glory

Yes, the next best option on a team that expects to contend for a World Series. I think it was an aggressive call up, but at least it was justifiable from that sense if they felt he was going to improve the team. For them, every win matters. For the Jays, it's clearly a different scenario. Also, as I said, look at the history of GREAT players who didn't do jack ish at age 19 in the bigs. Even if we call Vlad up it doesn't mean he's going to do well, and in that case, what's the point? If he comes in and hits like Harper, it won't help the team make the playoffs since they appear to have way too many other issues to overcome, and if he comes in and struggles like many other great players did at that age, then you wasted months of his service clock on a season where he could have worked on his D and other things in the minors. I just don't get the logic here. I'd expect the mouth breathers on Twitter to demand Vladdy be called up but not anyone who is looking at this team objectively. Is it unfair to Vlad to be this good and be stuck in AA? Absolutely. But change the CBA then (which I have said for years they should do....the game treats its players like crap).

Remember the time when Trout, Beltre, A-Rod, Andruw Jones, both Upton's, etc, etc, came up at age 19 and set the world on fire? Good times. Every 19 year old hits like Bryce Harper did. Let's use him as the norm. Call Vlad up now. Start his service clock in a lost season and park him at DH because why the f*** not? If the Jays had a chance to win the division then I can see the argument, but my god people want to call him up when the team will be lucky to finish .500? Who bloody cares? Fans didn't come to see Roy Halladay, Carlos Delgado, Roger Clemens, etc, and they sure as hell won't watch Vlad at 19/20 on a s***** team. This is insanity. Soto got called up because the Nats are a good team. If they were where the Jays are now they would have been laughed out of the building for calling him up.

Phil Hughes DFA'd by Twins despite having $22m left on his deal. I think you know where I'm going with this by bringing it up......

Should have traded Osuna for Soto last year when we had the chance (maybe). The Nats pen sucks every year. Oh well.

No I want him up now and lose him at age 25!

I thought Shapiro actually rebuilt and went for the 2nd wild card at the same time. The off season was a blueprint for what rebuilding teams usually do (short term vets to fill spots and trades for inexpensive players with years of control left). They didn’t trade any top prospects either. They aimed for the 2nd wild card without sacrificing their farm system. It was legit the best of both strategies. If they win the 2nd wild card then it worked. If they don’t, then sell and move on. There’s really no downside except for maybe holding on to everyone and then missing the playoffs but long ways to go before we know what direction they go in.

'Cause Stone Cold Said So was my first thought as well. Shapiro wanted to rebuild two years ago. He knows what's up. This season is a compromise to appease Rogers. Shaps did nothing but sign vets to cheap one year deals and trade little value for inexpensive talent with years of control left. The off season basically was what a rebuilding team would do. If this season goes south, and chances are attendance will drop enough to hurt payroll next season, a rebuild is coming soon. Maybe not scorched earth one, but one nonetheless. But yes, Rogers suddenly wanting to end the rebuild and win right away is always a concern.

It's doable. It's not like we'd be making blockbuster deals. JD and Happ will probably fetch something decent, but the others will likely be similar to the Joe Smith and Liriano deals (Teoscar, Pannone, Taylor). I doubt it will be that hard. Teams have to be interested in the players though, obviously.

I think they can trade all those guys I mentioned in July. Some of the returns might be very minor, but prospect depth is important too.

The Jays have a ton of deals expiring after this year (JD, Happ, Pearce, Grandy, Estrada, Clippard, Axford). I think at least you can trade those guys if out of it at the deadline. Try to re-sign Happ in the winter since he's still good and might actually like Toronto enough to sign back again. Others can be replaced internally. Way too early to sell though. June at the earliest, but most likely July.

Ehh this is a .500 ish team with the rotation pitching the way it is and Donaldson likely playing on one functioning shoulder, the chances of being anything meaningful this season has gone down. Still time to turn things around because the 2nd wild card race will be probably be a race for 85 wins, but the wrong players are underperforming or are hurt.

JD’s body is already falling apart. He will be 33 next year. He was awesome for this team but unless he signs a really short term deal, it’s time to move on after this season. I also don’t think the offers in the winter were any good for him. Teams are holding on to prospects with a vice grip nowadays. I doubt any team was offering enough for one year of Donaldson at age 32.

How many players will the Jays lose off their 40 man roster until they release Morales? So far it’s one with Ramirez. Time to keep a running tab.

Gaviglio looking good. Biagini is going to get wrecked on Sunday so we might need another arm the longer this goes. Time to put Morales on the mound.

I don't think they have a choice. Used Tepera, Oh, Axford, and Clippard already, and Petricka + Loup both pitched 2 innings yesterday.

Is Morales the worst player in baseball? Can't hit, field, or run. Has to be up there.

Shatkins constructing a pen is a thing of beauty. They won't guess right on all their signings, but they have a damn good track record of buying low/cheap and getting good value.

So when do we start talking about what the Jays could get at the trade deadline for their vets? Between the news of Osuna, the starting rotation pitching like ass, and an offence that will play Morales everyday until the end of time, I’m not very confident right now.

Man this team without good starting pitching is not even going to finish .500. The starters really need to turn it around.

It's amazing that the trio of scrapheap relievers Shatkins signed could all have some trade value at the deadline. Love their view on building a bullpen.

She's probably stuffing her face with food right now so she won't realize it until later.

Toronto fans are so stupid.

Rogers can EAD if they force Shapiro to trade Osuna for nothing just to get rid of him. Maybe 2018 is a wash for him with this, but if he's back to normal in 2019 without any controversy, then trade him for more value then. Holding on to him is not agreeing with what he allegedly did, it's holding on to an asset worth millions. Corporate ownership sucks.

Oh should be the closer, but Tepera will get his chance to blow some games before Clippard eventually takes the spot. Honestly, giving the closer spot to one of Oh or Clippard works for me because saves = trade value. Oh has a team option for next year so it won't matter for him, but if Clippard flukes his way to an ERA in the 2's and has 10+ saves on top of that, then maybe you can move him for something useful.

True but Pillar is still here.