2014 Blue Jays

[bhurst99]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Sooo....after today the Jays would be idiots to give J.A. Happ a spot in the rotation. What a horrible spring for a guy who felt like he could easily get the spot.

Happ will start the season on the DL.

McGowan was named the fifth starter. I just wished they had stretched him out earlier in spring training.

[JaFFiTh]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

I'm happy to hear McGowan gets another shot! Was actually kinda hoping for that. So its official, McGowan and Hutchison into the rotation, Rogers and Redmond into bullpen probably as the long relievers.

[SPTO]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Happ will start the season on the DL.

McGowan was named the fifth starter. I just wished they had stretched him out earlier in spring training.

Me too, however the good thing is that at the beginning of the year the 5th starter isn't used much so I can see the Jays having him throw extended side sessions and simulated games to help stretch him out more.

If McGowan can stay healthy he'll be the hidden gem of the rotation as he still has some electric stuff despite all that crap that has happened throughout his career.

[Majingir]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Any guesses on where we'll finish this year?

I think if injuries do happen a fair amount,it'll be high 60s/low 70s win total. If we're about as healthy as the average team, around low-mid 80s,and if we can be one of the healthiest teams in the league,low-mid 90s.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

I can't see this team in the AL East getting to 80 wins. 75ish at most.

I'm just happy to watch the Jays TBH. Not really having any expectations for the team as a whole, and I'm just going to focus on the positives of individual performances, surprises, and moments of good baseball on a summer evening after work sitting down with a beer and relaxing next to the open balcony door. Pretty much what I did with some terrible Mariners teams when I was living in Oregon.

I hope they leave Sanchez down this year. Don't mind him going up to AAA, but I want him to continue the physical/mechanical development. His stuff looked straight nasty in the few times I saw him this spring. I think protecting him for at least this season will pay off.

Like I said earlier in the thread, I wouldn't mind seeing Bautista move on. As much as he's become a bit of a "Me" player, he's given a lot to the club, and deserves a chance at the playoffs before his swing breaks his body down.

[SPTO]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

In the official prediction thread I said this is a 4th place team but that's me looking at things "glass half empty". If this team can stay healthy and Hutchison/McGowan can stay healthy and pitch as well as they've shown this spring than there's a ghost of a chance that this team makes it interesting. I'm not holding my breath though as I have no expectations for this team. I see a .500 season at the very least though as I think the offense is good enough to compensate for the pitching as long as it's at league average.

If things break right this could be a 90 win team as it's basically the same group from last year where everybody were screaming that it's a playoff bound team.

[bhurst99]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Janssen starts the year on the DL. Unbelievable.

They called up Kratz to replace him which doesn't make much sense to me since they said they were going with eight in the bullpen. Not sure why that an injury would change that. I liked the idea of eight in the bullpen to start the season since they play seven games in seven days.

[SPTO]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

I'll put this hear cuz i'll look like a whiner if I put it on the main baseball board but I watched the MLB-N preview show. Every division they talked about every team.....The AL East comes up and not a word is said about the Blue Jays. Hell, even Peter Gammons completely ignored hm and when he was giving his predictions he gave a thought to every team in each division.

It's like the Blue Jays don't exist! If i'm John Gibbons I take video of that AL East segment and play it to everyone in the clubhouse and tell them that it's time for redemption.

[JaFFiTh]

2014 Blue Jays

I'll put this hear cuz i'll look like a whiner if I put it on the main baseball board but I watched the MLB-N preview show. Every division they talked about every team.....The AL East comes up and not a word is said about the Blue Jays. Hell, even Peter Gammons completely ignored hm and when he was giving his predictions he gave a thought to every team in each division.

It's like the Blue Jays don't exist! If i'm John Gibbons I take video of that AL East segment and play it to everyone in the clubhouse and tell them that it's time for redemption.

Lol after what happened last year being expected to compete for the World Series... What do u expect? They probably aren't expecting anything from them this year like the Marlins the year before lol. Marlins went to overspending to trading them all away and playing the younger ones the same season! A least the Jays kept most of the players and got rid of those who choked (JJ and JP Arencibia)

[SPTO]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

I don't think we're ever going to get a fully productive Jose Reyes for the duration of his contract here in Toronto. The guy's hamstrings are betraying him and playing on that Rogers Centre turf is not going to help.

[bhurst99]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Well, that was one of the worst season opener's in the club's history.

An early injury, walks, our "ace" looking terrible, and completely clown defensive play featuring two throwing errors.

I thought I was watching a replay from the 2013 season.

Edit: And I almost forgot. Sportsnet -- owned by Rogers which also owns the team -- loses their transmission of the game for the final four innings.

[SPTO]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Edit: And I almost forgot. Sportsnet -- owned by Rogers which also owns the team -- loses their transmission of the game for the final four innings.

I ducked out just before that happened I guess. You never see that crap happen when they do their NHL coverage. Did they switch over to the Tampa feed?

As depressing as this game was I will take away Lawrie's 4th inning AB as a positive.

[SPTO]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

Aaaand the horror show has begun. Reyes on the 15 day DL, Jonathon Sanchez called up.

[bhurst99]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

I ducked out just before that happened I guess. You never see that crap happen when they do their NHL coverage. Did they switch over to the Tampa feed?

As depressing as this game was I will take away Lawrie's 4th inning AB as a positive.

Yes, they switched over to the Tampa feed.

Lawrie had a good at bat in the fourth inning when he took 10 pitches before striking out. Too bad a lot of other Jays let Price off the hook by flying out early in counts.

However, it was not a good game for Lawrie. He was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and I thought he should have blocked Bautista's bad throw. The camera caught him yelling at Jeffress (at least I think it was Jeffress) after the play. Not sure what that all about.

The Jays recalled Jonathan Diaz not Sanchez. I think you probably meant that.

What in the world was Reyes doing playing in Montreal if he wasn't completely 100 per cent healthy?

[AdamJones113]

Re: 2014 Blue Jays

The problem with the Jays is that, as has been said, while "if things break the right way" they can be a 90-win team... is that a team has to be more than "looking for things to break the right way."

That's a synonym for bad.

Sure, last year Dickey improved as the year went on, you could make a case that the whole team on average did. Except, Reyes was out and Joey Bats was also for a bit.

Let's take a look at the lineup (I don't even want to consider the "pitching staff"):

9 Ks—Encarnacion 3, Lawrie 2.
7 H—Macier friggin' Izturis thoe only one with 2
2 R—Erik Kratz homer.

I'll repeat that. ERIK KRATZ Home Run.

RA Dickey: 5.0 IP, 6H, 6ER, 6BB

I'll repeat that. THis is our #1 starter: 6BB in 5.

You know who could've been the battery next year?

Noah Snydergaard and Travis D'Arnaud.

Yes, 11th ranked SNydergaard, a badly needed top-of-the-rotation guy, and the 22nd ranked catcher at a position where a huge impact guy is key (see Yadier Molina).

COME ON, AA!!