Blue Jays Discussion: Off-Season Pt III | Winter meetings are over. Still waiting for stuff to happen

[Canada4Gold]

Maybe I’m in the minority but I don’t mind our bullpen. Romano, Dolis, Hatch, Merryweather all have the ability to be top relievers. Cole, Kay, Zeuch, Stripling are all decent. Save the money and spend it on another top starter or number 2 guy and please god get us a 3B. Would love Suarez or Ramirez but would probably mean us emptying the prospect cupboard.

I expect Hatch and Kay to both be starting in Buffalo. Merryweather apparently might be as well which I heavily disagree with. I'd have Stripling in the rotation unless we acquire 2 more arms(Ryu, Pearson, FA/Trade, Ray, Stripling). If all those things are the case you're then looking at Romano, Dolis, Borucki, Cole, SRF, Roark as 6 guys back there. It's still not awful, but I wouldn't say no to an acquisition.

 

[BlueForever75]

I believe the Jays will add to bullpen just not one of the premier free agents. They will continue to dumpster dive for bullpen where they have had success in past. Money will be spent on rotation and lineup. They are not in a position where spending dollars on bullpen would be considered wise.

Romano, Dolis, Borucki, Cole, SRF, Yamaguchi is not a bad start in bullpen. If we can somehow get Bass back, and add another piece like McGee, Yates, Jeffress or Bradley on the cheap. Our bullpen would be set.

 

[phillipmike]

4 teams with most to gain by adding Springer

4) Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are a team on the upswing, with a collection of highly touted young players and a farm system that could continue to bear fruit.

The club is reportedly willing to increase payroll after making the postseason in 2020, and it has been connected to Springer throughout the offseason. Toronto arguably needs him more than any team on this list.

The Blue Jays actually had one of the game’s most productive outfields last season, as Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. both improved, but FanGraphs doesn’t expect the team to get 2.0 WAR from any outfield spot in 2021.

Springer would give the club’s lineup a battle-tested veteran star, much like Hyun Jin Ryu was for the pitching staff last season.

So why don't they rank higher? Mainly because the other teams on this list are closer to being finished products.

The Jays have a bunch of question marks in their rotation and bullpen, and they need more production from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They're also part of the AL East, and the Rays and Yankees aren't going away.

Still, a Springer signing could go a long way toward helping the Blue Jays establish themselves as an AL power in 2021.

 

[ShaneFalco]

 

[phillipmike]

7 stats that may never be topped

Some of these are amazing.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

7 stats that may never be topped

Some of these are amazing.

Gwynn hitting .394 in 1994 is such a fascinating feat.

Pitchers are way too coddled these days to hit 300 innings, let alone over 400.

 

[barilko05]

Gwynn hitting .394 in 1994 is such a fascinating feat.

Pitchers are way too coddled these days to hit 300 innings, let alone over 400.

Agreed. I hope that there's a swing back in the other direction, though. Certainly not all the way back to the Billy-Ball A's, of course, but at least away from the Tampa "opener" strategy. I HATE that development. That and the "shift" can both go back to whatever analytical hell they came from. I'm all for the game progressing and changing, but at some point, the fans are going to vote with their butts. Because nobody wants to watch 6 mediocre pitchers and a bunch of defense only scrubs win...or lose...another 2-1 game. That stuff ain't baseball...it just ain't!