Blue Jays Discussion: Off-Season Pt VIII: Spring approaches and less (fewer) things are happening
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How Simeon Woods Richardson got so far ahead of schedule - Sportsnet.ca
The Woods Richardson caravan retraced its path to the west side of the state, where a high-A debut was still the plan, only in a different uniform. Emotions were elevated. Woods Richardson swung from the excitement of a promotion to the ego-puncture of being traded. Did the Mets not think as highly of him as he’d thought? Why did they promote him if they didn’t even want him? Sitting in the RV’s passenger seat next to his reassuring mother, Wendy, who was reminding him baseball’s a business and these things happen, Woods Richardson scrolled through his contacts looking for someone to call, someone who understood, and landed on his old travel ball coach, the 14-year MLB veteran Adam Dunn. “Dude, one time I got traded for a bucket of balls,” Dunn told him. “You got traded for Marcus Stroman.”
It‘s the perspective Blue Jays fans needed to hear at that moment as well. When the organization’s front office moved Stroman a year-and-a-half before he’d hit free agency — trading an all-star, a staff ace, the best pitcher the organization had drafted and developed since Roy Halladay — it did not do so thoughtlessly. It did not, as was widely suggested at the time, trade Stroman for a pittance. It did not trade him for a bucket of balls. It traded him for one young pitcher who could impact its major-league roster in the near-term, bespectacled left-hander Anthony Kay, and another really young pitcher who could impact the major-league roster a lot sooner than many assumed. The latter was a supremely confident, athletically gifted, ferociously competitive 18-year-old the organization had targeted in the 2018 draft before the Mets surprised everyone and took him four picks prior to Toronto’s selection; a relatively unknown right-hander who wasn’t considered a top-100 MLB prospect at the time — a particular point of disdain for aggrieved fans watching another popular player leave town — but who many in Toronto’s baseball operations department believed was significantly undervalued and would soon feature on those subjective industry rankings.
Lo and behold, today Woods Richardson is on top-100 lists for a second year running. With Nate Pearson a big-leaguer, he’s the top pitching prospect in a rising organization with sooner-rather-than-later intentions of graduating effective young arms to its major-league roster and contending for championships. And after spending his 2020 at Toronto’s alternate training site, pitching to advanced hitters and learning from high-level coaches, Woods Richardson enters this season with an opportunity to earn his MLB debut before his 21st birthday in September. That would make him one of the youngest players in MLB — not that unusual for a poised, polished talent who’s been the youngest player on every team he’s played on and just about every league he’s played in. It would be an uncommonly rapid rise from high schooler to major-leaguer — not that anything in his life, from his physical growth to his maturity to his command of four above-average MLB pitches, has come slowly. It would be an accelerated ascent — not that it would be fast enough for Simeon Woods Richardson.
“Going into camp, I plan to make a statement — I plan on breaking with the Jays this year” Woods Richardson says. “It’s one of my goals. If not, then I guess it’s a September call-up. It’s by no means an ego or an arrogance thing. I’m just very confident in myself. And I think I have a window of opportunity here. I know God’s blessed me with the ability to do what I can do. I’m not rushing anything. But I know I can help the Blue Jays right now. And we can go a long ways together.”
The Woods Richardson caravan retraced its path to the west side of the state, where a high-A debut was still the plan, only in a different uniform. Emotions were elevated. Woods Richardson swung from the excitement of a promotion to the ego-puncture of being traded. Did the Mets not think as highly of him as he’d thought? Why did they promote him if they didn’t even want him? Sitting in the RV’s passenger seat next to his reassuring mother, Wendy, who was reminding him baseball’s a business and these things happen, Woods Richardson scrolled through his contacts looking for someone to call, someone who understood, and landed on his old travel ball coach, the 14-year MLB veteran Adam Dunn. “Dude, one time I got traded for a bucket of balls,” Dunn told him. “You got traded for Marcus Stroman.”
It‘s the perspective Blue Jays fans needed to hear at that moment as well. When the organization’s front office moved Stroman a year-and-a-half before he’d hit free agency — trading an all-star, a staff ace, the best pitcher the organization had drafted and developed since Roy Halladay — it did not do so thoughtlessly. It did not, as was widely suggested at the time, trade Stroman for a pittance. It did not trade him for a bucket of balls. It traded him for one young pitcher who could impact its major-league roster in the near-term, bespectacled left-hander Anthony Kay, and another really young pitcher who could impact the major-league roster a lot sooner than many assumed. The latter was a supremely confident, athletically gifted, ferociously competitive 18-year-old the organization had targeted in the 2018 draft before the Mets surprised everyone and took him four picks prior to Toronto’s selection; a relatively unknown right-hander who wasn’t considered a top-100 MLB prospect at the time — a particular point of disdain for aggrieved fans watching another popular player leave town — but who many in Toronto’s baseball operations department believed was significantly undervalued and would soon feature on those subjective industry rankings.
Lo and behold, today Woods Richardson is on top-100 lists for a second year running. With Nate Pearson a big-leaguer, he’s the top pitching prospect in a rising organization with sooner-rather-than-later intentions of graduating effective young arms to its major-league roster and contending for championships. And after spending his 2020 at Toronto’s alternate training site, pitching to advanced hitters and learning from high-level coaches, Woods Richardson enters this season with an opportunity to earn his MLB debut before his 21st birthday in September. That would make him one of the youngest players in MLB — not that unusual for a poised, polished talent who’s been the youngest player on every team he’s played on and just about every league he’s played in. It would be an uncommonly rapid rise from high schooler to major-leaguer — not that anything in his life, from his physical growth to his maturity to his command of four above-average MLB pitches, has come slowly. It would be an accelerated ascent — not that it would be fast enough for Simeon Woods Richardson.
“Going into camp, I plan to make a statement — I plan on breaking with the Jays this year” Woods Richardson says. “It’s one of my goals. If not, then I guess it’s a September call-up. It’s by no means an ego or an arrogance thing. I’m just very confident in myself. And I think I have a window of opportunity here. I know God’s blessed me with the ability to do what I can do. I’m not rushing anything. But I know I can help the Blue Jays right now. And we can go a long ways together.”
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
And that's before we find out this is another Fausto Carmona/Miguel Tejada/Leo Nunez situation and Valera's name is actually Julio Salazar and he's 34.
BlueForever75
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Thank you for correction I dont know whom I was thinking about. My bad. Either way I still think Panik makes the team first due to his familiarity with Montoyo and team. If Valera does make the team it would be as a replacement for Espinola if anyone on the bench.
Plays SS and 2B, which means you can probably play him at 3B in a crunch. His bat played well in the minors and could become someone off the bench with his ability to hit from both sides of the plate. His base-running from all reports point to it being above average but not really a threat to steal a bag. But does possess speed.
If they are looking to have 2 players on the bench that can spell the infield from time to time. Both Panik and one of Espinola/Valera will make it. If they are looking for only one bench piece as such then it would be Panik. He can play the OF in a pinch as well if needed.
Only way Valera makes the team is him having a better spring then Espinola.
*Espinal
Beyond the obvious guys who will be on the roster (barring a trade in the next couple weeks, obviously) I don't expect positional need to be much of a consideration. You've got five guys who can play the OF (Springer, Gurriel, Teoscar, Grichuk, Biggio) including at least two who can play CF (Springer, Grichuk), you've got a backup SS (Semien), multiple non-ideal guys who can probably kinda play 3B (Vlad, Biggio, Semien, Gurriel apparently, though ugh)... there just aren't a lot of obvious needs.
Panik being on the team and getting way too many PA feels like a given at this point. I assume Davis gets the last spot because he's out of options and at least gives them a great defensive replacement for the OF. Then you keep the depth by having Palacios, Espinal, etc. in the minors and don't lose any out-of-options guys.
Canada4Gold
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phillipmike
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SDig14
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phillipmike
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TheMadHatTrick
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Knowing the Dodgers they'll alter his launch angle and turn him into Justin Turner. 
Have position players reported to minor league camp yet? I really hope Ryan Noda didn't attend our minor league camp for like 2 days and now has to quarantine before joining the Dodgers who are across the country.
Gotta feel for the minor leaguers.
Gotta feel for the minor leaguers.
Same here. Noda isn't a good defensive fielder, has good power, and walks a lot. However, I have read and heard that he walks a lot because he took a lot of pitches. Because minor league pitchers don't have the greatest control, that's why his walk rate was so high. As he faces better pitchers with better control his walk rate will drop.
I am still a little bummed they gave up Williams. Hopefully, Stripling does well.
Who are you gonna believe, a bunch of professional nerds running a well-known baseball site or... one random nerd posting about baseball on a hockey message board?
I kinda like him, feel like he might have another gear, but good value if Stripling returns to pre-2020 form.
supermann_98
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Should be interesting to see if him or Manoah are promoted first, nice little internal competition and hoping they both do well
The Nemesis
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phillipmike
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Why does this name ring a bell? I feel like people were talking about him a lot before the 2019 Rule 5 draft.
phillipmike
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I was very happy to acquire Stripling. I wanted him when he was rumored to be traded to the Angels.
I like Stripling a lot, but only if he is used as a starter. I didn’t like trading Williams either and it’s worse if we are going to use Stripling out of the pen.
If there is someone that can turn Noda into something, it’s the Dodgers but Noda is about to turn 25 and hasn’t played above A ball, I’m not too concerned.
weems
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Canada4Gold
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Haha, well normally I'd believe Fangraphs but there's been a handful of mentions here over the offseason about Davis being out of options, and I think I recall Fangraphs being wrong on number of options before. Was curious if you had info from another website or not.
Assuming he was added to the 40 man right before recall, he has 1 left.
He was recalled in 2018 and optioned in 2019 and 2020
He was recalled in 2018 and optioned in 2019 and 2020
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