Apr 5, 2019
Blue Jays’ roster moves result in a work in progress
The Toronto Blue Jays’ roster reconfiguration during the first week of the 2019 season means that the rebuilding team still has plenty of work to do before they become contenders, Steve Phillips writes.
It has been a busy week for the Toronto Blue Jays, with everything from trades, releases and call-ups to demotions and a contract extension impacting the roster early in the 2019 season.
While it’s quite atypical for there to be so much roster reconfiguration during the first week of the season, rebuilding teams don’t necessarily follow the same script as contenders do. The Jays still have some disassembling to do during their reconstruction process. They are looking to provide more opportunities for their younger players to gain experience. Last week, we saw the DH role open up as Kendrys Morales was traded to the Oakland A’s.
This week was more of the same as the Jays traded outfielder Kevin Pillar to the San Francisco Giants and brought back three players in return, including super utility man Alen Hanson who joined the major league team to give manager Charlie Montoyo a lot of options in setting his lineup and making in-game moves.
The Pillar trade also opens up playing time in centre field for Randal Grichuk and another newly acquired player, Socrates Brito. Brito was acquired from the San Diego Padres the same day Jays general manager Ross Atkins moved Pillar out of town. The timing of the moves was not a coincidence. Brito is one of the game’s fastest players and the Jays will give him playing time to determine if he can hit enough to utilize his extraordinary speed.
Outfield prospect Anthony Alford joined the major league club for a couple of days as a placeholder until Brito and Hanson arrived. The Jays’ hope is that Alford will be a legitimate contender to become their centre fielder. They want him to get further grooming in Buffalo (Triple-A Bisons) but also to prove that he is ready for the big leagues this season. In the meantime, Brito and Grichuk will get most of the playing time in centre field.
I am not convinced Brito will ever hit enough to be anything more than an extra outfielder. I feel the same about Alford. But the playing time will determine that for sure. I like Hanson as a valuable utility player that can be a backup at second base, shortstop, third base and any of the outfield positions.
The Morales and Pillar deals took care of some of the disassembly that was necessary. The Grichuk contract extension (five years, $52 million) is part of the reconstruction. The Jays think he’s part of the solution moving forward. Grichuk is a good baserunner and outfielder and has a strong, accurate arm. He’s also a good teammate and a nice young man.
However, I have no idea why the Jays gave him this contract. He is such a streaky hitter. He shows flashes of being a solid, productive power hitter but consistency has been elusive. He just can’t hold on to his approach. The Jays rave about his excellent exit velocity when he makes contact but that ignores the high swing and miss percentages and lack of plate discipline. Grichuk has a career .298 OBP which is well below average. Plus, I would never give a $52-million deal to a position player who has never had 500 plate appearances in a season over a five-year period. Maybe he will live up to the contract, but it will be only because he is better in the future than what he has shown so far.
The statement made by the Jays in the Morales and Pillar deals is that the team will consummate a trade whenever they hear the proper return. Justin Smoak, Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez should be looking over their shoulders and screen their phone calls. At some point, they will all likely get word that they are traded. It used to be that teams would carry players until the trade deadline and then make a deal. Now, freeing up playing time is more valuable to a team than keeping a veteran presence around for younger players or winning a few extra games. It is just a matter of time.
If there is a team that has a need at first base, Smoak could be gone as soon as tomorrow. For the two pitchers, it will take at least a few more quality starts before another team could propose an adequate offer.
My projection of 68 wins this season for the Jays feels a bit optimistic now that they are trading away their better, more mature players. The good news is they may get a better draft pick next year because of it.
Baseball needs more ‘villains’ like Harper
This past week, Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies travelled to Washington to take on his former team, the Nationals. Harper did the right thing by posting a sincere thank you to the Nationals organization and fans on Instagram. It didn’t have the desired effect.
I’m sure he was hoping for some cheers and an ovation recognizing his contributions in DC. Unfortunately, Harper didn’t get what he wanted. The fans booed him during the thank you video on the Jumbotron. They booed him during warm-ups. They booed him when he was in the on-deck circle. They booed him at the plate. They pretty much booed the entire game. It’s a shame because he didn’t do anything wrong. He made a choice to exercise his earned right of free agency and sign with a club that offered reportedly $80 million more than the Nationals offered. Most of us would have made the same choice.
Harper struck out in his first two at-bats but showed extraordinary emotional control and delivered a double, single and home run in his next three at-bats. He reminded Nationals fans what they will miss and showed Phillies fans what they have to look forward to over the next 13 seasons.
I am a fan of stars playing with one team their entire career. But Harper’s free agency and his big payday with a division rival may be better for the game. He has become a villain. Baseball needs villains. It makes the rivalries more interesting.
The New York Yankees have long served the majors in playing the role of villain as a team. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez were loved by their own fans but despised by other fanbases.
Harper seems to relish the role as he has aggressively moved on from Washington and embraced the fans in Philadelphia with bows and fist pumps. They love him in Philly. If Harper wins there, it will make the next 13 years very intense, for sure.
SPITTING SEEDS
-It’s official. Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball. He won the National League Cy Young award last year and is back at it again this season. He has now strung together 26 consecutive quality starts, tying St. Louis Cardinals’ Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson. The New York Mets ace has pitched 31 straight games in which he has given up three or fewer runs. The last time deGrom gave up more than that was April 10 of last season against the Miami Marlins.
-The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten off to a great start as they’re 6-1. Interestingly, they have won the six games by a margin of seven runs. They are picking up where they left off last season – winning close playoff-calibre games with good starting pitching, solid defence, clutch hitting and a big bullpen. They have a different star getting the job done in a big way every night.
-It sure feels like Cubs manager Joe Maddon is on thin ice in Chicago. Even though they won 95 games last year, there is a perception that his bosses in the front office aren’t all that happy with him. There are reports that club president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer visited players in the off-season and asked for feedback about the clubhouse and game preparation. Understandably, it feels like the bosses are less than satisfied with their manager who is known for managing his team in a unique fashion. The Cubs have gotten off to a horrible start (1-5) and the fingers will be pointed at Maddon.
-Both the Boston Red Sox and Yankees are in trouble. The Red Sox have gotten off to a flat and dispassionate start and sit at the bottom of the AL East standings (2-6). They recently announced a five-year extension with ace pitcher Chris Sale who is throwing his fastball seven mph slower than his average heater last season. Not the sort of thing a general manager wants to see after committing $145 million to a pitcher. Speaking of money, the Yankees have over $80 million of salary sitting on the injured list. The wounded include slugger Giancarlo Stanton (left bicep), third baseman Miguel Andujar (right shoulder), centre fielder Aaron Hicks (sore back) and former Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (calf strain), among others. They are severely undermanned and being tested early in the season.
-Keep an eye on the Tampa Bay Rays. They won 90 games last season and they’re an even better team in 2019. The Red Sox and Yankees better be careful not to allow too much separation between them and Tampa Bay. The Rays’ pitching has been phenomenal. They have only allowed 11 runs in their first seven games of the season. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about them, the Rays believe in themselves.