Archive for the 'Jays Rumours' Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Should The Blue Jays Trade JP Arencibia?

Published November 26, 2012 Jays Rumours 12 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Let’s get right to the point, Travis d’Arnaud is our catcher of the future and he will eventually be given the reigns from incumbent J.P. Arencibia.  There is no other way around it as d’Arnaud is one of the top rated catching prospects in baseball, if not number one. 

He has been our top prospect for two straight seasons and if not for a knee injury late last season I believe he would’ve been given an extended opportunity to show off his skills in the big leagues.  With that said is this the season to hand over the ever important job of handling a pitching staff to a daisy fresh rookie?

Trade rumours have been swirling around JP Arencibia, who turns 27 this season since he was hitting homeruns in the minor leagues.  There has always been someone seemingly better or ready to push him out the door yet here he is, fresh off another campaign where he hit would have hit 20+ HRs with 400+ PAs.

Let’s glance at his past two seasons to get an idea of what he can contribute:

J.P. Arencibia PA   AVG  OBP  SLG  HR  BB%  K%  wOBA  UZR   WAR 
2011 486 .219 .282 .438 23 7.4 27.4 .311 -11.0 0.8
2012 372 .233 .275 .435 18 4.8 29.0 .304 -1.1 1.3

 While the occasional homerun is nice his plate discipline and on-base skills leave a lot to be desired.  Given the way d’Arnaud has dominated minor league pitching over the past two seasons I am not sure he couldn’t out produce Arencibia almost immediately (in the triple slash line department) besides homeruns. 

Let’s take a look at how Bill James projects his 2013 statistics:

2013 Bill James PA   AVG   OBP  SLG  2B  HR  wOBA  wRC 
J.P. Arencibia 444 .233 .275 .451 24 22 .311 49

 John Gibbons strikes me as a bit old school and I find it unlikely he would hand over a fragile pitching staff to a player with no major league experience but if the Blue Jays get an offer for JP Arencibia that would upgrade the pitching staff I think a platoon of Buck/d’Arnaud could be workable.

The most prominent trade rumours have come out of Texas where the Rangers are looking for a replacement for Mike Napoli (not that he was really a fully fledged catcher) and apparently have had eyes for the powerful bat of Arencibia. 

The stadium in Arlington would be a near perfect fit for a bombs away approach and let’s be honest I don’t see Mr. Arencibia reinventing himself as a patient hitter anytime soon.  He would be a solid addition to almost any club (without a blue chipper waiting in the wings like Toronto) and Texas in particular.

If he were dealt to the Texas Rangers what could the Blue Jays expect or want in return?  I would have to guess that the Jays would be targeting pitching and more specifically a starting pitcher.  The Rangers do have half decent depth there (is there ever enough?) with Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Colby Lewis, Scott Feldman, Martin Perez Alexi Ogando though none of these starters are really top notch or without some risk of injury or regression.

Yu Darvish will definitely not be on the move considering the sizeable investment the Blue Jays Rangers made when they won the bidding process.  He had a pretty solid rookie season (191 IPs, 10.4 K/9, 3.52 xFIP) all things considered and I think he can be better than what he showed in 2012.

Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz are both talented hurlers however both are coming off recent Tommy John surgery and aren’t expected to pitch until late into the upcoming 2013 season. 

I have liked Derek Holland in the past and feel he still has potential to develop into a top of the rotation (#2-3) starting pitcher.  However the Rangers may value him higher than his actual worth and his stats have never seemed to catch up with his perceived ‘stuff’.  Martin Perez is a highly touted prospect who has disappointed over the past couple of seasons. 

Alexi Ogando is a very talented relief pitcher and has had one pretty decent season as a starting pitcher in 2011 however he is not without durability concerns and certainly not a guy I would trade a 500+ PA catcher for.

I guess that leaves Matt Harrison. 

Harrison is coming off another solid season in the Rangers rotation and is a serviceable guy sort of in the Ricky Romero mould.  He won’t dominant or overwhelm opposing batters but he does a nice job keeping the ball in the yard and is a pretty decent southpaw to plug into a rotation.

Let’s look at his past two seasons:

Matt Harrison IP ERA  K/9  BB/9  HR/9  BABIP  xFIP  GB%  WAR 
2011 185.2 3.39 6.1 2.7 0.63 .290 3.85 47.5 4.4
2012 213.1 3.29 5.6 2.5 0.93 .284 4.13 49.0 3.8

 Given their own issues with the starting rotation the Rangers might be hesitant to move anyone who can possibly give meaningful innings, especially one who is relatively consistent like Harrison.  There is currently talk the Rangers are looking to extend Matt Harrison so whether that is posturing or not remains to be seen. 

If this offer were on the table would you accept it if you were Alex Anthopoulos?  I’d have to say yes but again I am not so sure the Texas Rangers can afford to lose a pitcher who has put up over 8 WAR in the past two years.

Would it perhaps be prudent to deal Travis d’Arnaud instead?  It is not likely his value will ever be much higher than after two years atop most top prospect lists.  Considering the hyper-inflated value of young, cost controlled assets this could be a great time to add a really good young arm (i.e. not Matt Harrison).

The thought process behind this is that JPA is basically ‘good enough’ behind the dish for the foreseeable future, has experience handling a staff and the return d’Arnaud would bring back would definitely be higher than what Arencibia would return.

Considering that I am writing this you know there is virtually no chance of this trade coming to fruition.  Has any blogger ever predicted an Alex Anthopoulos transaction?    

What do you guys think?  Will we trade JPA?  Should we trade JPA?  Any (realistic) trade ideas or targets?

Latest On Josh Johnson & Mark Buehrle

Published November 23, 2012 Jays Rumours , Jays Talk Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

Here are some of the latest notes and news on our acquisitions from the Florida Marlins.

Josh Johnson open to contact extension with Blue Jays:

Josh Johnson has yet to throw a pitch for the Blue Jays after being acquired in a 12-player blockbuster earlier this month, but the right-hander is open to remaining with the team beyond 2013. Agent Matt Sosnick told Brendan Kennedy of The Toronto Star they’d be receptive to a new deal to remain in Toronto.

“If there is anyone in the game I’d be receptive to talking to about it it’s (Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos),” said Sosnick. “It hasn’t come up in any of our conversations … (Anthopoulos) hasn’t volunteered it and I haven’t asked him about it. It’s probably something that if he wants to talk about it we’ll talk about it down the road.”

Johnson, 28, will earn $13.75MM next season, the final year on the four-year, $39MM contract he signed with the Marlins prior to 2010. He pitched to a 3.81 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 191 1/3 innings this season, though his fastball velocity dipped and both his strikeout and walk rates declined for a second straight year.

From 2009-2011, Johnson posted a 2.64 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 453 innings across 70 starts. A return to that level of performance with the Blue Jays this year would potentially put Johnson in line for a nine-figure contract as a free agent next offseason, when he will be arguably the best starter on the market.

Mark Buehrle not overly happy with Miami:

Being traded after only one season in Miami isn’t sitting well with Mark Buehrle. The pitcher and his agent fired a parting shot at the Marlins, saying team officials lied to him about his future in South Florida.

“Just like the fans in South Florida, I was lied to on multiple occasions,” the 34-year-old pitcher said Wednesday in a written statement.

Buehrle was one of five players traded by the Marlins to the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I’m upset with how things turned out in Miami,” Buehrle said.

Buehrle signed a four-year, $58 million contract in January. But the Marlins, per team policy, refused to grant him no-trade protection that would have allowed him to veto any deals he didn’t like.  Still, sources said Buehrle was assured by owner Jeffrey Loria that, despite the absence of a no-trade clause, he need not worry. The team had no intention of trading him.

“Throughout the recruiting process, the Marlins made repeated assurances about their long-term commitment to Mark and his family and their long-term commitment to building a tradition of Marlins baseball in the new stadium,” said Buehrle’s agent, Jeff Berry, in a prepared statement

Blue Jays Should Sign Lance Berkman

Published November 19, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours 6 Comments
Tags: ,

MLB trade rumours reports:

The Rays, Astros, Phillies and Red Sox are all in “tire-kicking” mode on Lance Berkman, tweets Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle (hat tip: Alex Speier of WEEI.com).

Until this point, the Astros are the only team that has been largely connected to Berkman this offseason. Astros owner Jim Crane had a “get-acquainted” meeting with Berkman recently, and Big Puma expressed interest in returning to Houston where his career began. In that interview, Berkman said he wanted to be paid like a Major League three-hole hitter, though he’d take a bit of a discount for the Astros.

The Phillies presumably have visions of Berkman seeing some time on the field as a first baseman or outfielder. The same could be said for the Red Sox, who recently re-signed David Ortiz to a two-year contract. The Rays and Astros could both elect to use Berkman as their primary DH, with no concrete incumbent in place for either organization.

Berkman hit .259/.381/.444 in 97 plate appearances for the Cardinals in 2012 but was hobbled by a pair of knee surgeries. He’s a career .296/.409/.544 hitter with 360 homers between the Astros, Yankees and Cardinals.

Yes he’s a bit older and there has been zero indication that Berkman would be interested in heading to Toronto but if I were Alex Anthopoulos I’d be intrigued at the possibility of adding a professional hitter like Lance Berkman.  A switch hitter who would slot perfectly into the DH role currently held by Adam Lind (or Edwin Encarnacion).

He could still play a bit of firstbase and he has proven he can still be productive when healthy.  In 2011 he slashed 301/412/547 with 31 HRs in 587 PAs.  In 2012 he was injured for the majority of the season but still slashed a respectable 259/381/444.

Berkman has patience, can hit for power and again if healthy would add some serious depth to what is already shaping up to be a very solid batting lineup.  If he’s available and wouldn’t mind a one-year deal at a reasonable number he could make the Blue Jays lineup deadly.

If Justin Upton Is Moved, It Won’t Be to Blue Jays

Published November 18, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours 2 Comments
Tags: , ,

As per MLB trade rumours:

There is a 90% chance Justin Upton, one of the most prized trade targets this offseason, will still be with Arizona when Spring Training opens, a Diamondbacks person tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. GM Kevin Towers, however, is still willing to listen to offers for the two-time All-Star.

“Kevin is Kevin. I think there is no one on the roster Kevin wouldn’t have a discussion about, if asked,” said Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick. “I think there’s a very high likelihood Justin will be in our starting outfield when we start the new season.“

The Diamondbacks are looking for a young shortstop and pitching in any trade for Upton.  Sources tells Heyman the four-team list, which has changed after every season, now includes the Mariners and Blue Jays, although it is believed Upton could be open to a trade to a team on his no-trade list.
 
With Melky Cabrera recently signed to play left field and Colby Rasmus and Jose Bautista already in the Blue Jays outfield it was a long shot that the Blue Jays were big players in the Justin Upton sweepstakes.  Never say never but given the above information I wouldn’t count on Upton joining Toronto.
 
 

Could Bobby Cox Be Next Blue Jays Manager?

Published November 14, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours , Jays Talk Leave a Comment
Tags: ,

Could a familiar (very) face be returning to manage the newly revamped Toronto Blue Jays?  Former Blue Jays and long time Atlanta Braves skipper Bobby Cox has been the latest managerial candidate making the rounds in the Jays manager search rumour mill.

As per MLB trade rumours:

  • Before the trade took place, a person with Blue Jays reached out to longtime Braves manager and former Toronto manager Bobby Cox to determine his interest in returning to the Blue Jays, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
  • The Blue Jays called right after their opening emerged and heard that Cox wasn’t interested, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). Cox told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman that he plans to stay retired. “I really don’t know what else to say,” Cox said.

Forget Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes or Mark Buehrle – Bobby Cox would’ve been the biggest offseason addition!  This obviously has essentially zero chance of happening, but it was fun to recall the good old days a bit.

Blue Jays Offseason Rumours – November 10, 2012

Published November 10, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours , Jays Talk 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , ,

Not to get people’s hopes up but a bit better tone out of Alex Anthopoulos with regards to potentially adding one of the better free agent arms. 

-Free agent Anibal Sanchez is reportedly seeking $90MM over six years and that may still fit the Blue Jays‘ budget.  GM Alex Anthopoulos says that the club could accommodate that kind of average annual value, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter).  The club hasn’t talked about going beyond their current five-year limit on contracts, but Anthopoulos said that things can always change (Twitter link).

QUICK TAKE: Adding an arm like Sanchez would be a major coup, not only in terms of talent added but in the message it sends to the fans.  Even if it is a slight overpay I don’t think it would be a bad investment.

-Meanwhile, Anthopoulos says that he can promise free agent pitcher Carlos Villanueva the 30 starts that he is seeking, Davidi tweets.  The GM said that the club has never doubted Villanueva’s abilities, but has raised concerns about his durability in the past.

-An excellent piece at fangraphs about our new free agent infield acquisition Maicer Izturis, who was a definite tidy low cost pickup for the Blue Jays.  I was really happy with this signing and I think he adds a much needed element to our infield, mainly one who can hit better than Kelly Johnson and Omar Vizquel.

-Daisuke Matsuzaka figures to have a number of suitors now that he comes with a lower price tag.  Another guy who would be considered “Dumpster Diving” but probably not worth the ink on his contract at this stage.

Blue Jays Should Be After Justin Upton & Trevor Bauer

Published November 7, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours , Jays Talk 3 Comments
Tags: , , , , ,

As per MLB trade rumours:

The Diamondbacks are already involved in “active discussions” about Justin Upton, and now ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the team will also listen to trade offers for Trevor Bauer (Twitter links). The right-hander has fallen out of favor with some in the organization.

Bauer, 21, was the third overall pick in the 2011 draft. He made his MLB debut this season and surrendered 13 runs in 16 1/3 innings across four starts while also battling a groin problem. Bauer pitched to a 2.42 ERA in 130 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A this year as well. Between Upton and Bauer, GM Kevin Towers may be in possession of this offseason’s two biggest trade chips.

I know, I know. 

Whenever a top player is rumoured to be available fans from every team say “my team should get him” and I agree it’s annoying.  But hear me out.  The Blue Jays have been linked to Arizona Diamondbacks OF Justin Upton in the past, have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball and could do worse than adding a 5-tool youngster to their core.

Upton, 25, hit .280/.355/.430 with 17 homers this season while battling hand issues. He hit .289/.369/.529 with 31 homers just a year ago, earning him a fourth place finish in the MVP voting. Upton is signed through 2015 for a total of $38.5MM. Rosenthal says his limited no-trade clause included the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Cubs this year, though the list has since changed.

I had actually been thinking that Trevor Bauer could possibly become available.  I have read prior that some in the D’Backs organization are frustrated with Bauer’s “self coaching” method and reluctance to take the advice of the “experienced” coaches at his disposal within the system.

Bauer is into advanced “wind tunneling” pitching mechanics as well as extreme long tossing and has been quoted as saying he pitches up in the zone purposely to “get fly balls”.  Not exactly what most pitching coaches dream of when they sleep at night.  While he is a talented guy, not all scouts see a future number one starter with some saying outside of the hype and funky delivery his stuff plays better as a #3 starter.

I am a big fan of both Justin Upton and Trevor Bauer, though I think the latter is far from a sure thing and is probably a tad overrated.  What would it cost the Blue Jays to acquire one, or both?  Whom would you prefer?  Am I crazy?

Blue Jays Offseason Rumours – November 6, 2012

Published November 6, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours , Jays Talk 3 Comments
Tags:

A few odds and ends, including an interesting (and depressing) quote from Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos:

-Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos acknowledged to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca that his priorities this winter are pitching, second base, and left field. “There’s no question the priority is definitely in the rotation, with the dollars we have available, we have to be creative,” he said. “Our payroll is going to be up from what it was last year but it doesn’t mean it’s a bottomless pit, there is a limit and there is an area we can go to.”

QUICK TAKE: Well we all knew this was coming as AA pours some water on the fire that is fans offseason expectations.  To which I say damnit.  Rogers profits are higher than the “Yankees” empire’s revenues – read that one again.  Put some money into the team, Toronto is not a small market and if you want to treat the team as such you will have a seriously disappointed fanbase.

Oh yeah, and that quote basically means forget Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Adam Laroche, Josh Hamilton etc.  By “getting creative” I think we are more realistically looking at bringing damaged goods or retreads in hopes of a resurgence. 

-Former MLB manager and player Art Howe told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he’d like to manage the Blue Jays. The 65-year-old has some connections in Toronto and says the Blue Jays can compete before long. “They have some nice talent and were very competitive until they fell off with those injuries to their position players,” Howe told Elliott.

-Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reported yesterday that the Blue Jays are in no rush to find a manager. They’ll resume their search following this week’s GM Meetings.

Blue Jays Offseason Rumours – November 2, 2012

Published November 2, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours , Jays Talk Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

Here are a few stories making headlines:

-As per MLB trade rumours the Blue Jays are casting a wide net in their search for pitching, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They have already shown interest in Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Ryan Dempster, among others.

Toronto is also one of several clubs to inquire about Scott Baker, joining the Red Sox, Cubs, and Rangers. The Twins recently declined the right-hander’s option but hope to sign him to a new deal. The Blue Jays have made no secret of their goal to add pitching this offseason, either through trades or free agency. Free agents can begin signing with new teams tomorrow morning.

QUICK TAKE: We have heard all of these rumours before and will continue reading about them this offseason.  The Jays have a glaring hole in their battered rotation and will be linked to literally every starting pitcher out there.  Some of it will be started by the player agents trying to drive up the prices while some might just appear to be a logical fit.  Here is hoping the Jays are at least serious about upgrading the rotation, any of the names listed above would be okay with me.

-The Blue Jays are “leaning toward” hiring a manager with Major League experience, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.  This would seem to make Jim Riggleman and Don Wakamatsu the favorites among the known contenders, as ex-managers Jim Tracy and Manny Acta reportedly aren’t under consideration and candidates such as Sandy Alomar, Tim Wallach and DeMarlo Hale have never managed in the bigs.  Rosenthal notes that the Jays could still hire a non-experienced manager if “they are unimpressed by the more seasoned options.”

-Darren Oliver is “not sure at all and he’s in no rush to make a decision” about playing in 2013, Oliver’s agent Jeff Frye tells Sportnet.ca’s Shi Davidi.  The veteran reliever has hinted about retiring, though the Blue Jays exercised their $3MM option on Oliver yesterday to retain Oliver’s rights in case the southpaw does return. 

 

Blue Jays Offseason Rumours – October 31, 2012

Published October 31, 2012 AL East News , American League Rumours , Jays Rumours , Jays Talk Leave a Comment

A few odds and ends, as per MLB Trade Rumours:

-The Blue Jays have exercised their 2013 option for left-hander Darren Oliver, the team announced. The club also declined their option for Rajai Davis, but re-signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.5MM.

Oliver, 42, pitched to a 2.06 ERA in 56 2/3 innings this season. He’ll earn $3MM next year. The 32-year-old Davis hit .257/.309/.378 with 46 stolen bases this year. His club option was worth $3MM. 

-The Indians announced their 2013 coaching staff, and it includes Sandy Alomar Jr. as the bench coach, former Astros manager Brad Mills as the third base coach and former MLB catcher Kevin Cash as the bullpen coach.

Alomar isn’t out of the running for the Blue Jays‘ managerial opening, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca notes.

-Of the team’s four free agents — Kelly Johnson, Brandon Lyon, Jason Frasor and Carlos Villanueva — the most likely to return is Frasor or Lyon. The bullpen has become a position of depth, however, with the acquisitions of Steve Delabar and Brad Lincoln. Sergio Santos should return in 2013 as well. That could mean all four free agents will find new homes.

-Anibal Sanchez will probably get an “extended look,” according to Chisholm, but it’s more likely that GM Alex Anthopoulos will upgrade the rotation via trade.

-Free agent starters Ryan Dempster and Edwin Jackson are targets for Toronto, Blair reports. Either right-hander would provide the Blue Jays with some certainty in the middle of a rotation that struggled mightily in 2012 due to injuries and poor performances. Free agents can only sign with their own teams until Saturday.

AL Eastbound On Twitter!

  • Wow if any of the Jays pitchers have balls Yunel must be plunked tomorrow. #hotdog 2 hours ago
  • Ha Colby establishes dominance in outfield on that seventh inning catch in front of Gose! #rook 2 hours ago
  • That .400 babip in May sure hasn't hurt Melky's resurgence! #bluejays 2 hours ago
  • As bad as Brett Lawrie was in April (609 OPS) he's been even worse in May (595 OPS). Only 121 PAs this season but still... #bluejays 2 hours ago
  • Nick Diaz is applying for his promoters license? First show in Stockton, CA? Over/under on murders that night - 5,6? #ufc 3 hours ago

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 633 other followers