I have a feeling the Charlie Montoya ordeal had a traumatizing effect on the front office; much more than what we've read about. The lack of accountability and maturity he might have failed at fostering, and the aftermath of that and the decision to fire him, likely caused the front office dire pressure. Are most of the moves this offseason a result of that and might such a directional change be the right one?
With the jays sacrificing offence for run prevention, have they essentially “stolen from Peter to pay Paul”? Or, does our new outfield provide more value than just defence to give the jays a better shot at winning in 2023?
Do you know if the current playing surface is THAT much worse on knees than grass? Or is it just previous iterations of astroturf that gave the carpet a bad name?
I really like the potential of KK in centre but have cold sweats about how likely it might be that he dives for a ball and shatters into a million pieces.
I wonder if throwing down an extra foot of rubber could mitigate any such issues or if it’s a Princess and Pea scenario.
In your last article you mentioned that Chapman is seen as an ideal Jays player by the front office. What do you think an extension looks like? Before this winter I was thinking 4*25, but after the off-season splurge, could it be 5*30? I think the defense will age reasonably well but what about the bat? He has great recognition but strikes out in the zone a lot. Is it likely that he struggles to catch up to heat more as he gets older? I mean that happens to everyone, but could it be to a level that is a significant concern in years 3-5?
Do the Jays (or the industry in general) struggle to properly evaluate defensive ability in the minors? The first case that comes to mind is Kevin Pillar. He was labelled a bat-first corner outfielder who can maybe cover CF every now and then, but showed himself to be a legitimate defensive stud in CF pretty much immediately once he was given the opportunity to play.
Second case is Danny Jansen, also being labelled a bat-first catcher but became a Gold Glove nominee in his first full season (and definitely not a bullshit nomination due to stellar offensive performance).
I can fully understand a young player struggling offensively and not living up to hyped expectations, the pitchers they face in the bigs are the best they’ve ever seen. But I find it odd that defensive standouts can appear seemingly out of nowhere and catch us off guard. What do you think?
Maybe a pointless thought here, but when I saw the Swanson contract with the Cubs I to wondering if there could have been merit in signing him and trading Bo. Again a moot issue, since he’s signed away, but it was a seven year at a decent AAV. He’s a know commodity with a solid floor and can be relied on for his defence. Then Bo could be flipped for another type of impact player with term. Would this have been worth considering? I imagine Bo has great value on the trade market and it would lock up a key position for the near and long term, since they haven’t signed Bichette yet. I’ll hang up and listen to your response (which I suspect will be rightfully putting this idea down).
What part of the reno has you the most excited? Love that they're finally really fixing up the experience more than just where you eat and drink and buy things.
Happy New Year! Historically (at least in the Shapiro-Atkins era) how many non-roster invitees do the Jays bring into Spring Training each year? And how many MLB-vet-on-minor-league-deals are typically brought in? As teams are starting to finalize their 40-mans, it seems like there are some could-be useful guys still looking for homes.
Hey there. It seems that most of the roster is set now given the latest word from Atkins. Given that implies Kikuchi is definitely going to be getting a long leash, at least initially, how likely do you think he can harness all that clearly visible talent into a serviceable performance as a starting pitcher this year? And similarly for Berrios, though his track record suggests the question is less uncertain. It was unsaid, but I assume the OF defensive upgrades play a big part in that equation?
Hi Andrew! With rumblings around Johnny Cueto and the potential July return of Hyun Jin-Ryu, how aggressive could you see the Blue Jays being with Ricky Tiedemann? In my mind I could see him having a Manoah like end to his minor league career, a longer look at AA before a few starts at AAA and then arriving in the majors sometime during the 2023 season. How could he figure into the rotation questions that may remain?
Yea or nay on these six candidates for the Level of Excellence:
José Bautista (one of two or three plausible candidates as the team’s greatest position player; see the name of this newsletter)
John Gibbons (1582 games managed, 793 wins, both second only to Cito; 53 ejections, nearly double Cito’s second-place 27)
Jerry Howarth (36 seasons as the voice of the Jays is a long time, and he refused to use either Atlanta’s or Cleveland’s team names for the last 25 of them)
Jimmy Key (third in pitcher rWAR and fWAR behind Stieb and Doc, tied with Stieb for third in ERA and first among starters, fourth in wins, second in WHIP and first among starters, fourth in innings pitched, fourth in starts, fourth in shutouts)
John Albert “Buck” Martinez (got traded to the Jays in 1981 and with the exception of a few years doing TV in Baltimore, never left; played, managed and broadcasts; lowkey arguably the face of the franchise)
Vernon Wells (fifth in position-player rWAR and fWAR, third in games played by a position player, first in at-bats, second in plate appearances, third in runs, second in hits, second in total bases, second in doubles, fourth in home runs, second in RBI, second in singles, second in extra-base hits)
Am I missing anyone? (There’s probably an argument for any of Barfield, Clancy, Edwin, Henke or Hentgen)
Thanks for all your good work—I’ve been reading since the blogspot days, and I’m glad you’re still out there writing about the Jays.
Hi Andrew I was wondering if you can see any movement by the Jays to extend either Vladdy or Bo or both this year. My concern is if they don't do it now the players will start wondering about whether they would be best to wait for free agency which in my opinion would be a disaster.
I have a feeling the Charlie Montoya ordeal had a traumatizing effect on the front office; much more than what we've read about. The lack of accountability and maturity he might have failed at fostering, and the aftermath of that and the decision to fire him, likely caused the front office dire pressure. Are most of the moves this offseason a result of that and might such a directional change be the right one?
With the jays sacrificing offence for run prevention, have they essentially “stolen from Peter to pay Paul”? Or, does our new outfield provide more value than just defence to give the jays a better shot at winning in 2023?
Hey Stoeten - so glad for this 2023 mailbag!
Do you know if the current playing surface is THAT much worse on knees than grass? Or is it just previous iterations of astroturf that gave the carpet a bad name?
I really like the potential of KK in centre but have cold sweats about how likely it might be that he dives for a ball and shatters into a million pieces.
I wonder if throwing down an extra foot of rubber could mitigate any such issues or if it’s a Princess and Pea scenario.
Hey Stoeten
In your last article you mentioned that Chapman is seen as an ideal Jays player by the front office. What do you think an extension looks like? Before this winter I was thinking 4*25, but after the off-season splurge, could it be 5*30? I think the defense will age reasonably well but what about the bat? He has great recognition but strikes out in the zone a lot. Is it likely that he struggles to catch up to heat more as he gets older? I mean that happens to everyone, but could it be to a level that is a significant concern in years 3-5?
Hey Stoeten, Happy New Year!
Do the Jays (or the industry in general) struggle to properly evaluate defensive ability in the minors? The first case that comes to mind is Kevin Pillar. He was labelled a bat-first corner outfielder who can maybe cover CF every now and then, but showed himself to be a legitimate defensive stud in CF pretty much immediately once he was given the opportunity to play.
Second case is Danny Jansen, also being labelled a bat-first catcher but became a Gold Glove nominee in his first full season (and definitely not a bullshit nomination due to stellar offensive performance).
I can fully understand a young player struggling offensively and not living up to hyped expectations, the pitchers they face in the bigs are the best they’ve ever seen. But I find it odd that defensive standouts can appear seemingly out of nowhere and catch us off guard. What do you think?
Maybe a pointless thought here, but when I saw the Swanson contract with the Cubs I to wondering if there could have been merit in signing him and trading Bo. Again a moot issue, since he’s signed away, but it was a seven year at a decent AAV. He’s a know commodity with a solid floor and can be relied on for his defence. Then Bo could be flipped for another type of impact player with term. Would this have been worth considering? I imagine Bo has great value on the trade market and it would lock up a key position for the near and long term, since they haven’t signed Bichette yet. I’ll hang up and listen to your response (which I suspect will be rightfully putting this idea down).
Cheers, Landon
Do you think we will hear less about teams not trading within the division now that the schedule is balanced?
I have no questions. What will be will be. This is my new mantra.
What part of the reno has you the most excited? Love that they're finally really fixing up the experience more than just where you eat and drink and buy things.
Happy New Year Andrew, a new subscriber here.
I have a question about Ricky Tiedemann:
Do you think he is untouchable in a trade scenario or could he be added in the right transaction?
Happy New Year! Historically (at least in the Shapiro-Atkins era) how many non-roster invitees do the Jays bring into Spring Training each year? And how many MLB-vet-on-minor-league-deals are typically brought in? As teams are starting to finalize their 40-mans, it seems like there are some could-be useful guys still looking for homes.
Hey there. It seems that most of the roster is set now given the latest word from Atkins. Given that implies Kikuchi is definitely going to be getting a long leash, at least initially, how likely do you think he can harness all that clearly visible talent into a serviceable performance as a starting pitcher this year? And similarly for Berrios, though his track record suggests the question is less uncertain. It was unsaid, but I assume the OF defensive upgrades play a big part in that equation?
Hi Andrew! With rumblings around Johnny Cueto and the potential July return of Hyun Jin-Ryu, how aggressive could you see the Blue Jays being with Ricky Tiedemann? In my mind I could see him having a Manoah like end to his minor league career, a longer look at AA before a few starts at AAA and then arriving in the majors sometime during the 2023 season. How could he figure into the rotation questions that may remain?
Yea or nay on these six candidates for the Level of Excellence:
José Bautista (one of two or three plausible candidates as the team’s greatest position player; see the name of this newsletter)
John Gibbons (1582 games managed, 793 wins, both second only to Cito; 53 ejections, nearly double Cito’s second-place 27)
Jerry Howarth (36 seasons as the voice of the Jays is a long time, and he refused to use either Atlanta’s or Cleveland’s team names for the last 25 of them)
Jimmy Key (third in pitcher rWAR and fWAR behind Stieb and Doc, tied with Stieb for third in ERA and first among starters, fourth in wins, second in WHIP and first among starters, fourth in innings pitched, fourth in starts, fourth in shutouts)
John Albert “Buck” Martinez (got traded to the Jays in 1981 and with the exception of a few years doing TV in Baltimore, never left; played, managed and broadcasts; lowkey arguably the face of the franchise)
Vernon Wells (fifth in position-player rWAR and fWAR, third in games played by a position player, first in at-bats, second in plate appearances, third in runs, second in hits, second in total bases, second in doubles, fourth in home runs, second in RBI, second in singles, second in extra-base hits)
Am I missing anyone? (There’s probably an argument for any of Barfield, Clancy, Edwin, Henke or Hentgen)
Thanks for all your good work—I’ve been reading since the blogspot days, and I’m glad you’re still out there writing about the Jays.
Hi Andrew. New subscriber here. This question is about you and your career/experience covering the Blue Jays.
I am curious how often you get to watch the Jays live at the Rogers Centre throughout the season as I believe you live outside the GTA?
When you do attend the games in person, do you have a press pass/special media access, etc., or are you in the stands on your own dime?
I am interested in learning about how your access to the team has changed throughout your career pre- and post- The Athletic career.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Andrew I was wondering if you can see any movement by the Jays to extend either Vladdy or Bo or both this year. My concern is if they don't do it now the players will start wondering about whether they would be best to wait for free agency which in my opinion would be a disaster.