Blue Jays Discussion: Off-season Edition 5.0 - So now what?

[phillipmike]

If I was in Shapiro or Atkins' position, I would tell Gibby to say exactly what he said. Not to discourage Smoak or anything like that, but rather to operate in free agency with more leverage. i.e. float it to the media that I don't need a 1B\DH because those positions are filled. Just like Texas said they're going internal to fill their hole at 1B, and Houston said they are out.

Sure completely agree. But coming off forearm surgery i truly believe they will slowly work him back into form just starting him at 1B before throwing him in the outfield.

For the record i believe Pearce can play 1B, 2B, LF, RF and 3B when healthy in that order of effectiveness on the defensive side. If the Jays are smart i dont think they rely on Pearce play the OF unless it is as a fill in. Plus i personally think they need more left-handed or switch hitters in the OF considering you were mainly right handed last year and the FO said they are making a conscious effort to be more balanced and so far you likely lose Saunders and just added Morales.

Absolutely. Most of the things said at this time of year are negotiation tactics.

I still really want them to find a way to sign Valbuena.

I would really like to move Smoak and sign Valbuena to platoon with Pearce at 1B. Valbuena adds more added depth to the team too. I heard a rumor that the Yankees wanted to sign Valbuena for a super utility role but he wanted to be guaranteed a starting position, maybe if he cant find that we can circle back.

Guy has a good BB/K ratio, is a lefty, can hit and can play D well at 1B, 3B and 2B.

 

[Amadeus]

Grab Revere, Bautista and Logan and call it an offseason.

Travis
Donaldson
Bautista
Morales
Tulo
Martin
Pearce/Smoak
Pillar
Revere

There you go.

 

[Discoverer]

I would really like to move Smoak and sign Valbuena to platoon with Pearce at 1B. Valbuena adds more added depth to the team too. I heard a rumor that the Yankees wanted to sign Valbuena for a super utility role but he wanted to be guaranteed a starting position, maybe if he cant find that we can circle back.

Guy has a good BB/K ratio, is a lefty, can hit and can play D well at 1B, 3B and 2B.

Yeah, that's why I don't think they'll actually end up with him; he'll presumably find a starting role somewhere, particularly at 3B. Although they could technically offer him the 1B job against righties and that they'll only move him around to fill in for injuries and the odd day off.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

In the season ending press conference, the questions were asked about the style of play and if it had to change.

I remember Gibbons saying that they'd like to get more speed and more contact in the line-up next year.

I'm trying to find the clip right now.

I know that at the end of the season, you have to go through the motions about what to say to the fanbase to reasure them that they'll be even better next year, but I somewhat believe that they have to get better in the terms of contact. And that contact doesn't necessarily mean small ball.

Getting faster as a team, and having a higher rate of contact, does not equal "small ball". Not even close. And I would also mention that adding the worst base runner in baseball to your roster literally flies in the face of getting more speed as it is.

Absolutely. Most of the things said at this time of year are negotiation tactics.

I still really want them to find a way to sign Valbuena.

Agreed. Valbuena, like Pearce, offers you nice flexibility. If he could play the outfield, which he hasn't, but neither had Desmond, he'd be a no brainer.

With the 3B\1B market as weird as it is this offseason, I would have my agent tell people I could play a corner outfield spot. I imagine a guy who is 5"10/200 with the footwork to play the middle infield could pick it up with relative ease. The more I think about it, the more I love the idea.

Sure completely agree. But coming off forearm surgery i truly believe they will slowly work him back into form just starting him at 1B before throwing him in the outfield.

For the record i believe Pearce can play 1B, 2B, LF, RF and 3B when healthy in that order of effectiveness on the defensive side. If the Jays are smart i dont think they rely on Pearce play the OF unless it is as a fill in. Plus i personally think they need more left-handed or switch hitters in the OF considering you were mainly right handed last year and the FO said they are making a conscious effort to be more balanced and so far you likely lose Saunders and just added Morales.

He should be fine to play LF by April. Actually, in my roster construction, I have him playing about ~50 games in the outfield for the year.

 

[Garlando]

What is everyone's opinion on potentially acquiring Yasiel Puig? Good buy-low opportunity? He's coming off his worst year, and that still was worth a 102 wRC+ and he would be an upgrade defensively over Bautista. What would it cost and is he worth the risk?

 

[BlueForever]

If he doesn't have the legs to play in the field, why would he be at the top of your line-up? I understand that your lead-off man should be more focused with his OBP, but once he gets on the bases, what is Bautista going to do?

So if he plays 90 games at 1B, you move Pearce to LF? And the other games in which he's going to DH, you are essentially keeping Morales on the bench. He's played a total of 16 games at 1st in the last 2 years and 5 games in the outfield in the last 2 years.

I just don't see the fit for Bautista.

Morales as it has been said by management can play 1B more then he has. And Bautista doesn't need to steal bags. Fowler only had 15 this past season. The reason you put him there is to draw the walk, which he does better then anyone in MLB and he gets on base.

The fit is there

 

[BlueForever]

If we're going to pull him for better defense in the late innings whats the point of having a big bat start there if at the end of the game when we need a home run hes sitting on the bench?

Sorry for the delay..

Defensive replacements with lead....you don't take bat out of lineup if you need runs. Common sense. Didn't think I had to spell that out.

 

[Discoverer]

Agreed. Valbuena, like Pearce, offers you nice flexibility. If he could play the outfield, which he hasn't, but neither had Desmond, he'd be a no brainer.

With the 3B\1B market as weird as it is this offseason, I would have my agent tell people I could play a corner outfield spot. I imagine a guy who is 5"10/200 with the footwork to play the middle infield could pick it up with relative ease. The more I think about it, the more I love the idea.

Exactly. With the positional flexibility that he offers, you could even create a platoon of sorts with Upton. So vs. righties, Valbuena at 1B and Pearce in LF, and vs. lefties it's Upton in LF and Pearce at 1B. Plus you then have both Pearce and Valbuena who can shuffle around to 2B/3B as needed when guys need a day off.

It just feels like such a perfect fit. If they could add Valbuena and an OF, I would be really happy with the offseason.

 

[TF97]

I remember when Valbuena was with the Blue Jays in Sprint Training a while back. I want to say 2012 or 2013 but I could be wrong.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Exactly. With the positional flexibility that he offers, you could even create a platoon of sorts with Upton. So vs. righties, Valbuena at 1B and Pearce in LF, and vs. lefties it's Upton in LF and Pearce at 1B. Plus you then have both Pearce and Valbuena who can shuffle around to 2B/3B as needed when guys need a day off.

It just feels like such a perfect fit. If they could add Valbuena and an OF, I would be really happy with the offseason.

Also familiar with the organization, and was once targeted and acquired by Mark Shapiro.

 

[Leaftors]

Exactly. With the positional flexibility that he offers, you could even create a platoon of sorts with Upton. So vs. righties, Valbuena at 1B and Pearce in LF, and vs. lefties it's Upton in LF and Pearce at 1B. Plus you then have both Pearce and Valbuena who can shuffle around to 2B/3B as needed when guys need a day off.

It just feels like such a perfect fit. If they could add Valbuena and an OF, I would be really happy with the offseason.

Well, you were high on signing pearce so hopefully you being high on signing valbuena also means they will sign him as well

 

[hockeywiz542]

edwin encarnacion is a perfect fit for the indians. But barring a total collapse of his market, it’s difficult to see how the indians would be a perfect fit for encarnacion.

last week, i wrote about how the indians are in a stronger financial position than in the past due to their extra income from the postseason and the recent arrival of a new ownership partner, john sherman.

the indians, though, do not plan to change the way they operate, according to major-league sources; they ranked 28th in the majors in home attendance last season, ahead of only the athletics and rays, and their market remains a challenge.

So, the idea that the indians could offer encarnacion a version of yoenis cespedes’ first free-agent contract with the mets -- three years, $75 million, with a one-year opt-out -- probably is far-fetched.

the best way for the indians to land encarnacion probably is on a one-year, high-dollar deal. But the blue jays made encarnacion a qualifying offer, and the indians surely do not want to sacrifice the 26th pick in the draft for a player they would keep for only one year.

Encarnacion, likewise, would figure to have little interest in a one-year offer. True, he would be an unrestricted free agent next offseason; a player, under the new collective-bargaining agreement, cannot receive more than one qualifying offer in his career. But surely, encarnacion would prefer to avoid going back on the market entering his age 35 season.

then again, what if the rangers sign napoli? There would be no obvious suitors for encarnacion other than the indians and possibly the rockies, unless new clubs jumped in.

 

[Discoverer]

Well, you were high on signing pearce so hopefully you being high on signing valbuena also means they will sign him as well

Fowler, too... so...

 

[Leaftors]

Fowler, too... so...

Ya, true. However valbuena isnt going to be getting 92 mill so im assuming signing valbuena would be a little bit easier as he would cost much much less

 

[Kurtz]

What is everyone's opinion on potentially acquiring Yasiel Puig? Good buy-low opportunity? He's coming off his worst year, and that still was worth a 102 wRC+ and he would be an upgrade defensively over Bautista. What would it cost and is he worth the risk?

Would really like that. He might come cheap, especially if LA signs Bautista.

I actually floated the idea of Puig at the deadline this season, when he was completely on the outs in LA.

 

[Discoverer]

Would really like that. He might come cheap, especially if LA signs Bautista.

I actually floated the idea of Puig at the deadline this season, when he was completely on the outs in LA.

While I would be excited if they could get him for a relatively insignificant return, I would still be very leery about it. I'm not one to put much stock into character/personality/locker room problems, but when it's as extreme as it seems to have been with Puig, it makes it quite a bit more risky.

 

[theaub]

Bring me all the Yasiel Puig

 

[Doc300c]

Defensive replacements with lead....you don't take bat out of lineup if you need runs. Common sense. Didn't think I had to spell that out.

So if you're down by 2 runs you leave in the guy who's bad defensively to possibly add on runs and tie the game up but also potentially give up more runs while hes in the filed?

Wouldn't it just make more sense to find someone whom can do both or at least stop the other team from getting a bigger lead?

Also take your condescending attitude and ..... is there really a need for that?

As far as I'm concerned you're now wrong on every comment you make just because you feel the need to be a dick when someone asks a question. Its not that hard to be nice.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

#allthePuig

 

[TF97]

I won't lie, I have never been all that high on Puig, and I can't say I like him as a player or a person. But, he could be a very good buy low candidate.

 

[Discoverer]

As far as I'm concerned you're now wrong on every comment you make just because you feel the need to be a dick when someone asks a question. Its not that hard to be nice.

He's wrong for plenty of other reasons, too.

 

[Walshy7]

#allthePuig

#whenpuig'sfly? no ok ill see myself out

 

[chaosrevolver]

Still may be the greatest throw I've ever seen.

 

[Leaftors]

#allthePuig

Really im the puig, really im the puig?

 

[TF97]

Welington Castillo to Baltimore. They got their catcher.