A day after suggesting that Rowdy Tellez was in line to receive more playing time down than Justin Smoak down the stretch, Blue Jays skipper Charlie Montoyo has walked that assertion back a bit. “Maybe it came out like he’s going to play more than Smoak, but it’s still the same way,” Montoyo told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. “Smoak will DH, play first. I don’t see that much of a difference.” Smoak himself was caught off guard by Montoyo’s initial comments, but the first baseman said Montoyo took him aside in an effort to sort things out. It seems that Smoak and Tellez will share first base/designated hitter duties down the stretch, though Montoyo has no shortage of other players he’ll need to try to work into the mix at DH. Davidi adds that the Blue Jays “seem to have no intention” of placing Smoak on outright waivers in the manner they did with Freddy Galvis, who was claimed by the Reds earlier this week.
More out of Toronto…
- The Blue Jays didn’t find much in the way of trade interest for Galvis prior to the trade deadline, writes The Toronto Sun’s Ryan Wolstat, but the arrival (and immediate success) of Bo Bichette prompted the club to give the veteran Galvis an opportunity to be claimed by a club that’d play him every day at his natural position. General manager Ross Atkins said the club and Galvis were open and honest with each other leading up to the move. Montoyo effused praise for Galvis’ professionalism and leadership, and teammates such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. expressed some sadness in seeing Galvis depart. “He taught me a lot, not just to me, to the rest of the guys and I will always carry that with me,” said Gurriel of Galvis. “Freddy’s a huge mentor for any player.” The Reds will now have the ability to exercise Galvis’ $5.5MM club option for the 2020 season, though they’ll also be on the hook for the $1MM buyout should they not decide to bring him back.
- While Danny Jansen is still the favorite to serve as the Jays’ primary catcher in 2020, TSN’s Scott Mitchell writes that Reese McGuire will be given an opportunity to show he can be a significant piece of the catching puzzle in the season’s final six weeks. Both Jansen and McGuire drew heaps of praise for their defensive prowess from catching coordinator John Schneider, and Jansen indeed ranks among the game’s best backstops in terms of pitch framing, pitch blocking, Defensive Runs Saved and Baseball Prospectus’ fielding runs above average. Jansen has also salvaged what was shaping up to be a miserable season at the plate, hitting .252/.316/.484 dating back to June 1. As Mitchell points out, the Jays have a number of other catching options coming up through the system, giving them some potential trade commodities to address other holes on the club if the Jansen/McGuire pairing is indeed determined to be the long-term catching tandem.
Enough already, cut loose Smoak and move Vlad Jr over to first to share it and DH with Tellez. Drury will be a brillant 3B.
Why? What have Tellez and Drury proven? Vlad isnt that bad at 3rd base, obviously not good enough defensively, but maybe with some conditioning and more coaching he can grow into the role that’s needed. Why rush to move him to 1st base when that option will always be there down the road…?
Why keep Smoak when he’s not part of the future?
Leadership and a hometown discount to start…
There is no hometown discount. Nobody has guaranteed that nor should you or anyone else should believe that to be true. Tellez, Biggio, McKinney and Drury can all get at bats next year at 1B. Oh, Jays still need another SS to back up Bo.
Jays have more SS in the system than almost anyone else. And each name you mentioned outside of Biggio is a scrub who hasnt earned anything yet.
They have Richard Urena on Buffalo
The Blue Jays have ZERO shortstops capable of stepping in to play at the MLB level next year. Urena will be a backup, at-best. Warmoth isn’t ready. Smith isn’t ready, Groshans isn’t healthy or ready. The names I mentioned may be scrubs. They are scrubs your favorite GM traded for and will be given one last fair shake at playing time before assessing needs to contend in 2021.
If the Reds choose Galvis, then Iglesias likely becomes an option? Looking for a year or two of a backup capable of filling in. Urena could fill that role if Bichette can stick. Any concerns with Bichette and the following offseason might have potential to make a run at Simmons? Hopeful Bo sticks and one of the minor leaguers develops enough next season to make this less of a concern.
Very valid points in general.
Phillies might really need a 1B suddenly. Stay tuned?!
Smoak’s defense is underrated and a definitive need considering the young guys throwing to first are still developing. There’s no need to be putting Vlad at first when he can still develop at 3rd. First baseman are easy to find so you don’t put a talent like Vlad at 3rd unless you necessarily have to.
Drurys bat isn’t good enough for either 1b or 3rd he should be dfad
I don’t disagree with you here. Just on the timing.
No playoffs this year so Vlad might as well ride it out at 3b. If you’re looking to possibly compete next year and have (likely) Vlad, Drury and Tellez looking for ABs at 3b/1b/DH… why put easily your best glove in a position where it’s essentially wasted?
We can talk about Vlad’s development all we want…. but if he’s likely moved to 1b later in his career why not start that development now? Who cares if he can develop from a well below average 3b to a slightly below average 3b if he’s still destined to be somewhere else… which I think we all kind of know he is.
Unless there is an absolute 1b only thumper they sign in free agency. EE or someone like him… but those players are getting more scarce. Also can’t see the Jays signing another player like this and hurting their roster flexibility.
You give Bo and Vlad the keys to the left side for one more year. You hope Vlad drops a few pound this offseason. Then by next deadline you see where you are and make decisions then.
That’s probably what they’ll do.
I’m more of the mind to just move him to first and let him become a good 1b instead of a less bad 3b.
Smoak is going on waivers soon
I disagree. He’s been here for too long, unlike Galvis. I can see him re-signing as a veteran leader if Tellez cant improve over the rest of this season.
Agreed. I think Smoak could be part of next years plan. He such a complete first baseman since he’s come to the Jays. Tellez will get his chance because of his age. But Smoak is a far superior overall player. Tellez I fear is too one dimensional and will have a long career in AAA.
The priority for Jansen this year has been to work on everything he has improved so much this year defensively. The kid always had that bullet arm, and even back to the whem Martin was mentoring him the focus was to make him a better game caller and pitch framer. Seems like that has worked well.
As far as his offense goes, of course there is room for improvement. But, how many teams rely on their catcher for offensive lift outside of having guys like Gary Sanchez or Realmuto.
If he can down the defensive abilities and contributions he makes I think he is the catcher of the future without question. McGuire may be good, but the potential doesnt touch Jansen’s IMO.
We don’t agree too often but I agree with you on Jansen. Jansen has a very high ceiling both defensively and offensively. The only thing that with hold him back is his eyesight issues.
I believe he can hit .260 with power. He really needs to work on his ball in the dirt blocking though, his mechanics suck, otherwise pencil him in as much as one can and let him mature.
He’s one of the highest rated blockers in the league. Also he got glasses so he doesn’t have any vision issues.
Just because he has glasses, doesn’t mean his vision issues are fixed. I thought my glasses were great until I had the laser surgery, then I realized there was a whole new works out there. With glasses, your peripheral vision is still sketchy, which could affect how he’s picking up the pitched ball during an at bat.
Weve seen this kid throw guys out at 2nd off a pitch in the dirt. What are you talking about?
Jansen can actually be a much better blocker than he is now. He needs Russell Martin 101 on blocking. His natural athletic ability is being usd to block pitches now, but if he adds much better mchanics which I won’t go into here he’ll be that much better.
As for vision issues, yes he has them, the glasses obviously have helped him to attain where he is at. But to a scout, it is obvious that he doesn’t pickup the spin on the ball on many occasions and just waves at the ball. His offence will go as far his vision takes him because he has elite skills.
“Galvis was a cost cutting measure”
“Galvis couldn’t be moved at the deadline”
“Galvis couldn’t be kept for the entire season”
You Blue Jays fans are buying into the BS, again. If cutting costs was a priority the Jays would have cut loose Smoak and would have never extended Grichuk. The Jays are not creative enough to have dealt Galvis. Teams would have and could have used Galvis.
Why does Galvis matter? Because Smoak should have followed and hasn’t. Why? Maybe the Jays think Tellez can’t hack it and they want to extend Smoak to a new contract. They did not see Galvis as a fit in 2020 and he’s gone. Jays asked Montoya to walk back his comments to keep Smoak interested in staying beyong 2019.
I know it is a repeat statement, but there is a highly placed executive in Blue Jays Mgmt who loves Smoak and wants to do anything to keep him here.
Getting rid of Galvis for a team who claims to want to win is plain stupid. Especially when he is controllable next year. I believe it is about money.
This year has shown clearly that the BlueJays baseball decisions are not sound for a club that truly wants to win versus lie to the fans and tow the Rogers line and save money.
The proof will be in this offseason if Shapiro backs up his recent statements and opens the vault or trades the farm for elite pitching or if it is a repeat of last year: fillins, waiver claims, and trades for low cost poor innings eaters.
This isn’t the time to “open the vault”, give the kids time to develop first.
It actually is time. Jays are hitting the ball as well or better than any team in the majors and the only thing they lack is current, and immediate future for that matter, quality pitching. They have an embarrassingly low payroll and a team already hitting, regardless of experience. To not get quality pitching for this young team is throwing away years of Vlad, Bichette, Biggio, Jansen, Gurriel, the time is now.
Smoak loves Toronto. The team that gave him a shot after everyone said he was a flop after Seattle. You’re off on this one IMO.
Trade the farm? Are you still stuck in the AA days?
jimmer is stuck in a closed-loop fantasy where he is the best scout in the history of the world.
Jays would have to go about 28-10 to close out the year for a “trade the farm/open the vault” off-season.
It does seem possible that an investment in a top pitcher gets considered. But it also seems much more likely to see a continuation of the “swing and hope” acquisition philosophy for another off-season. Tied to the cheap narrative, I expect they want another year of assessing internal prospects before they commit to winning
^Yes kod!!
Astros had like NO pitching when they made the leap. Last piece to fall into place. Years of cost cutting and building a deep farm gave them the ability to add once they were ready.
The “I Got the Blues Jays” are well on the way!
Walking back the comments seems more to do with trying to find a taker before September.
I’m expecting Smoak to get 40-50 AB rest of August and if he gets hot or a contending team catches an injury, then there will be a taker. Aguilar and Tyler White are the only 1B that moved at the deadline. Both cheap. Two months of Smoak would cost over $2mill. Easy to see the lack of market so far.
By end of August, he’s about a million cheaper. That is chump change in baseball terms but teams like the Dodgers, A’s, Rays, Twins are certainly penny pinching enough to try the cheaper option first.
Any responsible GM is penny pinching.
I’d guess that by some form of accounting, the Grichuk extension is considered savings as well. He gets a couple extra million per year in 2019/2020 but assuming no regression he probably undersold his early FA years. He shows flashes of being worth it. Not hating it or loving it, but it’s hardly an example of wild spending.
Overall pattern of saving is pretty consistent. Somewhat necessary to me. Can’t convince ownership to spend if you aren’t showing that you can manage payroll responsibly. Taking the hit on Tulowitzki/Martin/Kendrys required some more aggressive savings elsewhere. I’d expect another year of responsible spending before we really see some spending. No sophomore slumps plus another Shoemaker type finding may lead to adding payroll at next deadline. The main spending next year more likely to come in the form of buying out some of these rookies arb years. Acuna/Albies nice blueprints in place to follow.
Sky isn’t falling, help push this bandwagon instead of talking all the trash!
The only trash here is the comment above. Your logic pushes that bandwagon straight into Lake Ontario.
That was funny.
No sarcasm, legit made me laugh.
I was aiming for the Pacific Ocean though!
There will always be veteran players that can be added. Much easier once the payroll is in order.
Rough payroll estimate seems around $60million for next year after any arbitration.
Started this year at $115m but likely ends up closer to $100m.
After 2 years over $160m and no playoffs, I’d be surprised to see next season start over $100m.
Still leaves some room for adding arms and filling any gaps exposed in the offense in the final six weeks. Not expecting a splash like Cole or even Keuchel.
Wouldn’t hate seeing a fringe guy like Tellez or Mckinney moved to a cheap team that has a player approaching expensive arbitration years. Add an arm that way would be prime.
Yes to vet. Would not bring Smoak back to allow the DH slot more at bats for other players. Gives them a season to find out who can cut it and who can’t. Also agree with the utility spot. Urena? Sure. Grab a vet? Fine.
The guy to deal is Grichuk. That won’t happen. I would deal an OF to promote Alford to be the 4th OF/RH bat facing lefties. That means McKinney is the odd man out.
Next year not the time to lock in an arm. After 2020, absolutely. Jays need to find out what Reid-Foley, Borucki, Thornton and even Pearson can do. With Pearson it’s all about the development.
I do not get it buddy a contending team can not trade for Smoak (the Trade deadline has passed) and a contending team has to wait for every team lower in the standings to pass on Smoak in order to get him through waivers. and waiver pick ups end on the 31st of August (if i am not mistaken) and after that Smoak would not be eligiblke for the playoffs
Jays will keep Smoak, he plays good 1st base and he can DH. I think Tellez will be the future 1st baseman but Smoak provides them with a sure thing. I addition he’s in the last basically 90 of the season. He becomes a F/A as I don’t think it likely Jays will make him an offer.
Smoak DHing? Why is this a thing? His fielding is still one of his best assets, albeit slowly regressing.
Smoak at DH and cant hit .230 lol
I strongly believe something is wrong with this front office. They can’t plus off a decent trade to the point where they’re giving away talent for nothing! I agree it is BS
Average is still a thing? Smoak has the best OBP on the team except for Bichette.
The Jays didn’t find much in the way of trade interest for Galvis… well isn’t anything worth more than nothing?
As far as Smoak… the guy has a very good OBP and decent power and defense. Maybe he can mentor some of the young guys? Age 33 next year. I doubt he’ll be too expensive.
I know Blue Jays fans are the biggest faux outrage group in the league, but it’s fairly obvious Galvis was an insurance policy for Bichette. If he came up and wasn’t ready, he still gets everyday AB’s. I’m guessing the prospects they were offered weren’t very good, so it was how they must have decided the insurance policy was more valuable.
Please don’t get me wrong I like Smoak, I think he’s a really good 1st baseman and he has a good bat. And I’d keep him because he brings those tools every day.
I think he will play out the season at 1st base, dh, ph only because they want to see if Rowdy Tellez is going to be the future.
I don’t like what Shapiro and Atkins are doing because I don’t believe you build a team without a good veteran presences.
Smoak is 33yr old and at the end of his contract, he can declare F/A in November, and because of the Shapiro, Atkins young kick I really don’t believe they will offer him a new contract, when they can offer him a qualifying offer and if he declines, the Jays pitch up an A level prospect from a team that will snap him up on a 2 or 3 yr deal. (Boston comes to mind as Moreland in the last of his deal).
I think the Jays shopped Galvis and got no offers, look at the trade deadline, in all the trades made only 3 top prospects were moved, and as much as I liked Galvis and his play, the Jays did him a favour, I think they knew the Red’s would claim him if put on the waivers, so he gets his contract money and he’s moved to a team that is a lot loser to being a contender then the Jays are or will be before his contract is up.
As for the other players the Jays moved, other then Stroman none of them are crying about being traded, they have all gone to teams that will be playing in October, and even Stroman wouldn’t be crying if he had got dealt to one of the top contenders.
Jays are going to be looking at all these young kids and where to best utilize them, my hope this isn’t a rookie flash in the pan, and we won’t know that until 2020.
The Jays have some pitching prospects up with the club right now, and at times they look a little shaky but it can take two to three years to develop an ace, so as fans we basically have to ride out the storm.
Martin, Donaldson, Encarsion, Happ are all gone to contenders and while they are still playing none are playing at the level when they played with the Jays.
Moreland was on a 2yr/$13m contract.
QO should be around $18m again?
Smoak would most likely accept the QO with any contract over $10m per year or anything over 2 years seeming quite unlikely.
Agree with many of your points.
Other slight nitpicks… Rays had almost no veterans and added some quite easily throughout the season. Need veterans but maybe not so much in September for a non-playoff team. Much room for finding veterans by spring training time…. Stroman would cry no matter what, he has to keep that chip on his shoulder!…. Encarnacion actually isn’t playing. But when he was, better than ever!!…. Donaldson locked in as well. Braves were patient, good on them.