2011 Blue Jays/MLB Thread

[Jacques Strap]

Yeah that inning sucked. But I'm still sad to see Tallet go. He may have struggled recently but I always had a fondness for him. Oh well, I guess I'll always have the memories.

Wait, the memories suck too.

(edit: that was an easy joke and not a particularly fair one. He had some solid seasons for the Jays before they ruined him by trying to work him into the rotation.)

I'll always remember him as the guy that wore his pyjamas while playing.

 

[maplesyrup]

Yeah that inning sucked. But I'm still sad to see Tallet go. He may have struggled recently but I always had a fondness for him. Oh well, I guess I'll always have the memories.

Wait, the memories suck too.

(edit: that was an easy joke and not a particularly fair one. He had some solid seasons for the Jays before they ruined him by trying to work him into the rotation.)

I'll always remember him as the guy that wore his pyjamas while playing.

x2... I've said it at least once before but he was just an unmade bed.

 

[maplesyrup]

Hmmm... Escobar turning in another nice performance this afternoon. I'm taking a look at Fernandez's '87 season which might be the best single season Blue Jay performance at that position ever and while Escobar isn't quite there, the numbers are actually not all that far off.

 

[bustaheims]

I still ultimately think Lawrie ends up in the outfield. It has been a heck of a stretch though.

Maybe, but I'm not convinced. I know it's a small sample size, but, so far, he has a positive dWAR at 3B, as is his UZR, so, his defence at the hot corner appears to be pretty good. No reason to move him into the outfield when the Jays already have more than enough good young players they're going to try to squeeze into the 3 available spots over the next few years.

Also, he's having another great day at the plate today. I don't want to get too excited about him, but, it's looking like he really could be something special.

 

[draeko17]

I still ultimately think Lawrie ends up in the outfield. It has been a heck of a stretch though.

Maybe, but I'm not convinced. I know it's a small sample size, but, so far, he has a positive dWAR at 3B, as is his UZR, so, his defence at the hot corner appears to be pretty good. No reason to move him into the outfield when the Jays already have more than enough good young players they're going to try to squeeze into the 3 available spots over the next few years.

Also, he's having another great day at the plate today. I don't want to get too excited about him, but, it's looking like he really could be something special.

Wow.  I agree.  It's getting very difficult to not get excited about Lawrie.

 

[Kin]

Wow.  I agree.  It's getting very difficult to not get excited about Lawrie.

If it helps you can always look up Kevin Maas.

 

[draeko17]

Wow.  I agree.  It's getting very difficult to not get excited about Lawrie.

If it helps you can always look up Kevin Maas.

And that's why I am trying to not get too excited.    Nonetheless, it has been a treat to watch him both defensively and at the plate.  I'm hoping next year is more of the same.  ;D

 

[hockeyfan1]

Jays' manager Farrell still in hospital?  Not recovered yet?

 

[Kin]

So apparently AA is in Japan seriously scouting Yu Darvish.

Not much to say for the track record of Japanese starters/the likely 100+ million plus it would cost to sign him but it's an interesting area to be investigating to say the least.

 

[maplesyrup]

So apparently AA is in Japan seriously scouting Yu Darvish.

Not much to say for the track record of Japanese starters/the likely 100+ million plus it would cost to sign him but it's an interesting area to be investigating to say the least.

Never heard of him.... 100+, eh? Does he have the kind of stuff worth NOT having the kind of dough left to sign one of Reyes, Fielder, Pujols or, Sabathia?

 

[Kin]

Never heard of him.... 100+, eh? Does he have the kind of stuff worth NOT having the kind of dough left to sign one of Reyes, Fielder, Pujols or, Sabathia?

Opinion varies as to the quality of his stuff. Some say potential ace, others say #2 is more likely. Great numbers in Japan though.

I don't know that landing Darvish would preclude the possibility of landing one of those guys(although Fielder is the only one I'd consider. Sabathia won't be available, Pujols is too old and I like Escobar at SS). If the Jays are going to be legit spenders than they could probably swing Darvish/Fielder and still have room in the budget for raises when they're due.

 

[maplesyrup]

Never heard of him.... 100+, eh? Does he have the kind of stuff worth NOT having the kind of dough left to sign one of Reyes, Fielder, Pujols or, Sabathia?

Opinion varies as to the quality of his stuff. Some say potential ace, others say #2 is more likely. Great numbers in Japan though.

I don't know that landing Darvish would preclude the possibility of landing one of those guys(although Fielder is the only one I'd consider. Sabathia won't be available, Pujols is too old and I like Escobar at SS). If the Jays are going to be legit spenders than they could probably swing Darvish/Fielder and still have room in the budget for raises when they're due.

Yeah, I tend to agree with you re. the big four... Assuming Darvish is what you say he is, I think Dravish/Fielder would be ideal too but if you can get Reyes, you do it. Moving Escobar to second (as much as I like him at SS) is something I wouldn't hesitate to do. 

 

[Deebo]

So apparently AA is in Japan seriously scouting Yu Darvish.

Not much to say for the track record of Japanese starters/the likely 100+ million plus it would cost to sign him but it's an interesting area to be investigating to say the least.

Never heard of him.... 100+, eh? Does he have the kind of stuff worth NOT having the kind of dough left to sign one of Reyes, Fielder, Pujols or, Sabathia?

There is the fee that have to pay his Japanese team (that was around 50 million for Matsusaka) plus his salary.

 

[maplesyrup]

So apparently AA is in Japan seriously scouting Yu Darvish.

Not much to say for the track record of Japanese starters/the likely 100+ million plus it would cost to sign him but it's an interesting area to be investigating to say the least.

Never heard of him.... 100+, eh? Does he have the kind of stuff worth NOT having the kind of dough left to sign one of Reyes, Fielder, Pujols or, Sabathia?

There is the fee that have to pay his Japanese team (that was around 50 million for Matsusaka) plus his salary.

Seems awfully un-Rogers-like. We'll see about this I guess.

 

[Kin]

Yeah, I tend to agree with you re. the big four... Assuming Darvish is what you say he is, I think Dravish/Fielder would be ideal too but if you can get Reyes, you do it. Moving Escobar to second (as much as I like him at SS) is something I wouldn't hesitate to do.

I don't see it at all. Unless Reyes signs for something downright reasonable, like 5 years and 60 million, I'm not sure I see the value. He's got a career OPS+ of 105, he's got injury concerns and is having a year out of step with his career to date.

More to the point, Escobar rates out as a better defensive shortstop, both by Dwar and UZR. They're dead even in WAR at 4.3 by BR, 5.3 to 4.4 edge for Reyes at Fangraphs. That marginal, marginal upgrade is what you want to spend 120+ million on? And downgrade defensively?

 

[Kin]

There is the fee that have to pay his Japanese team (that was around 50 million for Matsusaka) plus his salary.

That's what I'm basing the 100+ million figure on. To be fair, it could be less or more.

 

[maplesyrup]

Yeah, I tend to agree with you re. the big four... Assuming Darvish is what you say he is, I think Dravish/Fielder would be ideal too but if you can get Reyes, you do it. Moving Escobar to second (as much as I like him at SS) is something I wouldn't hesitate to do.

I don't see it at all. Unless Reyes signs for something downright reasonable, like 5 years and 60 million, I'm not sure I see the value. He's got a career OPS+ of 105, he's got injury concerns and is having a year out of step with his career to date.

More to the point, Escobar rates out as a better defensive shortstop, both by Dwar and UZR. They're dead even in WAR at 4.3 by BR, 5.3 to 4.4 edge for Reyes at Fangraphs. That marginal, marginal upgrade is what you want to spend 120+ million on? And downgrade defensively?

While I see your point but mine has more to do with bringing in a great bat in the lineup at SS while filling a hole at 2B.... Though KJ could pan out in which case I clearly forget about Reyes.

 

[Kin]

While I see your point but mine has more to do with bringing in a great bat in the lineup at SS while filling a hole at 2B.... Though KJ could pan out in which case I clearly forget about Reyes.

Even then though, why downgrade defensively at SS? Johnson's career OPS+ is 107, so I still don't see how downgrading defensively at SS, upgrading somewhat at 2B(maybe, Escobar hasn't played the position in years) and downgrading offensively is worth the massive amounts of cash Reyes will command and sacrificing the draft picks you'd need to sign him.

I'd rather sign a nobody off the scrap heap to play 2B than to pay massive amounts of money to squeeze a guy with a questionable offensive record into the line-up.

 

[maplesyrup]

I'd just rather have All-Star (or near All-Star) players at each position than settle on a scrub or "scrap."

 

[Kin]

I'd just rather have All-Star (or near All-Star) players at each position than settle on a scrub or "scrap."

Ok, but A) that's not terribly realistic as even the best teams have areas of weakness and B) the Jays have a budget and blowing a huge chunk of it on a marginal upgrade doesn't make a ton of sense when they already have a terrific SS.