glory

Pillar 2-2. Move him back up to lead off. He's ready.

No, I'm evaluating role. Chavez provides value as a SP, not a RP. So yes, there's still time for him to start games this season (injuries, innings limits, spot starts, etc), but as a RP, he does not provide enough value to justify losing 3 years of control and adding $4m in salary. Not a big deal. The trade was made for depth, and it turns out Sanchez became a viable option, and even Floyd became one as well, so the deal was done for logical reasons.

Apparently, the Reds were picking up $8m in the Bruce deal. So depending on who the prospect the Jays were sending was, then it's possible the deal would have benefitted the Jays. Depends on how healthy Saunders stays all season. Hendriks trade definitely looks worse now that Chavez is a one inning reliever. Smoak at $4m as back-up 1b looks laughable. They should have traded Cola if they were going to invest that much in Smoak.

Stupid move to begin with, but good for Gibby for realizing it early and not continuing to do it. I guess batting your worst hitter lead-off only works for Ned Yost. Gibby tried to recreate that magic and it failed.

I've said before, there's no negative outcome to this season. If they make the playoffs again, awesome. That's the preferred result. However, if they don't, then trade everyone at the deadline and start the 2017 retool early. Well, on second thought, there might be one negative outcome, which would be keeping everyone, finishing with 81 wins and missing the playoffs entirely. Have to hope this is a boom or bust type of team, rather than one that floats around .500 all year.

It seems pretty clear when Shapiro was hired that the intention was to cut bait on the current roster. Then the trade deadline s*** happened, and things turned around. In reality, look at the roster. The entire lineup, 1-9, was inherited from last season. The bench features a cast of characters that were all here last season. The rotation is the same as the beginning of last season except Stroman is healthy and Happ is replacing Buehrle. The two top relievers on the team were there last season (and pens change every year regardless). In reality, Shapiro didn't do much of anything to this roster. He just added depth to AA's team and brought everyone he could back. Whether that was by design or simply his way to biding time until he actually has to fix the roster (2017-beyond) is anyone's guess. I don't think Shapiro is a fan of this core at all, to be honest. It's older, expensive, weak farm system, and goes against what he believes as far as team building. Get what you can in 2016 and then retool is probably the best way to describe this season.

My guess is they acquire stop gaps everywhere, not unlike what the Orioles did this off-season. Something like Bruce, Santana, and Moss to fill RF, DH, and 1B respectively. The free agent market for hitters isn't very good, and to acquire the type of players that they need (young, controllable, high upside) it will take trading top prospects that they can't afford to move (or don't have enough of to move).

Pillar makes JPA seem modest by comparison. He'd probably be upset with it.

Yeah, Smoakabello has been terribad so far. I'd rather they just start one full time and roll with it (the inconsistent playing time might be hurting both of them) but neither one has a track record besides Cola's BABIP inflated season last year. s*** canning both and calling up Montero wouldn't hurt, though that says more about how bad they've been than anything Jesus has done. Pompey in LF with Bautista at 1B/DH would be the best solution, but no way that's going to happen on JB's free agent season.

Yeah save the pen here. Let Dickey got 6 or 7 and let Biagini clean up the rest. No need to waste anyone good unless the offense brings us back in it.

I kind of wish Floyd was in the rotation instead of Dickey, but 200 IP of 4.00 ERA has value. Just have to take the good with the bad.

Can't Atkins step in? I mean, he obviously knows these are bad decisions (Pillar leading off, Cola starting). Just step in and tell Gibbons who is boss. It's crazy that this stuff has been green lighted. I understand letting the manager do his thing but since you inherited this hick, you don't have to worry about his feelings. He's probably even open minded enough to follow the FO's instructions.

It never was a strict platoon. Stevie Wonder could have seen Gibbons starting Colabello everyday. Shapiro/Atkins didn't. It is what it is.

It will be a domino effect. First Venditte. Then Pillar will be moved off the lead off spot. Then Smoak will start getting the bulk of the 1B at bats. Then a capable 4th OF will be called up. And so on. Have to survive this derpy phase and then once the bats heat up we will hopefully see some good baseball.

Venditte in. Nicely done, Gibbons. Would have preferred Biagini, but Venditte already warmed up earlier so it makes sense.

Now would be a great time for Biagini, but with Osuna already warmed up (I'm guessing), I think I know what Gibbons will do.

Gibbons counts warm up days as games apparently, so he'll probably use Osuna regardless of what the score is.

Yeah that's been my concern as well, especially since he has 5/100 left on his deal. If he has a good 2016 season, then I would ask him which teams he'd be willing to be traded to and try to work out a deal. He does not strike me as a player who will age gracefully. Dave Stewart might trade for him after the season. Guts, heart, leadership, and stuff.

Glad Gibbons put Leon into that high leverage spot for no reason just to see the dude waived a week later, as expected. Nicely done.

Smoak should have been the starting 1B from the beginning. I don't understand why they kept both Smoak and Cola, when even fans knew that Gibbons would start Cola. A back-up 1B making $4m is a joke. Should have traded one of them and given the remaining one full time AB's. A platoon at 1B for two replacement level players is ridiculous. At least Smoak has some upside, though.

I have no idea what you're talking about, and your "joke" about a novel is neither funny or sensical. I'm quoting something I actually wrote, and stating an opinion that I haven't changed since. I think he's a good player, but given his age and injury history, a decline wouldn't surprise me. What the f***ing hell are you babbling about?

This was what I wrote on July 29: "I like Tulo, but the problem with adding him now (at the expense of the team's top prospect) is that you are paying him $100m over five years for what he did in the past, not necessarily what you can reasonably expect from him in his 30's going forward. So right off the bat that should have been a warning flag, especially since we saw Reyes erode before our eyes in a similar fashion." Let me know when my stance has changed.

Nothing wrong with it. I'd consider it a success if he does that. But he's locked up until 2020. Hope I'm wrong about him, but I don't see him aging well.

It's the "song" I've been signing since last July when I was one of the few who didn't like the Tulo trade. I still expect him to rebound, but 5 more years at his age and his injury history, and you're fooling yourself if you think he'll be the guy he used to be. I thought the 3 WAR projection was fair, and still do. I just think the Jays will not get the value out of him that some are anticipating. Like i've been saying with JB and Edwin, paying for past performance is dangerous.

Colabello is garbage, but the others should start hitting eventually (even Pillar). The issue, and it's a real issue that people want to close their eyes to, is age related decline for Tulo and Martin. It may not come this season, but they have a ton of years and money left on their deals and they are heading into peak decline years for players who play their positions. I'm OK with a 3 WAR projection for both, but a decline for both wouldn't shock me either.