Blue Jays Discussion: Almost through the off-season - Bautista keeping his bat-flipping talents in Toronto

[hockeywiz542]

*agents for the top two remaining free-agent left-handers, jerry blevins and boone logan, are signaling to teams that the pitchers will secure deals of at least two years and $12 million.

*the blue jays are trying to add two relievers, a lefty to replace brett cecil and a righty as well. Signing one such pitcher for bigger money — say, blevins or right-hander joe blanton — could limit the team’s options.

*the indians continue to explore the market, and bullpen coach jason bere was one of two representatives from the team to watch craig breslow’s throwing session on monday, according to a scout in attendance. Breslow impressed scouts by throwing at a lower arm slot. The mets and dodgers each had two officials attend the session as well, and the jays and cubs were among the other clubs represented.

*romo and blanton appear to be the top right-handed targets, with smith, fernando salas and david hernandez on the next tier. The white sox’ david robertson, rays’ alex colome and braves’ arodys vizcaino remain trade options, but the acquisition costs in each case might be prohibitive

*the angels, white sox, twins and reds are among the other clubs seeking bullpen help.

 

[Prominence Problem]

I have family vacationing down to Clearwater, FLA on Feb. 14th for a while (same day as pitchers and catchers report.)

Anyone know of free things they can do with the Blue Jays then? Does it cost $ to watch non preseason games?

Also anyone know of kid friendly places in or around Clearwater?

 

[The Nemesis]

Keith Law's top 100 is now out in its entirety. 3 Blue Jays made the cut (against Law's better judgement, I'm sure):

Reid-Foley @ 72

Reid-Foley was Toronto’s second-round pick in 2014 out of a Jacksonville high school. He split 2015 between low- and high-A but struggled to throw strikes at both levels. He was a different animal in 2016, starting back at low-A and smoothing out his delivery (which he couldn’t repeat well in high school). He’s now pitching with a mid-90s fastball with plus life and a plus curveball that helped him strike out nearly a third of the batters he faced in the Florida State League after a promotion back to high-A.Getting a more consistent delivery allowed Reid-Foley to throw strikes, as he cut his walk rate by about half last year, and develop some fastball command. His changeup still lags behind his other two pitches, and he’ll need something to get lefties out in Double-A this year, but there’s No. 2 starter potential here, given his present stuff and command.

Alford @ 55

Alford’s 2016 season started as an outright disaster. He played one game in April, got hurt, returned four weeks later, then struck out in 30 of his first 57 PAs over two weeks and 51 out of 134 total before he was injured in an outfield collision June 11, which cost him another 10 days. After that second DL stint, he hit .256/.379/.447 over 59 games through the end of the season, with a much better 25 percent strikeout rate. He finished with a so-so performance in the AFL.Overall, it was a year to forget, culminating in a fire that destroyed his mother’s house right after Christmas (he set up a Gofundme page to help them rebuild). Alford is still an elite athlete and looked in 2016 like a former football player still adjusting to playing baseball full time.
When healthy, he’s a disciplined hitter for someone so inexperienced, and there’s at least average power to go with plus running speed. His reads in center might just not be good enough for him to stay there, though again, it might be his lack of baseball experience showing. On the whole, it was a sideways year for Alford, but the positive news is he’s healthy and will be the right age (22) for his Double-A debut in 2017.

Vladdy Jr @ 48 (a surprising fall of 8 spots from 2016's ranks for no discernible reason)

Yes, that’s Vlad’s son, and yes, you are old. Vlad Jr. signed with the Jays for $3.9 million in July 2015, and the Jays were aggressive in sending him to the Appalachian League at age 17 last summer, but he exceeded even those high expectations. Guerrero was the best hitting prospect in the Appy League, walking almost as often as he struck out, and he finished in the top 10 in the league in homers and walks. By all accounts, he played solid defense at third base (with a plus arm, natch).While Guerrero has outstanding tools, including surprising speed and projected plus power, it’s his feel for the game that impressed scouts in 2016, as he shows real instincts on both sides of the ball, including that advanced approach and enough feel that he has at least an even-money chance to stay at third. The sky is the limit for young Vladimir, and if he doesn’t outgrow the hot corner, the Jays might have a 30-homer bat who gets on base to take over when Josh Donaldson leaves.

Also of note was Jeff Hoffman at 96. What was funny was that after questioning Hoffman's future as a Blue Jay's prospect because of all the things "wrong" with him, Law opens the Hoffman piece by noting he's "a great prospect" and what might doom him isn't himself, it's that he's not suited to be a Colorado pitcher with his pitch-to-contact, balls-in-play style. careful Keith, your bias is showing.

Franklin Barreto also slid from the 20s down to 56 noting that there are work-ethic concerns that could hold him back. That just makes the Donaldson trade look potentially even better than it already did.

 

[Neil Hamburger]

Keith Law's top 100 is now out in its entirety. 3 Blue Jays made the cut (against Law's better judgement, I'm sure):

Reid-Foley @ 72
Alford @ 55
Vladdy Jr @ 48 (a surprising fall of 8 spots from 2016's ranks for no discernible reason)

Also of note was Jeff Hoffman at 96. What was funny was that after questioning Hoffman's future as a Blue Jay's prospect because of all the things "wrong" with him, Law opens the Hoffman piece by noting he's "a great prospect" and what might doom him isn't himself, it's that he's not suited to be a Colorado pitcher with his pitch-to-contact, balls-in-play style. careful Keith, your bias is showing.

Franklin Barreto also slid from the 20s down to 56 noting that there are work-ethic concerns that could hold him back. That just makes the Donaldson trade look potentially even better than it already did.

Our pool is pretty damn solid considering all the prospect capital we spent at the end of the AA era.

I like how Shapiro and Atkins have emphasized adding prospects - Guerriel jr, Ramirez, McGuire, and the EE comp pick just in the past six months. They've done that while maintaining a roster that can (hopefully) still compete for the world series. That's how they've gone about "getting younger" - adding to the system and hopefully developing players ourselves.

 

[Discoverer]

Keith Law's top 100 is now out in its entirety. 3 Blue Jays made the cut (against Law's better judgement, I'm sure):

Reid-Foley @ 72
Alford @ 55
Vladdy Jr @ 48 (a surprising fall of 8 spots from 2016's ranks for no discernible reason)

Also of note was Jeff Hoffman at 96. What was funny was that after questioning Hoffman's future as a Blue Jay's prospect because of all the things "wrong" with him, Law opens the Hoffman piece by noting he's "a great prospect" and what might doom him isn't himself, it's that he's not suited to be a Colorado pitcher with his pitch-to-contact, balls-in-play style. careful Keith, your bias is showing.

Franklin Barreto also slid from the 20s down to 56 noting that there are work-ethic concerns that could hold him back. That just makes the Donaldson trade look potentially even better than it already did.

I'm higher on Alford because I think Law is understating how good he was once he came back from his last injury (136 wRC+ including his "so-so" AFL stint, part of which was a huge power outburst people have been wondering about since he was drafted).

I don't really take issue with any of it, though... other than Vlad Jr. falling eight spots, which is hilarious. You don't even have to look for a conspiracy theory to see how it makes no sense whatsoever: 16-year-old, highly touted but entirely unproven is ranked 40th. Sure. Maybe even a bit higher than I would have expected consider scouts tend to want to see more before they rank someone that highly. Then he gets his first taste of pro ball at an aggressive level for his age, shows a great approach, great results, and Law has nothing negative to say about him in his recap... yet he drops. There's no possible justification for that.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Still amazes me that a starter that put up a 2.12 FIP, 4.44 K/BB in A+ @ 20 years old, who also throws 95, is not a top-50 prospect.

Almost as amazing as a 21 year old putting up .405 wOBA and 152 wRC+ with a .233 ISO in Double-A not being considered a top-100 prospect. All while the likely #1 overall prospect in baseball put up the same-ish metrics (with a little more iso, and a lot more strike outs) at the same age, at the same level, while being a butcher defensively...must be the steals.

 

[Discoverer]

Still amazes me that a starter that put up a 2.12 FIP, 4.44 K/BB in A+ @ 20 years old, who also throws 95, is not a top-50 prospect.

Almost as amazing as a 21 year old putting up .405 wOBA and 152 wRC+ with a .233 ISO in Double-A not being considered a top-100 prospect. All while the likely #1 overall prospect in baseball put up the same-ish metrics (with a little more iso, and a lot more strike outs) at the same age, at the same level, while being a butcher defensively...must be the steals.

Weird swing or something.

 

[zeke]

Our pool is pretty damn solid considering all the prospect capital we spent at the end of the AA era.

in fact, pre 2015, before AA traded "all" tye prospects, Law's top 100 prospects included.........3 blue jays.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Our pool is pretty damn solid considering all the prospect capital we spent at the end of the AA era.

I like how Shapiro and Atkins have emphasized adding prospects - Guerriel jr, Ramirez, McGuire, and the EE comp pick just in the past six months. They've done that while maintaining a roster that can (hopefully) still compete for the world series. That's how they've gone about "getting younger" - adding to the system and hopefully developing players ourselves.

Yup people say go all in and spend to the max, trade, whatever. Doesn't guarantee anything but sucking in rebuilding in the not too distant future

 

[canucksfan]

How the hell is Tellez not in the top 100?

 

[Canada4Gold]

How the hell is Tellez not in the top 100?

Keith Law saw him for a handful of at bats in the AFL in 2015 and he struggled, ever since then there's an "issue with his swing" and "he won't be able to hit advanced pitching"

 

[The Nemesis]

Keith Law saw him for a handful of at bats in the AFL in 2015 and he struggled, ever since then there's an "issue with his swing" and "he won't be able to hit advanced pitching"

It's kind of like a reverse-Hoffman. This time a couple years ago Hoffman was Blue Jays property and Law disliked him because of problems in his delivery and he wasn't going to be anything special. Suddenly he goes to the Rockies and without changing anything, those delivery problems go away and he "could be a great prospect"

 

[Discoverer]

Keith Law saw him for a handful of at bats in the AFL in 2015 and he struggled, ever since then there's an "issue with his swing" and "he won't be able to hit advanced pitching"

It's the exact same reason Travis was a "non-prospect".

 

[zeke]

It's the exact same reason Travis was a "non-prospect".

At least Travis was a 23yr old with only good not great numbers in AA and no plus tools.

but Rowdy is a 21yr old that just crushed AA and has huge raw power.

really makes no sense.

Especially when he puts a fatbody like Rafael Devers, who's hit nowhere close to as well as Rowdy, up near his top-10 prospects.

 

[Cor]

Jays have strong interest in Craig Breslow.

Apparently he wants to wait until others sign

 

[Canada4Gold]

mlb.com top 100 prospect reveal streaming on their website right now. Gonna guess 4 Jays. SRF, Urena, Alford, and Vlad Jr. Tellez should be there but bet he won't be. I think it was John Manual(bp's prospect guy?) who's bullish on the Jays system and said he might have 8 or 9 Jays in his top 100 but mlb.com will have less for sure.

 

[hoc123]

Urena is #94

Alford is #70

Reid-Foley is #64

 

[Canada4Gold]

Urena 94

(Beede 88)

 

[Canada4Gold]

Alford 70

 

[Canada4Gold]

SRF 64

62 Luis Ortiz was listed as Toronto, don't know who that is?

52 Barreto, and Hoffman was mis 40's can't remember the exact number

 

[hoc123]

Vlad Guerrero Jr is in the top 50.

Also apparently the Jays have Luis Ortiz

Edit: Vlad is #34

 

[Canada4Gold]

Canadian Tyler O'Neill 36th

Vlad Jr 34

 

[hoc123]

SRF 64

62 Luis Ortiz was listed as Toronto, don't know who that is?

52 Barreto, and Hoffman was mis 40's can't remember the exact number

He's part of the Brewers organization. Got traded to the Brewers from the Rangers in the Lucroy deal.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Yeah Luis Ortiz a quick google tells me he's a Brewers prospect. Typo I guess

 

[Canada4Gold]

Dominic Smith(i.e. the guy Tellez has clearly outperformed at the same age at every level) is ranked 63rd. He must be expected to be able to hit advanced pitching or something. Maybe he's not fat