PickleJ

Peralta might be the closest. Not really an ace. But his cheap contract pushes his value up. I’ll be honest. I have lost a sense the prospect capital required to bring in different types of players at the deadline, and it might just be related to the fact teams are more reluctant to deal top prospects at this time, which means the bidding war features that second level of prospects and their value can be very much in the eye of the beholder. The extra wildcard may also add to the murkiness. So I find much more difficult to anticipate deadline deals now than I did in the past, and so when the Jays hint at their desire to add a starter, a reliever, and a right handed bat now, I know I have to let go of my expectations and prepare to be somewhat surprised.

And look at Springer go. 2.1 WAR considering his positional limitations is amazing. (In reference to the table in your next post).

This was the old highlight that I rewatched lately and was referencing when I mentioned players looking almost sad during celebrations back then. imagine, trying to put a home run jacket on Albert Belle or dumping a bucket of ice on him post game. I wouldn’t dare, but it would be fun to watch someone try.

It’s getting tougher to see where an add to the bullpen is most beneficial. Might like another high leverage lefty to take the pressure off of little. Otherwise, health will likely dictate our need.

That’s what I was thinking. Do you think Alcantara or Cabrera are considered an aces right now or can they acquired with Kasevich and Stanifer level prospects? Both do have some control left, so there is also that to consider.

It does… and that was a lot of sliders.

I stepped away for a bit, so I’m a bit late on this, but I guess the number 1 can be written with a few crooked lines.

Thanks…. I’ve scanned the org depth chart recently and came up with Tiedemann and Kasevich as two bigger names that require protecting. Then there is Pinango as a lower/midle end prospect. And Rojas as one of those younger prospects that requires protecting. Don’t know if I’m missing anyone. I’m also curious of what the Jays do with Martinez, Jiminez, and Clase, as they will all be out of options next year. So I could see moving those guys out. Yesevage and Nimmala are also moving faster than I expected, so they may be in consideration in the near future (next season or two). Plus with older guys like Estrada (just added), Clarke, Robertson (if not claimed), McCarty, and Nunez/Tirotta, there appears ample depth to fill out the 40 moving forward. I’m just not certain how the Jays go big game hunting at the deadline without including Yesevage or Nimmala. Or who they could acquire using their depth pieces such as Jiminez or Clase. Or what value players like Stephn or Stanifer have.

He definitely seems to dislike displaying outward signs of happiness.

I thought you might be talking about his lack of vertical, but I rewatched the play and now have to ask where was Vlad wandering off to on that hit. Was he in a double cut position or did he just wander of toward foul territory?

Hard to believe, but taking on Straw to get international bonus pool money might have been one of Atkins better off-season moves..

No doubt. I don’t mind them. I just feel the need to advocate for the needs of the uncoordinated introverts like myself out there.

Haha… oh, I understand it. And like I said, generally enjoy it. And I’m vehemently opposed to most old school baseball rules, but I do chuckle when I watch old footage of teams from the past celebrating big moments,, especially from regular season games. They look almost sad in comparison.

Haha… I would too. There is no room for a player like me anymore that prefers to return to the dugout after a home run and bask silently in the feeling catching one square. Everyone has to do a little dance, not that I’m against those players. I enjoy them and want their energy on the team, but it does seem hard to opt out of such things if such things aren’t your thing.

I’m late to the game, but I like sliding Bichette down in the order. Clement and Lukes won’t strike fear in anyone, but if used appropriately will actually get on base more than Bichette. Plus, moving Bichette down lengthens the middle portion of the line up that can drive the ball.

I think this was the unfortunate outcome of activating Burr from the 60 day IL. But I always find it strange when teams designate players like Robertson over lesser performing prospects that might have a bit more name value. It’s like most teams can’t accept free money.

And I don’t mean to sidetrack the discussion into one that is more trade deadline, roster management, and prospect related (feel free to point this rookie in the direction of those threads if this is being discussed elsewhere.). But what is the current state of the Jays 40 man/minor league pool heading into the trade deadline? Specifically, from the perspective where can we deal from depth, either because we have multiple good prospects of the same type or because we need to clear a logjam of rule 5 eligible players (or deal from the 40 man because we have a player we want to elevate from the minors).

Yeah, I’m a bit disappointed to see this. I was slow to warm to Robertson, but I also think some late bloomers are helpful for roster construction, as they typically have option years through their late 20s and won’t reach arbitration until their 30s. That’s inexpensive depth. I’d be surprised if he is snagged. He’d probably mash in Sacramento.

Thanks. That interesting stuff. It does seem like Kirk still has room to grow. Hitting the ball hard again was a good first step. Perhaps pulling the ball a bit more will be the next And. I never thought of digging into OAA from the perspective of the hitter getting robbed.. The Giminez numbers to match my eye, as he always looks like he’s in the verge of figuring things out at the plate. It must mentally challenging to have a few down years offensively, come to a new team, and then get robbed over and over again.

I’d be down for that. Whatever he needs to do to get the ball past an outfielder, I’m down for. And thanks for evidence based info. I always love that stuff, though I tend to be a bit too lazy to dig it up myself. My quick glance at his underlying metrics seems to indicate he is hitting the ball harder this year and his fly balls also seem to be up compared to his ground balls, though I’m not seeing much of a change in his spray chart (pull:middle:oppo). Is this accurate or are you seeing something different? And if so, I’m curious if his exit velocities are up across the entire field or more so to the pull side. Because if they are up more so on the pull side, then it might be another indicator that he could tap into some more production by becoming more pull focused, as you mentioned (though that probably goes against his natural instincts).

No doubt. I always find it interesting when a higher end starting pitching prospect such as Detmers, Bachman, and Hoffman (oh… and Yariel, in a sense, as well) shifts to becoming a reliever. I think it’s often a challenging decision to make for both the team and player, considering both the premium on starting pitching and the corresponding earnings potential. But Detmers’ stuff really seems to play up in the bullpen. And you never know with the Angels. They seem stuck, Trout looks very human, and I’ve always found their organizational decision making to be erratic. Maybe they start to sell high on relievers.

No doubt Kirky is elite defensively. And I appreciate all his skills back there. He would be worth his contract even if he wasn’t driving the ball all over the place. But it is tough to drum up too much excitement framing pitches and blocking balls in the dirt, though these things do contribute to winning. And winning is typically exciting. Offensively, he is much more interesting when he is driving the ball. His plus eye and contact skills are offset by the fact he’s a roadblock on the bases. He’s someone I’d like to see sell out for a little more power at the expense of his OBP. I think he is most valuable offensively when he is driving balls into the gaps that can score runners from first even if he can’t always scoot his way to second for a double. He seems to be trending in that direction now and doing so without disrupting his overall approach at the plate, which is fantastic. I now find myself looking forward to when he comes to the plate because I expect a solid approach with the chance to do a little damage. And I’ll accept all the luck that Heiney can muster. Heck, I’ll take a 91 wRC+ from him all day long as well.

Fun game last night. Nice to squeak out a win so we can keep talking about who we want to add to the squad. After watching last nights game, I’m wondering what people would think of adding Kenley Jansen. He always seems closed to being washed, maybe because he’s a big dude with a scraggily beard. But as I watching him last night, I began to talk myself into adding his cutter to our bullpen. Definitely, showing major recency bias here, but I’ve always been a fan of a great cutter.

First time poster. Longtime Jays fan, not quite a day one Jays fan. But a fan since the beginnings of the Stieb, Fernandez, and Bell era Jays Finally signed up here because I’m excited about this year’s squad. I had grown weary of the Guerrero, Bichette, and Shapiro era, so I’ve been caught off guard by my current excitement level. l love watching Barger try to tear the cover off the ball. I appreciate what Clement brings to the team defensively and enjoy watching him battle at the plate. I even enjoy when he works a walk, as I know that is violently against his nature. Kirk has always been good defensively in the most boring way by being elite at framing pitches, but he is fun to watch when he is driving the ball all over the diamond. Giminez can’t hit, but he is elite defensively and helps soothe my annoyance with Bichette at short. Straw can’t hit, but has been so valuable covering CF during Varsho’s extended absence. Lukes is good enough that I discovered I’ve been mispronouncing his name for years. Rodriguez and Little bring fire and intensity from the pen, and Fisher is like a modern day Mark Eichorn with his endless supply of off speed pitches (though Eichorn could never threw 96 mph). And Springer’s dead cat has definitely bounced. Things are good when the only thing I’’m worried about is Heineman failing a PED test. That seems inevitable at this point, doesn’t it? So I’m looking forward to rooting on the team with all of you for the rest of season, as we brainstorm unrealistic ways for the team to improve and whine intensely about the smallest of mistakes. I am hoping we all get to see a couple of electric starts from old man Scherzer in the playoffs. That would be fun.