Being the general manager of a team fighting for a playoff spot is painful. You hang on every pitch of every inning of every game.
General managers are programmed to worry. We worry about injuries, the depth and weakness of the roster, umpires, travel, player personnel, underachievement, etc.
We always expect that something is going to go wrong. When something goes right, there is no joy in it, because you know something can go wrong on the next pitch. It can be a miserable existence.
It’s hard for me to totally relate to a fan’s perspective because I haven’t cheered for a specific team since I entered the media in 2004, after being the New York Mets general manager from 1997 to 2003. As a member of the media, I don’t root for any one team. I just root to be right with my predictions and evaluations about players and teams.
I know fans get angry and frustrated. I live in Connecticut, near a collection of Mets, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans.
It doesn’t matter whether the Yankees are in first place or not, Yankees fans are always mad about something. Mets fans always expect the other shoe to drop. When things are bad, they expect them to stay bad. When things are good, they don’t trust that it will last. Red Sox fans like to get mad at the owner when things go wrong. They have a bit of owner envy when they are behind the Yankees. They wish their owner was as invested in winning as the Yankees’ ownership.
Obviously, I do not work in the front office of the Jays, but I am feeling their pain. The Blue Jays are a frustrating team to watch.
I feel that they are more talented than their record indicates. They make me question my evaluations. Maybe they aren’t as good as I think. But most of these guys were part of the run to Game 7 of the World Series last year. They are good, aren’t they?
The team disappoints me day after day. When the Jays lose, I keep thinking that tomorrow will be the day they break out and make a run. Then, when it doesn’t happen, I expect it will start the next day.
It’s body blow after body blow. I know I said I’m not a fan, but I think I sound like one.
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Starting pitching in shambles
The Jays can’t go on a long winning streak because their starting pitching (33-41 with a 4.13 ERA for the season) is in shambles.
Dylan Cease has been great all season long and has proven to be one of the best free-agent signings of last offseason. Jose Soriano has been pretty good since he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels. Max Scherzer has been a bit better than I expected when healthy, but he’s still a shadow of what he once was. Spencer Arrighetti has not been very good since being acquired from the Houston Astros at the deadline (8.04 ERA).
The Jays activated Jameson Taillon from the injured list to make a start on Sept. 4, but he went right back on IL with an inflamed elbow the next day. Trey Yesavage is rehabbing his knee after surgery but is still at least a couple of weeks away. Shane Bieber has a teres major strain and is progressing, but he’s over a week away from returning, too.
It all means Jays manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker have to get creative with their two and a half starters. They need to win the Cease and Soriano games and win one or two of the games started by Scherzer, Arrighetti or the bullpen.
The bullpen (40-32 with a 3.68 ERA) has thrived, picking up the slack for the starters as much as they can.
Getting on a win streak is going to take a better offence than what they’re currently showing (589 runs, ranked 29th). It’s going to take timing and matching pitchers with certain hitters or groups of hitters. The entire pitching staff has to let go of their egos and just play to win the game in front of them...and then go and do the same thing the next night.
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Bateman a pleasant surprise
Outfielder Brett Bateman, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Kevin Gausman trade, has been a very pleasant surprise for the Jays.
It’s not often that a young player gets promoted to the major leagues and he is the same player as he was in the minors. There is usually a learning curve and a dip in performance as they find their way as a big leaguer.
Bateman was a high on-base percentage player who hit for a high average and had great plate discipline in the minor leagues. He has been that same guy in the majors. He has well-above-average speed that he uses on the bases and in the field. He’s not a prolific base stealer, but he should be able to steal 20-30 over a full season.
Bateman is a versatile offensive player. He can be an old-school leadoff man with speed and on-base percentage. He can also bat second or at the bottom of the order, serving as a second leadoff man who get on base for power hitters if Schneider wants to construct a lineup with big bats at the top.
Bateman is a solid defender, as well. I expect that the Jays will have him as a starter in centre field on the depth chart going into next season.
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Obligatory Vladdy section
I’m contractually obligated to write weekly about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Okay, not really, but it feels like I should be.
Remember how I said I’m frustrated? Well, Guerrero has caused me the most angst this season. I mean, what is going on? I see flashes of the old Vlad and I start to get excited that he is about to break out. But then he fizzles out.
Last week he looked like he was trying to hit the ball out in front of the plate instead of letting the ball travel deep in the zone, where he can shoot it to the opposite field.
He needs to slug and, to do so, he has to sell out on driving the ball. He needs to think about pulling the ball with power.
Maybe this will be the time. Tomorrow at home against the Baltimore Orioles will be the day. I am sure of it.
I hope I’m not frustrated again on Friday night.
