What’s Next For The Blue Jays?

What’s Next For The Blue Jays?

Gate 14 podcast and we are back. It has been 3 days, 4 days since the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Dylan CE in free agency. Avery, how we feeling, man? We finally, we got a move we asked for. So, uh, we got a midweek pod that which we’ve been begging for. maybe the earliest midweek pod we’ve had in a while in terms of free agency. Ross Scott is a guy. That was the thing. Um I’m not concerned but a talking point. It hasn’t been announced yet. Um I would like to maybe like just keep scaring me a little bit. Like let’s do the longest without announcing it officially. Like let’s do three four weeks. Like let’s have some fun with this uh and kind of draw it out. But yeah, I mean, I would love to have this official, but Dylan C seems like he’s the guy. Well, and also you know how hilarious it would be if the deal follows through and the Yankees or the Dodgers sign him after all the [ __ ] those or even the Red Sox after all the [ __ ] those fans have been talking about the Dylan C signing the deal falls through and he signs with like the Red Sox or he signs with the like it would be all time backtracking but it is strange that the Toronto Blue Jays themselves haven’t announced this yet or even acknowledged it. Um I’m not really quite sure how to feel about that yet or I do know it was Yeah, it’s got to be holiday. Yeah, it was American Thanksgiving this weekend. So, I do understand that. But, um it is hilarious that we haven’t even got like an announcement or anything yet. But, I’m assuming by tomorrow, if you’re listening to this podcast, probably by tomorrow it’ll Monday or Tuesday it’ll be announced, right? Hopefully. Uh, I wonder how many people Dylan C is going to ask to ask for the number 84. You know, I bet he’s they’re lined up to uh give that number away. All the uh all the minor league invitees to spring training. They’re going to have to get that number for Dylan. He uh he’s a strange cat. I saw like his favorite phil because of his favorite it was a yoga instructor or something. Yoga instructor. Yeah. Yeah. He’s just I mean he’s like I heard nothing but good things about him like the way he is in the locker room and the like how he’s a locker room guy and everything along those lines. But um yeah I am looking forward to kind of seeing the bounceback year hopefully. And where are you at on this one Avery? Because again I there’s tons of insults that about Dylan CE from last year that are warrant a little bit of being scared about the deal with how with how much money it is. But where are you at after a couple days to think gone the Dylan CE move? I think there is a lot more a long track record of guys with great stuff becoming good pitchers. Like it’s a it is a better way to go about getting guys of this really really good stuff. This swing and miss and work on command, work on control. It’s very hard to have not a great arm, not good swing and miss stuff, um, and train to try and get that. Like, if that’s your problem, you’re giving up rocket balls and you can’t get swing and miss. Harder to train that. Harder to take steps that way. So, it’s like I’m always going to be okay with clear arm talent guys who you hope a couple tweaks like Dylan Sees is not a perfect product. He is he is far from a perfect product. And I think it’s just the way the game’s gone where you get these huge deals for these guys. Like I don’t that number doesn’t shock me. That number doesn’t scare me. But for someone who’s been watching baseball for so long say like our dads are like that guy they’ll see 455 RA that guy got 200 million. A guy who doesn’t go that deep in start in in his starts. It’s like sure like you can have those push backs on it. Absolutely. But like if we want to turn Dylan Case into what you think he can be, what you hope he can be, and you’re you’re I saw this somewhere, like you are giving this guy money. You’re getting some of his like past results play a part in it, but really you’re only paying him for his future results. Projectability. Exactly. and a guy who’s like it’s so obvious why J’s I was listening to his space yesterday and I mean I could listen to that guy talk forever. Um it’s so obvious Ross just likes people who can throw all the time. It’s like it’s everyone they’ve had is we’re not going to take these risks on signing these free agents who aren’t going to throw a ton of innings who don’t have the track record of being able to hold up over multiple seasons and Dylan Ces has been the best at that over the last five and things can happen injuries can happen. It’s baseball. But the track record of being that durable is a really really good start to getting higher winds above replacement, helping the team over the the length of this contract. And you can trust a guy with who has a pretty great bill of health over the last five. And again, things can drastically change and then it could be become a nightmare. But for guys that they want, they trust, it’s the durable guys. And that’s like one one you can get as of the last couple years that are going to hit the free agent market. And yeah, the best ability is availability. Not to go cliche and Dylan Cece is that. And you brought up a good point with the Ross Atkins stuff. I mean, we talk about the Chad innings eaters. Like Kevin Gosman, not quite sure how many starts that guy’s missed for the Toronto Blue Jays. Maybe you can count it on two hands. I like he’s always pretty much been healthy for the Blue Jays. Chris Basset, we know. I mean, Chris Basset pitches every [ __ ] time you ask him to and then he’ll come out of the bullpen in a playoff game and just shove. And then Jos Bereos hasn’t missed a start in like four years. Yeah, it might have been forced this year, but um that’s that’s those are the guys that Ross Atkins bets on. And it’s and he’s and he’s betting on like how do I make make this not sound like a slight on the other guys, but he is betting on a higher ceiling guy that does the exact same thing in terms of innings eating as a burri and a basset. Like Dylan Ce’s ceiling is significantly higher. He’s younger and the stuff is there. Like I I I know uh the fans love to talk [ __ ] like of other teams, whatever. Like I’ve I’ve understood it now and like I get it. Like they’re going to chirp any J signings no matter what. But yeah, we’ll we’ll chirp any other signing. It’s the same once you realize that doesn’t matter. That’s fine. And like Dylan Cece, you can dream on the type of guy he is. And I know you’re talking about the money like oh 200 million for a project. I wouldn’t say it’s Yeah, it’s not like young votes. He has the stuff right like he’s up there in the swing swing and miss category. We talked about on the last podcast higher K per nine than Garrick Crochet then Tariq Scuba last year. All these guys the stuff is there. If you can unlock something in terms of command and minimizing the fly balls, this deal looks like an absolute steal because you got Kevin Gosman’s contract going off the books after next season. hopefully the Brios one because Brios is a player option which I’m assuming he won’t get anywhere else so we’ll probably take um you you have this guy you can essentially build around for the next 5 years in a rotation when a lot of the guys are coming off the books I don’t think we’ll be able to unlock ground balls John I don’t think we’re getting like a a sinker he’s a 40% ground ball guy it’s how can you limit I mean like I said on the midweek we’re just going to run guys with 10% % home run to fly ball rates and can you limit that? Can we get under that? Can we be the eight? Can we be a nine? Like still not fantastic, but over 10 we get killed by the home runs. And um yeah, it’s like you are projecting what you think Dylan CE could be. And it was shout out Sam Green obviously him and Pete. Um Sam Green seems like to he’s the pitch guy. He’s like, “How can we unlock these people?” And so I saw it was a Shire BNS article. I didn’t read the article. I saw someone post. You saw a quote, which we all did. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I’m not I’m not reading a lot. Shocker. Um Yeah. Sam, they obviously think that there’s something that they can work on. Yeah. Um Cease was I don’t know if this just blew all the other offers out of the water. I I don’t expect it to be that crazy of a difference between what other teams were going after him, but to sign that deal right away. Either he had to be blown out by the offer, which could have happened, or really liked what they put together in unlocking something for Case. So, uh I’m excited to see what those changes could possibly be because there there needs to be some changes like eventually if you are over 5 years a 41 erra guy, but you have a low FIP. we got five years of bad erra which was the earned runs he gave up in those games that didn’t lead to that. So it’s like okay I do understand the projections. Um but we just do have to pitch well at some point too. Yeah at some point you can’t turn into like if man you know like the meme of like hypothetical. Yeah. Yeah, like the X-Fip and stuff is good to project that you think he’ll be better and I agree upon that. But like yeah, we just need Dylan CE to to pitch and I think he will and I I do believe in in Dylan CE think the tweaks I’m hoping I mean they know way more than we do. I I would love to know hopefully we can get Sam off the record and we we can talk about that one day to like what are your thoughts how spring goes for these guys but like for the arm talent I’ll bet on it but again uh yeah you need to pitch well over the contract and and I think he can do that. Do you know how cool it’s going to be to have a starter that throws 100? When was the [ __ ] last time we had that? Like, have we ever? Oh, man. Starter. We had We had Nate. Okay. I I Okay. A starter though. I don’t think we’ve had a starter that throw us 100 miles an hour. What was Robbie What was Robbie Ray doing? Like high 90s, I think. I don’t think Robbie Ray touched triple dig. I can look I can look at what the I don’t think Robbie Ray was hitting 100. I wasn’t. Yeah, I wasn’t like watching the Robbie Ray games as close as I am now. Let’s go. At least his um fastball average. Oh, no. He wasn’t doing that. He was No. 946. I mean, if you’re averaging 946, I’d be shocked if he touched 100. Yeah. So, we we are getting a starting pitcher that chucks a hundo on the gun. Pretty good. He He’s hit it. He hit it. What? That’s what I’m saying. Like, he has the potential to hit it. like he’ll hit high 90s, 99, 98 pretty consistently. It’ll be cool, right? Like um and again, it’s going to be hilarious if they don’t see shoves next year. A lot of people are going to have to delete a lot of tweets. I And I wanted to go back on that FIP thing that you did say because again, it the results have to show on the field. Like we can quote the FIP and of course we’re doing it now because he’s on our team and it could you could use it as a projection for next year. But if next year he has the same season he had this year, I’m gonna be pretty [ __ ] angry to be honest with you. If the walk rate doesn’t change. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. It’d be like what what did we do different here? And then then we the Padres fans hate him. Oh, they hate his guts. I feel like it’s not warrant like they just had a they had a shitty year as a team really. Like they were they were promised the world they’d make all those trade deadline acquisitions. like Mason Miller’s on their team and they [ __ ] down their leg. But what we’ve learned on this podcast is every fan base hates players on their team. Like that’s just really what it is. And I get why they hated Dylan CE. By the way, Dylan CE had an awesome 2024 year. He was nails last year. And they only it was like the Philadelphia Eagles booing their team right after the Super Bowl. Like it’s they’ll forget quickly. fans will forget very quickly with with some of these players. Like the the whole CE thing is I think it’s cool. I like the type they’re betting on. Like I think it’s in the long run you have multiple types like that. I think you’re going to win out. I think you’re going to be successful more than you’re not like yeah the great arm and durable. So what what more could you want? And then the next step is you want them to be a great pitcher for your team. So that’s the thing. Uh what can they unlock? I would like to see maybe I’ll watch a couple Dylan CE starts too and kind of kind of write down some thoughts as I won’t write I’ll write them down and then share them on the next pod too but like yeah like what were they really seeing with Dylan CE why were they so angry and I think it’s just the innings thing. It’s you get deep in count uh you walk people and then it cuts your night short. It was the it was also the Blake Snell problem forever, right? Yeah. And he found a way. I mean two times Sai Young winner. It’s It’s a little different than what It’s a little different than what Dylan CE was doing. But like you can make strides to um to make yourself better, but Snell hasn’t been that that durable. Like he still does have the injury problems. So I’m very I’m very excited. I like Yeah, I like what they bet on and uh I’m hoping for the best, man. I don’t want I don’t want the players on the Blue Jays to do poorly. Hot take. And I’ll be honest with you, man. Like again on this podcast we and when I say we I mean me have talked about like how much we hated watching Jose Bereios pitch last year right and Jose Bereios pre-allar break 115 innings pitched 375 erra one two whip any other fan base looks into this Jose B these Jose Burio stats for last year and they go how the [ __ ] did Blue Jays fans hate him but when you watch him every five days the home run problem the walk problem the hard contact problem. You kind of grow to hate the guy based off watching every 5 days and how frustrating it is with how with also how much you know how good he can possibly be. And I feel like that is the thing with Dylan CE and the Padres’s fans. The arm talent’s there. The potential’s there. The ceiling is skyhigh. Unfortunately, just didn’t have the greatest year. A lot of walks, home run problem. Like I feel like that would be the similarity. Right. Yeah. It it goes into it a lot for for players that leave in free agency. It’s either we couldn’t get the deal done, someone else took the guy. Usually happens when it goes from a bottom feeder team, a mid-tier team to like like the show thing, right? You just lose those guys because they go to the better teams. Um, and then you get the guys that end up leaving. If you loved these guys so much, you would have tried your hardest to extend them before they even got to this thing. Like Bo is different. Um Bo is different because of his injury thing the year before the walk year. Um Tucker different with with Houston. They probably tried to do something and then you get traded and it’s like, okay, I got traded like I’m fine. I’m able to live my life the next season. Then let’s see what happens in free agency. But if you really love these guys, you’re you’re going to try and lock them up. And the Padres’s money problems too, right? With their they don’t have a TV deal, their ownership group, so they might have let him walk. But yeah, there is something about losing confidence in those guys when you watch them like we would see a burrios thing and we Yeah, we just we can read numbers right now and that’s what we did for for gassing them up looking at all of his stuff. They’re going to do that for like a burrito thing, but when you gave Burrios the ball was like what’s going to happen here? And sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story and you want them to but they can’t. So Brios, I’m I’m starting to walk back on me not wanting him here. I’m I think he’s a servesible five man. Well yeah, he [ __ ] it better be. He He really is. But um for that amount I I would love to just have like a a demon burri here now. I He’s like [ __ ] you guys. Um, you guys treated me like [ __ ] I’m not going to sulk. I’m going to just go about my business and be way better than I was last year. And I’ll be honest with you, man. I’m praying for that. Yeah, I am, too. Like, if you look at Bereos’s numbers, right, 2021, he posted a 358 RA with the Blue Jays when he got acquired here in the middle of that playoff push they had. 2023, he was a demon in 2023. Avery, remember we talked about like bounceback year for Brios after that horrid 2022. Then he had that World Baseball Classic start where he gave up 500 to what what was it? Mexico or Venezuela and we’re like uh-oh we got the bad burritos coming in hot 2023 and he shoved man 189 innings 365 erra the dude was an absolute dog and then last year 2024 when the team stunk out loud bios was the best pitcher the workhorse 36 erra 192 innings like more often than not in his Toronto Blue Jays career Lamachina has been nothing short great for this ball club. It just sucks that the second half of the season this year in the middle of the first division title in nine 10 years ruined your outlook on Jos Bereios, but he has been nothing short of great um in terms of his Toronto Blue Jays tenure. And that’s obvious the money’s kind of a lot, but I think he might I I think I’ve talked myself into a bounceback. It’s um it’s going to be a whole stuff thing for him. It’s not uh it’s not based on his ability to get people out. We know he can do that. He wasn’t great at it this year, but like a full 1.2 full mile an hour, 1.2 mph. He lost on his fast ball on average. Hey man, like 942 to 93 massive difference for a right-hander. It’s it’s like it’s the [ __ ] around and find out scale, but you just do it for for fast ball velocities and things are going to go worse when you’re 93 compared to when you’re 94. And it spring training for me is going to tell a lot based on where he is arm healthwise, body-wise, how he’s feeling, and how he’s throwing. It’s that’s the only thing that’s going to really matter to me cuz he can get people out. He’s done it for easily [ __ ] eight years. like we know he can do that at the big league level. Um so yeah, just like I don’t want to give up on him. Felt kind of unfair [ __ ] year for like we if we can give other guys grace for one bad year, why why does it have to be different with Briio? But if we see if we see diminished stuff again, then like the red flags are going to keep waving. But who’s truly going to acquire him at this point? Probably no one. So it’s I thought money I thought money no one. Yeah. So I I don’t see any reason to to pawn him off other besides the fact that he had a bad year and if he has another bad year then yeah you’d want to cash in on trying to get something. But don’t think uh they’re going to have the luxury of that. And for a guy that if you’re penciling him in as an innings eater five probably one of the better fives in in all of baseball. Yeah. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. But I did see this quote from YJ. He talked about it on that space yesterday. If you could put a percentagewise that one of Bereios and Anthony Santandere aren’t on the opening day roster for the Toronto Blue Jays next year, what would you put it as? Uh 1%. Yeah, I think that’s just I mean again, who’s going to acquire these guys? A team that want wants it to make it I mean the Pirates. You want Santair? That if you ate some money like that could be their thing and play him at first maybe. I don’t know. Like yeah, that seems like an okay fit. But yeah, you’re going to have to eat the money to to get him off of that. And YJ’s I mean this is just a glaze session unfortunately. But he’s in our group chat right now and Anthony Santer puts a big wrinkle into what could be an awesome move. Um Kyle Schwarber like we could we could be in that business with no Anthony Santond there and he’s projected for not much either Kyle Schwarber like nothing crazy I think he gets near the ters or a little bit maybe what do you think what do you think Kyle uh Kyle Schwarber gets 200 I don’t think so right 150 maybe I don’t again bad with you can tell me if it’s wrong that’s fine that’s like how many years would you give them you’re not giving him more than five, are you? Like, he’s not young, man. He He has He has really good traits, though. Like, for his for him to uh age pretty well. So, yeah, Kyle Schwarber, ESPN has him projected at 132 million. Over how many, John? Over uh four years. Okay. So, I will say I I I want to believe in Anthony Dare. He hit 56 home runs last year. I I like listen I want to believe in Anthony Sonare. That move was kind of forced. I think we can say it now. Avery, that was uh oh [ __ ] we didn’t get other free agents. Let’s sign Anthony Sandere last year. Ross Ross had a mental lapse. He they had the one year where things didn’t work out and Ross is like, “Okay, my plan’s [ __ ] We need home runs. We need home runs and that’s who they went after and we didn’t even need him. He said he said power was the lowhanging fruit and he picked from that [ __ ] tree. He was right. He was right. He got the poisonous apple from the tree. But Anthony Sonair, again, not to discount him and I still think he’s going to be okay next year. Hopefully. Hopefully. He has really cucked us from signing some fun guys in that DH spot to hit in front of or behind Vlatty. Imagine, dude. Schwarber as the leadoff hitter. People in in the city might hate that, but Oh, your your old like our parents would hate. What do you mean? You got a [ __ ] 56 home run hitter hitting lead off. You’re supposed to knock guys in. Supposed to knock guys in. He’s got like a 12% walk rate. Yeah. No, he’s They would hate that though. 15 He’s a 15% walk rate. I mean, we had Bo leading off, right? But they would be like, “Ah, you can’t even run. You’re supposed to have a fast guy in the leadoff spot.” That’s what they like. That’s what your parents would say if you had [ __ ] Kyle Schwarver leading off for the Blue Jays. But he’s Avery, he is so awesome. I just don’t see a world where he leaves Philly unless it’s like a reunion in Chicago cuz the Cubs fans hate their ownership right now, dude. Reds. Reds is he’s the Ohio kid and I’ve been hearing that Kyle Schwarber in Great American Ballpark. Let me tell Let me tell you about an awesome marriage. That one he would hit seven. He would break f He would break uh Barry Bonds’s record if he played if Kyle Schwarber played at Great American Ballpark. Every, it would be so unfair for pitchers cuz honestly right field is kind of a short porch too. It’s not like the furthest right field area. He’s a lefty. He would send balls into that Kentucky river at will and that again that move would be unfortunately actually he’d be signing with a lot of our favorite our our favorite second team the National League. Kyle Schwarber with the National League again would be sick. I’m very scared if he goes on the Red Sox. I will say that. That’s that’s scary. Yeah, I would have to root for his downfall. Um, of course, but I don’t Yeah, I don’t like the thought of that at all. There’s a lot of chat to about this bow stuff. Um I mean we’ll bring up the overdrive thing as to oh no it’s sorry it’s not to chirp them. It’s a I I said I said I said we can’t chirp them. Yeah. No no it’s a sentiment that some people will also share right like why haven’t they got something done yet? I mean Bose waited how long to be a free agent and he’s one month removed from playing baseball. crazy for him to sign in that one month remove. I will and and maybe some of our listeners don’t know the quote we’re talking about, but the Overdrive guys said if Bo really wanted to be here essentially, he would be signed. Like what’s taking so long? Like this is insane. And again, I tweet I quote tweeted and I said I like they’re getting a lot of flack for this, but they’re hockey guys. They’re used to free agent frenzy, right? July 1, that’s it. Bang, everyone signed, right? They’re used to the trade deadline in the NHL which sometimes gets insane. Like that’s hockey brain. And again, if I was forced to talk every sport and have to pretend I’m an expert in every sport, I’d look dumb, too. You’d have a dumb clip every episode as well. Yeah. Like that quote unfortunately was pathetic from those guys. But the social guy did him so dirty. So yeah, the the intern that clipped that should be like fire. No, it should be fire. But that was obviously I’m joking but like the the intern that clicked that is going to get a very strongly worded email. I don’t know because he’s thinking cuz he’s probably a hockey brain guy too. He’s like you know what he’s right. Why isn’t he here yet? I I can’t I can’t blame them. But it is it is something to be said. Yeah, he’s Bobett is now Oh no, never mind. This is the same month he was playing baseball by the way. Um we’re not even a full month removed from that. Um so yeah. Hey, maybe he likes going on multiple dates with multiple teams. Like he wants to he wants to see them all anywhere. Abe, I’m sorry. I’ll call my shot. Like I have a tough time seeing that. Um, no team wants to pay like no team needs a shortstop. He’s also not a shortstop though. Like no one is Are a lot of teams rich enough in Major League Baseball to shell out that amount of money for a second baseman. Avery, you think the Braves are going to do that? I don’t think the Braves are going to do that. Braves don’t spend money. The Braves have every player on a handcuffed uh gun to their head deal. It’s like the most team friendly deals of all time. Yeah. So they’re Yeah. Their their ownership’s not going to want to do that. Like the Dodgers is the only scary one. The Yankees maybe, but like what do you do with Jazz? Center field, bro. Oh my god. Um where does Shren play then? I don’t know, man. I I just I don’t see Bo going anywhere else. I really Yeah, I think I think Bo is the best fit here. And like what’s Kyle Tucker gonna do? Who are Kyle Tucker suitors at this point? Can the Mets take on another contract like that? That would be so dumb, man. The Mets are that whole uh McNeel Lindor thing was odd that came out. I didn’t even pay attention too much. But why did that come out now? I have no idea. Slow slow news. And obviously in New York media, they like to drop bombs, you know? It’s like, but why would you do that on the like the middle of November? That that should have been a a big thing when it happened. Oh, that I mean Cohen would have put their body in like the the lake in New York under the Brooklyn Bridge if if some guy would have dropped that mid-season. But I don’t know. I think what I took away from that article about like Trouble in Paradise in New York and stuff like that is is how grateful I am that our team doesn’t have a bunch of dicks on it. You know, like we know majority of the guys and they’re all class acts. No dicks really. Um that that’s his first rule, remember? Yeah. No dicks. That was good. It was a good like things could totally change with other people and not as much success the next year too, right? Like you you do see that and it was perfect storm. Great people, great team and I mean losing losing changes everything. It makes people nuts. It makes people so angry and things can totally 180. So, but to be honest, it’s still kind of the same players as 2024. Really? Mets? No, the Jay’s like some Well, you get Miles Straw. Yeah. Like you get Sherzer. Those are two like massive glue guys. Yeah. Sher’s just as different as they had had people on there. Then Yeah. Like the vet group of pitchers that you had added up over the years. Kind of a kind of perfect storm when it came to all of that. And like you have you have Bo grown up, you have Vlad grown up couple more years. I think it just all went together well. And you hope you hope Vlad takes the next step like leadership wise. I don’t know if he’ll ever be that much of a verbal leader. It’ll be more what he shows on the field, but like you you saw what winning does. You saw how awesome it was. Why would you want to do anything different if you got the choice? And I I think Mitch Bannon did say that the Jays were in on a Glaciius and Hellley and other guys. And I did obviously the name of this podcast today is what’s next for the Blue Jays. I think we got to get a reliever and and one guy that I’ve really talked myself into. Avery, I’ve really chirped him a lot this season. I need some of Devin Williams inside of me in in sorry, I need I need I need Devin Williams on the Toronto Blue Jays. No, you need Devin Williams inside of you in That’s what you said and that was true. I need Devin Williams. Listen, he rocks. And again, we’re going to be talking about a guy that his hypothetical numbers are good at the J sign. We’re we’re building a But he had been fantastic, like those real life good numbers for years before. He also has some some potential like attitude things that are a little different. The punching of the wall, YJ’s brought that up. He missed the playoffs that one year, right? Um, I know it was absolutely ridiculous, but Gan CB brought this up. He was the one who changed the Yankees beard policy. He like doing all that stuff. Um, but boy oh boy is he a [ __ ] unreal pitcher. And I would love to have him um in the bullpen, whatever comes to that. I’m still like I know it it’s not great of us to try and shop at the top. Yeah, I would love I would love some trumpets in the back. Oh, Avery, I dude I don’t know why I’m so out on this. I don’t know why I’m so out on Edwin Diaz because the guy literally won the reliever of the year last year and he’s too but like paying that much money for a closer rarely works. I think there’s one exception and it’s Johan Durant. That’s really a guy where you’re comfortable paying a [ __ ] ton to like Emanuel Claw. Pretty good numbers as well, but he’s in Guantanamo Bay, so you can’t really pay him. Edwin Diaz is 32. I just He seems I say he’s young because it seems like he’s been in the league for 20 years already. Yes. But how old’s Devin Williams? He’s got to be close to that, too, right? I don’t know about that. Devin Williams has to be younger than that. Yeah. Yeah. I would think he’s 30 31. He’s 31. Really? Yeah. It’s crazy. I will say narrative-wise, the Toronto Blue Jays acquiring the guy who broke up the Yankees beard policy would kind of rock. Being a one-year Yankee and crushing their beard policy is an insane thing. you this literally that it’s like for example it’s like a guy going into a workplace as a temp like a temporary worker that you got from a temporary agency and you just change the dress code it’s like we’re not business cash anymore we’re just whatever we’re casual yeah we got part-time Pete and he’s he likes khaki so we’re going to and you leave and you just leave the next like you just go to maybe a rival company but that’s what Deon Williams will be doing I tons of Yankee fans want him back. Um, I would love Devin Williams because his not he is a actual good pitcher. He is an actual good pitcher who got bad bad luck last year, right? Like I love Devin Williams. I would want Deon Williams on this team. Pretty easy to talk myself into. And speaking of got former Yankees on what’s next, um, man, I it would take a while for me and I was texting YJ’s about this. It would take a while for me to convince myself Cody Bellinger. I don’t think I can. What do you What do you not like about Cody Bellinger? It’s a fair point from what he’s just he’s a faster Nathan Lucas. Really? Yeah. Weird numbers against righties, too. Terri like Yeah. That’s the same thing with Catel Marte. He’s got weird lefty numbers, too. But he’s like the best hitter in baseball against left-handed pitching. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I I saw someone put it up on Twitter um bat speed metrics for Catel Marte um by handness and it was a two mph difference swing speeds from each I think it was like each side of the plate was very very different. So that was that was also um funny to see Marte thing’s fun. He’s old too. He’s 32. He rocks. He rocks. He also has bad attitude problems. Yeah. Yeah, he really does. I I don’t know, man. I I would like Catel Marte. I don’t think it would it would probably cost a pretty significant amount um for Catel Marte, but I do remember last year he had like a spaz attack in Colorado where they had to address it in the media and stuff like that. He just didn’t want to took himself out of the game. I don’t I don’t remember what it was. It was asking for days off or something like that. Yeah, he was asking for days off on a team that was already eliminated from the play or they weren’t eliminated but they were struggling. Um that I I don’t know I every team has linked themselves to him or Cory Seager. Uh what do you think costs more Avery pro uh prospectwise Catel or Cory Seager? Good question. Really good question. So I don’t know what Catel’s deal is necessarily. um that plays a part in it cuz Sears’s got a ton of money and offloading that would be a part of it. So free agent Tom 6 years 116 million. Yeah, he just signed that too. Yeah, he just signed it 2024. How are you getting rid of that already? Catel would take a lot. That’s team friendly. Yeah, that’s a very team friendly deal, dude. He makes less than Dylan Ciss. That’s a really good number. Yeah, that’s good. It’s like, why if you’re the Diamondbacks, why the [ __ ] would you want to trade that deal? Why would you extend him and then trade him? It’s It’s like things could have been that different in one season, right? Yeah. No. And you you believed in him enough to extend him, but one year later, you’re fine to move off of him. Doesn’t make sense. I I I don’t see I don’t see it making tons of sense, Dave. I really don’t. I don’t know if I gave you an answer, but that Catel deal is really nice. uh money dollars and cents wise and Seeker’s the opposite of that. Um Seeker’s the better player obviously but uh is he though like the the health concerns are there though in the grand scheme of things, right? Yeah. I mean what Catel put up a seven win season. This is uh baseball reference two years ago and I’m sure Seagar’s been been doing that. They’ll take his defensive metrics and they’ll they’ll love what he’s done. Yeah, he did he did 7.2 and a oh my god 119. I know he did this last time too. Seager’s playing shortstop and that goes a lot into it as well. So I think yeah overall Seager is a better player but that could tell deal is really nice and everyone would love to have have that deal. Yeah. So I’m sure he would probably take the farm in a trade and I don’t think the Jays have the capital for that. Unfortunately, one of one of the questions was um why wouldn’t we go after Catel Marte instead of Bo or Kyle Tucker? And the simple answer is one costs prospects and one cost money. Yeah. One cost you a draft pick. Well, actually only one of those players costs you a draft pick. That would be Kyle Tucker. Um but everything else Yeah. It’s like the prospect capital that you could trade for players later instead of Catel right now. that that would be the reason you don’t do that. But yeah, I don’t I don’t think they would do Catel Marte. I I really don’t. It would be cool. I would appreciate it. They like dealing with the Dbacks. Um he is awesome. Yeah, I just really don’t think the Dbacks are going to I think I’m wrong on that because there’s been a ton of talk about it, but yeah, I think it I don’t understand what the Dbacks would be doing besides trying to like rebuild to do that. He he honestly might be even a perfect Red Sox and they have the capital too, right? Yeah. I mean, his his right-handed swing against lefties and that monster is great. I think that does make sense because the Dbacks are going to have to retool. The pitching is in like a a weird spot right now. They’re kind of uh kind of shifting over to the young guys because you got rid of of Kelly, you got rid of Gallon. Um was Montgomery’s deal. He gota they got rid of him too, right? Yeah. Um, yeah. So, it it kind of changing of the guard. I just looked up Jordan Zimmerman instead of Jordan Montgomery. Um, I’ll figure out his deal. I thought something happened with him, too. But, yeah, you take some pictures on if you’re the Dags. It’s good. I think that I just And going back to the original point, Avery. I I don’t know if Cody Bellinger is that sexy for me, man. I I I really don’t. And I would I talk myself into the move? Yes. Is he a good ball player, all-around ball player, speed, good defense, can play anywhere aside from like the left side of the infield obviously, but or even second, but I I just I I can’t get around to it. I I’ve tried to and I just I can’t. Looking at the Jays, I I he costs significantly more and at the end of the day, the numbers are not that that that crazy at that cap hit or not cap hit at that salary hit compared to Nathan Lucas. And I might get flame for that take, but I really don’t think it is that insane. Yeah, I kind of agree with you, too. They obviously like Nathan Lucas. I mean, he’s hitting in the two-hole in the biggest games of the season. Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to It’s good to have some cost controlled guys instead of everyone making a ton of money. So, I I could talk myself into Bellinger, good athlete. Righty numbers have been weird and it’s like, okay, the lefty is going to hit the lefties the best all the time. I’d rather him hit the hit the righties better. Um, and figure that out. But who’s next? Like, winter meetings, John. We got what 10 days and I think that’s when kind of the stove heats up. The Yankees have made a big deal every winter meetings for like the past five years. It was last year. Yeah. Judge was the year before, two years before. Um, one of the trades was was also that I’m excited. I think they get a I think they get the reliever done winter meetings time. The Jays. Yeah. I think that’s if they’re going to get one. Uh, that’s when it’s going to happen. I I absolutely think that. And then Bo will take his time. He’s got to try and find more suitors, I think. and uh try and push his price, but yeah, I’m not I’m not sure what’s gonna happen. I think it goes reliever then than then bat. Yeah, I don’t know. I I think I think Bob Bashette will be a Toronto Blue Jay no matter what. I I have and I think Mitch Bannon or someone else came out with this quote and said that the Jays aren’t as in on Kyle Tucker as has as has been reported, right? And it will be a hilarious backpedal from Yankee fans and other fans who were talking [ __ ] when the Jays were allegedly like in on him and saying like, “I’d rather have Bellinger. He’s cheaper. This and that.” Cuz then they’re going to have to delete some tweets and say, “Oh yeah, I love Kyle Tucker.” But I I I also don’t see a world he goes to the Yankees really, Avery either. Like I I think the dodge I It sucks. I think he’s going to be a Dodger. I really do. Yeah. I said this on the last episode. They tried the Conforto thing like they could they could slide that in again and try it. Um it could be a short deal high AV and Tucker would be interested in that and try and hit free agency again after he he’s they’ve been optimized. He’s had a couple great years with with the Dodgers. Things changed because he’s won already, right? Um he has a ring. He must. Yeah. With the Astros 2. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He must. Um yeah. So things are a little different when you go chasing winning. Maybe he just wants to cash in and find whatever he’s going to get. But I’m this now this is where the offseason kind of drags until winter meetings. This this kind of stretch because for us you play so late into the year then you kind of turn into offseason mode. You get some stuff happening. uh rule five stuff comes down then you get the sea steel and now I feel like what we got we got at least 10 days to wait before something else happens. Uh I would think so and then after the holidays take a little bit of time. Um yeah the sea steel happy that that happened at least gave us something. It gave us some crumbs, you know. It it dangled us a little treat before Christmas. Daddy Ross. Yeah. I don’t know. I uh I’m happy we got a move, you know. I I mean, every team in the aside from the Yankees really, I mean, the Orioles signed on um Ryan Helley, who’s um demon Jonathan Claus’s son, and the Yankees got Sunny Gray, who’s another Chad innings eater that’s going to put up tons of war. Jay’s got Dylan CE and Bieber came back. So, some a lot of the teams are eating, you know, a lot of teams are eating right now. I do think we’ll see a couple moves before winter meetings or maybe they just as a consensus decide no more moves until winter meetings and we just wait 10 days for that. But uh it is awesome that I will say I am grateful our franchise superstar is locked up so we don’t have to worry about teams wanting to poach them. You know that’s pretty cool. Imagine you had uh Vlad and Bo right now. Oh my god. Holy [ __ ] this off season, especially the way they lost game seven of the World Series, would have been maybe they don’t even make it there if they don’t extend Vlatty. I really don’t know. But could you imagine losing World Series in game seven the way we did and then having to go into an off season and Vlatty and Bobette are free agents? I I don’t even I can’t imagine it really. I I imagine going Yeah. to game seven and then they leave both of them. It’s like, why would I why would I ever do this again? Why did you sign up for that? Um, I can get some listener questions here. Maybe next week. I’m I’m on vacation this week where we drove to Virginia today to play some golf, but next week I want to do some some deeper targets, but it’s kind of weird because the Jays don’t like have roster room to do deeper targets or or some weird ads. But, uh, maybe some fun guys I think can bounce back or something like that. I’ll I’ll put together a list for the people so we can see. But I will go into listener question starting with BK. If you’ve never been to a stadium before, how are you deciding where to sit? I think this is a great question. I think this is a great question. This is a BK question that he he just wants us to stroke him off on this. But I like to sit in the shade. I can’t do the sun. Um we did it when we were when we went to was it Cincy? We sat in the sun and I was in hell, drenched in sweat. That was cuz we were on the field. Yeah, but it has to be the shaded area. And I think at the Roger Center, we always talk about it. The first the third baseline goated, always shaded. Um, that’s where I prefer to sit like middle level shaded. That’s the best area for me. Um, BK taught me the best thing ever and it’s called shadedseats.com. Yep. It tells you every ballpark. I mean, if you’re a real smart guy, you could just do sun, uh, where it’s setting and rising. We We don’t have the resources in our brain for that. Yeah. I’m not [ __ ] Galileo. I’m not doing any of that stuff, but tells you where the sun’s going to be, where the shade’s going to be at at the stadium, certain time of day, and that has kind of saved you. My first thing, I want to be as close as possible. And if those seats are out of control, then you just move up move up a level and then you find some shade. But shaded seats.com, BK, uh, shout out to him for that because I’ve been using that ever since and it’s been great. Um, he put us in Seattle on a day that wasn’t sunny at all. And that kind of sucks if it’s not if you’re getting the shade and you’re kind of far away. But um, no, shout out to BK for that. Um, if Bobish, this is might be the worst question ever or the best one. If Boba’s next contract was a fast food meal, what would it be? H, I don’t even know where to start with that one. I think sushi. Sushi. What about sushi? I think sushi because it’s expensive. It tastes good, but then after you have it, you’re like, I paid a lot of money for all you can eat sushi and I didn’t have that much. Okay. Like, and that and and that’s not really a slight on bow, but feels like it. The defense and the premium at the premium position is like what would be the slight on bow. So, you are paying a lot at the end of the day really just for the bat, right? Yeah. He’s a hitter. So, yeah. So, exactly. You’re paying tons for the sushi cuz it tastes good, but you’re not f full fil. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Thank you for answering that question. I don’t know if you had a good or bad answer there, but you answered the question, which is good. Does CJ Abrams make sense if we don’t resign Bo or that be too many lefties in the lineup? He sucks, man. I don’t know if I totally totally agree. I don’t think he’s that good, dude. I think that would be a downgrade. Do you remember how awful he was defensively? that Jay’s national series this year. Yeah, he was really bad. He was a disaster defensively actually put up better numbers than I remembered this season. Gambling problem, of course. Um, don’t let him in the casino. Big casino guy. Yeah, that was so was that Cubs last series of 2024? Yeah. Grinding away. I respect it. He’s got to make his money somehow, you know. I don’t know. I I those pre be years. He is younger. I just don’t know if I could do the C.J. Abrams thing. I really don’t. I’d rock with him figuring it out. Yeah, it’s a fun name at least. He’s not really a guy the Jays really go out for though. He’s super young going after him. Um, what do we see Eric Lowour’s role in this rotation being? And if Bereos is flipped, are you comfortable with Lowour being the fifth starter? This is where I’m at with this. And I know tons of people, even people sliding the Jays are going, “Oh, this team is so lefty.” Like, they’re so righty heavy. You need lefties. Kevin Gosman, unbelievable against lefties. Really good stats against lefties. Trey Savage nasty against lefties. Has shown that in his entire career, minor leagues, big leagues. That’s those two guys are essentially having a lefty in your rotation. That’s really what it is. And the Mariners who we always talk about one of the best rotations in the sport. The entire Mariners rotation is righties. Yeah. So it’s flirting versus harassment. Really? I mean they have all righties and they are nasty. The Jays have all righties and all of a sudden we’re bums. Like I I don’t think it should be looked into as much as the no lefty thing cuz you have when you have two guys that are elite against lefties. Well, I do think different different styles of pitchers is good too, right? Like you have you have fast ball splitter guys you Savage and Gossman and then you finally got you got fast ball power breaking ball Dylan CE like that is different as well. Like you can you game plan for that differently. It’s a totally different look. So I think it’s good to have a different style of pitcher added to the rotation. Like you can mix and match that way too if you don’t have the handiness guys you want. Yeah. I I don’t know what Eric Lau’s role will be. I think he slots he’ll be similar again. Yeah. Yeah. Similar to last year. Like if someone gets injured, he goes back in the rotation. Um but as a long man, I think he’s awesome. How would we feel about the front office possibly giving Varo an extension before his free agency? And what terms would you be okay with? I again, you can’t talk contracts with us. I have no [ __ ] idea what he would make. Um really have no idea. I I’m still I’ll admit I’ll be the first to say it. I’m still learning to love again with Far Show. It’s still It’s going to take me a little while. Games six and seven really broke six seven. He broke my He god damn it, dude. He broke my spirit, man. He really did. And I know it wasn’t just him, but this is just me being a dumb fan. It’s going to take me a little bit to learn to love again with Dalton Vo. That’s kind of where I’m at with it. I don’t know what he gets paid. I don’t know if they extend that. Maybe it’s a bow situation where he goes on the market and sees what he gets. goes out there and has sex with other people and just sees like all right it’s not as good you know being the single life’s not as good for Daltton Var show I don’t know but um I think I think they explore it I think they do um do you see a K maybe like a same scenario as Kirk where we go into spring training or it’s like oh he’s extended I don’t know yeah I I was just about to say that as well um people asked about Bereios and the rumors if they’ move on from him I don’t I think any team will trade for him unfortunately. That’s just what it is. What Blue Jays prospects? Rose fell most in our 2025 value. Uh Rose Gage. Yeah, Gage was insane. I mean, we had the biggest rising possible of anyone and that was Trey, but I do think the the Gage leap was I mean, Johnny King’s up there, too. He had he had big uh or decent looks before I know command. Yeah, he’s Dylan CE. He’s our lefty Dylan sees. Yeah. Um I don’t know. I didn’t really look too much like people who who fell a lot who wouldn’t be because of injuries or things like that. Like the Arjun Arjun fell. There was no injuries there. He just wasn’t great. There was there was a little bit of stuff, but um yeah, he didn’t take like a massive massive leap, but he had an awesome stretch at one point. Yeah, dude. first that first two months was okay, this kid’s going to be legit legit and then yeah, dog days hit him and maybe there were some injuries that we didn’t know about, but um yeah, so not not as great there. Um I’ll say a leap Jojo Parker coming on the show. Yeah. Yeah, he did the Edward Duran BK’s guy catching. I am excited to see what Jojo Parker does next year. Yeah, we didn’t see anything from his No numbers, nothing. didn’t get a single thing. I saw some pictures that was about it. But um what are the chances that one of Clement Barger Schneider gets an extension this off season? Zero. Zero, right? Yeah. I mean, they’re all um two pre-ARB guys and one ARB guy there. Maybe Ernie to buy out his ARB years. Maybe. But I think he’s still But Ernie’s ARB years he’s eating like 3 million. I know. That’s why I’d be like, “Okay, maybe you just you settle on two years. You you give him two years 10 or something like that.” I Yeah, may maybe he doesn’t take that. I don’t know. Yeah. Um maybe he tries to see what he can get. Um do we think the Jays are done spending the starting pitching market? Yes. Yes. Uh top end of it like maybe you do a it’s a minor league deal for someone else like that would be a flyer on someone. Yeah. When does the Craig Brezlo pod drop? Obviously, he watches um the show. Whenever we want Craig on, we will not. He listened. Yeah, we will not drop that for the people. Our favorite movie and favorite Christmas movie. Uh my favorite movie, man, I I love Shaw Shank Redemption. Okay, that movie is a banger. And my favorite Christmas movie, I really like Polar Express. I’m a bad guy. I’m a bad movie watcher. Um I like the ones that I do watch, but um I don’t like I haven’t seen a bunch of the classics. The one that I do like, it’s not my favorite movie of all time. I’m a War Dogs guy. I think that movie just rocks. Great movie. I just think it’s fun. And then Four Christmases is my favorite Christmas movie. Just went off Netflix yesterday or today. Uh really, really enjoy that one. What are some possible Christmas themed date ideas for the holidays? I mean, I would say Christmas market in Toronto, but that place that is Yeah, you got to Yeah, you can’t like you can’t move. You are in a crowd of thousands of people and it’s like hell on earth. It’s like a mall on crack. You can’t do anything. Uh there’s some like cool Christmas markets in like small towns. Like I know last week I went to the St. Jacob’s Christmas market. Um which was like kind of nice. Like you walk around just have some drinks and then just like just chill or whatever. But yeah, I I really don’t know. Like the small towns have some nice Christmas markets. That’s really the only recommendation I have is just going there. I haven’t I haven’t planned good dates in a while that aren’t just going for dinner when we when we live together. But um we’ll get easier as time goes by. I I relapsed yesterday. I relapsed. I relapsed on the weekend. I I couldn’t do it. I saw one. It was the bow home run and Yeah, that’s I was just about to say that. Yeah, we made watch the same video. I saw it and I know people have been posting the tweet like it’s the the copy paste. Um, how did we lose this game? Yeah, I don’t know who started that. Sadly, I took that from someone else. He took it for he took it from someone else who did it and it was Oh, he took it from a Yankee fan that did that about um about when the Yankees lost like last year or whatever. It’s like, man, how did we lose? I think I think EJ like unironically posted it at first because it was during the game. Yeah. Um and then it just kept everyone keeps posting it. But that but I had that real life thought watching the video cuz it was behind it was the MLB behind the scenes from game seven. Uh they posted on they posted on Instagram. I could not watch that [ __ ] and it was like show striking out Andres. Um and then it was the bow home run. Everything goes crazy. that it was the Andress double off Tyler Glaz now and I I had to I had to swipe off. I can’t do this, man. I credit to the people that can get through that and watch that. I will you ever watch game seven again? No. No. There is there’s a better chance of me watching like I don’t know there there’s a better chance of me watching my college at bats where I went one for when I went that one stretch that you found where I went 0 for like 25 than me watching game seven of the World Series again. I would rather watch my wife cheat on me on video than watch game seven of the World Series again. And I’m I’m I’m not joking. That is the worst thing that’s ever happened in my life, I think. Yeah, I would just turn it off. World Series game. I would just turn it off in the eighth. You know what? They won eight. That was good. [ __ ] dumbass baseball creators made the games be [ __ ] nine innings instead of eight. And you know what? I think the Toronto Blue Jays did that. You know the meme where it’s like, I told my landlord to raise rent so I can grind harder. Yeah, the Toronto Blue Jays wanted to lose game seven in heartbreaking fashion so they can grind harder for next season. They didn’t want to get complacent and I respect that. I would have preferred a World Series obviously, but I respect the Toronto Blue Jays raising the rent for the landlord and wanting to work harder. I really do. Yeah, love them for it. I think that’s all we got, John. Yeah. Well, anyways, folks, I mean, we asked for a midweek pod, we got one. Do I think we’ll be getting one this week? Probably not. Um, at the end of the day, we have a new player on our team that we could talk ourselves into and hope he’s good so we can dunk on people. Love doing that. I know I love doing that. I know our listeners and followers love doing that. So, we’ll see what happens. Um, if you are a G14 listener at Disco Line Saturday, a couple people came up to me yesterday at Chris Lake. Awesome. Oh, dude, he’s so [ __ ] good, man. Like history, too. Yeah, Chris Lake is the man, dude. It looked packed. It was, but he’s just so good. Devault, who opened up for him, was really good, too. I like Devault. He’s really good. Um, but Disco Line Saturday, which will be fun. And then, uh, yeah, we’ll see what happens. Um, got some cool stuff. Week 814, obviously coming up here and, uh, some cool sponsorship for next year that will make us be able to do a lot more cooler things than usual. So, uh, as always, man, love you guys. Thank you for the support. Make sure you guys subscribe, leave a comment below, like this video, and we will chat next Sunday again. Hopefully, it’s midweek, but we’ll see what happens. Love you guys, man. Gate 14 forever. And we’ll chat next week.

What are the next moves the Blue Jays should make?

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