Remember when the Toronto Blue Jays were the fun up-and-coming team destined to reach new heights? Although it feels like yesterday, the team’s core is on the verge of dismantling, with 2025 in many ways being a make-or-break year.
Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images
Just one more day until Jays pitchers and catchers report, at which point it’s just five days until full squad workouts. Which will mean just four days until fake games, and when that happens it’ll be only 33 more days until real ones! Not that I’m counting.
Spencer Horwitz has had mysterious wrist surgery and will be out six to eight weeks. That implies (*counts off fingers again*) that he’ll miss the beginning of the regular season. It’s...
There will be a familiar face in an unfamiliar role at spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates at spring training this year. Daniel Vogelbach has been hired by the organization as a special assistant to the hitting department.
The Toronto Blue Jays are still looking to close a deal with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the deadline, but it looks like if they cannot get a deal done they will still not be looking to trade him.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Previously, we’ve looked at the bullpen, the rotation, and the outfield. Finally, in today’s (excessively long, sorry) final edition, let’s take a look at what’s up with the heart of this version of the Jays: the infield.
The Changes
Out: Isiah Kiner-Falefa (118 wRC+, 4.8 combined base running and defensive runs above average, 2.1 WAR), Danny Jansen (94, -0.2, 0.6), Justin Turner (112, -11.5, 0.5), Spencer Horwitz (127, -6.2, 1.9)
Signing IKF...
Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Adam Macko is a 24-year-old, left-handed pitcher. The Jays added him to the 40-man roster in November 2023, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft.
He came to us in the Teoscar Hernandez trade from the Mariners, along with Erik Swanson. Adam was born in Slovakia. His family moved to Ireland and then came to Alberta to go to the Vauxhall Baseball Academy.
Macko was #13 on our top 40 prospect list before last season. He’ll have moved up since...
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
We’ve almost made it! The Cubs’ pitchers and catchers reported yesterday, officially kicking baseball season off (sort of) (not actually but look we’re getting desperate here). The Grapefruit League is a little behind, with the Rays camp opening tomorrow being the earliest. The Jays will follow on Thursday.
Beyond entering the meat of “best shape of his life” season, reporting day also officially allows clubs access to the 60-day IL....
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Greetings from Botswana. We are having a great time. Yesterday, we went on a safari ride, we followed a male lion who looked to be tracking something through the long grass for more than an hour. It was fascinating to watch him.
And we had a rather beautiful sunset:
Nathan Lukes is a 30-year-old, left-handed hitting outfielder. He can play all three outfield spots, including a reasonable center field. It isn’t at Varsho’s level, but I’d be good with him in...
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Today, Mookie Wilson turns 69. Until recently, he was the best Mookie ever to play in the MLB.
Mookie played center field for the Mets for years. His most famous moment was in game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Red Sox. In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Red Sox scored 2 in the top of the inning to take the lead and get to where they were just three outs from winning their first World Series since 1918. The Mets made two quick outs, and then...
As the 2024-25 MLB offseason got underway, there were very few front offices in the league with more pressure on their shoulders than that of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images
This week, I’ve been looking over the roster to assess what the Jays have done to fix their roster after last season’s debacle. The bullpen was last season’s single biggest problem, and has been the location of the largest number of changes this winter. The rotation is more stable, albeit with some performance questions, and Max Scherzer addressed the need for depth.
Today, I want to look at the outfield situation. The Jays’ outfielders actually...
The Blue Jays are keeping Yariel Rodríguez stretched out as a starter going into spring training, general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com).
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Scherzer was very clear about why he chose Toronto.
Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Dámaso García would have been 68 today.
He was born in Moca, Dominica Republic. As a young man, he was more into soccer than baseball. He was captain of the Dominican Republic’s national football (soccer) team at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1974. The Yankees signed him as an amateur free agent in 1975.
Damaso got up to the majors for a few games in 1978 and 1979, but the Yankees had Willie Randolph, and Garcia wasn’t going...
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Greetings from Botswana. Maureen and I are having a great vacation. Two days into safari time we have seem:
Many, many elephants. Zebras. Impalas Warthogs. Wilderbeast. Hyenas. Wild Dog. Lions. Hippos. More birds than I could name.And more I’m sure.
The highlight of today was coming across 20 wild dogs, who our guide told us were ‘on alert.’ There were tons of other animals around, but he pointed out an impala off on its own. They started to move when a bunch...
The Toronto Blue Jays' negotiations with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are cutting it extremely close to the deadline.
The Toronto Blue Jays missed out on yet again another superstar as free agent Pete Alonso decided to sign a two-year deal with the New York Mets. It was
The Blue Jays' interest in, and failure to sign, top free agents is nothing new. This time, they struck out on Pete Alonso, who decided to return to the Mets.
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
I’ll get back to reviewing the roster, but in the last couple of days Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus have both released their projected standings, and I thought that deserved a look.
Fangraphs’ version uses a blend of the ZiPS and Steamer projection systems to estimate winning percentage against average opposition, then simulates the season 20,000 times game by game to produce playoff odds. They have a whole primer here if you want the details.
The...
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman recently went on Sportsnet 590 The Fan to discuss the upcoming season and spoke of his excitement of Max Scherzer joining the team.