Least favorite
5. Blue Jays trade IF Eric Sogard and RHPs Joe Biagini, Daniel Hudson, David Phelps, Aaron Sanchez, and Marcus Stroman for… stuff
I was originally tempted to include the Giants here for not selling Bumgarner and Smith, but having slept on it and done some homework, I’ve reconsidered my position, and more fully understand the decision to blow up most of the bullpen, free up some payroll, restock the system, and stay invested in the season. So instead I’m going with the Blue Jays here.
Look, I’m no prospect expert by any stretch of the imagination, but like a Holiday Inn Express customer, the knowledge I draw from my surroundings — in this case, primarily the expertise of colleagues Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel in the form of their team prospect rankings and THE BOARD, but also other voices within the industry whose work I read and respect — makes me feel like one sometimes. I’m no scout, either, but I can read a dang prospect list, and looking at the Blue Jays’ one after they’ve dealt all of the aforementioned players, I’m hardly wowed.
Hudson and Sogard were pending free agents, but Stroman and Sanchez each had a year of control remaining, while Biagini had three years remaining, and Phelps an affordable club option. For all of the prospects they received — Kay and Woods-Richardson for Stroman; outfielder Derek Fisher for Sanchez, Biagini, and outfield prospect Cal Stevenson; righty Thomas Hatch for Phelps; and righty Kyle Johnston for Hudson — the big picture seems pretty underwhelming. They sold early on Stroman (why not wait a couple of days?) and low on Sanchez (6.07 ERA, 5.03 FIP), and they took in far more quantity than quality, as none of the newcomers is a top 100 prospect, not even for Stroman, the best player they traded. GM Ross Atkins’ claim that he “turned 14 years of control into 42 years of control” isn’t going to sell a single ticket.
On THE BOARD, Woods-Richardson grades out at a 45+ Future Value and Kay a 45. Reasonable minds can certainly differ when it comes to prospects — MLB Pipeline grades both as 50s, for example — but neither cracks their top 100, let alone ours, and they currently rate as the team’s fifth- and sixth-best prospects, respectively. Fisher was a 45 two years ago, before hitting for a 77 wRC+ in his first 312 major league plate appearances, which is to say that his stock is down. Of the rest, Hatch (40 FV) ranks 28th on the team’s list, while Johnston doesn’t crack it. If the relievers weren’t going to bring back much individually, perhaps they could have done better by bundling them.
Pretty good list, hard to disagree with much of it.I was bored, and kind of interested to see how I viewed the farm system so I made a Blue Jays top prospects tiered list.
1. Bo Bichette
2. Nate Pearson
3. Jordan Groshans
4. Simeon Woods-Richardson
5. Eric Pardinho
6. Alek Manoah
7. Gabriel Moreno
8. Alejandro Kirk
9. Anthony Kay
10. Orelvis Martinez
11. Miguel Hiraldo
12. Adam Kloffenstein
13. Kevin Smith
14. Sean Reid Foley
15. Griffin Conine
16. Kendall Williams
17. Patrick Murphy
18. Maximo Castillo
19. Dasan Brown
20. Leonardo Jimenez
21. Hector Perez
22. Reese McGuire
23. Anthony Alford
24. T.J Zeuch
25. Hagen Danner
26. Will Robertson
27. Samad Taylor
28. Josh Winckowski
29. Jhon Solarte
30. Chavez Young
31. Yennsy Diaz
Twins are saying they would have given more for Stroman
**** this franchise
There is zero positives from this deadline. Zero
Twins are saying they would have given more for Stroman
**** this franchise
There is zero positives from this deadline. Zero
Twins are saying they would have given more for Stroman
**** this franchise
There is zero positives from this deadline. Zero
The twins "giving more" does not for sure mean "giving better".
Looking at their org, is anyone other than Kirilloff/Lewis (who were both apparently untouchable) that is 100% a better piece than SWR?
Graterol? - apparently untouchable.
Larnach? - nah
Duran? - 3 years older, 1 level higher
Unless they were offering Graterol/Kirilloff/Lewis (who again, all apparently untouchable), its not even worth the effort thinking about if they could beat the deal.
BingoThe twins "giving more" does not mean "giving better".
Looking at their prospects, is anyone other than Kirilloff/Lewis (who were both apparently untouchable) that is 100% a better piece than SWR?
Graterol? - apparently untouchable.
Larnach? - nah
Duran? - 3 years older, 1 level higher
Unless they were offering Graterol/Kirilloff/Lewis (who again, all apparently untouchable), its not even worth the effort thinking about if they could beat the deal.
What playoff Trio was best?
Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine
Clemens, Mussina and Pettite (2002 Yankees had Wells, Hernandez, Weaver and Lilly as well)
Hudson, Mulder and Zito
Lincecum, Cain and Bumgardner
Verlander, Schrezer and Price
Verlander, Cole and Greinke
I had Johnson and Schilling,and Martinez and Schilling, Kershaw and Greinke, Sale and Price, Schrezer and Strasbourg but no clear cut number 3.
Well Vlad is on fire, although his streak is against the 2 teams worse than the Jays
Pushing us out of the bottom 5.These teams making us look like the Astros.
Pushing us out of the bottom 5.
Pushing us out of the bottom 5.
"Look, I’m no prospect expert by any stretch "
stopped reading after that.