Now it’s time for all the stuff I don’t figure on making full posts out of, with the spiffy graphic by Matt English (aka @mattomic). It’s your Afternoon Snack… er… Afternoon Hangover… er… links!!!
Sportsnet’s Mike Cormack tweets this afternoon that Jose Bautista is leading off and DHing in the Gulf Coast League today, while Brett Lawrie is not in the rehab game lineup, and is “likely en route to Detroit.”
Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun reports that Lawrie did play in Dunedin on Sunday, and that it was possible he’d be with the club as soon as tomorrow. He adds that Yan Gomes has been optioned back down to Vegas in order for Yorvit Torrealba to join the club, and that Adam Lind might test out his wonky back in a rehab game this week.
John Lott of the National Post reviews yesterday’s loss, and Henderson Alvarez’s non-ducking of the media. He apologetically said that he wouldn’t be answering questions following the worst start of his young career, as he’d been pitching with a heavy heart, having learned of a death in his family in Venezuela prior to the start.
MLBTR watches the latest from Kenny Ken Ken so you don’t have to, in which he tells us that the Pirates could have got Shane Victorino in exchange for Brad Lincoln, but opted instead for Travis Snider.
Jays Journal has this weeks prospect hot sheet up, in which they review the top performing prospects in the Jays system, including Justin Nicolino, who keeps rolling at Lansing, unlike a couple of his high profile teammates.
Speaking of, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun visits Eastlake, Ohio, and catches up with the Lugnuts– specifically, hot prospect Aaron Sanchez, who it turns out had a bit of a forearm scare earlier in the season. Or… did I just totally miss that?
Robert MacLeod of the Globe and Mail looks at Adeiny Hechavarria, who got his first start at second base over the weekend– a position he might play for the Jays next season.
Richard Griffin has a new Bullpen post up at the Toronto Star. Read it.
At Minor League Ball, John Sickels reviews the seasons so far for this year’s supplemental round draft picks. The Jays’ first two, Matt Smoral and Mitch Nay, have been hurt. Tyler Gonzales was “hammered early but has pitched well in his last three outings.”
Minor Move: MLBTR tells us that Juan Abreu has been outrighted to Vegas.
Bluebird Banter tells us all we need to know about JA Happ.
Lastly, seriously, it sounds like the door is opening for the Jays to move their Triple-A affiliate to Buffalo. So nails.
So how long until they buy an insolvent AA team and move it to Ottawa? They’d be sitting pretty then…
The issue with AA in Ottawa may be that it’s too far out of the way. Montreal might be a better option.
I fail to see how Ottawa is “too far out of the way”.
I think the real issue is that they really like the current set up with the Fisher Cats.
Living in Montreal, there aren’t really any good places to put a minor league team, there isn’t a ready to use stadium to park a minor league team. There may be a spot or two on the south shore, but they’re not really stadiums more like nice ball parks with decent rec ball but not minor league worthy seating capacity. The Big O is not going to work as it’s hauntingly big and will be surprisingly empty and hollow, and I don’t see the government forking out money for a minor league team. And how is ottawa out of the way, they have renegade stadium or w/e they call it sitting there.
Some schmuck wrote a Bleacher Report article saying the Mets should plant their AAA team in Montreal. I laughed at him.
But seriously, I hope to see the day baseball returns to your great city. It just won’t be soon, unfortunately.
(No I don’t read or rely on BR, I just saw it when I googled about the Jays and Buffalo)
AAA in Buffalo, AA in Ottawa would be so, so awesome.
+ 1 million.
It would be great to see a AA ball in Ottawa
“JA Happ is not a very good pitcher, nor does he have huge upside.”
Treeeeeeeeemendous
That is like bringing a girl home to meet the parents and Dad pulls you aside and says “maybe she is a good cook”
*slow clap*
lol, nice
Honest question; doesn’t it seem possible that Hech’s value over Johnson on defense counters the loss incurred on offense? I would guess that the comparison would become even more favorable if Escobar would play 2B, but everything I’ve heard tells me he’s being a little bitch about leaving SS.
I’m sure WAR would agree with me, but I don’t want to countenance the magic math they do to measure defensive value in any way. But just logically, Kelly Johnson and the available free agents are probably terrible enough that Hech won’t be much of a downgrade. Right?
RIGHT?
Wrong
Among Al 2b, kj is #1 in walks, #2 in HR, 6th in ops. All while having an off year. But hey keep thinking he sucks.
Kelly Johnson is 6th in OPS for AL 2nd basemen??? Holy shit, I’m shocked.
6th of 10 in OPS, while striking out 24 more times than the next closest (in 50 less at bats).
Also tied for 7th (of 10) in oWar, and while is dWar is good, he’s 4th in the mlb in errors with 10
He sucks
he doesnt suck, he’s been better. but he doesn’t suck
With a stat line of .228 / .315 / .377 – I don’t care how that compares to others at his position…..It is not that good
Holy shit you’re right! Kelly Johnson is in the top 10 of AL 2B in every single category there is! Even strikeouts he’s only in ninth! And I’m sure it has absolutely nothing to do with there only being nine qualifying AL 2B…
.229/.315/.377 – How do his stats stack up compared to Major League 2B (i.e. the ones that don’t all suck)? Shitty as hell? I thought so.
You’re a dumbass
Wrong.
“everything I’ve heard tells me he’s being a little bitch about leaving SS.”
You work in the clubhouse eh?
so if 90% of our prospects turn into busts, then shouldn’t we be trading them ALL right away before they decline and get pennies on the dollar like asher and musgrove?
but you risk trading away the ones that may not be busts.
Sign starting pitchers this offseason however way you can
Hey Stoeten, remember who The Jays coughed up to land David Cone?
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/jeff-kent-survivor-philippines-report-says-170459724–mlb.html
yeah that trade and the whole first World Series thing totally didn’t work out for the Jays in 1992.
the bullpen piece by griff is fantastic…
Hi Drunk Jays fans.
I am putting together a proposal on ways to improve the fan experience at the SkyDome.
If you have any serious suggestions, please let me know and I will try to include all legitimate requests.
Cheers!
put a better team on the field.
I’d settle for a better field on the field
Fewer fans dying around me.
I laughed. Then was immediately struck by lightning.
Karma bank over draft alert!
A play-off game would be nice
You think Ted Rogers Jr. will personally open your letter, peruse your suggestions (I can probably predict what half of them will be – better food, more giveaways, more staff, same old shit Jays fans have been griping about for years in innumerable comments and blog posts) and he’ll say “By golly! I hadn’t thought of that! Secretary, send the baseball operations department this giant bag of cash for renovations, and have this fan’s list of bullet-point suggestions remedied post-haste!”
Actually Matt.
Yes.
Better and cheaper beer.
+ Lots
They won’t do cheap beer.
1. It’s hugely profitable
2. They want to keep it expensive so that people don’t drink even more and turn the place into a zoo.
I’ve tried in vain to argue this point. They won’t do a cheap beer night.
I am fucking tired saying that Home Hardware is the official grass seed sponsor of the Blue Jays. Let”s see some fucking real grass at the Rogers Centre. Fuck football and fuck those stupid conventions. I am really jonesing to try out my new weed wacker around the diamond. And you should see me operate those zero turn mowers.
Does home hardware make plastic seeds?
Real grass.
1) Natural Grass.
2) Find a way to improve concessions. Microbrews. Better tasting, more interesting food choices.
3) Probably impossible, but – take the hotel out of the stadium and renovate the outfield view to seem more intimate.
thanks everyone who contributed. Suggestions always welcome!
I’ll post my final list in another post…
Disco Demolition Night!!!
+1 on real grass.
i consider it a disgrace that this club chooses to use an artificial surface… i understand that rogers is a business but most mlb clubs are owned by businesses and every club could save money by installing an artficial surface… yet only one club chooses an artificial surface for financial reasons.
Kind of interesting that the Jays states that Nicolino is still rolling while Syndergaard is “struggled to find innings as he approaches his season limit.”
Anyone in the know able to expand on this? Syndergaard still has amazing stats, Is this implying that he’s struggled of late – or simply that he’s not being used much lately because he’s at 90 innings so far? He’s got a WHIP of 1.1 and a SO/9 of 10.6 and a BB/9 of 2.6.
* Jays Journal
I think that just means he’s on an innings limit and he’s quickly approaching it, so they’re holding him out of starts. I think his last appearance was out of the pen.
Sounds like bad writing.
Syndergaard has made two appearances in August, totaling 8 innings. Over the same time frame Nicolino has made four starts totaling 20 innings. I believe Lansing has had some weather issues this month, but that alone doesn’t explain the vast discrepancy in innings. To me, it’s obvious the team is slowing Syndergaard down. As allisauce said, his last appearance was even in relief.
The comment wasn’t made as a slight towards Syndergaard or Sanchez, just that the team has let Nicolino keep pitching and he’s continued to do well.
ok great thanks. I couldn’t recognise the discrepancy between his great stats and the implication that only Nicolino was going strong from the big 3 at Lansing.
Sweet fuck I can’t stand all this Farrell / Boston bullshit. Ugh.
Jeff Blair, fuck off.
Griff’s Bullpen piece shits all over the notion, it’s one of the better things he’s written in a long time.
Buffalo, like Detroit, suffers from stereotypes of those who know nothing about it, much like anyone would bristle at a flyover comment about boring Toronto (as compared to LA or NYC). Hardly a complete shithole, lots of history has conspired to rip out its heart, but still an interesting place due to the cost of living and those who have a DIY ethic. Very pleasant place in the summer and great beaches on Lake Erie (mostly Canadian side) make for a good visit
http://nymag.com/realestate/features/49491/
Plus they invented edible non-flying wings and share their shitty football team.
like the wings, but the bills can fuck off
Great stuff as always Stoeten, just wondering if there will be a podcast for today?
Don’t know if everybody already knows about this, but the minor league broadcasters have a weekly podcast they do checking in at all the levels – some good info here:
http://jaytalkin.blogspot.ca/
I know it’s been touched on already but another piece on what the Jeff Mathis extension could mean for trading JP or d’Arnaud.
http://tinyurl.com/dxr5vuv
I know it’s all business-y and stuff now, but you thescore guys need to cut the content whoring down to a dull roar. I mean, linking your own previous post in your “I’m not writing full posts” list? I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but there it is.
The guy in the $5000 suit is not impressed. Come on!
Yeah! Shame on DJF for giving us free content on a daily basis, multiple times a day! So business-y!
what? 90% of the internet is free, they are not doing us a favour by providing free content, they are keeping up with the rest of the world.
I did a double-take when I read that Lawrie is “likely en route to Detroit.”
I thought he was traded.
Phew.
FWIW, MLB.tv is offering a 10 free trial right now, just activated mine today. It came in the mlb.com bulk emails I normally trash.
Will they take my CC number and force it on me? Cuz I need to watch other ball than Jays ball now….it makes my liquor store too profitable and I hate talkin’ at these damn meetings. They think baseball isn’t the world….dumb fucks.
Nope, no credit card, just log in with the link in the email to mlb.com.
Michael Pineda, DUI, SMH
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8286811/injured-new-york-yankees-pitcher-michael-pineda-charged-dui
lol @ that….getting to be a lot of spoiled irresponsible bitches in all leagues.
If I made a couple mill a year it would only be hookers and blow on my fake website.
Oh and buy the buy ….no loss for the Jays tonight!
er is it bye the bye….? or bi? Not that there is anything wrong with that.
When the Cowboys are the first seed in the playoffs they buy the bye
When stores decide which products sell best they go by the buy
When I go to a sex show I often buy the bi
Cust is homerless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdefe7l7_Zc
My name is Custy. I’m carrying the will.
Come on Cust! Bring it home….
Johnny? Johnny?!! JOHNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow Griff’s ‘knee cream’ friend is totally Greg Zaun
Annaleise Carr is my new hero!