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After an injury-riddled season, the Blue Jays are looking to rebound back into the AL East race. With Josh Donaldson and several other key veterans only under contract through 2018, however, it remains to be seen if the Jays will acquire upgrades that will only help them next season, or if they’ll aim for longer-term assets.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Troy Tulowitzki, SS: $54MM through 2020 ($15MM club option for 2021, $4MM buyout)
- Russell Martin, C: $40MM through 2019
- Kendrys Morales, DH: $23MM through 2019
- Lourdes Gurriel, IF/OF: $18.4MM through 2023
- Marco Estrada, SP: $13MM through 2018
- J.A. Happ, SP: $13MM through 2018
- Steve Pearce, OF/1B: $6.25MM through 2018
- Justin Smoak, 1B: $4.125MM through 2018 ($6MM club option for 2019, $250K buyout)
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLB Trade Rumors)
- Josh Donaldson (5.158) – $20.7MM
- Aaron Loup (5.040) – $1.8MM
- Tom Koehler (4.090) – $6.0MM
- Ezequiel Carrera (4.039) – $1.9MM
- Marcus Stroman (3.148) – $7.2MM
- Kevin Pillar (3.113) – $4.0MM
- Ryan Goins (3.106) – $1.8MM
- Aaron Sanchez (3.069) – $1.9MM
- Devon Travis (3.000) – $1.7MM
- Roberto Osuna (3.000) – $5.6MM
- Dominic Leone (2.123) – $1.2MM
- Non-tender candidate: Koehler
Free Agents
[Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart; Blue Jays Payroll Overview]
One major bit of offseason business has already been handled, as Marco Estrada agreed to a one-year, $13MM extension to return to the Jays next season. 2017 was easily the worst of Estrada’s three seasons in Toronto, though much of the damage was came during a midseason slump that Estrada has said was partially caused by off-the-field issues. Given that Estrada looked closer to his old form during the second half of the season, he’ll give the Jays another solid arm to slot in behind Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ and Aaron Sanchez in the rotation.
Of course, that’s assuming Sanchez is able to recover from the blister and fingernail problems that kept him on the disabled list for much of the season. A full offseason of recovery time would theoretically have Sanchez ready to go for Spring Training, though given the unpredictable nature of his recurring injury, re-signing Estrada was particularly important for the Jays.
Sanchez’s blister was essentially a metaphor for the entire 2017 Blue Jays season. The team was simply never able to get rolling due to a swath of injuries and a lack of performance from most of the players who were able to stay healthy. The starting rotation couldn’t duplicate its 2016 success, and the lineup delivered some of the poorest offensive numbers of any team in baseball. A 2-11 start put the Jays behind the eight ball from the very beginning, and the club wasn’t able to achieve as much as a .500 record at any point during the year.
Better health will only go so far in solving the Jays’ problems. The team can reasonably count on Donaldson, Happ, and Russell Martin delivering closer to full seasons, though Martin turns 35 in February. Sanchez’s status is yet to be determined, and the substantial injury histories of Troy Tulowitzki, Devon Travis and Steve Pearce make them question marks rather than reliable regulars for next year’s lineup.
As one might expect in the wake of such a season, GM Ross Atkins has stated that adding roster depth is a big priority for the club. The challenge will be in deciding where to acquire that depth, since the Jays are thin at several positions and don’t have much in the way of MLB-ready talent at the upper levels of the minors.
One such area is starting pitching, as the Blue Jays don’t have a fifth starter lined up. Joe Biagini is the current favorite for the job but was inconsistent as a starter last season. Tom Koehler (if he isn’t non-tendered) or prospect Ryan Borucki could be candidates, while other internal options like Chris Rowley seem more like minor league depth options. The case could also be made that Biagini and Koehler are better utilized as relievers.
Between the fifth starter opening and Sanchez’s blister concerns, the Blue Jays could have cause to add a veteran starter on a short-term deal. Jason Vargas, CC Sabathia, Jaime Garcia, Doug Fister, and familiar face Brett Anderson are a few of the experienced arms available in free agency, though with Estrada and Happ both under contract for just one more year, I’d argue that Toronto could make a bigger splash for a front-of-the-rotation type. Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta seem like long shots, but the Jays have already been cited as a likely suitor for Alex Cobb, and Lance Lynn is another second-tier rotation arm who would require a substantial, but not a bank-breaking multi-year contract.
Of course, Shohei Otani would be a great fit for Toronto, as he would in the rotation of every other MLB team. The Jays’ interest in Otani is known, though it doesn’t seem like they are frontrunners for his services, if he is even made available to MLB teams at all this winter (which is looking less clear than ever). If Otani did sign with the Jays, one would think the team would look to trade Kendrys Morales (even while eating some money in a deal) to free up the DH spot for Otani to get at-bats.
Even without an Otani signing, the idea of dealing Morales or another veteran regular may still have to be explored. Morales and Tulowitzki have little to no trade value given their poor 2017 seasons and the money remaining on their contracts; Martin is also owed $40MM through the next two years, and there aren’t many contenders in need of catching help.
Atkins has said that the Jays aren’t looking to trade from their MLB roster, though that may be a necessity given their lack of minor league trade chips (and obviously top prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette aren’t going anywhere). A rebuilding team could have interest in Travis given his youth and the potential he’s shown when he has been able to play. Justin Smoak’s breakout year turned his contract into a bargain, and Toronto could look to sell high on him, though teams could prefer to just sign a free agent first baseman rather than make a trade. Teams could be interested in Kevin Pillar’s elite center field glove, and the Jays could conceivably replace Pillar in center field with Teoscar Hernandez or Anthony Alford.
The biggest trade chip, of course, is Donaldson, though he reportedly isn’t on the table as a trade candidate since the Jays plan to contend next year. The star third baseman has expressed interest in an extension that would keep him in Toronto beyond 2018, though if contract talks fail to materialize over the winter, trade speculation will only increase. The Cardinals are known to be one of several teams interested in Donaldson’s services, and they’re a particularly interesting potential trade partner since they can offer outfielders and multi-positional infielders. Even if Donaldson isn’t up for discussion, I’d imagine the Jays will have some talks with the Cards this winter.
These may seem like bold moves for a team that doesn’t seem to be planning any sort of huge shakeup. That said, if the Jays intend to add (in the words of president/CEO Mark Shapiro) “Durability. Athleticism. Flexibility,” to the roster, one way to achieve those goals is to move some of the players that don’t fit those categories. Trading Travis, for instance, would make it easier for the Jays to sign a multi-position infielder like Eduardo Nunez, as Toronto could then offer Nunez regular time at second base and then have the option of bouncing him around the diamond as the situation warrants. As mentioned, Morales couldn’t be dealt without eating a big chunk of the $23MM remaining on his contract, though moving a DH-only player who posted below-average hitting numbers last year would go a long way to giving the Blue Jays a more well-rounded roster.
If Toronto eschews bigger moves in search of pure depth additions, someone like Stephen Drew stands out as a left-handed hitting utility infield option. Backup catcher is a notable area of need, as Jays backup catchers combined for -1.5 fWAR last year — a particular issue given that Martin played in just 91 games. Miguel Montero struggled badly after joining the Jays last summer and isn’t likely to be re-signed.
The corner outfield positions are the most obvious areas to add much-needed speed and left-handed hitting into the mix. The team has already confirmed that it won’t be picking up its end of Jose Bautista’s mutual option, ending the franchise icon’s tenure in Toronto on a sour (-0.5 fWAR) note. This leaves Pearce as the top option in left field and Hernandez as the current favorite in right field after his impressive September performance. Alford and Ezequiel Carrera are also in the mix as platoon or backup options, with former top prospect Dalton Pompey slated for Triple-A after missing almost all of 2017 due to a concussion and a knee injury.
There is clearly room for improvement here, as Pearce and the youngsters could be slated for left field and a new face could play right. Jay Bruce has been a Blue Jays target in the past and would bring some much-needed left-handed pop to right field, so Toronto is likely to check in on his availability in free agency. Left-handed bats like Curtis Granderson or Jon Jay aren’t quite ideal for everyday roles, though the Jays can use Pearce and Hernandez as their corner outfielders when a southpaw is on the mound. If the Indians decided to decline their club option on Michael Brantley in the wake of Brantley’s recent ankle surgery, you’d expect Atkins and Shapiro to be all over Brantley given their past Cleveland ties.
Beyond free agents, teams like the Marlins, Indians, White Sox and (as mentioned) the Cardinals all could have outfielders for sale this winter. Jays fans may cringe at the idea of another big trade with the Marlins, but since Toronto had some interest in Dee Gordon last summer, Miami fits as a trade partner that could address the Jays’ needs at both second base and in the outfield in a single blockbuster. This is just my speculation, however — the Blue Jays may not have the prospects necessary to attract the Marlins’ attention on their star outfielders, and the Jays reportedly balked at Gordon’s remaining salary ($38MM through 2020).
Speaking of salary, the Jays have approximately $142.5 MM tied up in 19 players (eight guaranteed salaries and their 11-player arbitration class) for next season. This gives them some room to spend if they approach their $163.3MM payroll from last Opening Day, though even with Bautista off the books, big arb raises for Donaldson, Pillar, Stroman, Koehler, and Roberto Osuna will wipe out a lot of those savings. Koehler’s $6MM arbitration price tag is probably too high for the Jays’ liking, though they could look to re-sign him at a lower salary given his potential value as a swingman, multi-inning reliever, or fifth starter candidate.
Now that Osuna’s strong numbers no longer come with the benefit of a pre-arbitration salary, there will likely be some trade talk surrounding the 22-year-old closer. Osuna had a career-high 3.38 ERA and ten blown saves in 2017 while also dealing with some anxiety issues. S everal advanced metrics, though, indicate that the young closer was as dominant as ever last season and just ran into some bad luck (only a 59.5% strand rate) and perhaps some complications from increased usage of a cutter rather than his normal fastball-heavy arsenal. While teams will surely approach the Blue Jays with offers, it would be a surprise to see Osuna dealt given that his salary is still quite reasonable for a closer with his track record.
The Jays also need Osuna to anchor a bullpen that posted some decent numbers last year despite being heavily overworked; Jays relievers pitched 596 2/3 innings, the third-most of any club in baseball. Beyond Osuna, Toronto has some solid options on hand (Danny Barnes, Dominic Leone, Ryan Tepera, Carlos Ramirez) and could be further bolstered depending on what happens with Biagini or Koehler. Aaron Loup is the only southpaw in the pen, so expect the Jays to check in on left-handed relievers this winter. The club could look to replicate its low-cost signings of Joe Smith and J.P. Howell from last offseason, hoping for a better than their .500 return — Smith pitched well and was flipped at the trade deadline, while Howell battled injuries and was released in August.
The Atkins/Shapiro regime hasn’t made many big splashes in its two offseasons running the front office, though more is required this winter in the wake of the Jays’ disappointing 2017 campaign. Counting on better health to fix the problems is a big risk, especially since the club’s roster is old enough that decline is just as big a concern as injuries at this point. As intent as the Blue Jays are on contending, the AL East is competitive enough that another slow start could quickly turn the Jays into deadline sellers. Some significant roster shuffling is needed for the Jays to make 2017 into an aberration, rather than the first sign that their contention window is closing.
I feel like the jays will make a deal with the Marlins, as they had scouts heavily watching their games for the last few months of the season, and Jeter & Co. want to blow the team up.. a deal with the Marlins makes sense as they have pieces we need, just have to be careful about the price.
This is where the previous front office might have done something nuts, like a Vlad Jr. for Giancarlo + cash deal.
Trades like that rarely happen, but boy would it shake up the offseason. They do have an open spot for Giancarlo and, in theory, the cash to pay him and the possibility of DH as he ages.
That trade is not totally nuts as Giancarlo is a proven MLB player locked up long term while Vlad jr., while impressive thus far, still has plenty to prove. I’d love for Vlad jr. to be the real deal and mash at the MLB level but as of right now let’s be realistic. We have no idea what the Jays will have in him where as Stanton you know exactly what you’re getting.
If the Jays can afford to just take on the whole contract, it wouldn’t even take Vlad Jr., and that’s apparently what the Marlins want, they just want the contract gone, they aren’t looking for max return.
If that were the case he’d be gone already. You don’t just “give up” players of Stanton’s caliber for nothing. Obviously the reason he hasn’t been dealt yet is because not only do they want to shed his contract but they want a decent return as well
Decent, yes; landing the #2 prospect in baseball would be well beyond decent. If he had a more team-friendly contract, then yes, they could expect a huge return, but he doesn’t, he has a heavily backloaded deal with an opt-out after 3 years. No one is going to give up a huge haul for that, not even for a player of his caliber.
The fact he still hasn’t been moved a few days into the offseason says nothing about what kind of return they’re willing to take. How often do you see a blockbuster trade this soon? These things take time and of course they’ll shop around for the best deal, that doesn’t mean they’re holding out for a massive return.
The Jays need a lead-off hitter, and Dee Gordon is just the man for the job.
Whatever corner outfielder they get, it needs to be someone who can run and not their typical high strikeout base path clogger. So not Jay Bruce.
Gordon with his career .329 OBP is perfect for a leadoff spot!
Cesar Hernandez
Phillies should be looking to move Cesar this winter. 3.1 WAR and a .373 OBP. Fast runner too.
Do you think they’ll try and move Morales this offesason?
I hope, even if they have to eat around 10 million. He clogs up the DH position, the bases, and the lineup
$10mm ain’t enough.
If he were a free agent today, the best he would be able to get is a minor league deal. So at minimum you’d need to eat the remaining $22m and the most you’d get in return is a PTBNL.
The FO should just release him and admit that it was a bad signing..
The Red Sox did the same with Sandoval.
Wow Martin is overpaid.
it was a back-loaded contract. originally the deal was 5yr/$80mm. I guess you can say he was underpaid in 2015 & 2016.
So far 6.5 WAR for Martin in three years for $42MM. That’s not great return, but it’s not horrible. The next two years do look a little rough for a guy who may give 1.5-2.0 WAR per year.
Then again, MLB-quality catchers don’t grow on trees. I’m not sure what the alternative is, other than rolling with guys like Montero.
I think your valuation for what WAR is worth is a little off… isn’t it closer to 9m per 1 WAR? Not under 7. Also, the contributions of a veteran catcher can’t be fully quantified by WAR. He’s been paid what he’s worth.
And still worth the contract
Martin when healthy can hit for a solid average, decent power and the ability to hit to all fields. Defensively he anchors the rotation, gives them a much high confidence level in all their pitches. His framing and caught stealings leave a lot to be desired, but his overall leadership abilities out weigh those issues. Look at what McCann did for the Astros. There’s other contract concerns to worry about.
Toronto fans are still waiting to see exactly how the new FO is going to manage personnel this off-season though the moves last season give some hope that it will be an improvement over the office-boy-promoted-to-GM AA.
As Houston as demonstrated, the FO needs to have a long-term perspective; the boom-and-bust hiring practices of, say, Boston, is not a roller coaster Toronto wants.
Would be refreshing to have some of the puckheads who appear on the sports talk shows to stay out of the adult MLB discussions; they still think AA was brilliant. Having said that, the hiring of Morales, for one, suggests the boys from Cleveland make mistakes, as well. No argument with the shortcomings already identified by the FO.
Given the fact a club that held on to last place for every home game of the season but still managed to pack the yard, while television ratings remained high, ownership should be prepared to make sure that money is not the problem keeping the FO from adding pieces to build a contender who will be ready to stand up to New York and Houston.
” ownership should be prepared to make sure that money is not the problem keeping the FO from adding pieces to build a contender””
It’s shocking that the MLB players union has been silent about the Blue Jays looting ownership. There is no excuse for the Blue Jays not to pin the needle to the payroll limit every year.
Why would the union complain about the Jays? In the past, the problem was tiny-budget teams such as Tampa and the Marlins pocketing the revenue-sharing cheques.
By some counts, the Jays had the #5 payroll in 2017. (CBS Sports).
The problem is that if you compare the Blue Jays to the Yankees and Red Sox, they come up decidedly short, and look to be about even with the Rays. They have a ceiling of high 80’s wins and missing the playoffs.
What the last two World Series champs have shown us is if you want to win, you can’t be on the treadmill of mediocity (over even a little better than that). It is unfortunate that this is the case because if you look at the NBA and all the teams that are tanking each season, the product is devalued. Nonetheless, the best course for the Jays would be to unload everything of value, including paying parts of some contracts as needed, with an eye on competiting in 2019 and contending after that.
We can only hope they perform poorly enough that they have no choice but to blow the team up at the deadline, which would probably be better for them long-term, otherwise I expect more half measures.
Many laughed last year when I said how much the Jays would miss RA Dickey, the same way the Cubs would miss Jason Hammel and Travis Wood. GMs and even managers still don’t seem to have figured that innings eaters are a major part of getting through a season. Too much stress on a bullpen is a recipe for disaster in today’s game.
Still laughing.
I didn’t laugh at your RA Dickey suggestion last year, In Dec 2016, I agreed that the rotation wouldn’t even compete in 2017 just like the current rotation will not compete in 2018. The Jays were 3rd in MLB in releiver innings. A team cannot win doing that. This year will be another Kool-aid year unless the Jays acquire a true #1 and a #3 starters. Happ will regress further, Estrada might win 7 games, Stroman will be Stroman, I hear Sanchez finger issue is NOT resolved.
No this team doesn’t need just depth as Atkins Kool-Aid suggests, it needs core players. As jakec77 and others have said, if they are not prepared to blow the budget and acquire elite core players, then blow up the MLB roster now and rebuild. Otherwise it will be another wasted year lying to the fans with false hope to get people in the seats.
Jays are firmly in a gray area where rebuilding really isn’t warranted or a viable option, and adding top tier free agents might not put them over the top. Clearing out underproducing/declining/oft-injured players would be preferable, but nobody will take Tulo or Morales without TOR eating most of their contracts. I’m sure Shapiro still curses the day AA acquired Tulo, but he had to to get rid of Reyes. Letting EE walk in favor of Morales was a move the current regime only have themselves to blame for. Their best best at this point is to package some of the deadwood in a Donaldson trade if they can’t extend him.
Well, I’m sure you’re right about the feeling of Shapiro cursing AA for the Tulo trade, but they probably wouldn’t of made the playoffs with Reyes still manning short in 2015 as he was utterly hopeless with his defense.
Yes, letting EE walk did backfire (although Toronto gave him the highest offer!), even if EE was retained I still don’t think the Jays would of made the playoffs due to, the injuries an inconsistencies from others.
I agree they wouldn’t of made the playoffs with Reyes, but the Tulo trade was awful. They would’ve been better off trading for someone like Rosales or Aybar and keeping Hoffman in hindsight.
This won’t have too much to do with the outcome of their 2018 season, but I hope they are able to bring Koehler back at a cheaper rate. His stuff looks like it can play a relatively big roll out of the bullpen
Dee Gordon and Christian Yelich is what the jays need off the Marlin’s. High OBP/BA contact hitters that can steal and play good defensively. I guarantee acquiring those two would be much easier and cheaper than Stanton. Sign a starter like Chatwood or Lynn and acquire a decent lefty for the pen like Jake McGee. Look for a ulitity player and if not, start the year with Goins, and see how guys like Urena do in Triple A. The jays have the tools to do this, just do what needs to be done
Yelich would require a huge prospect haul for the Marlins to deal him. His contract is insanely cheap for a 4+ WAR player.
Gordon makes some sense but I’d rather go after Villar.
High OBP/BA, good defense…does that really describe Dee Gordon though? I mean he’s speedy as all get-out but isn’t a sorta average defensively and kinda lacking in OBP department?
Yelich, I’m embarrassed to say I know next to NOTHING about. Haha.
Honestly, I think they need to do a combination of trying to compete while getting younger and more athletic. There are literally hundreds of ways to go about it, but, here are some possibilities:
*Make a blockbuster trade for Ozuna, Stanton and Gordon: take the entire contracts and send them a package of Devon Travis, Roberto Osuna, Anthony Alford, Sean Reid Foley, Morales, Teoscar Hernandez, and Pearce with their entire contracts.
*Sign Donaldson to a 4 yr $100M extension
*Promote our catching prospect Jansen to be the understudy to Martin, he is a great hitter and catcher and could be the heir apparent, he tore up three levels in the minors
*Richard Urena becomes the backup infielder and becomes a super-utility type player. He brings speed and athleticism and range; can play SS/2b/3b and a much better bat than either Barney or Goins.
*OF would be set with Ozuna in LF, Pillar in CF and Stanton in RF with Pompey/
Carrera/or FA as part time OF/DH type
*3b Donaldson, SS Tulo, 2b Gordon, 1b Smoak, DH rotating shift of Tulo/Stanton/others to keep them fresh
*Starting Pitching: Sanchez/Stroman/Estrada/Happ and Ryan Borucki who is very talented and dominated at three levels ending in Buffalo, very talented and now on 40 man roster. Fill Buffalo with possibilities and journeymen and a few talented prospects I think we will see a rebound with several SP and Borucki looks really good from the left hand side.
*RP: Sign Brandon Morrow and have a pen of Tepera, Barnes, Leone, Carlos Ramirez, Tim Mayza, and look at signing Jerry Blevins or Mike Minor or Jake McGee as another power lefty to go with Mayza. That would be a very good pen.
Batting Order
Gordon
Donaldson
Ozuna
Stanton
Smoak
Tulo
Martin
Pillar
Pompey/Urena/Jansen
This is one persons thoughts and I know it wont happen this way but some of this is a possibility
The Marlins aren’t likely to take those contracts, especially Morales’, he’s totally useless to them and they wouldn’t be able to flip him without eating a bunch of it, which they seem to have no taste for.
Even without the trade, this should be a general blueprint for the team to follow in my mind as well. I’d go a little differently on the ingredients, but the idea seems spot on Frank.
Wow…..this makes sense ! Shapiro take note !!
Mark Polishuk you don’t get out of your bad contracts by throwing money at it and hoping it goes away. That is something a bad GM would do. They don’t go away as you are still retaining salary that is counting against your future budgets. You also don’t sell low on under performing or injured players, you put them into situations where they can prosper and build back value. As for other others complaining on here. Jays have a limited budget. Get used to it. Complaining about that does as much as complaining to Rogers about your outrageous cable bill. They are experts at not caring. They have enough of a budget available that the Jays can be successful and a good GM can figure it out. They just can’t take as many risks . There is nothing wrong with the Jays infield . They do get injured more than other players but they are great when they play. Jays should get a good backup infielder if there is one available otherwise I’m fine with Barney/Goins. Good defense from your middle infield is all you need . Everyone should remember the many years of Reyes (no D) or nobody at second or short . All the errors drained the life out of the team. I want to see them give a real chance to Pompey and Alford this year. It puzzles me that they have overlooked Pompey. Its like they are trying to punish him for something.
Pompey has had terrible luck with concussions. Hopeful he’s past it as he’d be a great fit. Alford too! Athletes in the OF is the key.
First of all no more goins he sucks I’m sick of people saying he’s a good player he isn’t he wasn’t even replacement level last year with a -.02 war. He really has no glove or bat neither does Barney. With how old are team is you can’t have 2 out your nine players basically guaranteed outs. As it is the only consistent bat is jd, smoak had a fluke year and regression closer to his norms is coming. Martin, tulo, pillar, Morales, and whatever crap you put in left all had really bad years. You also in a realistic world can not expect anything better from Martin, tulo, pillar, Pearce, Morales. Travis is never on the field and I will never trust him to be at this point until he proves it. So you can’t win games with basically the only person in the line up being productive is jd. I also do not want jd extended he’s 32 in a month he has maybe two productive years left we won’t be competitive in those two years so why get stuck with another contract like Morales, Martin and tulo for nothing .
No glove: not true.
He’s an absolute hole in the lineup though, true.
He had negative UZR and DRS last year
Goins put up 2.7 War two years ago and Barney was good for 1.8 War last year and both were part time players and both are good defensively Now is the time to take advantage of their down years and sign them up to some term at low salary. Everyone needs to have a little faith in the players and not jump all over them when the struggle. It makes the situation worse. All you hear from people is ” Trade him and eat his salary and take back someone else’s under performing high price turd or one year wonder and that will solve all our problems” It doesn’t solve anything.
Scouting Report: I agree with the article but I will take it further and stronger . Remember the goal is to win, not just fill the seats or compete,.From what I hear the Jays don’t have a lot of extra money to throw around. The needs suggested below are from my scouting eye. I have no idea how they will get these players but don’t expect much out of the Jays this year if they don’t load up on these needs.
Starting pitching staff: Stroman same as 2017, Happ regresses more, Estrada regresses more lucky if he can win 7 games, Sanchez finger issues not revolved.
Starting pitching need: #1 and #3 starter.
Relief Pitching: Biagini to pen, [probably Sanchez too from what I hear], Osuna, Tepara, Leone, Santos, Barnes all stay. Sign Koeghler if priced right. Trade Loup. Try out mayza and other AAA guys.
Relief need: Acquire shut down lefty reliever
Catching: Martin can only go 60% time or he’ll get hurt.
Catching need: Good defensive catcher who can hit and carry 40% of the workload. – not named Maile, Montero, Lopez, Saltalamacchia, Thole.
Outfield: Pillar is the anchor, try Hernandez in right or left, Carrera and Pearce are good spare parts but not core players.
Outfield Need: Power hitting fast outfielder, core player.
Infield: Tulo needs to be moved from short or he’ll spend more time on the bench hurt. The jays won’t trade him, they can’t. He either goes to 3rd or 1st. My vote is 1st. Smoak is traded. Travis is traded. Barney is released.
Infield need: Shortstop to take Tulo’s place- Goins or Cozart. Second baseman: either Goins or AAA player. Donaldson stays at 3rd [unless the Jays don’t make moves to fill these needs, then Donaldson is traded at deadline.]
DH: Morales stays at DH and shares duties with Pearce and others.
Let’s hope for some AAA surprises and elite free agent acquisitions by Spring training 2018.
Pipe dream.
“Catching need: Good defensive catcher who can hit”
“Outfield Need: Power hitting fast outfielder”
Whilst I’d love it to be true, neither of these things are happening.
Maybe Colby Rasmus wants a game in RF?
I agree that a another very good catcher and a core level rightfielder are not going to happen [unless the Jays spend some big money]. But that is part of what they need or they don’t compete.
Marco Estrada is 34? Jesus.
And Marco Estrada has a hierniated disk in his back which prevents him from getting over the top properly in his delivery which then causes his pinpoint control to be off. 34 + back problems + control problems + 88 MPH fastball equals lotsa failure. I wouldn’t have signed him neither would somone close to the situation “in the room” that disagreed with the decision to sign him.
I’m a Dodger fan, and I really like the boost that Marcus Stroman can provide for us. How about Andrew Toles, a pitching prospect that’s not Alvarez or Buehler, Scott Kazmir with us eating his entire salary, or a bullpen piece like Luis Avilan, Pedro Baez, or Josh Fields, or Yimi Garcia. What do you think, Blue Jays fans?
Hey, I think that jays trading Stroman is a pipe dream. The current Jays Mgmt thinks that they can compete in 2018 with what they’ve got which is ridiculous. That means they won’t listen to offers on Stroman.
If it were me I would go for a Shelby Miller type of haul for Stroman and Stroman would bring that type of haul. That means 3 or 4 of the trading organization’s best pieces for Stroman so both Alvarez and Buelhler plus others would have to be in the deal.