Blue Jays Discussion: We're back, baby. Blue Jays clinch 2020 playoff spot

[Discoverer]

Tatis' start to the season was basically prime Babe Ruth playing SS so you had to think it wouldn't last at that level, but he's still been worth 6.5 WAR in his first 140 MLB games. Acuna has been worth 2 WAR in 43 games this season - basically a 7.5 WAR seasonal pace.

This has been a sport in the last decade where elite prospects have come in and dominated quickly at a young age - Trout, Harper, Machado, Bryant in the wave before this as well. I don't think that it was unfair to expect that Guerrero would walk in and be a 5 WAR All-Star type asset at this stage, given that that seems to be par for the course for a player with his billing. That he's plugging along at 1.7 WAR through 180 career games and 0.2 WAR this year as a 1B/DH is pretty disappointing relative to those expectations.

Thankfully Bichette has come in and actually performed at that level.

Those are all fair reasons to be disappointed in Vlad, but... is there anyone who isn't disappointed so far? I don't think there's any counter argument to that. For me, the issue is people thinking that what we've seen so far means he's not going to be a superstar anymore. The list of major league stars who weren't stars at right away at 20-21 is far, far longer than the handful of guys who were. Even looking at the names you brought up, Bryant was 23 by the time he made his major league debut and Machado was a great defender, but he was an average or slightly better hitter (like Vlad) through his first three years in the league.

As a hitter, Vlad has always been better than... everyone. As a prospect, he was as close to a perfect hitter as you could imagine. Now he suddenly has a flaw that's holding him back, and he's struggling to adjust. I'm still confident he will, and he'll be one of the absolutely elite offensive players in the league.

 

[phillipmike]

The funny thing is just 2 days ago they auctioned off a Zoom call with Pat Hentgen for charity. That might be awkward now.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

Font dfa’d. Thank god

 

[Da Cool Rula]

Whoa. Whoa. Slow down a little bit.

It's not like he's Panik or anything.

Man you are LEGIT!!!!

 

[Da Cool Rula]

Those are all fair reasons to be disappointed in Vlad, but... is there anyone who isn't disappointed so far? I don't think there's any counter argument to that. For me, the issue is people thinking that what we've seen so far means he's not going to be a superstar anymore. The list of major league stars who weren't stars at right away at 20-21 is far, far longer than the handful of guys who were. Even looking at the names you brought up, Bryant was 23 by the time he made his major league debut and Machado was a great defender, but he was an average or slightly better hitter (like Vlad) through his first three years in the league.

As a hitter, Vlad has always been better than... everyone. As a prospect, he was as close to a perfect hitter as you could imagine. Now he suddenly has a flaw that's holding him back, and he's struggling to adjust. I'm still confident he will, and he'll be one of the absolutely elite offensive players in the league.

Wow nice counter.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

So what's the payroll plan going forward? Do we keep the kids on their pre arb salaries as long as possible while adding free agents like Ryu to complete the roster, or do we try to lock up as many of them to early deals to buy out FA years like the White Sox and Braves?

I would immediately approach Kirk and try to offer him guaranteed money to buy some FA years. He didn't get paid much as a prospect so he may be motivated to get security for his family, and may bite on a Brandon Lowe type of sweetheart deal for us.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

So what's the payroll plan going forward? Do we keep the kids on their pre arb salaries as long as possible while adding free agents like Ryu to complete the roster, or do we try to lock up as many of them to early deals to buy out FA years like the White Sox and Braves?

I would immediately approach Kirk and try to offer him guaranteed money to buy some FA years. He didn't get paid much as a prospect so he may be motivated to get security for his family, and may bite on a Brandon Lowe type of sweetheart deal for us.

Of all of the guys I’d want to lock up, Kirk has to be further down the list. I’d like to see him over a whole season, cause the league will adjust to his weaknesses

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Of all of the guys I’d want to lock up, Kirk has to be further down the list. I’d like to see him over a whole season, cause the league will adjust to his weaknesses

Why? He's the most likely of our guys to want to sign and will likely cost the least. I don't see the legacies having any pressure to sign given their rich families. If you wait for him to breakout, the price goes up. It's a risk, like buying stock, except in this case you can affect the actual stock value of the stock through development. You trust your pro scouts and evaluators to project and you save a ton of money.

 

[downer ending]

congrats to the blue birds

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

Alright mods - now we really need a new thread title for our playoff team!

 

[Clark4Ever]

Yeah baby!!!

Love this team.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

Why? He's the most likely of our guys to want to sign and will likely cost the least. I don't see the legacies having any pressure to sign given their rich families. If you wait for him to breakout, the price goes up. It's a risk, like buying stock, except in this case you can affect the actual stock value of the stock through development. You trust your pro scouts and evaluators to project and you save a ton of money.

So you’re prepared to drop six or seven years on Kirk? Unless you’re buying out FA years, the benefits of an early contract are much less.
If he costs a bit more down the road, that means that he’s playing well and that’s good.
There’s no cap, so the need to lock up young talent is much less IMO.

 

[pylon17]

So we play Yanks game 1 Thurs?

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

So we play Yanks game 1 Thurs?

Rays

 

[downer ending]

I love SportsNet's marketing of this team

"Hey... it could happen. Maybe!!!"

 

[A1LeafNation]

Jay's make playoffs but Leafs don't.

Happy for them. No excuses for the Leafs not to make the playoffs.

 

[Clark4Ever]

The first time we clinched a playoff spot in franchise history in 1985, it was also against the Yankees. We had a great young emerging core back then as well. Tonight is the start of something special for this team for years to come.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

So the starters are already lined up, that means that they can really push hard against the O’s. There’s still an outside shot that they can catch the yanks again. Might as well shoot the moon!

 

[Amadeus]

Caleb Joseph ... Wow!!

 

[The Nemesis]

So we play Yanks game 1 Thurs?

Right now it's the Rays.

If I'm reading the standings right, it's fairly unlikely that we reel in Cleveland for 7th or New York for 2nd in the division, or that the A's or White Sox catch up to Tampa for 1st. For the Jays to move up it's going to take sweeping the O's over the weekend while either Cleveland or New York get swept.

So the most likely scenario is that the Jays are headed to Tampa for the best-of-3.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]

 

[Lightsol]

The man in white is in the park operations room turning on an a/c unit to keep the field cool during bottoms of innings and counteract the lights effect.

That way he can also monitor the cameras planted in the cardboard cut-out fans to most effectively steal the Yankees' signs.

Maybe Mother Nature hates the Yankees as much as I do?

 

[Morgs]

No expectations going in at all.

Let's hope this team makes a f***ing dent.

 

[xxOCZMSxx]