get this thread back on topic. I am happy for all you Jays' fans. It's been quite an offseason for AA at this point and the team is looking great. SS Reyes C Martin RF Bautista 1B/DH Encarnacion 3B Donaldson LF Saunders 1B/DH Smoak/Valencia CF Pompey 2B Goins/Travis I haven't been paying close attention, are you all afraid about Donaldson's back holding up on the turf?

What is the likelihood of Navarro being moved. I wouldn't think it's that high. Unless the Jays really are in on Martin is there any other scenario where Navarro gets move?

Yes. At least where I mod at.

His peripherals are great.