Agreed. Besides Vladdy, this is one of the biggest wild cards the Jays have going into the season.
If they get a couple "Babe Schneider" type breakouts it will really go a long ways to breaking 90 wins.
Even if these players can't sustain it long term (Schneider may not) it'll keep the team afloat for another season with the pitching and defense they have.
SP Snell
SP Montgomery
SP Bauer
SP Urias
SP German
SP Ryu
RP Brasier
RP Neris
RP Robertson
RP Fujinama
RP Stanek
RP Fulmer
RP Loup
C Sanchez
1B Urshela
2B Rosario
3B Chapman
SS Anderson
LF Pham
CF Bellinger
RF Taylor
DH Soler
Bench - Meadows, Grandal, Hicks, Kemp
German would be some nice pitching depth for sure. I mean, I'd instantly pencil him in as the Jays #5 prior to spring training.
Would be a solid insurance policy against injuries and/or any other starters completely s***ing the bed ala Kikuchi/Berrios in 2022 or Manoah in 2023.
Richards is probably the reliever I'm most concerned about. He's not a fireballer so he has to be pretty much perfect to not get his ass handed to him, when he's on though the swing and miss is top notch.
Yeah for sure. I do love that idea of an on paper lights out back end of the bullpen. Always feel like you just have to get to the the inning wit the lead and the game is yours.
The allure of having a big name closer, but $19 million per year for 0.9 projected fWAR and a career high of 2.6 fWAR?
Probably better ways to utilize that money if we're being honest.
I remember in 2021 the jays had 7 top 100 prospects and most of them haven't done anything in MLB except get the jays MLB players from other teams in trades.
Pearson, Martin, SWR, Groshans, Orelvis, Kirk and Moreno.
Every time the Padres come up my brain goes into massive surprise blockbuster mode because they have so many "good" players who's values are tanked because of the terrible contracts they gave them, and they are supposedly cutting payroll.
In comes big bad Ross AlphAtkins and his massive swinging dick to throw Rogers weight around and rape and pillage those poor bastards and somehow walk away with Tatis in his back pocket.
Yeah I had last years team winning 95 games or more UT did not expect the tubby trio Vlad, Kirk, Manoah to crap the bed like that. Springer too I guess to a degree and even Varsho.
Last year's team ended being a large group of 1 to 3 fWAR earners with no big stars pushing it over the top.
I think the Jays believe they have top 5 starting pitching and a top 5 bullpen, to go along with very high end defense. They actually have a legit shot at giving up the fewest runs in baseball next season I would think.
To go with that they have likely a middle of the pack offense at worst, and with 2-3 or bounce back seasons from regulars maybe a top 10 offense or so?
Well, Manoah can start in the preseason and see where it goes from there.
If he's showing signs of being better I have no problem with him starting as the #5, but if his velo is down still, he's out of shape, and getting torched then yeah he should start in AAA
Jays have about $18 million before they hit the next luxury tax level.
Give (most of) it to Soler and call it an off season?
Unless some sort of bargain trade materializes later on.
lol there is no f***ing way the Jays wouldn't trade Moreno for JRam but then turn around and deal him for Varsho
If Ramirez was on the table it would have been for a lot more than just Moreno
However, hopefully it wasn't Ramirez for a package of Manoah, Moreno, Gurriel or something like that. Manoah would have had way more value back then but now it would look like a total steal for the Jays. If that was ever on the table I don't even want to know about it.
Yeah, exciting to add an arm with a potentially high ceiling like this to an already solid stable of arms.
Can't wait to see what they Jays do with him.
Does he start or relieve to begin?
Will he be in AAA or MLB to begin?
They'll need to take it easy with him for sure with no innings last year.
Just don't get fricken injured in ST FFS
Manoah was also one of the slowest SP's in the league in 2022, taking a ton of time between pitches. No doubt the pitch clock messed him up and I doubt it helped that he was a big fat out of shape guy.