Blue Jays 23/24 Offseason Thread

[Mr Swagtastic]

What is the percentage that Toronto is in the mix for Yamamoto? I seen a few articles that say Toronto is on the short list but have Boston, Yankees and The Dodgers as the betting favorites

[Raider917]

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it's been 30 years today...thats too long of a drought

[SharoneWright]

I'd look into Trevor Bauer. He's 100% innocent. Would Rogers risk it for the principle of it or for winning games?? No.

[polo007]

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[Mehar]

I'd look into Trevor Bauer. He's 100% innocent. Would Rogers risk it for the principle of it or for winning games?? No.

I would sign him, after his side of the story with the text messages he presented came out. For an one year deal, he would be a good option. However, the Jays would never risk the bad PR.

[polo007]

MLB playoffs 2023: Offseason questions for eliminated teams - ESPN

Toronto Blue Jays

Eliminated by: Minnesota Twins in AL wild-card round

Key free agents: 3B Matt Chapman, CF Kevin Kiermaier, DH Brandon Belt, LHP Hyun-jin Ryu, LF/2B Whit Merrifield ($18 million mutual option)

Biggest offseason priority: After finishing eighth in the AL in runs, the Blue Jays will not only have to figure out how to score more runs in 2024 but also reconfigure their entire lineup with several key position-player free agents. Chapman didn't do much damage after hitting .384 in April (he hit .202 or worse in four of the next five months), Merrifield's option is too high to pick up, and if the Jays let Kiermaier walk, they can slide Daulton Varsho to center on a full-time basis. Toronto scored 100 fewer runs than it did in 2021, and getting that year's version of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back will help -- but that's hardly the only solution.

Under-the-radar priority to watch: How will the Blue Jays pour money back into the roster? Chapman, Ryu, Belt and Kiermaier made a combined $50.8 million in 2023. Some of that will go to in-house raises (Bo Bichette's salary will go up nearly $8 million), and there is still some flexibility to add some firepower, either in free agency (which is somewhat limited) or in trade. Indeed, they might have to consider trading from their rotation depth for position player help. But after running a payroll $50 million-$60 million higher than 2022 and not getting any better results for it, maybe ownership balks at matching 2023's club-record payroll.

Can the Blue Jays count on Alek Manoah for 2024? The rotation was excellent even as the 2022 All-Star and 2023 Opening Day starter cratered to a 5.87 ERA, but the Jays probably shouldn't count on getting 31-plus starts again from Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi. If Manoah can re-find himself and if prospect Ricky Tiedemann is ready, the Jays can once again have one of the best rotations in the majors.

Offseason prediction: I think they'll try to re-sign Belt -- he had a productive year at DH -- but Chapman's fade probably means they let him walk, even though there isn't a clear solution in free agency. The most intriguing scenario would be to trade a starting pitcher, but that would put a lot of faith in Manoah that he probably won't be able to earn until the Jays see him in spring training.

[ItsDanger]

Got to gamble on Orelvis Martinez being close to a Teoscar Hernandez type bat.

[s e n s i]

acknowledging the idiocy of this clown is a step in the right direction

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[bluerap23]

Whit Merrifield option declined.

[Cyrus]

acknowledging the idiocy of this clown is a step in the right direction

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He's just be re-assigned? So he can corrupt our minor leaguers? lol... What about Guillmoro, he's still there?

[Michael Bradley]

Guillermo was there in 2021 and 2022 when the Jays had a top 5 offense and weren’t hitting everything the other way. I suspect someone they brought in specifically in 2023 was the culprit. Possibly someone who should get rid of their sideburns.

[s e n s i]

Guillermo was there in 2021 and 2022 when the Jays had a top 5 offense and weren’t hitting everything the other way. I suspect someone they brought in specifically in 2023 was the culprit. Possibly someone who should get rid of their sideburns.

think you're spot on here. mattingly asserting that the team wasn't built to hit for power or that they don't have the personnel to play that way (paraphrasing) halfway through the season was all we needed to hear to confirm the approach he probably preached to the players.

[polo007]

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[Mehar]

If I were the Jays front office, I would consider bringing back Gurriel in Left Field, and Teoscar Hernandez as DH. Would not be my first choices, but given how this free agent class is not very deep, it is worth exploring. Arizona's payroll limitations means they will let Gurriel walk. Gurriel will have a lot of suitors in free agency. He had a good post-season overall, along with a fine offensive regular season that saw him as an All-star in the first half (24 homers, 82 RBI's, .772 OPS) and played well defensively (14 defensive runs saved in LF, which was the best in the National League). For 12/13 million a year on a two or 3 year deal at most, I think that would be a good move. Same with Teoscar Hernandez on a 3 year deal, at 50 million or so. Seattle also has payroll limitations, and will let Teoscar walk. Hernandez was one of the best hitters in baseball for nearly 6 weeks. He really had one bad month overall, and his 26 homers, 93 RBI would be a welcome addition to the lineup. Obviously if the bidding gets crazy (4 or 5 years and higher than expected yearly salary offers), I will pass on both guys. But for a 2-3 year commitment, I would make a push to bring both guys back.

[CPT]

What is the percentage that Toronto is in the mix for Yamamoto? I seen a few articles that say Toronto is on the short list but have Boston, Yankees and The Dodgers as the betting favorites

Odds are low, but the Jays should go after him hard.

[polo007]

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[Randle McMurphy]

I know nobody here cares about non-Moreno events anymore, but I find giving Chad Green 20M+ over 2 years odd.

[polo007]

How will Blue Jays handle Monday deadline for Chapman, other free agents? - Sportsnet.ca

To start with the obvious, the Blue Jays are likely to make Chapman a one-year qualifying offer valued at approximately $20.325 million by Monday’s deadline. He’ll then have a week to accept or decline, but in a weak market for position players it’ll likely be an easy decision to decline.

Even if Chapman were to accept, that’d be good value for a four-time Gold Glove winner with a lifetime OPS+ of 117 who’s entering his age-31 season. But he’s far more likely to decline, setting the Blue Jays up for draft-pick compensation in 2024.

As for the Blue Jays’ other free agents, Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier, Whit Merrifield, Jordan Hicks and Hyun Jin Ryu aren’t considered candidates for the QO and the accompanying salary. But after MLB’s quiet period ends Monday, all are free to sign with any team.

Having already declined Merrifield’s 2024 option, the Blue Jays exercised their two-year conditional club option on reliever Chad Green.

It's a strong indication that they believe strongly in Green, who returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 5.25 ERA with 16 strikeouts compared to four walks in 12 innings this past summer.

But the average annual values on the options available to the Blue Jays are rather high, and the Blue Jays likely need three to five position players this winter, as well as pitching depth. Exercising the club options would suggest that Toronto is able to spend relatively freely this winter.

Green has proven year after year that he’s a valuable big league reliever. With a lifetime ERA of 3.23 and strikeout rate of 32.4 per cent, he would have been in demand if he hit free agency.

Starting Monday, those off-season decisions begin in earnest.

[polo007]

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[LBJKB24MJ23]

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/blue-jays-acquire-left-handed-pitcher-brendon-little-from-cubs-for-cash-223852964.html