It’s the day before Christmas and there is no Jays news to talk about. So I’m going to recycle a post. Let’s talk about our favourite Christmas songs. I’m not a huge fan of Christmas songs, especially when they start playing them in early November. I like some of the traditional ones if they are […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
It was three years ago today that the Jays traded Lourdes Gurriel and Gabriel Moreno to the Diamondbacks for Daulton Varsho. I think it is fair to say the trade wasn’t universally loved at the time. Moreno was one of our top prospects and wearer of the ‘Catcher of the Future’ medalion, which was passed […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
Sixteen years ago today The Blue Jays traded Brandon League and Johermyn Chavez to the Mariners for Brandon Morrow. Hugo posted this: Ken Rosenthal reported last night that the Jays traded sometimes-brilliant pitcher Brandon League to the Seattle Mariners for sometimes-brilliant pitcher Brandon Morrow. The Jays also included a “prospect” in the deal, but we […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
Ken Rosenthal, in The Athletic, writes that the Jays are showing interest in Alex Bregman: Team officials have been in recent contact with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, according to sources briefed on the conversations. Ideally, the Jays want to add a left-handed hitter, but either the right-handed Bregman or Bichette would fit their defensive alignment […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Tom Henke turns 68 today. Seeing the age of some of these guys makes me feel older than when I think of my age. The Blue Jays got Henke as compensation for the Rangers’ signing of Jays’ free-agent Cliff Johnson. Back then, teams that signed another free agent gave up a player to the original […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
It is December 20th, which means I’m going to have to start my Christmas shopping soon (joking, I’m pretty much done). I’d like some Jays news, or even a reasonable rumor, if Santa is interested in getting me something. I guess their is some almost rumors out there:
about 1 month ago | 1 read
29 Years Ago Today: The Blue Jays traded 28-year-old John Olerud to the Mets for 27-year-old Robert Person. I don’t know if it is the worst trade in team history, but it is my least favourite. We won the World Series in 1992 and 1993. Then 1994, 95 and 96 didn’t go as well. The […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
The last on the list is David Wright. It is his third time on the ballot. He was on 6.2% of the ballots the first time and 8.1% the second time. I really thought he would do much better than that. Wright played for the Mets for 14 seasons, hitting .296/.376/.491 with 242 home runs […]
about 1 month ago | 0 reads
The Blue Jays picked up Tyler Heineman off waivers from the Red Sox in September of 2024, and he got into five games with the Jays, after playing two with the Red Sox. Before that, he played parts of four seasons with three different teams. He had 10 games with the Jays in 2022. He’d […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
We have a quartet of Blue Jays’ birthdays today. Jim Clancy would have turned 70 (but he died in July of this year), Roy Howell turns 72, Jeremy Accardo turns 44, and Willie Blair turns 60. Clancy was an original Jay, picked up in the expansion draft in 1976. The Jays called him up in […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
We come back to a former Blue Jays player. Well, a sort of former Jay. He played 60 games for us. It is Omar Vizquel’s ninth time on the ballot. He hit a high of 52.6% in 2020. In 2023, he dropped to 19.5%; the last two were 17.7 and 17.8% (so we know exactly […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
We’ve entered a slow stretch of the offseason, with the early deals done and the free agent market now seemingly frozen as everyone waits for Kyle Tucker to make his decisionThere were little bits of Jays news: • Jose Berrios says he was battling bicep and elbow issues all season, which contributed to his down year. […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Chase Utley is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the third time. He was on 28.8% of the ballots, his first year and 39.8% last year. That’s a nice jump. He played 16 seasons and played in 1937 games. He hit .275/.358/.465 with 259 home runs and 154 stolen bases. He also led the […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
Mike Flanagan was a left-handed pitcher who played in the majors for 18 seasons. Four of them with the Blue Jays. He would have turned 74 today, but he passed away in 2011. He was a good pitcher. You don’t play for 18 years without being a good pitcher. He finished 167-143 with a 3.90 […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
The Jays made the signing of Tyler Rogers official. He’s getting three-years and $37 million with an option for a fourth year. His ERA was 1.98 for the Giants last year. I’ll hope for the same this year To make room, the team has DFAed Justin Bruihl. He pitched 13.2 innings for the Jays this […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
There is little for Blue Jays news or even rumours at the moment. So I thought I’d ask for suggestions of baseball related books for Christmas. Or, for that matter, books of any sort. There is a book “The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball“ that I’d like to get for […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads
It is Jimmy Rollins’ fifth time on the ballot. He got 18.0% last year, so he’s moved up a bit from his 9.4% the first time. But he’s not moving up quickly enough to make it. Rollins played 17 seasons, 15 of them with the Phillies. He hit .264/.324/.418 with 231 home runs and 470 […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Coming into the 2025 season, we had gotten to know Daulton Varsho as a great glove/low average/with some power guy. He had a .217/.289/.398 batting line with 38 home runs in his first two seasons with the team. The old man in me has a hard time believing a .217 hitter could be a valuable […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Francisco Rodriguez is next on the list. He is number six all-time in saves (Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel passed him recently) and had a terrific career. The three guys ahead of him in saves are all in the Hall. So maybe he should be there, too? Rodriguez has a 16-year MLB career. He played […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
The Jays have made their big move on the relief market, signing Tyler Rogers to a three year, $37m deal with a $11m vesting option for 2029. It’s the largest reliever contract the current front office has handed out. Rogers, who turns 35 on Wednesday, is atypical for a shutdown reliever. He’s a true submariner, […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
The Blue Jays have traded minor league left hander Johan Simon to the Detroit Tigers for righty reliever Chase Lee. The move clears a spot on Detroit’s 40 man roster for newly signed closer Kyle Finnegan. For the Jays, Lee takes the final spot on the roster. He has two options left, so his role […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Davis Schneider was called up in early August 2023 and started amazing, going 9 for 13 with 2 home runs in his first three games. After that, he was up and down from there. 2024 did not go well, he hit .191/.282/.343. I doubted that he would make the team in 2025. But then he […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Álex Rodríguez is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the fifth time. Last year, he was on 37.1% of the ballots (his high mark in the first four times). He’s been in the mid-30s each time. He doesn’t seem to be gaining much traction. By the numbers, he is easily a Hall of Famer. […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Not a surprise, after the Jays came within a couple of inches of winning the World Series, but the Jays (or I guess Rogers signed) signed Mark Shapiro for five more years, which would have him in the job for 15 years. Mark has overseen improvements to Rogers Centre and the Jays’ Spring Training facilities. […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Next up would be Rick Porcello. Porcello was a first-round draft pick in 2007 (the Jays got JP Arencibia that round). He had a nice 12-year career, going 150-125 with a 4.40 ERA in 355 games, 351 starts, with an 18.8 bWAR. He won one Cy Young and was third in Rookie of the Year […]
about 1 month ago | 3 reads