Blue Jays GDT: 2024 v3 | Fri, May 17 | vs TB | 7pm ET/4pm PT | TBD vs Bassitt | ***Apple TV+ Game, no Sportsnet***

[BehindTheTimes]

At 7.5M, he's a luxury on a contender.

The issue was never that the Jays signed IKF (or even the role that he is playing). The issue is that the Jays pursued IKF instead of other options that could have improved the team.

Agreed, if you knew you had an internal budget limit then the decision to pursue him was a bad one. The fact that he hasn’t been completely terrible so far doesn’t change anything. By the time the season is done he will be roughly where everyone expected him to be.

Short sighted to change you’d opinion just because he’s doing bit better than expected, but almost guaranteed not to sustain it.

Posters will defend every move though.

 

[Eyedea]

Agreed, if you knew you had an internal budget limit then the decision to pursue him was a bad one. The fact that he hasn’t been completely terrible so far doesn’t change anything. By the time the season is done he will be roughly where everyone expected him to be.

Short sighted to change you’d opinion just because he’s doing bit better than expected, but almost guaranteed not to sustain it.

Posters will defend every move though.

Would it have been better if they retained Chapman? I don’t understand this logic that the fact that he’s been good doesn’t change anything. Did you expect IKF to perform better than Chapman and be on pace for a ~2 win season?

If internal budget is impacting roster decisions, why not try to improve internally at minimal cost? Why spend anything on Turner, KK or IKF when you can bring up Horwitz, Barger, and Orelvis? Perhaps they’re too risk averse to attempt this when Vlad and Bo are in their prime and with limited control remaining.

It’s fair to acknowledge faults in management but at least put some effort in your analysis. Just blaming spending on IKF doesn’t do any justice considering there were no impactful options in free agency (aside from Shohei).

 

[MS]

Would it have been better if they retained Chapman? I don’t understand this logic that the fact that he’s been good doesn’t change anything. Did you expect IKF to perform better than Chapman and be on pace for a ~2 win season?

If internal budget is impacting roster decisions, why not try to improve internally at minimal cost? Why spend anything on Turner, KK or IKF when you can bring up Horwitz, Barger, and Orelvis? Perhaps they’re too risk averse to attempt this when Vlad and Bo are in their prime and with limited control remaining.

It’s fair to acknowledge faults in management but at least put some effort in your analysis. Just blaming spending on IKF doesn’t do any justice considering there were no impactful options in free agency (aside from Shohei).

IKF is on pace for a 4.0 bWAR season currently.

Considering the options, that move to shore up the infield and replace Chapman has been an excellent one.

The decision to bring back KK instead of moving Varsho to CF and adding a corner OF bat ... not so much.

 

[MK78]

IKF is on pace for a 4.0 bWAR season currently.

Considering the options, that move to shore up the infield and replace Chapman has been an excellent one.

The decision to bring back KK instead of moving Varsho to CF and adding a corner OF bat ... not so much.

Yeah IKF hasn't been ok. and he's cheap only 7.5M/year for 2 years.

Chapman is Boras client and that was never gonna fly here. Everyone else balked and he had to settle for a contingency contract, which here would have cost even more than $25M.

I agree Varsho should have been the permanent CF and a good LF bat should have been looked for.

 

[dredeye]

This is getting real tough to stay positive. Even harder to continue watching.

I just scoreboard watch now. No point in watching the team play. Garbage manager that has no business still being employed and a gm that really needs to go. I gave him a very long leash but he’s proven unable to build a winner. The team is letting everyone down this year which they also own. Just an overall tire fire with no end in site. At this point it’s more a question of how low they’ll finish and not can they come back. It sucks that the core just never developed into what we thought they would be. What are we one or two years from vlad/Bo walk years and nothing has developed from this team and Bo how now joined vlad as replacement level.

IKF is on pace for a 4.0 bWAR season currently.

Considering the options, that move to shore up the infield and replace Chapman has been an excellent one.

The decision to bring back KK instead of moving Varsho to CF and adding a corner OF bat ... not so much.

That last part is the actual failure of the off season. We needed a big bat for left field and instead brought a CF back that wasn’t needed in any way.

 

[Eyedea]

The Giants pretty much went after all of our contingency plans and they’re still right where we are.

The only sensible option was to acquire an upgrade via trade, and they struck out on a Soto deal. They’ve probably received some hesitation from clubs after their penchant to deal off flamed out prospects over the years.

In other news the Bisons put up another double digit offensive performance. They have what, 9 players with over .800 OPS? I understand the automated strike zone helps but you’re still looking at an entire lineup of hitters hitting above league average.

 

[LaP]

Would it have been better if they retained Chapman? I don’t understand this logic that the fact that he’s been good doesn’t change anything. Did you expect IKF to perform better than Chapman and be on pace for a ~2 win season?

If internal budget is impacting roster decisions, why not try to improve internally at minimal cost? Why spend anything on Turner, KK or IKF when you can bring up Horwitz, Barger, and Orelvis? Perhaps they’re too risk averse to attempt this when Vlad and Bo are in their prime and with limited control remaining.

It’s fair to acknowledge faults in management but at least put some effort in your analysis. Just blaming spending on IKF doesn’t do any justice considering there were no impactful options in free agency (aside from Shohei).

My position this summer was that if the Jays could not bring quality hitters they had to try kids. Sign a DH or LF and try kids at LF/DH, 3rd base and 2nd base while moving Varsho at CF. That was my position this summer and this is still my position today.

Signing vets who are not good enough has never been a good move. It's not a good move in any sports. Signing vets who are not good enough is like trying to fit a square in a circle. They are vets they wont improve and they are not good enough. Try kids that's the answer it might not work but at least you don't know yet.

That offense was never going to be good enough and anyone pretending otherwise is delusional imo. It was clearly without any doubt and before the season even start not a good offense. That offense would need prime Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson to wins something.