2021 Blue Jays General Discussion Thread

[L K]

This game is a train wreck.  Gurriel get hurt by Grichuk stepping on his hand.  The pitching has been awful and the bats can?t drive in runners in scoring position.

And now Rivera the incompetent 3rd base coach strikes again

 

[OldTimeHockey]

This game is a train wreck.  Gurriel get hurt by Grichuk stepping on his hand.  The pitching has been awful and the bats can?t drive in runners in scoring position.

And now Rivera the incompetent 3rd base coach strikes again

I turned the game off when it was 2-2. Matz seemed to be a mess from what I watched. Couldn't find the strike zone. But yes, that 2nd inning, when they had runners on with none out and they only managed to get one run was disappointing.
Is there anyone they can put in for Grichuk? Is Springer able to go back out in centre field and then maybe Kirk can go DH? Or Jansen when Kirk is catching.

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

*sniffle*  I"m still salty that they traded Donaldson

 

[Deebo]

Even if they didn't trade him, he wouldn't be here.

There was no way he was going to sign with the Jays after the 2018 season.

 

[Highlander]

Even if they didn't trade him, he wouldn't be here.

There was no way he was going to sign with the Jays after the 2018 season.

I am astounded at how well he bounced back, perhaps his insights into the training staff at the time were correct. 

 

[L K]

Jays didn't have a perfect day but get the win 5-2 to split the series against Minnesota.

Boston is playing New York right now.  Oakland and Seattle won their games.

Boston - 88-67
New York - 88-67
--------------------
Toronto 87-69 (1.5 GB) ELIM# 6
Seattle 86-70 (2.5 GB) ELIM# 5
Oakland 85-71 (3.5 GB) ELIM# 4

Best scenario is probably a Yankees loss at this point.  Would have the Jays 2.0 GB of Boston but only 1.0 GB of New York.  That would let them tie New York going 2-1 instead of really needing a sweep of their series to pass them.  New York finishes against Tampa while Toronto gets Balitmore.

Boston has Baltimore/Washington so more easier games than not. 

Oakland and Seattle play three more games against each other so either Seattle eliminates Oakland or they split some games and make it easier on Toronto.

 

[Arn]

It's crazy/frustrating that the Jays are such a decent team but stuck in this horrible division where they could be just the 4th best in it, but good enough to win a couple of other divisions. (allowing that their record would be better cos they'd be playing some weaker teams more often).

But in saying that I doubt anyone expected they'd even still be in the running this year with 6 games left.

If they can sneak into the playoffs they're the kind of team who could do some damage too.

 

[Joe S.]

I don?t blame the division this year. The jays had a very weak first half fuelled by their terrible bullpen. That was very hard to overcome and full credit to them for putting themselves in this position - team and management. But when this season started I did not think they were a playoff team. Remember this team broke camp with Roark as a starter and Dolis as a big fixture in the bulllen.

 

[Nik]

I don?t blame the division this year. The leafs had a very weak first half fuelled by their terrible bullpen.

Within the context of that "terrible bullpen" though it's important to remember that they lost the guy who was supposed to be their closer for the season in training camp and then lost his replacement pretty quickly after. So a lot of it was patchwork and waiting around until you could fine tune things at the deadline.

 

[bustaheims]

Within the context of that "terrible bullpen" though it's important to remember that they lost the guy who was supposed to be their closer for the season in training camp and then lost his replacement pretty quickly after. So a lot of it was patchwork and waiting around until you could fine tune things at the deadline.

Sure, but they also probably shouldn't have counted on a guy who was coming back from a major injury and was ineffective when healthy last season - and with a pretty limited record as a closer, too. That's a failing on the front office.

 

[Joe S.]

I don?t blame the division this year. The leafs had a very weak first half fuelled by their terrible bullpen.

Within the context of that "terrible bullpen" though it's important to remember that they lost the guy who was supposed to be their closer for the season in training camp and then lost his replacement pretty quickly after. So a lot of it was patchwork and waiting around until you could fine tune things at the deadline.

Yes that?s true. But he didn?t even start training camp. It?s easy to say in retrospect but they should have been a little more proactive at the time. They had plenty of time to address his loss, and they knew he was a risk as his contract was heavily incentive based.

 

[Joe S.]

I also notice that I said leafs and not Jays but I?ll forgive myself what with this being a leafs board and all.

 

[Nik]

Sure, but they also probably shouldn't have counted on a guy who was coming back from a major injury and was ineffective when healthy last season - and with a pretty limited record as a closer, too. That's a failing on the front office.

I mean, 6 bad games vs. 3 straight very effective years as a relief pitcher doesn't seem like a fair encapsulation of him and basically every team in the league is probably depending on big contributions from pitchers recovering from major injuries but, absolutely, they did not put together a championship calibre bullpen this off-season and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise, just that things could have gone better if they'd caught a break or two.

Now, I don't think building a bullpen in an off-season was a super realistic goal and in general I don't think that's something you try should do via free agency and trade vs. building one internally but it's a fair criticism that their failure to do so may ultimately cost the team a playoff birth this year. Me, I guess between bringing back Ray and signing Semien and Springer I'd say it was still a pretty good off-season for the front office but ymmv.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

So who are the "must sign" free agents this off season for the Jays?

Robbie Ray and Semien are the obvious ones, but are there any other note worthy expiring contracts on the team?

 

[bustaheims]

So who are the "must sign" free agents this off season for the Jays?

Robbie Ray and Semien are the obvious ones, but are there any other note worthy expiring contracts on the team?

Other than Matz - who has been better than expected - it's really just role players and replaceable bullpen arms.

 

[Nik]

Robbie Ray and Semien are the obvious ones, but are there any other note worthy expiring contracts on the team?

I don't know if I'd categorize Semien as such. Obviously signing him would be great and I very much want the Jays to do it but it's not a terrible market for the Jays if they basically want to do what they did last year and pick over the remnants of the market to find a 2B for next year.

 

[L K]

Sure, but they also probably shouldn't have counted on a guy who was coming back from a major injury and was ineffective when healthy last season - and with a pretty limited record as a closer, too. That's a failing on the front office.

I mean, 6 bad games vs. 3 straight very effective years as a relief pitcher doesn't seem like a fair encapsulation of him and basically every team in the league is probably depending on big contributions from pitchers recovering from major injuries but, absolutely, they did not put together a championship calibre bullpen this off-season and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise, just that things could have gone better if they'd caught a break or two.

Now, I don't think building a bullpen in an off-season was a super realistic goal and in general I don't think that's something you try should do via free agency and trade vs. building one internally but it's a fair criticism that their failure to do so may ultimately cost the team a playoff birth this year. Me, I guess between bringing back Ray and signing Semien and Springer I'd say it was still a pretty good off-season for the front office but ymmv.

I think the bigger concern is that they knew Yates wasn?t healthy when they signed him.  They just hopes he would get healthier but it was pretty high risk that that would go well and it didn?t.

 

[Nik]

I think the bigger concern is that they knew Yates wasn?t healthy when they signed him.  They just hopes he would get healthier but it was pretty high risk that that would go well and it didn?t.

I may have crossed wires but I didn't remember hearing anything to that effect.

 

[L K]

I think the bigger concern is that they knew Yates wasn?t healthy when they signed him.  They just hopes he would get healthier but it was pretty high risk that that would go well and it didn?t.

I may have crossed wires but I didn't remember hearing anything to that effect.

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1374558305381666820?s=20

Supposedly there was an MRI that showed elbow damage that had the Braves back off Yates and the Jays reduced their offer to Yates from 8.5 to 5.5M

 

[Nik]

Fair enough. It was definitely a gamble.