2012 Toronto Blue Jays Thread
- Thread starter Darryl
- Start date
GhostofPotvin29
New member
Really excited about the future for this guy:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/blue-jays-buzzing-about-young-cuban-hechavarria/article2359554/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/blue-jays-buzzing-about-young-cuban-hechavarria/article2359554/
Corn Flake
New member
Hoping some of the more experienced young guys like Snider and Cecil can take the next step now that it seems they are taking their careers more seriously after a tough 2011 season.
Cecil sounds like he's a new man now that he's taking his conditioning seriously, and Snider at least sounds like maybe, just maaaybe he's matured enough to pull it together this year. I don't hold out a lot of hope for the latter, but you never know.
Cecil sounds like he's a new man now that he's taking his conditioning seriously, and Snider at least sounds like maybe, just maaaybe he's matured enough to pull it together this year. I don't hold out a lot of hope for the latter, but you never know.
L K
Well-known member
Corn Flake said:
I don't know what will happen, but it would be pretty nice to have an outfield bench that had Snider/Thames and Davis on it. That would actually give them some depth. Snider can play the odd game in RF and is way better defensively in LF. If he finds a way to put together his offensive game, even if he was at first just getting rest days at DH/LF/RF and then getting the odd late-game defensive sub, that would be a nice addition that wouldn't hurt the team in close games that go to extra innings.
As much as I am disappointed that AA didn't find a way to add a starting pitcher, the confidence from the team early on is really encouraging. I can't remember the last time the team felt this assertive. That is only going to help. All three games so far, the guys who are going to be on the roster have looked pretty good. The pitching staff held a pretty solid Tiger's lineup at bay yesterday until the AAAA/AAA relievers came into the game late and gave up 3 runs in the 8th-9th.
Corn Flake said:
It is crazy how close they're to the playoffs.
They were 10 games shy of the wild card, 9 of the second wild card.
We have improved the bullpen considerably...
We have numerous questions marks in the following:
Lind, Morrow, Cecil, Drabek, Alvarez, Ramus, Snider, Thames, Johnson, Arencibia, McGowan...
We just need a few of these guys to build on last year. If Morrow and Lind just become consistent (and no injuries to our studs)...this team will be right there fighting for the a playoff spot at the end of the year.
Too bad the negative reaction to the lack of big name signings at the end of the year. This season has the potential to be a really exciting season. We have a great deal of young players with enourmas potential with another group creeping up towards the big leagues (Hech, Hutch, Deck, Gose)...the competition on this team for roster spots is heating up.
Kin
Active member
L K said:
I think it's fairly unlikely that all three guys make the team. They're almost certainly going to find room for Ben Francisco and the likelihood of carrying 5 outfielders seems pretty slim.
It's going to be a very tough AL this year. The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays are all good and outside of the division the Rangers and Angels look stacked. I'd say going into the season that the Jays are probably the 7th or 8th best team in the league. It's tough to see them going anywhere in particular with only two dependable starters. Even then, most of the projection systems I've seen have Morrow improving a little and Romero coming back to earth a bit(which is borne out by their xFIP) so it may be rough times ahead starting pitching wise.
GhostofPotvin29
New member
Read a story that Burnett set up a $20,000 fund for McCutchen's kid in return for his number in Pittsburgh. I know players always pay for numbers like that, but usually I thought it was something like a watch. Just seemed like a really nice thing to do.
bustaheims
Well-known member
Not that it means anything at all, but, the right now, the Jays have the 2nd best winning percentage in Spring Training, so, yay?
leafs_fan89
New member
i can't wait till the real season begins soon.
maplesyrup
New member
Yeah, me too. I'm certainly more optimistic this year. Last year I predicted 77 wins.
Kin
Active member
I'll say one thing for the Jays this year, I'm pretty excited about them at just about every position. From the guys I'm pretty confident will be good(Bautista, Escobar) to the guys who I'm excited about seeing on a full time basis(Rasmus, Johnson) and the guys I'm hoping can build on strong rookie years(JP, Lawrie). Even the battle for LF and E5 as a full time DH has some promise. Really the only full time guy in the line-up who doesn't interest me is Lind.
It's not like last year, anyway, where Davis, Patterson and Nix were getting regular PT which was a pretty glum state of affairs.
It's not like last year, anyway, where Davis, Patterson and Nix were getting regular PT which was a pretty glum state of affairs.
Kin
Active member
L K said:
I don't see why that would happen. I mean, for starters, it's a bit of a leap that because Vizquel is a talented fielder he's going to be a good coach. The team has infield coaches throughout the organization. If Vizquel is on the team he's going to be worrying about his own game. He may be a great mentor and he may not but I don't know that'd be a reason to have two roster spots being taken up by light hitting middle infielders.
And more to the point, most reports I've heard say that there's very little doubt about Hecchevarria's glove. What's going to determine whether he's an everyday player or a bench guy is his bat. I think he'll be better served in that sense being in the minors and getting at-bats than being in the bigs on the bench.
I mean, unless you're talking about Vizquel teaching him how to bunt it seems like a misfire.
L K said:
I'd hate it if it happened to Snider but again the issue there is one of at-bats. If Thames or Snider are going to be playing every day do you really wanting the other one as the team's 5th outfielder instead of playing every day in Vegas?
L K
Well-known member
Saint Nik said:
McDonald always praised Vizquel for showing him the ropes of how to play defense at the MLB level. Even if Vizquel can't teach him how to be a great overall player, helping him out with the nuances of the defensive side (I know his potential is to already be good defensively) aren't going to hurt. I wasn't thinking so much of him sitting on the bench, but getting some time at SS and 2B in the fall, but perhaps prior to September.
As for Snider/Thames going to Las Vegas, I'm of the opinion that playing in that league isn't all that helpful and I would rather see the loser of the starting job be a utility fielder at LF/RF (well not Thames there but Snider could play the odd game there), 1B and DH. I think you could easily (assuming production) give both guys 300+ at bats, and at this point for Snider I think that is more valuable than continuing to play him in the minors.
Kin
Active member
L K said:
The issue there is that, ideally, the Jays have guys at SS and 2B that, ideally, will be getting 550 AB's each.
Now, the way I hear it described Hecchevarria isn't being praised for potentially being a good defensive player but rather that he is, right now, major league ready defensively. The thing that should be dictating where Hecchevarria plays is where he's going to develop into a guy who can hit enough to stay in the line-up.
L K said:
I don't necessarily disagree with the exception that assuming production neither guy is going to lose AB's to Ben Francisco anyway. The question is then if you think that the team should be giving 300 AB's to guys who aren't producing.
maplesyrup
New member
In addition to the Escobar/Hech thing, I'm most interested in the d'Arnaud/JPA thing playing out which I believe could happen first. By most accounts d'Arnaud is close to ready and at some point this year, will be MLB player. Does one on the two get moved or, does d'Arnaud bump JPA who in turn, bumps Lind? I was reading a short while ago that one school of thought would be to convert JPA in to out own version of Napoli (C/1B.) I'm really hoping for JPA's bat to continue to develop so that option could present itself.
Peter D.
Moderator
Sarge said:
I know you have to put the best interests of the team first, but does Arencibia's love for the team and the city at all impact what to do with him? He'd be a good chip to use to improve the ballclub at another position. But he has really embraced being a Blue Jay and Torontonian, not to mention building a solid relationship with Lawrie, and I wonder if that would have a negative impact if he were dealt.
If the transition for him to first base can be relatively seamless and Lind just sputters along, I think it's something that could/should be seriously considered.
maplesyrup
New member
Peter D. said:
Firstly, sorry for the bad grammar there... I fixed some of it. Secondly, I think JPA is a guy you need to keep with the team as it grows in part for the reasons you've outlined. Romero, JPA, Lawrie... this whole #teamunit thing. It's exactly why you slide JPA to 1st as opposed to moving him I think... Unless of course, AA gets blown away with an offer.