The Blue Jays’ quest to overhaul their pitching staff led to one of the biggest signings in franchise history.
Major League Signings
- Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP: Four years, $80MM
- Tanner Roark, SP: Two years, $24MM
- Travis Shaw, IF: One year, $4MM
- Rafael Dolis, RP: One year, $1MM ($1.5MM club option for 2021)
- Total spend: $109MM
International Signings
- Shun Yamaguchi, SP/RP: Two years, $6.35MM (plus $1.27MM to the Yomiuri Giants as a transfer fee)
Trades And Claims
- Acquired SP Chase Anderson from the Brewers for 1B prospect Chad Spanberger
- Acquired cash considerations from the Reds for RP Justin Shafer
- Claimed RP Anthony Bass off waivers from the Mariners
Notable Minor League Signings
- Joe Panik (contract was selected to MLB roster, guaranteeing Panik’s $2.85MM salary), A.J. Cole, Justin Miller, Caleb Joseph, Marc Rzepczynski, Ryan Dull, Jake Petricka, Ruben Tejada, Brian Moran, Patrick Kivlehan, Andy Burns, Phillippe Aumont
Notable Losses
The 2019-20 offseason represented a turning point in the Blue Jays’ rebuild process, as Toronto cast a very wide net in search of upgrades both large and small. The Jays were linked to just about every available pitcher, and also looked into such notable position player trade targets and free agents as Francisco Lindor, Yasmani Grandal, Didi Gregorius, Mike Moustakas, and former Toronto favorite Edwin Encarnacion.
It was a big push from a team coming off three consecutive losing seasons, and one that didn’t necessarily announce an intent to be a full-on contender in 2020. Back in February, Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro stated that even a “.500 [record] would be a big step forward” for a club that only went 67-95 last season, yet it’s clear that management has a lot of faith that its young core of players can get the Blue Jays back into the playoff hunt sooner rather than later.
This set the stage for Hyun-Jin Ryu’s four-year, $80MM contract. It was the seventh-richest contract given to any free agent this winter in terms of total dollars, and it also marked the third-largest deal the Jays have given to any player. It was a big commitment to make to a 33-year-old pitcher with a lengthy injury history, though Ryu brings genuine top-of-the-rotation ability when healthy. Ryu’s 182 2/3 innings pitched in 2019 was the second-highest total of his career, and he finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting after posting a 2.32 ERA, 6.79 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9.
While $80MM is a sizeable expenditure for any team, Ryu’s deal is one the Blue Jays could somewhat comfortably afford to make, given their lack of long-term payroll commitments. By this token, it could be argued that the Jays could have made another splashy signing (or trade) beyond just Ryu, though the counter to that argument is that Toronto perhaps still wants to see what it truly has in its young players. As promising as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio are, the quartet has combined for only 418 Major League games — the four players have only appeared in the same starting lineup eight times. Between this lack of experience and the fact that the likes of Teoscar Hernandez, Danny Jansen, or Rowdy Tellez have yet to break out, it makes sense that the Jays didn’t want to go overboard in building around a foundation that may not yet be entirely stable.
That said, some extra willingness to build was required given the escalating prices in free agency, and the simple fact that the 2019-20 offseason moved at a much quicker pace than the previous two winters. As noted by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi back in February, GM Ross Atkins essentially changed tactics midway through the offseason, as failing to adapt to the changing marketplace would have left the Jays without the pitching help they so badly needed.
Ryu was the biggest addition, though Tanner Roark brings some more innings-eating veteran experience to the rotation. The Blue Jays also went overseas to add pitching, signing Shun Yamaguchi to a two-year contract after the right-hander was posted by the Yomiuri Giants. At the time of the COVID-19 shutdown, Yamaguchi was being targeted for the bullpen, though it could have been something of a long relief or swingman role to keep him stretched out for possible starts.
Between these three signings and Chase Anderson (acquired in a trade with the Brewers in early November), Toronto’s pitching situation looks far more solid than it did last season, when injuries and inexperience resulted in the Jays getting just 711 1/3 innings from their starting pitchers, the third-lowest total in baseball. None of Roark, Anderson, Yamaguchi, and Matt Shoemaker are controlled beyond the 2021 season, leaving a lot of flexibility within the rotation for younger pitchers to eventually move into the picture — most prominently, one of the sport’s best pitching prospects in Nate Pearson.
Yamaguchi’s availability in the bullpen helps strengthen a relief corps that also added Anthony Bass, A.J. Cole, old friend Marc Rzepczynski, and Rafael Dolis to the mix. Dolis was the only MLB signing of that trio, inking a $1MM deal to return to North America after four dominant years pitching out of the Hanshin Tigers’ bullpen.
Perhaps the biggest reliever-related headline for the Blue Jays was a move that didn’t happen, as Ken Giles is still in a Toronto uniform. The closer was widely expected to be dealt over the winter, though a lack of early interest seemed to carry through the entire offseason. It could also be that the Jays changed their view on trading Giles after the Ryu signing raised expectations for a competitive season, or at worst, the club figured they could still move him at the trade deadline.
Now, of course, that plan has been entirely altered since we don’t know when a 2020 trade deadline could fall, or whether the 2020 season will be played whatsoever. If the season is indeed cancelled, Giles will still be eligible for free agency as scheduled, leaving the Jays in danger of losing him for nothing. (The Jays could receive a draft pick if Giles rejected a qualifying offer, or Giles could even accept a QO and stay with Toronto, though it remains to be seen if the club would want to pay Giles such a hefty one-year salary.)
Given the flirtations with the likes of Lindor and Moustakas, Travis Shaw could certainly be seen as an underwhelming choice as the Blue Jays’ most notable new position player. Shaw is coming off a terrible 2019 season, though the Jays are betting that year was an aberration considering Shaw’s track record over his previous four MLB campaigns. Shaw will essentially replace Justin Smoak as the regular first baseman, though Shaw’s ability to play third base and second base gives manager Charlie Montoyo the ability to shuffle his lineups.
Multi-position versatility was a stated priority for Atkins heading into the offseason, which also led to Joe Panik being brought aboard to add depth at shortstop and second base. Except for Tellez, the catchers, and maybe Guerrero (who could yet eventually be a first base option), every player on the Blue Jays’ projected roster can play multiple positions, be it an outfielder who can play at least two positions on the grass, or a player like Biggio who could be used all over the diamond.
The catch, however, is that while the Jays have several players who can handle multiple positions, it’s still an open question as to how many can play well at any position. Shaw and Randal Grichuk are coming off rough seasons, while Panik and Brandon Drury have been replacement-level players or worse in each of the last two seasons. As mentioned earlier, the developmental path of so many of Toronto’s young players is still an unknown, so it doesn’t create much of a safety net if the veterans all continue to struggle.
Of the bigger-name position players on the Jays’ target list, Moustakas is perhaps the one that seemed reasonably closest to becoming a reality. Grandal would likely have only been heavily pursued if the Jays had found a good offer for Jansen or Reese McGuire, Toronto’s plan to have Gregorius play second base might not have appealed to the long-time shortstop, and there isn’t much evidence that the Jays’ pursuit of Lindor amounted to anything besides due diligence. (Acquiring Lindor would have also significantly accelerated the Blue Jays’ timeline for contention, since Lindor is only under contract through the 2021 season.)
With Moustakas, however, the Jays were reportedly the second-highest bidder, offering the infielder a three-year, $30MM deal that far surpassed the one-year deals Moustakas had been forced to settle for in the last two free agent markets, and also topped MLBTR’s projected two-year, $20MM contract for him this winter. Considering the Reds went above and beyond all expectations to sign Moustakas to a four-year, $64MM deal, it’s hard to fault the Blue Jays for being outbid by such a massive splurge. Still, if not Moustakas himself, the Jays’ lineup would look a lot more solid had one more proven, above-average hitter been brought into the mix to augment the still-developing younger hitters, rather than just hoping that Shaw can bounce back.
2020 Season Outlook
If some games are played in 2020, there’s a chance a shorter season could be to the Jays’ benefit in terms of actual on-field results. Theoretically, a younger roster could be more suited to handling a compacted schedule with many unusual aspects (regular double-headers, games in minor league or Spring Training parks, etc.) that could be a harder adjustment for a veteran team that is more set in its ways. Also, while it didn’t seem likely that the Blue Jays could hang with the Yankees or Rays over 162 games, keeping pace over something like an 81-game sprint isn’t as far-fetched.
With so many question marks still surrounding the roster, however, the threat of a shortened or altogether canceled 2020 season is particularly tough on the Blue Jays. Not only could all of these questions be kicked down the road into 2021, a reduced or lost season also wipes out invaluable development time for youngsters at both the MLB and minor league levels, and erases the year that the Jays could have most directly counted on as a prime Ryu season.
One significant question that was answered this offseason is that we now have evidence that the Jays are willing and able to make an expensive impact in the free agent market, which was a criticism often directed by Toronto fans towards both club ownership and the Shapiro/Atkins regime. It would have been easy for the front office to respond to the market’s rising price tags by stepping back and making only lower-level signings since the Jays were still in a rebuild phase, yet the team felt the time was right to make the big strike. The Ryu contract is a hint at future aggressiveness down the road, when the Blue Jays are even better positioned to challenge for the postseason.
How would you grade the Blue Jays’ offseason moves? (Link for app users.)
Dom2
I’d give them a B. Guerrero Jr is going to be the main attraction.
dimitrios in la
He may or may not actually. It’s great to have a stable full of sons of former high-caliber MLB players but thriving consistently at the ML level is profoundly hard. No free (or more likely) passes because of who your daddy is.
jbigz12
People aren’t excited because he’s Vlad’s kid. They’re excited because he destroyed baseballs throughout his minor league career.
All American Johnsonville Dogs
People are excited because he’s Vlad’s kid. Considering his father is a HOF masher there’s reason to be excited about that. He comes from a good pedigree, which all sports take into consideration to some extent. Family bonds does get brought up.
That’s not the only reason they are excited, but it is a reason among many that fans are excited about him.
Same reason they’re excited about Bichette and Biggio. Biggio was not as hyped as Guerrero or Bichette but him coming my from HOF Craig Biggio there’s fans excited about him.
I’ve seen plenty of Toronto fans on being excited to seeing Guerrero jr Bichette and Biggio on the infield together simply cause of who their fathers were.
wild bill tetley
If __________ hit .381/.437/.636 in combined AA and AAA action before the age of 20, it doesn’t matter who your father is. You will be excited for said player.
DarkSide830
curious to see how Dolis does back in the US
DarkSide830
overall a solid B. good signings for their situation, but i think they added way to many starters to the point of blocking their younger guys. i think they relalt could have used the year to see what they have in guys like SRF, Waguespack, and Zeuch as staters.
suddendepth
Haha…I was hoping for your take on seeing Phillippe Aumont’s name come up again as a MiLB signing.
bigdaddyt
Best thing the jays did was not bring back Smoak, so that rowdy can finally get regular playing time. SRF needs to go into the bullpen he’s basically Aaron Sanchez 2.0 as it would hopefully help fix his control issues and allow him to only have to worry about 3-6 outs. Unfortunately think TJ is a bust guy can’t miss a bat to save his life. If the season ever starts it’s gonna be a interesting season pitching wise so many bubble starters in the organization
wild bill tetley
Will Rowdy receive regular playing time? Seems Travis Shaw will play 1B.
bigdaddyt
I think he’s going to be rotated through 1B and DH so he gets regular at bats. He brings more offensive value than any current outfielder. Shaw can get playing time at 1B when rowdy is DH good thing with Shaw is he can play multiple positions so just because he’s currently penciled in as the 1B one doesn’t mean a thing
wild bill tetley
What about Teoscar Hernandez? Randal Grichuk is going to be the CF and Gurriel is locked in LF. Fisher and Alford will make the team with no options. Trying to put together 13 players on the Blue Jays. Tellez might be playing in Buffalo as the odd man out unless an injury occurs.
bigdaddyt
Teoscar plays the same way Grich does, all pop no on base skills whatsoever. The trio of Teo, fisher and Alford aren’t that great and are completely expandable. Besides Alford will probably get hurt the first week making it moot point as they will then have teo play nearly every day to spell off the other OFs. RF will literally just be whomever is currently playing the best ball
wild bill tetley
I agree with you on Teoscar. My point is, and was, Tellez’ job was lost the moment Travis Shaw was signed. If a platoon of Fisher/Alford is in RF, Hernandez will DH. McGuire, Panik and Drury round out the 13 position players. I hope I am wrong and Tellez plays and starts in Toronto.
Stealing Signs
Tellez will get regular at bats…in AAA. Hopefully with another organization.
wild bill tetley
Any other Blue Jays player you’d like to see in another uniform?
Stealing Signs
I just don’t think he’ll live up to the hype & I’m not keen on wasting a roster spot on a dedicated DH. I’d like it kept open so they can rotate the players through. SRF don’t impress me much either.
Frank Crosetti
Good question! If it was based on merit, the answer would be yes.
That’s not how the Jays operate though.
They let Smoak go to seemingly clear the way for Tellez and then for some inexplicable reason, known only to the Brainiac Bros., Shapiro and Atkins, they take a flyer on Travis Shaw.
To add stupidity to madness they also throw guaranteed $ at him AND promise him 1B job.
Shaw musta thought he died and went to heaven!
Stealing Signs
They didn’t let Smoak go to clear the way for Tellez otherwise they wouldn’t have gone after Shaw.
Shaw had a dreadful 2019 no doubt but he turned in 3.5 & 3.6 fWar in 17/18 respectfully.
Stupidity combined with madness would’ve been to hand the job to Tellez because OMG did you see that homerun he hit in Fenway.
wild bill tetley
Frank Crosetti is correct. This is a classic case of staying the course in November (Anderson trade) to suddenly changing their mind to compete (Ryu, Roark, Shaw). I’d take Tellez’ bat over Fisher and Alford. Tellez at league minimum is better than Grichuk at $11 mil. May as well have re-signed Smoak if Shaw was on the radar from the jump.
Stealing Signs
They didn’t suddenly change their mind to compete. This has been the plan all along. Overhaul everything starting with the front office, scouting player development etc while getting rid of the dead weight at the same time.
Phase two: Turn the corner & start to compete
Phase Three: Contend.
Phase Four: Bring the tittle home.
Jeff Wager
Alford is no lock to make the ML roster even with no options remaning. He hasn’t been a plus player in the minors in three years.
crshbng
Only one projected starter signed past 2021, not blocking anyone. If a younger player can earn a spot, yhey would get it.
vincent k. mcmahon
The Blue Jays were B-plus players in the offseason.
Rbase
I gave them a C. I don’t really like the Ryu signing that much. Over the last 3 seasons he averaged only 132 innings and the two years before that were wasted entirely. He never gives you a full season, and he’s signed through his age 37 season, I want a $20 MM ace pitcher to give me at least 3 very good seasons in 4 years, something that Ryu has never accomplished.
I also think Tanner Roark is a bit of an overpay (4+ ERA an FIP over the last 3 years). Although I like the Shaw signing, Smoak wasn’t adequately replaced leaving an offense that was 23th in runs scored in 2019 down another good bat.
I like that the Blue Jays are trying to be competitive and are willing to spend, but unless these kids put up numbers like their dads in their prime I don’t see how this team competes with the Yankees and Rays in 2020.
thebaseballfanatic
That’s not the point. The front office doesn’t really expect that the Jays will make the playoffs at all, they were trying to make additions while trying to show the fan base that they will be serious contenders a couple years down the road.
WarkMohlers
23th in runs you say?
Rbase
Yep. Exactly one spot below the Orioles, if you can imagine that. Here’s the fangraphs link:
fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&…
Vladguerrerojr20
Where exactly can you get an ace on the open market for 20M?
Dan LeBlanc
I agree. Atkins/ Shapiro have scored a coup in signing Ryu for “only” $20 mm/year. If Ryu provides an average of 150 IP per year , which is not an outrageous number, this deal has to be considered a steal. But there are a lot of lefties who perform much better during their 30’s and 40’s than they did during their 20’s and Hyun-Jin-Ryu fits the mold. His injuries may have kept him from overuse too early in his career. I’m predicting a 5 year run full of top 5 Cy Young finishes.
30 Parks
Well said, Rbase – agreed all around. The Jays front office does not deserve credit simply for finally taking part in the free agent market. That’s patronizing. Ryu, on a good team, starts game four of a playoff round, maybe game three. I would have spent that Ryu money, better spent in the sense of timing, on Castellanos.
jdgoat
You’ll be hard pressed to find a rotation where Ryu would have to start game three. Outside of Washington he’s the ace of most staffs or at worst the number two.
iamontanok
Toronto icon to death. Damaso Garcia is died
thebaseballfanatic
U bad gramrer.
Lol
dynamite drop in monty
….. excuse me?
Stealing Signs
As per a friend in the D.R. Domiso Garcia has passed away.
BigFred
Former Blue Jay Damaso Garcia passed away today.
thebaseballfanatic
His jersey passed 34 years ago…
I’m so insensitive.
Kill me now.
mppg
So sad. First Tony Fernandez now Garcia. I loved watching both of them growing up as a young Jays fan.
wgibson648
“The catch, however, is that while the Jays have several players who can handle multiple positions, it’s still an open question as to how many can play well at any position.” About sums it all up!
Stealing Signs
“One significant question that was answered this offseason is that we now have evidence that the Jays are willing and able to make an expensive impact in the free agent market, which was a criticism often directed by Toronto fans towards both club ownership and the Shapiro/Atkins regime.”
Not all fans are mad at ShapKins & Rogers. Some of us understand what it takes to completely overhaul a franchise from the admin/front office side of things to players. I for one am thrilled with the job they’re doing. As for the parent company, they’ll invest now that they’ve seen how quickly casuals will jump on the bandwagon & part with their hard earned cash.
wild bill tetley
Ownership wasn’t fully prepared to stack chips after the 2015 run. Hard to imagine they have learned from their mistake.
As for ShapKins…if you understand what a true overhaul is you’d also understand they have done a poor job when you take a good, hard look and their trade history. They are fortunate to have drafted players like Bichette and sign international players like Gurriel and Guerrero (signed by Anthopoulos).
Stealing Signs
Fortunate? Please enlighten us as to who they had that was trade worthy of a stellar return. I’d list the guys they traded but I can’t risk the carpel tunnel listing all the garbage drafted by the prior GM. The only guy they could’ve cashed in on was Stroman & they did just that.
I suppose they just lucked out on Pearson, Moreno, Kirk, Groshans, Kloff et all. Maybe they’ll be nice enough to buy our lottery tickets so some of their ‘fortune’ can rub off on the rest of us.
wild bill tetley
2017 Josh Donaldson
2017 Justin Smoak
2017 Kevin Pillar
2019/this offseason Ken Giles
You also proved my point with the draft; they have been fortunate thus far. Any time you have draft picks come up through the system you are fortunate. Not all draft picks turn out to be studs. That is one facet we can say the current regime has in-place. I’m not disagreeing with Anthopoulos’ overall record of draft picks along with unsigned draft picks. Although one can argue ownership wasn’t willing to spend on picks but we can’t definitively say that.
The fact that you glossed over the massive miss on Donaldson says you may have other tunnels to contend with.
jdgoat
Donaldson, Sanchez, and Stroman were really the only ones who had value when they came and who could’ve been traded in hindsight.
Donaldson was blundered and they held out hope for him to rebound. He didn’t. Sanchez never had value after 2016. You can’t fault them for that. And Stroman brought back a nice return.
Stealing Signs
Except for the fact that non Toronto media sources reported that Ed Rogers intervened & wouldn’t let them tear down after 2016. And how can you argue that ownership wasn’t willing to spend on picks? Rogers sets the operating budget & outside of interfering at the end of 2011 & 2016 that’s the most he’s done. Although I will give him credit for making the trip to FLA to check out the new digs.
Fortunate was having Peter Angelos saying no to the request for Rogers to interview Dan Duquette & having Reinsdorf suggesting Mark Shapiro.
30 Parks
StealingSigns, you’re running up against the easily pacified mindset of too many Jays fans. The Jays have an extended history of holding on to players far too long and getting nothing in return. Halladay, Rios, Wells, Delgado, Bautista, Donaldson, to name an historical few, the Jays have no sense of timing. What the Sox just did with Mookie is what the Jays never do – bad business. Rogers is a painfully inattentive owner and Sportsnet’s toothless, blindly optimistic coverage of the Jays is, at best and for the most part, misleading. A lot of Jays fans have come to rely upon the mediocrity this franchise routinely delivers – Jays fans deserve better.
wild bill tetley
Sanchez was never going to be traded in 2017 or 2018 because of injury. Stroman couldn’t be traded in 2018 because he had a bad year. Also too soon to say Stroman brought a nice return. I could have added Tepera to the 2017 list. He wouldn’t have brought back much. Pillar still had some value in 2017. Aside from plate discipline he was respected, played good CF and had years of control left.
Smoak was definitely a trade commodity in 2017. Donaldson would have brought a nice return from St Louis had they made that deal.
wild bill tetley
Stealing – you’re talking 2016. I’m talking 2017.
Nothing fortunate of having Shapiro. Duquette has probably more success as an executive than Shapiro. Duquette building a playoff team with Angelos running the show is a miracle. He’s baseball’s Harold Ballard.
Stealing Signs
We do deserve better & thankfully we now have a front office that actually knows what they’re doing. As for Ed Rogers being an inattentive owner that suits me fine, it’s not like the man knows anything about baseball & the last thing I want is him meddling & reversing all the good that ShapKins has done. Rome wasn’t built in a day & neither were the 92/93 teams.
As for the fans accepting mediocrity, that’s on them. There are ways to make your voice heard. If I can do it so can others.
Stealing Signs
And yet Duquette can’t find a job in baseball just like he couldn’t for a decade. The ONLY reason he led the OriLOLes is because everyone else turned them down.
It’s clear that you like so many others have a blind hatred for Shapiro & will never give him credit, Until of course the team is back in contention in which I’m sure you & the others will claim you’ve supported him all along.
wild bill tetley
This isn’t blind hatred. You bought into the Rogers koolaid, if anyone is blind it’s you. You do not know Duquette’s life situation, maybe he turned down positions or maybe he’s just “retired”.
You have accepted mediocrity. You have accepted less than mediocre acquisitions as great pieces. More of the same. You have overlooked the necessity of a committed owner; you need their money, not their brains. Rogers has held the purse tight since 2000. They hire Shapiro because they aren’t willing to take big risk the way Boston or the Yankees have been willing to do. Sorry to burst your bubble. It is a fact ownership want to play it safe. For that, you will never understand the uphill battle this team has.
Stealing Signs
Duquette didn’t retire & had no plans to otherwise he wouldn’t have shown up at the GM winter meetings every year for a decade begging for a job. He owns a sports academy which he was willing to leave to secure a job as GM.
SWR is not a mediocre piece and as for the other recent trades, once again other teams aren’t going to give away a kings ransom for other peoples garbage.
Yes Rogers wasn’t willing to spend but ask yourself this: If your GM’s & club Presidents kept putting a mediocre product on the field how comfortable would YOU be handing over millions of dollars MORE every year?
I wasn’t in the room when Ed interviewed Shapiro but I can guarantee that the only thing on Ed’s mind was the reno’s at the Dome. I’m sure it never even occurred to him to overhaul the scouting/milb development process.
As for the uphill battle, we don’t need to speed at the same pace the NYY or BRS do because thankfully we have a young cost controlled core that can & will be supplemented with proven talent. The reason those two behemoths spend the way they do is because they’ve painted themselves into a corner and have to keep throwing money at the problem. Don’t believe me, ask the Tampa Bay Rays.
jdgoat
You almost got me.
OilCanLloyd
B- The outfield still needs an anchor. Jays just never do well drafting or developing them.
Stealing Signs
Hopefully Zack Veen will change all that.
thebaseballfanatic
Garrett Mitchell anyone?
jimmertee
The Jays did well signing Ryu for the rotation and Gucchi for the pen.
Chase Anderson will get hammered in the AL East and at the Rogers Centre. Stupid trade.
Tanner Roark is MEH. Shoemaker coming back is a very long shot. Thornton is a #4 and Zeuch is a #5 if he makes it. SRF is pen bound. A healthy Borucki is a #2. Dolis is a good signing.
Shaw is release or trade fodder. Tellez and Vlad Jr should share 1B and DH. Drury can play a good 3B until a real 3B can be acquired then Drury is gone.
Grichuk can’t play a good CF. Gurriel Jr is a lock in LF. That leaves Mckinney, FIsher and Alford, all still in waiting to show something. Longterm only Alford will be any good. My vote is to trade/release McKinney/Fisher for more prospect pitching.
Tejada is release bait. Panik should play well. Hernandez can’t play defence anywhere.
Jansen and Mcguire are a very good tandem. Joseph can defend and call a game if one of them gets hurt..
This BlueJays team is still going no where fast. Needs: More elite pitching, longterm closer, real 3B, real CF.
RIP Damaso Garcia. Tough year with Tony Fernandez passing too. It was great to watch them play.
thebaseballfanatic
I’m assuming that you’ve never heard of Jordan Groshans.
wild bill tetley
Groshans was limited to 23 games in 2019 with lingering foot problems. That is a concern when you’re 19 years old. He was also in Lansing. He is still three levels away from Toronto. Starting in Dunedin in 2020 he won’t make it to the major leagues until mid-2021 earliest.
hyraxwithaflamethrower
They had a nice offseason. Ryu is a great deal if he stays healthy; of course, that’s a big if. Only reason I didn’t give them an A is because I don’t feel they did enough to really contend for a WC spot. Pretty much all of their young guys would have to take a pretty big step forward for them to leap frog the Rays and they still wouldn’t catch the Yankees. But if they continue to improve, they can go all-in next year.
thetruth 2
He’s FB velocity has been in decline and he’s made of glass. Idiotic signing.
Grade_1_teacher
How is Damaso Garcia’s death not news on MLB Trade Rumors? The man gets a brain tumor when he’s 34 and is told he only has 6 months to live but manages to live 29 years? That’s definitely real news compared to all this unnecessary fluff.