The latest on the Blue Jays, all of which comes courtesy of Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet:
- The Blue Jays “checked in” on prominent Scott Boras clients Bryce Harper, Dallas Keuchel and Marwin Gonzalez in free agency, but talks didn’t get serious in any of the three cases, Nicholson-Smith reports. Regarding Harper, there were “not a lot of conversations” on the Jays’ side, a source told Nicholson-Smith. “Some, but not a lot.” Toronto was never strongly connected to Harper during his drawn-out trip to free agency, which finally ended this week when he accepted the Phillies’ 13-year, $330MM offer. The 31-year-old Keuchel’s still available, meanwhile, though it doesn’t seem the Jays – who aren’t expected to contend in 2019 – are in position to sign a 30-something pitcher to a lucrative contract.
- While right-hander Marcus Stroman has frequented trade rumors in recent months, Nicholson-Smith suggests nobody has approached Toronto’s asking price yet. For now, “trade talks are relatively quiet,” Nicholson-Smith writes, though he notes that could change if a starter-needy team loses out on Keuchel and pivots to Stroman as a Plan B. Stroman, who’s in his second-last year of team control, made headlines last month when he expressed frustration toward the Blue Jays for neither extending his contract nor being more active in free agency (they’ve since agreed to deals with fellow righties Clay Buchholz and Bud Norris, which could assuage Stroman to some degree). Whether he opens 2019 with Toronto or another club, Stroman will attempt to bounce back from an uncharacteristically poor 2018 season, during which he notched a 5.54 ERA with 6.77 K/9 and 3.17 BB/9 over 102 1/3 innings.
- Oft-injured second baseman Devon Travis will sit out at least the next few days because of left knee inflammation, Nicholson-Smith relays. Manager Charlie Montoyo isn’t exactly pushing the panic button over the issue, but it nonetheless continues a discouraging run of lower-body issues in recent years for Travis, who’s coming off a disastrous campaign in which he slashed .232/.275/.381 and recorded minus-0.5 fWAR in 378 plate appearances. Should Travis begin 2019 on the injured list, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would likely assume the reins at second, leaving a utility infield spot for Eric Sogard or Richard Urena, per Nicholson-Smith.
Travis has had more time in the whirlpool than on the field.
The Anthony Gose for Devon Travis trade worked out well for nobody.
Meh, Travis had two decent, albeit limited, seasons during Toronto’s two playoff runs. Even if he’s never a productive player again, the Blue Jays won that trade easily.
That Michael Taylor-Brett Wallace-Anthony Gose-Devon Travis line of prospect swaps is a lengthy list of top prospects gone wrong. Ultimately it works back to the disappointing return Jays got for Halladay a decade ago, but sometimes that’s just baseball.
Still worked out better for the Jays because you still have your guy our guy tried to pitch and now is bouncing around. He should have played football as a WR!
If signing Clay Buchholz and Bud Norris assuages Stroman, then he didn’t have much of a problem to begin with.
Assuage.
Nicely done.
Jays are making some good moves to start. I am a patient fan.
Travis has no value at the moment, but maybe by the deadline they can finally send him out.
He’s got to go, enough already!
Rogers Corporation wouldn’t give Bryce Harper free cable, let alone $330 million. No reasonable Jays fan, of which there are many (some), thought Harper would land in Toronto.
Made too much sense.
This article is half old f-ing news and half lets fill some space,,,,everyone knows Travis injury woos.,,,,blah blah blah
In fairness, if Harper was looking for a 13 year contract, there was zero chance he was looking to do it outside of the US.
Why not? Canada is awesome
Living in the GTA, I tend to agree with you, outside of having to deal with Leafs fans.
But this is nothing new. Players in the NBA and MLB throw out a myriad of excuses as to why they don’t want to sign north of the border. More taxes. A different country. No Redzone (thanks, DAZN). Rogers won’t throw in unlimited data on their mobile plan.
For a guy like Harper, he seems to want to settle down. Does he want to do that for 13 years in another country? It’s a tough sell for a guy who’s lived his entire life in the USA.
What do you got against leaf fans??
Apart from the unwavering, delusional, almost nauseating loyalty to a franchise that, apart from the Pat Quinn era and a couple of Pat Burns years, hasn’t attained any level of success since the NHL expanded to 12 teams?
Nothing, really.
I think the taxes are high in Canada and the conversion rate is still not even although way better than in the years Montreal had a team.
No reasonable fan would want Harper for that much money and term! I, for one, am very glad we didn’t get him. Phillies will regret that.
“The Blue Jays checked in on….”
It’s a line fed by the media to Blue Jays fans for the last 10 years or so.
Too bad about Devon Travis. He just cannot stay healthy. At times he looks great.
Stroman situation needs to play out in the first half of the season.
Agreed, Reaper – “a line fed by the media to Blue Jays fans for the last ten years or so.” Rogers, not even the Jays front office, respect the knowledge of true Jays fans. Patronizing, public relations nonsense for the Sportsnet flock.
Rogers barely respects their phone/tv/internet/wifi customers. Why would Jays fans be any different?
I equate Jays fans with Leaf fans. Both have bought in on the bullcrap, only Leaf fans have done it much longer, longing for that Stanley Cup. The 2005 rule changes exposed their incompetence and negligence thanks to the hard cap.
But, most Leaf fans are (kinda) Jays fans. Jays now have the media power thanks to Rogers. Problem they have is hiring penny-pinching con-artists starting from JP Ricciardi. JP didn’t intentionally “con” anyone. He thought the Oakland brand would work in Toronto. That Oakland brand only works if you actually draft and develop players. Oakland had to adapt, and now the Blue Jays.
One thing I can say positively about this new regime is the new focus on minor league development. It’s refreshing to look at prospects under 21 ripping minor league pitching. Blue Jays propping up their success in Lansing thanks to 23 year old College players dominating teenagers should have been a red flag 15 years ago.
… well said.
The best thing Stroman can do for both himself and the Jays is to go out and pitch like he’s capable of (or at least many think he is). It’s easy to dream on his “stuff”, but more than one pitcher has had “stuff” that didn’t translate to the field.
I’m sure they floated his name out there, and were underwhelmed by the response; otherwise, he’d be gone.
Put on your big boy pants, Marcus, and get it done. They’ll move you fast enough if you do.
Agreed! I feel that Stroman continues to get by on his future potential versus actual, consistent results. Even in ‘good’ seasons, he is up and down, up and down from a results perspective. This is a huge year for Stroman. He needs to nut up or shut up. A great year this year probably nets him another $60M+ over what an average year would get him via extension or FA contract in a couple of years. No pressure, Marcus!!!
So I figure that Travis will be healthy enough to start the season with the Jays, and in mid-April (say, after the home series against the Rays) something will “flare up” again, necessitating a trip to the DL, and Vlad’s call up.
So if the Jays could lock up Stro for 4 years, $50 mil should they? 3 potential years of UFA bought out…
No please don’t lock up Marcus Stroman to a longterm contract. Hopefully he recovers to some sembelance of what he was. But I don’t think so. For years I have been saying he is a closer.
For years I have been saying Travis needs to be gone.
This is old news for sure.
I am tired of the BlueJays buy the koolaid act. We didn’t have this phony marketing crap lies and long list of terrible signings with Beeston and Gillick around. They weren’t 100% either but loads better than Gord Ash regime, of the Riccaradi or Shapiro regime.
The Toronto Blue Jays need an Elite President and and Elite General Manager.
Sigh.
Is the sky falling too?
Add Anthopoulos. His regime had more lows than highs.
Given the Galvis signing the Blue Jays could have legitimately non-tendered Travis.
Stroman is a cancer. Hope to trade him or let the team control run it’s course. Signing him to a long term contract is grounds of dismissal. I’d rather hear the GM is betting on baseball games than considering an extension for Stroman.
Stroman ain’t a closer either. He’s a #2 at best and probably settling at 3 or 4. He’s a cancer as a teammate, which does not bode well at starting or closing.
I was okay with AA running the Jays. I wouldn’t put him in elite class, he made too many mistakes but he took a good shot and didn’t give up much to do it.
It was fun for a few years.
Old scouts eyes must’ve changed his scout googles, he’s previously said either Sanchez or Stroman will bounce back and be ace like, the other will get hurt. Great scouting analysis there. Now his eyes tell him Stroman is a closer. I guess if you make enough predictions about one guy one will eventually be right and you can brag on this app.
Interesting. Jimmer goes out on a limb, get’s crapped on.
You reply to comments, crap on people and never go out on a limb.
And you’re usually wrong.
Very interesting. Thanks for coming out GoutsEyes.
that was a really roundabout of saying I don’t like to be wrong so I don’t go out on a limb.
Why walk on a limb when there’s a safe bridge to take.
If I was seeking attention and trying to get on a espn show I’ll make more bold outlandish ridiculous scouting takes probably still get more right than scoutseyes though.
If you weren’t seeking attention you wouldn’t comment here.
If you weren’t seeking attention you wouldn’t race-bait like you did on another Jays thread.
If you weren’t seeking attention you wouldn’t need to state the obvious. I didn’t roundabout anything; you tend not to go out on a limb. It’s not your style. You come riding on the passenger side of your best friend’s ride doing a little drive by with a pellet gun. Little boys do little boy things.
Always interesting, Jimmer, though I disagree on Stroman. I don’t think he’s got the composure for closing. I’d trade Stroman at the earliest possible option. Agreed on the front office, however, been years of mediocrity from the Jays’ brass.
Agreed, Gord.
I would still like to see him try and close. A tweak or two on his cutter and with that devasting sinker plus he would only have to focus and concentrate for one inning. In the closer limelight, he’d be awesome.
every team “needs” elite upper management. They dont grow on trees. stop saying the same thing over and over and over again. You ruin every jays thread.
Your right iron mike. Scouts eyes just says the same thing over And over. Until he is wrong. Then he will say He called it years ago.
Boston Red Sox, the Yankees, the Brewers, Astros, and Cards don’t need elite Mgmt, they already have them in place.
We need to be mindful of criticizing Stroman or he’ll unfollow us on Instagram.
Vlad Jr. looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy. How in the world, in this day of Dietitians, personal trainers, strength coaches, etc…how can a hitting prospect,, one of the most ballyhooed prospects of all time…how can he slip through all the cracks and still be eating like a PIG?
This kid will make 30 errors at 3rd base before the All Star Break, just trying to bend over at 3rd base. If he dives at a ball, he won’t quit rolling until he hits something, because he is round and weighs a ton. It is embarrassing. He should play Goalie for the NHL team in Toronto. He would fill up the net even without pads. You would think his old man would install a little Pride in the Kid. Jr.’s plate discipline on the Diamond does not extend to Plate discipline at the dinner table. They should tell the kid he will be called up as soon as he weighs less than 200 pounds. Maybe THAT will get him motivated to quit eating 3 or 4 Pizzas a day.
I can’t disagree with this. I could not believe how hefty he looked from the first footage I saw covering him. Vlab Guerrero. This is a red flag showing lack of discipline and potentially more unwarranted mishaps could follow.
You covered him? You and jummer are old scouting buddies lol. I get it now.
Give Travis to the Yankees where he will (like Tulowitski) turn in a MVP year.