Blue Jays 2016 Predictions (Offense)

Here are most likely the returning players for 2016.....

...and some predictions on offense for the 2016 season.

                            AB               R                  H                 HR               RBI              BA               OBP             SLG          OPS

Catcher                                                          

Russell Martin               430              59               107                17                67            .249             .341            .423         .764

Josh Thole                     217              23                 51                  4                19            .235             .298            .341         .639

1st Base

Chris Collabello           368               47                 98                14                55            .266             .322            .438         .759

Justin Smoak                349               45                 80                15                50            .229             .305            .413         .718

2nd Base

Devon Travis                289               45                 83                10                42            .287             .348            .467         .815

Ryan Goins                   391               47                 95                  7                43            .243             .296            .361         .656

Shortstop

Troy Tulowitzki             446               74                130                21                68           .291             .362            .493         .855

3rd Base

Josh Donaldson          547               91                152                29                93           .278             .356            .503         .859

Left Field

Ben Revere                  543               71                163                 4                39            .300             .334            .378         .712

Michael Saunders       215               30                 54                  7                27            .251             .325            .419         .744

Center Field

Kevin Pillar                   487               65                132                12               50            .266             .271           .409           .722

Right Field

Jose Bautista               502               89                 129                32              90             .257             .365           .502          .867

DH

Edwin Encarnacion    489               79                 131                33              94             .268             .356           .530          .886

Breaking News : Samardzija signs with Giants for 5 years

The Giants have agreed to a 5 year deal with right-handed pitcher Jeff Samardzija, the club has just announced Saturday.

The deal is for a reported $90 million.

Happy Birthday Justin Smoak !

Smile Justin it's your birthday today !!

Still miss Alex Anthopolis ?

We all miss Alex Anthopolis...no doubt

But, I've been listening to Mark Shapiro and he's starting to win me over

He was quite frank when asked about signing David Price..

“For me, with David Price, it’s never a question of, ‘Do you want David Price?’ That’s silly. Of course, yes, we want David Price" says Shapiro

Realistically, I'm sure with unlimited resources David Price would still be wearing a Blue Jays uniform, but the Blue Jays (Rogers) do not have that luxury. 

A few more tweaks and the Blue Jays will be spring ready.

Good luck Paul/Alex   Mark/Ross !!

Breaking News: Greinke Signs with Diamondbacks

No...not the Dodgers..not the Giants..the Arizona Diamondbacks

Details at this time...6 years, 206M

Breaking News :Josh Thole back

After non-tendering him, the Jays have re-signed Josh Thole to a 1-year contract worth $800,000

J.A.Happ Dark Horse ?

If you don't already know, J.A. Happ has pitched for the Blue Jays (2012-2014)

He had an ERA of 4.39 with a win loss of 49/50..

No offence Mr. Happ..but not stellar numbers..

Fast forward to 2015 after his trade to Pittsburgh.

In 11 appearances he posted a 1.85 ERA (3rd lowest after trade deadline) and a 7/2 win loss

It's understandable why he had at least 12 teams interested in him this post-season

Time will tell if the Blue Jays acquired a break out pitcher who becomes the dark horse for the Jays in 2016

Blue Jays unlikely in on Greinke

Zack Greinke will unlikely end up North of the Border

Rumor is the Dodgers and the Giants are the favorites for the right-hander

Apparently, Zack is a competitive guy which means that he will likely insist on a contract higher than David Price

If the Jays couldn't afford/justify Price, they are unlikely interested in Greinke 

Prediction: 7 years/225M

3 Blue Jays priorities Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

Of course the Jays need pitching...pretty much exclusively...

The Jays can a little cash left if they don't want to consider trading anyone.

1 more starter

2 more relievers

1 utility infielder

Blue Jays have been talking to free agent Ryan Madson (Kansas City 2015)

and Mark Lowe is a viable choice.

Looks like Devon Travis won't be ready for the 2016 season, so Ryan Goins will cover, but they will need a player to cover him and other in case of injury.

Are the Blue Jays now Cleveland Indians North ?

Two major pieces of the Cleveland Indians front office are now in the Toronto Blue Jays front office...Mark Shapiro and now Ross Atkins.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing ?

Are we going to start seeing more Cleveland front office moving to Toronto ?

Are going to start to see Cleveland Indians available players moving to Toronto ?

Does this new front office understand the Canadian baseball market ?...do they care ?

Let's look at some pro's and con's

Pro's:

• Bigger market
• No doubt having an entire country as your market is better then Cleveland

• Front office familiarity
• It's always good to have staff that already have a good working history

• Coaching staff remains

• Cleveland can be a successful trading partner

• Fresh ideas

Con's

• Bigger market
• Can the new front office cope with the market scope that they now have to consider

• Cleveland might not want to deal with Toronto

• Bad time to change team philosophies

• No David Price (maybe unfair to blame new front office) 

Ross Atkins News Conference

Watch Ross Atkins' introductory press conference live on http://bluejays.com  beginning at 11am

MLB Winter Meetings explained

In a nutshell...

The annual MLB "Winter Meetings" are held each December where representatives from the 30 major league baseball teams and their minor league affiliates meet to discuss business and hopefully conduct off-season trades and transactions.

Usually attending are team owners, executives, GM's, and scouts. 

There is a trade show where exhibitors can show their wares as well.

During the last day of the meetings, minor league players can be drafted by major league teams.

In 2014, the meetings were held in San Diego, this year, December 7-10 in Nashville.

Blue Jays name new GM

Ross Atkins, a former Indians minor league pitcher has been hired as executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager.

Atkins, 42 has been interviewed by both the Angels and the Phillies

Tony LaCava, who served as interim general manager when Alex Anthopoulos left Toronto earlier this offseason,  has been promoted to the position of senior vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager.

What do the Jays need in their bullpen ?

The Jays need to upgrade their bullpen.

It became quickly evident when Cliff Pennington pitched an inning of relief in the post-season. 

Middle and long relief for sure...but here's another idea.

Move Aaron Sanchez into the rotation, move Roberto Osuna into the setup spot and go out and get a closer.

Some ideas..

Aroldis Chapman is being shopped around, although he would be a free-agent next off-season. He's relatively young (27) with 33 saves and 116 strikeouts over 66.1 innings.

Brad Boxberger would be a good fit. He's also 27 with 41 saves and 57 strikeouts over 49.2 innings. He won't become a free agent until 2020.

Slim Pickings in catcher FA market

The Blue Jays find themselves in the unenviable position of finding a catcher to backup Russell Martin.

Here are some free agent options:

Jeff Mathis:

• 2015 Team: Marlins
• Age: 32
• 2015 AB's: 93
• 2015 RBI: 12
• 2015 BA: .161
• 2015 OBP: .214
• 2015 SLG: .290
• 2015 OPS: .504
• 2015 Contract: 1.5M

Jarrod Saltalamacchia:

• 2015 Team: Diamondbacks
• Age: 30
• 2015 AB's: 171
• 2015 RBI: 23
• 2015 BA: .251
• 2015 OBP: .332
• 2015 SLG: .474
• 2015 OPS: .805
• 2015 Contract: 6M 

A.J. Pierzynski:

• 2015 Team: Braves
• Age: 38
• 2015 AB's: 407
• 2015 RBI: 49
• 2015 BA: .300
• 2015 OBP: .339
• 2015 SLG: .430
• 2015 OPS: .769
• 2015 Contract: 3M

Breaking News: Dioner Navarro signing with White Sox

The White Sox recently parted ways with Tyler Flowers and signed Alex Avila to a one-year, $2.5 million contract last week.

Contingent on passing a physical, former Blue Jays back-up catcher Dioner Navarro is close to finalizing a one-year contract with the Sox.

Navarro is switch-hitter and leaves the Blue Jays with only one catcher at this point.

Breaking News: Josh Thole moving on

TORONTO - Josh Thole has not been offered a contract for 2016.


Josh spent the majority of his 2015 season with the AAA Buffalo Bisons and hit .228 over 45 games with just five extra base hits.

He is now a free agent.

Breaking News: Blue Jays sign Justin Smoak to 1 year contract

TORONTO - The Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with first baseman Justin Smoak, signing him to a 1 year contract worth 3.9 million dollars

Should Blue Jays keep Ben Revere ?

Let's look at the stats...

Speed is probably the top reason to consider Ben Revere . His 2015 OBP was .334 and that includes a horrid start with the Jays.  He walked at the rate of 7.8% and struck-out at 9.3% of the time (very seldom). 

He is the dictionary definition of a contact hitter and serves the Jays very well in the lead-off spot.

His defense speaks for itself. He has excellent outfield range and instincts. His arm strength I would consider average 

His combined salary for 2015 was 3 million.

The Jays can control Ben for 1 more season through arbitration.

Projected salary: $6.7 million

Should Price post-season performance worry Sox ?

You decide...

David Price had a 18-5 2.45 ERA record for the 2015 regular season while pitching for the Tigers and Jays.

That's based on 220.1 innings pitched

He pitched just over 63 innings in the post-season with 1 win and 3 losses

Projection for 2016, an ERA around 3 and wins around 15

What's the next step for the Jays ?

The Red Sox have agreed to a seven-year, $217 million contract with free-agent pitcher David Price, The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday. 

The Blue Jays were really never in this fight.

This contract is 2 1/2 times the maximum amount the Jays have ever offered a player (Russell Martin 5 year x 18M)

A seven year deal for a 30 year old pitcher is just not the kind of deal that the Jays could afford to take a chance with.

Even by Red Sox standards this deal is 140M more than there closest contract for a pitcher in the past (Jon Lester).

The Sox seem to have an unpredictable when it comes to off season transactions. When you have alot of cash to throw around, you have the luxury of reacting to last years success or lack there of.

We'll see how this year turns out for the Red Sox.

As far as the Jays go, can Marcus Stroman be the ace of the staff?

Can the bullpen pull their weight ?

Can JA Happ be more like the pitcher he was in Pittsburgh ?

Can Marco Estrada repeat last years performance ?

Can RA Dickey pitch a full year consistently ? 

We'll see how this year turns out for the Blue Jays.

Can David Ortiz and David Price work well together ?

The Red Sox have agreed to a seven-year, $217 million contract with free-agent pitcher David Price, The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday. The club has not confirmed the deal.

When David Price pitched for Tampa, there were some issues between David Price and David Ortiz..

Can they co-exist ?

Are the Blue Jays still the beasts of the East ?

The Red Sox have agreed to a seven-year, $217 million contract with free-agent pitcher David Price, The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday. The club has not confirmed the deal.

Considering this, are the Blue Jays still considered the team to beat in the AL East ?

Breaking News:David Price signs with Red Sox

BOSTON - The Red Sox have agreed to a seven-year, $217 million contract with free-agent pitcher David Price, The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday. The club has not confirmed the deal.

The contract would be the largest ever for a pitcher, narrowly topping Clayton Kershaw $215 million extension with the Dodgers and the $210 million deal Max Scherer signed with the Nationals last off-season.

Price went 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA in 32 starts for the Tigers and Blue Jays last season. The 30-year-old left-hander, the 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Rays, is 104-56 with a 3.09 ERA over eight seasons, making five All-Star teams.

The deal includes an opt-out clause after three years, according to FOX Sports.

Can Marco Estrada repeat for Blue Jays ?

In baseball, a player gets paid based on his past performance, not his future.

In Estrada's case, timing was definitely in his favor. Marco Estrada extended the Toronto Blue Jays season twice during the post-season.

The very definition of clutch !

So, the big question is, can he repeat or was this a one-season anomaly ? 

The Blue Jays began by offering Marco a qualifying offer of 15.8 million and approached him before he declined it with a 2 year 26 million contract.

Hopefully, he won't go out there and put undue pressure on himself thinking that he has to justify the contract.

Of course the Jays have a reasonable expectation that he will repeat, but, that said, remember that he was on the world stage, something that is bitter sweet in the baseball world.

He won't be surprising any teams in 2016

Time will tell.

Blue Jays Sign JA Happ

The Toronto Blue Jays have added more depth to their starting rotation, signing left-hander J.A. Happ on Friday to a three-year contract worth $36 million US.

Happ spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Blue Jays from 2012 to 2014, where he recorded a 19-20 record and 4.39 earned-run average in 58 appearances (50 starts).

The 33-year-old made 31 starts for Seattle and Pittsburgh last season, going 11-8 with a 3.61 ERA and posting career-highs in innings (172) and strikeouts (151). Following a trade to the Pirates in July, he went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA over 11 starts.

Happ had a 62-61 record with a 4.13 ERA over 196 career outings (171 starts).