The Iceman

I am thinking Tanaka will be the bargain #2-3 type starter that nobody seems too interested in. I would be very happy with him added to our starting 5.

Too old, will be too expensive. Hoping he resigns in LA. Pretty much my least fav name FA

Give me Simmons on a 1 year Then Story as a FA next off season.

Tampa Bay Acquires Jake Bauers, Rene Rivera, Burch Smith, Travis Ott, and Steven Souza Jr. in a Three-Team Deal with the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals for Jose Castillo, Ryan Hanigan, Wil Myers, and Gerardo Reyes; San Diego Additionally Sent Joe Ross and a Player to be Named Later, which became Trea Turner, to Washington (December 19, 2014) There is a lot to unpack in this trade, but the key thing to note is the Rays had a chance to trade Wil Myers to San Diego for Joe Ross and Trea Turner but instead decided to include the Washington Nationals to acquire Steven Souza Jr. instead. The Rays possessed the key player that was coveted in this trade, that being Wil Myers, and the San Diego Padres were willing to give up top prospects to acquire him. The Rays had a chance to send their package of players and, in return, receive a package that would have included Ross and, most importantly, Turner. However, the Rays decided that they didn’t want to give up a former top prospect like Myers without receiving a major-league ready player in return, thus their desire to have Souza included in the deal.

Lockett + a loonie will get you a coffee at McDonalds this month. That is really dumpster diving.

Wong would be a solid add. A gold glove level 2nd baseman is a nice step to start shoring up the D. He is a nice scrappy ball player that will do what is needed from him to win. Biggio would still play some 2nd, 3rd, OF. His bat and versatility is his strength. As long as he hits he will find lots of ABs. If the Jays are serious about adding a top SS having Wong @ 2nd, and Bichette @ 3rd sure makes things a lot better.

Tabby could play Bernie from Weekend at Bernies...prop him up and have him look pretty. Brings absolutely nothing to a broadcast.

What is everyone thinking for best way to get value deals this off season? Get ahead of things and aggressively pursue the top targets? Slow play the FA market? Trade from teams looking to cut salary? Target players that get non-tendered?

Wilner was great, must be cost cutting. He will be greatly missed.

From Bowden @ The Athletic 1. J.T. Realmuto, C Age: 29 B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 215 WAR: 1.2 OPS+: 123 Realmuto is arguably the best overall catcher in baseball. He hits for average and power, and defensively is above average at blocking, calling a game, framing and stopping the running game. There is no doubt that he will shatter the four-year, $73 million contract Yasmani Grandal signed with the White Sox last year, even considering the pandemic-related losses. It only takes one large-market team to make the investment, and there just aren’t many middle-of-the-order catchers that do everything well like Realmuto. He’s definitely a difference-maker, and will get the extra year and dollars because of it. Best fits: Phillies, Yankees, Nationals, Angels, Mets, Rockies. Contract prediction: 6 years, $134 million. 2. Trevor Bauer, RHP Age: 29 B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 208 WAR: 2.7 ERA: 1.73 Bauer has said in the past that he didn’t want to sign a multi-year contract, preferring to go year to year. This would be, in my opinion, one of the worst business decisions any major-league free agent has ever made. However, if he stuck with that plan, he’d get a one-year contract in excess of $30 million and teams would be lining up. Bauer is the front runner for the NL Cy Young Award after a dominating season that saw his spin rates spike across the board by a significant amount. He has yet to publicly credit how he was able to accomplish this, and interested teams may want to know more before signing him. Bauer’s colorful personality and his embrace of social media — for good and bad — has made him a lightning rod in the baseball world, but the Cincinnati Reds insist it has never affected his performance or what kind of teammate he was in the clubhouse. After the year he had, he’s going to get paid. Best fits: Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, Mets, Astros, Braves, Padres, Reds. Contract prediction: 1 year, $32.5 million (if he really goes the one-year route); 5 years, $135 million (if he goes with a more traditional route). 3. George Springer, CF Age: 31 B: R T: R HT: 6-5 WT: 220 WAR: 1.9 OPS+: 140 Springer has proven to be one of the best postseason players of this generation, as shown by his .895 OPS with 19 home runs and 38 RBIs in 292 plate appearances. The three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger is the best power bat on the free-agent market. He’s been the heart and soul of the Astros, and it’s been surprising that the team didn’t make a better effort over the last four years to try and lock him up long term. Don’t be surprised if he ends up with the Red Sox or Mets in free agency. Best fits: Red Sox, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers, Mets, Nationals. Contract prediction: 5 years, $119 million. 4. DJ LeMahieu, 2B Age: 32 B: R T: R HT: 6-4 WT: 220 WAR: 2.8 OPS+: 177 LeMahieu is a Gold Glove second baseman who has won batting titles in both leagues. His quiet leadership is a special skill and he’s the hitter you want at the plate with the game on the line. His ability to play multiple infield positions only increases his value. Several teams will be chasing him, but a return to the Yankees makes the most sense. Best fits: Yankees, Athletics, Red Sox, Rangers, Cardinals, Angels. Contract prediction: 3 years, $54 million. 5. Marcell Ozuna, LF/DH Age: 29 B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 225 WAR: 2.3 OPS+: 175 Ozuna signed a one-year deal with the Braves last year to prove what he can still do with the bat, and that included a league-leading 18 home runs and a .338/.431/.636 slash line. I’m expecting he’ll be rewarded with a multi-year contract from someone this offseason. The biggest question that Ozuna will have to deal with is if baseball is going to implement the universal DH or go back to the National League rules in 2021. MLB reportedly will not use the universal DH in 2021. If that’s the case, it will hurt Ozuna’s chances of maximizing his contract, and he might have to once again sign a one-year contract with an American League team, then go back to free agency when the universal DH is implemented again in the NL in 2022 as expected, to finally get that long-term contract. Best fits: Braves, Twins, Rangers, Cardinals, Brewers. Contract prediction: 3 years, $54 million. Charlie Morton. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images) 6. Charlie Morton, RHP Age: 36 B: R T: R HT: 6-6 WT: 216 WAR: 0.2 ERA: 4.74 Morton finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2019 and the two-time All-Star had another impressive postseason this year, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the Division Series against the Yankee and then 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA against the Astros in the ALCS. His only poor postseason start came against the Dodgers when he got knocked out in the fifth inning in his only World Series start. Morton has dealt with shoulder issues over the last couple of years, so it’s important that whoever signs him does an in-depth physical on him. However, if he’s healthy he’d be a solid free-agent signing for any contending club. He’ll probably have to sign a one-year contract with a club option loaded with incentives and award bonuses. Best fits: Yankees, Nationals, Twins, White Sox, Braves. Contract prediction: 1 year, $14 million. 7. Nelson Cruz, DH Age: 40 B: R T: R HT: 6-2 WT: 230 WAR: 1.6 OPS+: 169 Cruz never seems to age. It’s amazing how consistent he’s been in the DH role, belting an average of 40 homers a year since 2014. Despite the fact that he’s entering his age-40 season, I think he’ll get a two-year pact with a slight bump in salary. Most likely he’ll return to the Twins, but he’d be a great fit for the Tampa Bay Rays who desperately need another middle-of-the-order impact bat. Best fits: Twins, Rays, Rangers, Braves (if universal DH). Contract prediction: 2 years, $30 million. 8. Liam Hendriks, Closer Age: 31 B: R T: R HT: 6-0 WT: 230 WAR: 1.4 ERA: 1.78 Hendriks is one of the best closers in baseball, so contending teams will be lining up for him this offseason. Hendriks had a 1.80 ERA in 2019 with 25 saves and repeated that dominance this year with a 1.78 ERA and 14 saves. His FIP was a staggering 1.14 and his strikeout-per-9 ratio was 13.1, the same as last year. Best fits: Phillies, Nationals, Mets, Angels, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Twins, Astros, Dodgers, Athletics. Contract prediction: 3 years, $42 million. 9. Marcus Stroman, RHP Age: 29 B: R T: R HT: 5-7 WT: 180 WAR: N/A ERA: N/A Stroman decided to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, and it remains to be seen how this could affect his free agency. I’ve heard from multiple general managers that their interest would be only in a shorter-term deal due to not being able to scout him this year, while other GMs said they think he’ll do OK regardless thanks to a shortage of available starting pitching. Stroman made 32 starts in 2019, going 10-13 with a 3.22 ERA between the Blue Jays and Mets. Best fits: Angels, Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, Astros, Mets, Brewers, Rockies. Contract prediction: 3 years, $45 million. 10. Masahiro Tanaka, RHP Age: 31 B: R: T: R HT: 6-3 WT: 220 WAR: 0.7 ERA: 3.56 Tanaka was inconsistent again this year but can still deliver quality starts. He finished the year with a 3-3 record and a 3.56 ERA, pitching 48 innings, allowing 48 hits and walking 8 batters while punching out 44 hitters. A return to the Yankees is likely, but it might take a while for him to come to terms with the fact that he’ll have to take a dramatic pandemic/age/performance-related pay cut from the $22 million annual salary he’s received since 2014. If he leaves the Yankees, it will be because a team like the Angels or Mets decide to overpay. Best fits: Yankees, Angels, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mets. Contract prediction: 3 years, $45 million. 11. Michael Brantley, LF Age: 33 B: L T: L HT: 6-2 WT: 210 WAR: 1.5 OPS+: 126 Sometimes there are baseball cliches that are so fitting that you just have to use them, and “professional hitter” is one made for a player like Brantley. He’s hit .300 or better in each of the last three seasons and he covers the plate both horizontally and vertically, with the ability to hit fastballs, breaking balls and off-speed pitches at all locations and velocities. He’s a quiet leader in the clubhouse and is a tremendous mentor for his younger teammates, a winning player who hits for average with 15-20 home run type power. Best fits: Astros, Indians, Cubs, Braves, Cardinals. Contract prediction: 2 years, $28 million. 12. Justin Turner, 3B Age: 35 B: R T: R HT: 5-11 WT: 205 WAR: 1.3 OPS+: 105 Turner has hit over .300 in three of the last four years, including belting 27 home runs for the second time in his career in 2019. He has been a consistent run producer for the world champion Dodgers since his arrival in 2014. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t return to Los Angeles, but there are certainly other contending teams he could really help, including the Washington Nationals, who desperately need more production from the third-base position than they got in 2020. Best fits: Dodgers, Nationals, Blue Jays, Cardinals. Contract prediction: 2 years, $28 million. Didi Gregorius. (Adam Hagy / USA Today) 13. Didi Gregorius, SS Age: 30 B: L T: R HT: 6-3 WT: 205 WAR: 0.9 OPS+: 119 Gregorius signed a one-year contract with the Phillies in the hopes that he’d be able to rebound and have a solid season now that he was another year from Tommy John surgery. His gamble worked out, as he slashed .284/.339/.488 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 2020. The Phillies would like to retain him, but they’re expected to get stiff competition from the Yankees, Angels and Athletics, and there will definitely be an interesting game of musical chairs with shortstops both this year and next. Best fits: Yankees, Phillies, Angels, Athletics. Contract prediction: 2 years, $26 million. 14. Brad Hand, LHP Age: 30 B: L T: L HT: 6-3 WT: 215 WAR: 0.7 ERA: 2.05 It was quite shocking that not a single major-league team claimed Hand on waivers, considering his club option was only $10 million and just a one-year commitment. That could be a foreshadowing of what could turn out to be one of the coldest winters in free-agent history. Hand produced another solid year, as shown by his 2.05 ERA in 22 innings, allowing just 13 hits and 4 walks while punching out 29 batters and leading the league with 14 saves. He hasn’t had an ERA over 3.30 since 2015. The three-time All-Star should be sought after by most contending clubs. Best fits: Phillies, Nationals, Braves, Mets, Angels, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Reds, White Sox, Athletics, Rays, Twins, Tigers. Contract prediction: 2 years, $16 million. 15. Marcus Semien, SS Age: 30 B: R T: R HT: 6-0 WT: 195 WAR: 0.3 OPS+: 91 Semien likely lost a lot of money this year after having a dreadful regular season both offensively and defensively. At the plate, he hit just .223 with a .305 on-base percentage and 7 home runs. Defensively he had -5 defensive runs saved, making 7 errors and just not showing his normal range. However, he did increase his value in the postseason, especially during the ALDS against the Houston Astros, hitting .553 and playing solid defense. He also hit a home run in both the wild card round and the Division Series. It probably was a little too late to bring his value back to the type of player he was after the 2019 season. However, he’ll still land a solid short-term contract. Best fits: Athletics, Angels, Phillies. Contract prediction: 2 years, $18 million. 16. Andrelton Simmons, SS Age: 31 B: R T: R HT: 6-2 WT: 195 WAR: 0.2 OPS+: 95 Simmons has been arguably the best defensive shortstop in baseball over the last five years, and with so much emphasis on run prevention, teams will look past his lack of offensive production. Simmons did slash .297/.346/.356 in 2020, but with only 7 extra-base hits, no home runs and just 10 runs batted in. Still, the fact that there are three teams that desperately need a shortstop will help him land in a good spot. Best fits: Phillies, Athletics, Angels, Giants. Contract prediction: 2 years, $18 million. 17. Trevor Rosenthal, RHP Age: 30 B: R T: R HT: 6-2 WT: 230 WAR: 1.2 ERA: 1.90 Rosenthal should thank Royals manager Mike Matheny, who not only gave him a chance for his comeback season, but also wasn’t afraid to put him in the closer’s role early in the year. Rosenthal’s fastball is back to 100 mph, his confidence has returned and so have his results. Rosenthal finished the year with 11 saves, a 0.845 WHIP and 1.90 ERA. Teams will be lining up for his services now that he’s healthy and back to being the dominant reliever he was back in 2014-15 when he closed 93 games with an ERA under 3. His performance after the Padres acquired him at the trade deadline was staggering. He appeared in 9 games and didn’t give up an earned run, striking out 17 and walking just 1. He’s going to get paid. Best fits: Phillies, Padres, Angels, Royals. Contract prediction: 2 years, $15 million. 18. Adam Wainwright, RHP Age: 39 B: R T: R HT: 6-7 WT: 230 WAR: 0.5 ERA: 3.15 At 39, Wainwright continues to make adjustments and finds ways to win. He finished the year with a 5-3 record, 3.15 ERA and a 1.051 WHIP. His leadership qualities are special and he has earned the right to finish his career with the Cardinals. His contract situation is tricky, though, because the Cardinals have overpaid so many of their veteran players, like Matt Carpenter, but really haven’t taken care of Wainwright the last few years. After the solid year he just delivered, I would think they’d give him a respectable base with a ton of incentives if he can repeat what he did this year. I can’t imagine him in another uniform, but I can also see a contending team jumping in and outbidding the Cardinals for his services. Best fits: Cardinals, Braves. Contract prediction: 1 year, $8 million. Taijuan Walker. (T. Ludwig / USA Today) 19. Taijuan Walker, RHP Age: 28 B: R T: R HT: 6-4 WT: 235 WAR: 1.3 ERA: 2.70 Walker was a first-round pick in 2010 but his career has been mostly filled with injuries and disappointment. He’s won in the double digits just once in his career, but still has gone 35-34 with a 3.84 ERA in 105 games started and 3 relief appearances. His trade to the Blue Jays really helped him, as he delivered a 1.37 ERA in 6 starts. The fact he’s only made 15 starts over the last 3 years tells me that he’ll probably have to settle for a one-year contract with a low base salary, loaded with incentives and bonuses based on games started and innings pitched. A return to Toronto or a team desperate for pitching like the Angels makes the most sense for him. Best fits: Blue Jays, Angels, Red Sox, Mets. Contract prediction: 1 year, $8 million. 20. Kolten Wong, 2B Age: 30 B: L T: R HT: 5-7 WT: 185 WAR: 1.1 OPS+: 87 The Cardinals declined their $12.5 million club option on Wong, but do have an interest in re-signing him at a lower salary. Wong slashed .265/.350/.326 with 26 runs scored and 16 RBIs in 53 games this season. He also won a Gold Glove Award in 2019 and has a chance to get another one for his defense this year. Best fits: Yankees, Athletics, Red Sox, Rangers, Cardinals, Angels. Contract prediction: 1 year, $7 million. 21. Alex Colomé, RHP Age: 31 B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 225 WAR: 1.0 ERA: 0.81 Colomé has saved 42 games over the last two seasons, combine that with his 2.80 ERA in 2019 and his 0.81 ERA this year and he’ll have a lot of teams interested in him despite the fact that he doesn’t miss bats and walks 3.2 batters per 9 innings. Teams interested will probably look at him more as a set-up reliever than a closer, but he’s certainly proved he can close at a high level. I like the Angels as one of the best destinations for him. Best fits: White Sox, Angels, Phillies, Cubs, Blue Jays, Twins, Marlins. Contract prediction: 2 years, $16 million. 22. James McCann, C Age: 30 B: R T: R HT: 6-3 WT: 220 WAR: 1.2 OPS+: 144 McCann made the All-Star team for the first time 2019, then lost his job to Yasmani Grandal when the White Sox signed him in free agency. McCann did end up playing in 31 games, blasting 7 home runs and driving in 15 this season. The prior year, he had 18 homers and 60 RBIs. His slash line this year was an impressive .289/.360/.536. He’ll be looking for a starting job and, quite frankly, I think he’s developed enough the last few years to be able to handle it. If Realmuto leaves the Phillies, that would be a solid landing spot for him. Best fits: Phillies, Nationals, Angels, Brewers. Contract prediction: 2 years, $14 million. 23. Mark Melancon, RHP Age: 35 B: R T: R HT: 6-1 WT: 215 WAR: 1.0 ERA: 2.78 Melancon had a solid year that included saving 11 games with a 1.279 WHIP and 3.72 FIP. However, his strikeout rate was his lowest since his rookie year and his walk rate was his highest since 2011. Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Angels. Contract prediction: 2 years, $14 million. 24. Shane Greene, RHP Age: 31 B: R T: R HT: 6-4 WT: 200 WAR: 1.0 ERA: 2.60 Greene is one of the better set-up relievers on the free-agent market and the keys for him have been his cutter and change-up where opponents have hit just .182 against the former and .167 against the latter. Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Angels, Twins, Athletics, Rockies. Contract prediction: 2 years, $12 million. 25. Blake Treinen, RHP Age: 32 B: R T: R HT: 6-6 WT: 225 WAR: -0.2 ERA: 3.86 The Dodgers took a $10 million free-agent gamble on Treinen last offseason, and although he didn’t live up to the contract, he was obviously an important piece to the world champion Dodgers bullpen this year. Treinen finished with a 3-3 record with a 3.86 ERA, pitching 25 2/3 innings and allowing 23 hits while walking 8 and striking out 22. His sinker is still nasty, but just not consistent enough for him to become a closer again. Best fits: Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox, Nationals, Braves, Cubs, Blue Jays. Contract prediction: 2 years, $12 million. Best of the rest of the free agents: C: Yadier Molina, Tyler Flowers, Alex Avila, Jason Castro, Sandy León, Kurt Suzuki. 1B: C.J. Cron, Ryan Zimmerman. 2B: Jonathan Villar, César Hernández, Jonathan Schoop, Tommy La Stella, Jurickson Profar. SS: Freddy Galvis. 3B: Asdrúbal Cabrera, Brock Holt, Jake Lamb. OF: Joc Pederson, Jackie Bradley Jr., Josh Reddick, Yoenis Céspedes, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Kevin Pillar, Jake Marisnick. DH: Shin-Soo Choo, Jay Bruce. LHS: Robbie Ray, James Paxton, Cole Hamels, José Quintana, Mike Minor, Brett Anderson. RHS: Anthony DeSclafani, Julio Teheran, Jake Odorizzi, Jake Arrieta, Kevin Gausman, Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha. RHR: Kirby Yates, Greg Holland, Trevor May, Brandon Workman, Tyler Clippard, Jeremy Jeffress. LHR: Sean Doolittle, Tony Watson, Aaron Loup, Jake McGee, Alex Wood, Justin Wilson.

BJ catchers sure put up a couple steamers last season

Pickings were rather thin. East 1- Rays (40-20)- Cash nominated* 2- Yankees (33-27)– Didn’t reach expectations 3- Blue Jays (32-28)- Montoyo nominated* 4- Orioles (25-35)– It was good for a while? 5- Red Sox (24-36)– Ouch Central 1- Twins (36-24)– Met expectations 2- White Sox (35-25)- Renteria nominated* 3- Cleveland (35-25)- Met expectations 4- Royals (26-34)– Rough season 5- Tigers (25-35)– Rougher season West 1- A’s (36-24)– Met expectations 2- Astros (29-31)– Disappointed, lucky to make the playoffs 3- Mariners (27-33)– I mean, not terrible based on expectations 4- Angels (26-34)– Major disappointment 5- Rangers (22-38)– What the heck happened? With a closer look, I’m really only seeing three other teams with skippers that could have received consideration, and that would be in Oakland, Minnesota, and Cleveland. However, in all three of those cases the teams were expected to contend, and that generally works against a manager for an award like this.

I wonder too if teams will move some highly paid all star calibre players needing to cut some $$$ Lindor, Arenado come to mind and fill a BJ need.

I am under the opinion that there will be bargains like never seen before, but unfortunately Toronto (Canada) will be very low down on the destinations of choice list for top guys or guys signing 1 year deals looking to boost their value. With this in mind 4 guys high on my target list of obtainable don't break the bank FA pitchers are Happ, Paxton, Ray and Shoemaker. Happ on a 1 year deal is my first choice. If we can add a couple of these veterans to our starting rotation it pushes all other pitchers down the depth chart. Ryu Paxton Pearson Happ Shoe Ray Stripling Pick 2 FAs I do not see any way the team can have Roark in any other spot but relief until shown otherwise.

Teams dropping guys like Hand and Osuna for projected $10 million and Morton for $15 tells me that there will be some prices available on guys that we would never expect. Gotta figure these 3 will go for less than the listed or the teams would have traded them for something/anything. Hand for example is still only 30 years old and had a good season. The teams buyout was $1 million so they didn't want him for $9 million. Indians declined LHP Brad Hand's $10 million option for 2021. Instead, they'll pay the 30-year-old southpaw a $1 million buyout. The Indians put Hand through waivers earlier this week, but went unclaimed. He was outstanding during the 2020 season, posting a 2.05 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 29/4 K/BB ratio across 22 innings.

ATHLETIC ARTICLE, Keith Law with the answers:The Blue Jays took a meaningful step forward during the 2020 season, finishing with a winning record and a playoff appearance. Along the way, the team also saw some of their prospects make the transition to the major leagues, including top arm Nate Pearson and fan favourite Alejandro Kirk. Meanwhile, with no minor leagues, the club’s best young prospects, such as Jordan Groshans and Austin Martin, were stationed at the alternate site. With the Blue Jays emerging as an up-and-coming team, the club’s prospects will figure prominently in the team’s future success. So, where do they stand? How did the lost season impact their progression? Which arms stand the best chance to start in the majors one day? And can Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still develop into a superstar? To answer these questions and more, we talked with The Athletic’s prospect expert, Keith Law about the Blue Jays farm system. 1. Heading into the season, Nate Pearson was your top-ranked Blue Jays prospect. He had a strong debut, then his fastball command wobbled in his next few outings then he landed on the injured list for a month. It’s not what anyone wanted for his debut season, but on the bright side, he came back at the end of the season throwing 100 mph out of the bullpen. What did you make of Pearson’s rookie season? Do you still see him as the future ace of the Blue Jays rotation? You saw why he was my No. 1 prospect for them, and one of the best in baseball, and unfortunately saw a little of what could go wrong — and has gone wrong — for him. Guys who throw this hard don’t have the greatest track record for durability, and he’s had several injuries now, some random and some more concerning. This year’s was in the latter bucket. 2. We all know how hyped of a prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was. He’s now played 183 games in the major leagues, and while his numbers are above average, they’re not spectacular, either. And, fair or not, they certainly fall short of what fans had been expecting from him after he lit up the minor leagues. I know you’re still a believer in Guerrero, though. Can you give fans a few reasons to keep the faith that he will one day be an offensive superstar? He has all of the tools to be an elite hitter with power, but he hits the ball on the ground way too often, a function of his swing plane — and, unfortunately, he hasn’t been the kind of hitter where coaches could just take him aside and adjust his launch angle. He’s going to have to come to this himself. But I do think he’ll get there. 3. Your No. 9 ranked Blue Jays prospect, Alejandro Kirk, made his MLB debut this year at 21. I don’t know that any of expected him to debut so soon, but it was a weird season all around, so maybe we should have. For someone who hadn’t played above High A, he handled major-league pitching well. In 25 PAs, he hit .375/.400/.583 and struck out just four times. Assuming we have a relatively normal minor league schedule next year, the Blue Jays will have a decision on their hands next spring, whether he breaks camp with the MLB club or gets more seasoning in the minors. From your point of view, where does his game need more development? And does he need to do that in the minors? The Jays have to be thrilled to see him put the ball in play that often against major-league pitching — and he was especially good against velocity, which is one of the main things you’d worry about with a hitter going from A-ball right to the majors. He had more hits against fastballs 95+ (3) than swings and misses (1!). My guess, based on this tiny sample, is that pitchers will start attacking him with breaking stuff to see if his relative weakness against those pitches is real. That’s the first area where I’d say he might need work — but again, I’m working with a tiny sample, and just basing it on where hitters who make significant jumps to the majors tend to struggle most. And the second is receiving major-league quality stuff, which, again, we just don’t really know how far along he is. All of that said, hell yeah, let him play in the majors. He might legitimately be their best option right now, and his ability to hit fastballs could be enough to make him valuable while he works on other parts of his game. 4. Because of injury and this year’s cancelled season, your second-ranked Jays prospect Jordan Groshans will have only played 71 pro games over the last three years. He was at the alternate site this year, but we both know intrasquad games are not totally comparable to real games. Will this hurt his individual development? And how early do you see him reaching the majors? I’ve asked numerous player development people about how the loss of a full season of the minors would affect players, and the consensus is that nobody really knows, but it will affect players differently, and some might be better off while others might be worse. I would guess, and it’s just a guess, that Groshans is in the latter camp for the reason you said — the guy hasn’t faced much professional pitching. You’re right that the alternate sites aren’t a true substitute for real games, because that’s your teammate on the mound, and he’s not going to bust 96 in on your hands. In all likelihood, we don’t see him in the majors until at least 2023. Austin Martin (Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 5. I know you’re a fan of Austin Martin. Ahead of the draft, you had him as the best all-around prospect. At No. 5, the Blue Jays were certainly in the right spot at the right time to pick him. A question I get from fans all the time is: What position will Martin play? The Blue Jays have thin centre field depth, so there’s intrigue around whether he can fill that hole. But I know during summer camp and at the alternate site, he was working at third base. So, where do you think the Blue Jays should play him? He should play third base. I saw him there as a sophomore and he was ridiculous. He had issues throwing this spring before the college season ended, so Vandy tried him out in the outfield, but as long as that’s behind him (and I’ve heard he’s been fine) he has a chance to be a plus-plus defender at third. 6. Toronto is definitely a team that has to draft and develop starting pitchers since free agency isn’t the primary way they build a rotation. Understanding it’s hard to say anything with certainty when it comes to young arms, of some of the Blue Jays top-end pitching prospects, who do you like the best to remain a starter long-term? Pearson’s a starter. (Alek) Manoah’s a starter. (Anthony) Kay is too, albeit more of a back-end one. (Eric) Pardinho could be if he comes back from TJ. I actually think Patrick Murphy has the elements to start but he might be the first cousin of Those Unlucky Andersons for all his injuries. (Simeon) Woods Richardson is the one major pitching prospect they have who, in my opinion, has significant reliever risk. His arm is really late, and he doesn’t have a consistent breaking ball. That’s not to say he won’t be a starter, just that I think he has a lot more reliever risk than the Jays believe he does. I think the jury’s still out on what (Adam) Kloffenstein could be since he wasn’t great in 2019 and we didn’t see him this year. I do wonder if guys like that, who throw hard and were maybe used heavily in high school, will be better off for the year away from full-bore pitching. 7. With the offseason, there always comes trade rumours. I think the Blue Jays are a team that has a young (read: cheap) enough roster that they actually have the room to spend money in free agency to supplement their core. And we know MLB clubs clasp their prospects tighter than ever before. But in your opinion, if the Blue Jays wanted to sell high on a prospect, who would it be? Could be Woods Richardson. Although if they really wanted to sell high on a prospect, Kirk’s stock would have to be as high as ever right now. (I’m not advocating they do so.) 8. Over the last two seasons, the Blue Jays have graduated a lot of their high-end prospects to the majors. But, your last organizational ranking had their farm system at No. 7 and that was before Martin. Where do you view them now and does their system have an obvious strength/weakness? Strength is infielders, to some extent right-handed starters, and I think potential stars, with Martin, Pearson, Orelvis (Martinez), and then to a lesser extent Kirk or Groshans. Weakness is outfield and left-handed pitching. I don’t think my organization rankings will change very much this winter except for teams that graduated several prospects or teams that had exceptionally good drafts. 9. Finally, which Blue Jays prospect are we not talking enough about? I don’t know how Jays fans themselves view the system, but I know that in general, we don’t talk about Latin American prospects as early as do we drafted prospects, so Orelvis jumps out as someone who has a chance to be a star and doesn’t get the national attention that other prospects of his calibre do.

I would welcome Happ back as a solid #3

Dude will be 34 starting next season. Buffalo is a launching pad if that is his home park. See what happened to him when his velo was down 2 MPH in the playoffs. KABOOM.

We are seeing this played out in the NHL right now. Leafs loaded the bottom of their roster with minimum salary guys and squuezed some others. Top FA took a 1 year deal Taylor Hall.

Add Roberto Osuna to the list...dropped by Houston

Jays need better defense at SS and CF. Give me a GG guy candidate there. How legit are the lists when Jackie Bradley jr and Kiermaier aren't included GIANT *

Is that you VINCE? Not true at all. They say Vince elevated the game of basketball in Canada but Toronto Raps the franchise have always been successful profit earners.

Shoemaker quoted today saying it might be tough to get FA to sign in Toronto due to COVID

Can the Jays find a taker for Grichuk? In a real baseball trade?? Not sure if it would be selling high exactly but management was HIGH when they thought he was worth the $$$ they signed him for. No interest in moving Teoscar or Guiriel. Team needs a CF and LF and RF are spoken for.

Had Bryant in my fantasy pool. I dropped him and he was not picked up. I would stay FAR FAR away from this player at the $20 million-ish amount he will earn. Strikes out too much for my liking and is trending down. Like you say he still is a name player so I don't think he would go for a bargain.