We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

[AC]

Basics:
Rosters: My own! (link)
Sliders: Custom
Schedule: 162 games
30 Team Control
Hitting Difficulty: Veteran
Pitching Difficulty: Veteran
Fielding Difficulty: Veteran
Hitting: Pure Analog
Pitching: Pure Analog
Fielding: Pure Analog
Quick Counts: On
Play Frequency: The season will be simulated until the real-life date of the franchise, at which point every game will be played. H/T to KHarmo for the idea.

House rules:
-Unlimited waiver claims
-One major league signing (regular season)
-Two major league signings (offseason)
-Two trades (regular season)
-Three trades (offseason)
-One Rule V Draft Pick
-A trade resulting from a DFA is counted as a waiver claim, not a trade

Projected Budget: $137,000,000


I'm doing a dynasty this year purely for selfish reasons. The purpose of this dynasty is not to make something entertaining for people to watch, or even for people to follow. That isn't to say I don't want whoever is reading this to follow; I certainly do. But I'm making a dynasty this year mainly for myself. I'd like to use this as a tool to regulate my franchise and stick with the same one while making realistic transactions, as well as use this as a way to practice my writing, more than I'm trying to impress people. I'm probably going to post series recaps all at once, using images and small blurbs like I did for part of last year, I'd like to go back to that. No videos, way too much effort for a dynasty like this. No back story. The dynasty will pick up at the conclusion of the 2013 season. I'd like to make some offseason corrections based on what the Jays should have looked into, although I'm not going to reverse any transactions.

All credit to guys like Brunt and Nicholson Smith, or any writer that I may use likeness of. However, the pieces that I'll be doing will actually be, y'know, written by me.

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)


Brunt: A Season Gone Wrong
STEPHEN BRUNT
NOVEMBER 10, 2013

When you step back and look upon the steaming pile of wreckage known as the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays, you have to wonder just what happened.

The lights. The flash. The hundreds of millions spent. It all seemed too good to be true for a city that hasn't felt the euphoria of a major sport's championship being brought home since Touch-'Em-All-Joe. But Blue Jays fans across the country allowed themselves to buy in to the hype, to feel optimistic about a Toronto sports team for the first time in what seemed like ever. It was justified, as well; The team had acquired a Cy Young winner, a former ace with something to prove in a contract year, the most durable starter in baseball, a speedy youngster at the keystone, and a left fielder looking to right the ship of his career. Added on to an already strong core, the playoffs seemed to be a sure thing.

As the dust now clears, the smoke fades, we're all left to ask; Where did it all go wrong?

The Blue Jays go into the offseason looking to answer that question.In answering that question, however, the club must answer a subset of smaller questions: Will J.P. Arencibia be tendered a contract? Will injury prone wreck of a starter Josh Johnson be offered a qualifying offer by Monday's deadline? How much impact will the hiring of new Rogers CEO Guy Laurence, known for his budget cuts, create on the Blue Jays' payroll?

This is quite possibly the most important offseason in the club's history. General Manager Alex Anthopoulos will need to step up to the plate and hit his pitch.

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)


Blue Jays acquire starter Miley, outfielder Cain
BEN NICHOLSON-SMITH
DECEMBER 12, 2013

After replacing the ever in the spotlight J.P. Arencibia with veteran Dioner Navarro and not issuing starter Josh Johnson a qualifying offer, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired starting pitcher Wade Miley and outfielder Lorenzo Cain from the Diamondbacks and Royals - respectively - in a three team deal. Colby Rasmus and minor leaguer Nick Ahmed were sent to the Royals, while young minor league starter Miguel Almonte was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Rasmus, the up and down center fielder since 2011, was coming off of a season in which he hit 22 homers while sporting a .276 batting average, in arguably the best season of his pro career. He missed time after teammate Anthony Gose made an errant throw while warming up and struck Rasmus. His inconsistencies fed up the organization, opting to move him for the better athlete in Cain while filling a hole in the rotation.

"Colby's done a lot for the organization in his time here, he posted an .840 OPS last season, that's a very valuable player," started GM Alex Anthopoulos.

"But you never knew which Colby you were getting. We couldn't go into next season not knowing what we were getting on a day to day basis. A guy like Lorenzo [Cain], he hits righties and lefties similarly, he's an incredible athlete and gifted in the field. We've been very high on him since he was with Milwaukee. When you have a chance to add that to your lineup, and add a guy like Wade [Miley], who nearly won the ROY in the NL a few years ago, you can't turn that down.

Cain is coming off of a season in which he hit .251 with 4 home runs and 14 stolen bases. His OBP was below average at .310. Miley didn't quite replicate his outstanding rookie campaign, but posted a solid season, with a 3.55 ERA and 10 wins. Advanced metrics have him pegged for regression, however, as he walked more than a full batter per nine innings more in 2013 than in 2012. The walks will be a concern for Miley, as without elite strikeout numbers, he'll need to limit free passes and dingers.

The Jays add Miley to a deep group of starters lacking star power, with R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow, and Mark Buehrle seemingly locked in alongside Miley. The #5 spot is where things get tricky, however, with Dustin McGowan, J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison, and even Ricky Romero all looking to take the job.

The move may not be the last for the Blue Jays this winter, who still have a hole at second base, and could even stand to add another pitcher.

[Bluejaysfan65]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

Glad to see you back on the Dynasty boards! I'm interested to see how far you can take this team..

[CameRoN0407]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

Glad to see you back on the boards! Hopefully this goes well (which I know it will), and you get this one guy that I know you want.

[royals19]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

Sigh... I suppose I can live with the LoCain trade haha.

Great to see you back here in the dynasty forums dude! I was holding out hope that you'd still do a franchise this season.

[Frank is the Tank]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

You've got yourself a follower

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)


Blue Jays' Kratz brings unique value to the table
BEN NICHOLSON-SMITH
DECEMBER 24, 2013

On this Christmas Eve, most are at home with their families, decking the halls, instead of catching baseballs.

Not Erik Kratz.

Acquired December 3rd from the Philadelphia Phillies, Kratz can be found on this cold December Eve at Mississauga's Baseball Zone, catching his new team's veteran knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey. Actually, catching may not be the word for it.

"I prefer receiving," Kratz says.

It may be the better word. Kratz, 33, is part of an uprising movement among major league baseball teams. From the Rays and Jose Molina to the Pirates with Russell Martin, pitch framing is quickly becoming a big factor in evaluating catchers. Matthew Carruth, a FanGraphs contributor, published his own pitch framing report for the public eye, and it certainly passes the smell test: Jonathan Lucroy, the Molina brothers, and Rusell Martin are all near the top of the league in pitch framing. Interestingly enough, two former Blue Jays are on the list; Yan Gomes and J.P. Arencibia.

Gomes, traded from the Jays to he Indians as a mere throw in with Mike Aviles for hard-throwing reliever Esmil Rogers, posted more than 3 wins above replacement last year, according to FanGraphs. However, that number is bolstered even further when you factor in his 15.2 runs saved from pitch framing. Having gone from a throw-in to an incredible catcher - ahem, receiver - this trade is looking like one of the worse moments in Alex Anthopoulos' tenure.

Arencibia, much-maligned by media and fans alike, posted one of the lowest OBPs ever last season, but he did bring his receiving skills to the table. Arencibia saved nearly 15 runs for the Blue Jays last season, according to Carruth's report. However, Arencibia was tasked with catching soft-tossing pitchers who nibble at corners like Casey Janssen and Mark Buehrle, making his task exponentially easier.

It isn't all bad, however.

Erik Kratz ranks in the top 20, with 6.8 runs above average. Coupled with a powerful bat and a solid glove as well as exceptional receiving skills, Kratz is posed to be a valuable contributor to the Blue Jays this season.

"I just hope I can help this team get back to the playoffs," the journeyman catcher mused. "That's the main goal. This club has a great fanbase, a great staff, it's a great organization. I'm just focused on doing what I can."

The pitch framing numbers are interesting at first glance, but there are still potential flaws that can affect the numbers, such as umpire bias, count, and batter handedness. The other problem that is posed that statistics may not be able to fix is that not all of the best framers are in the MLB. There are excellent pitch framers who don't see much time - Rene Rivera saved 8.3 runs in only 1504 pitches last season, when catchers generally see around 8500 - which affects the average that the catchers are compared to. An idea that has been floated around is probabilistic pitch framing, which is pitch framing based on how likely the outcome was. So, if a pitch was 59% likely to be called a strike, and it was called a ball, the catcher would lose 41 points.

There are plenty of proposed methods to quantify pitch framing. Many have taken shots, and many more will take shots. The proposition of quantifying a new skill in baseball is alluring. Organizations surely pay attention, too; BP author Mike Fast, who was one of the first to take a stab at pitch framing, was hired by the Houston Astros. Kratz is well aware of the value he could potentially provide.

"It's something I work on. It's something I put on par with my blocking, my hitting, all that. If there's a way I can provide value to the team, I'm going to work at it and perfect it."

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)


Blue Jays deal Santos to Mariners
BEN NICHOLSON-SMITH
JANUARY 12, 2014

The Toronto Blue Jays have dealt hard-throwing reliever Sergio Santos to the Seattle Mariners for minor league middle infield prospect Christopher Taylor.

Santos, the 30 year old righty, was injured for much of last year, but when he was healthy, he was brilliant, showcasing a dominant slider and striking out nearly 10 batters per 9 innings, while walking only 1.4. Originally acquired from the White Sox for Nestor Molina, Santos will join a Mariners team that has gone all-in this offseason, signing Robinson Cano among other transactions that have demonstrated the team wants to win this year, somewhat reminiscent of the Blue Jays a year ago.

Christopher Taylor put up fantastic numbers in Single A in his age 22 season, walking nearly as much as he struck out while showcasing a solid hit tool and posting an offensive line that was 51% of the league average. Taylor posted similarly dominant numbers in AA, and stole a combined 38 bases between A and AA. Taylor is a line drive hitter who can put the ball on the ground, get on base, make contact and create runs with his speed. He has a steady glove at short and should stick there. With Seattle's middle infield situation completely full with Robinson Cano, Nick Franklin, Brad Miller, and Dustin Ackley, Taylor appeared to be the odd man out. Taylor will presumably start 2014 at AAA Buffalo.

"We're excited we can acquire a young talent as exceptional as Chris [Taylor]. He's posted some very good numbers in the lower minors and we think he'll be able to come up and contribute as soon as this year. It's reassuring to have young, up the middle talent for the possibility of injury."

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)


Jays give former top prospect Johnson another shot
STEPHEN BRUNT
JANUARY 19, 2014

If you ever want to truly appreciate the game of baseball, sit next to a scout.

Watch the gleam in his eyes as he walks in, the careful precision with which he sets up his battle station for the game. The radar gun, the note taking, the cell phone used to report back to the organization. There is no one that loves the game of baseball more than its scouts.

These scouts are preferential to a certain quality. You'll often hear lore of the ball exploding off of the bat. It isn't often that you'll find prospects scouts dream on like this. A prospect who, when the bat connects with the ball, creates a special sound that scouts dream of finding maybe once in their entire career. Sometimes, these prospects have swings as beautiful as anything. Sometimes, these prospects have a fatal flaw in their swing - a hitch that prevents them from reaching their potential. Some players figure it out, some don't. Texas Rangers third base prospect Joey Gallo possesses that crack off the bat. Giancarlo Stanton before him. Bryce Harper before Stanton.

But before them all, there was Cody Johnson.

Johnson is actually a realistic comparative to the young slugger Gallo. A beast of a man at six foot five, two hundred thirty five pounds, Johnson was your prototypical three true outcomes player. If you could stomach him striking out in about two-fifths of his plate appearances, you would hear the sound scouts so revere in the other plate appearances. Johnson has 132 career home runs in the minor leagues, averaging 16 and a half per season. The monstrous human being started off hot for the Atlanta Braves in rookie ball as an 18 year old, and put up monster numbers. However, like so many other players, Class AA is where it all became unraveled.

"It was really difficult for me. You go your entire life being one of the very best at your passion, even being one of the best in a professional setting, and then ... you just can't make contact anymore. You meet your match."

Johnson not-so-fondly remembers his first extended look at Class AA pitching.

"I think I struck out in ... what, 40 percent of my at bats?"

43.8% of his plate appearances resulted in a third strike.

That was 2010. It took Johnson 2 more years to get the hang of AA pitching. After the Braves decided they weren't satisfied with his .189 batting average at AA (despite his 10 home runs), he was sent to the Yankees for cash considerations. The young slugger finally managed to figure out the pitching at AA, clubbing 16 home runs with an .856 OPS. By this time, however, he was already 23 years old, ancient in the eyes of scouts. He was given a cup of coffee at AAA, but he hit a brick wall, striking out in exactly half of his 64 plate appearances.

"I've come so close to the majors. This is my dream. I can almost taste it. I'm this close to realizing my dreams. I can't stop now."

Johnson is now 25. That's still fairly young in the world of baseball, albeit far too old to be a prospect. But now with the Blue Jays, a team famed for turning former scrap heap players Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion into perennial all-stars, he's hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he'll figure out that hitch in his swing.

The Toronto Blue Jays signed OF/DH Cody Johnson to a minor league deal today, as per the team's transaction page. He will receive a non-roster invitation to training camp with the team.

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

For anyone wondering, these will start when the rosters are completed. as of now I'm just completing all of the offseason moves I wanted to make (just a couple more minor ones, one of which I'm about to post) and then I'll get things on the road. Hope you guys are enjoying the writing, it's all OC.

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)


Blue Jays sign reliever Madson to one year deal
CANADIAN PRESS
FEBRUARY 10, 2014

The Toronto Blue Jays announced via press release that the club has signed reliever Ryan Madson to a one year contract.

Madson will make $1,538,462 in 2014.

The 33 year old hurler hasn't thrown a pitch since the 2011 season, but is still attempting a comeback from arm troubles. In 630 career innings pitched, he owns a 3.59 ERA. Madson was in the midst of a stellar 5 season run, increasing his strikeout rate while lowering his ERA. He owns a career 1.29 WHIP and averages 93.7 miles per hour on his fastball.

Standing at 6'6" and 220 pounds, the 9-year veteran has only thrown a pitch for the Phillies in his career, despite having signed in Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Angels as well. In his final season with the Phillies, he was anointed closer and racked up 32 saves while posting a near-career low ERA of 2.37 with a strike out per nine innings rate over 9.

As part of the contract, Madson will make a donation to the Jays Care Foundation.

[Deuce2223]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

Nice signing with Madson. I have been messing around with a expansion like Franchise where I released all the MLB roster players on the Whitesox and signed guys from Free Agency to filled my MLB roster and grabbed Madson to be my closer. He was like 14/14 in save opps between the games I have played and simmed.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

...
Hope you guys are enjoying the writing, it's all OC.

I am assuming OC means "original content" here? And not "out of control" ?

So many abbreviations just like OP can mean original post(er) or overpowered etc...

By the way, looks like your Madson pic has vanished. Maybe a url was changed?

[AC]

Re: We Can't Be This Bad: Toronto Blue Jays (PS4)

I am assuming OC means "original content" here? And not "out of control" ?

So many abbreviations just like OP can mean original post(er) or overpowered etc...

By the way, looks like your Madson pic has vanished. Maybe a url was changed?

OC is original content, it's the frequency of the moves that are out of control lol. Only one more. And none of these have been major so eh.

It's just not loading properly. I'll swap it out.