Gideon Clarke
@gideonclarke.bsky.social
Like my father before me, I have on more than one occasion been physically ejected from the corporate offices of the Chicago Cubs baseball club.
Okay, I've been denigrating the Blue Jays' post-deadline surge as basically a dead-cat bounce against overrated Red Sox and Yankees teams. But after they took 2 out of 3 at the Trop (which would've been a sweep with a competent left fielder), I'm officially Jays-pilled. Down the stretch they come!
Jesse Barfield was the streakiest Blue Jays hitter I ever saw. But Kaz Okamoto might be a close second.
I’ve said it before, but there is no position more desperately in need of a massive upgrade than left field. Just a dumpster fire all season long.
There’s no team I enjoy beating more than the Red Sox. But there’s no place I enjoy winning more than The Trop.
If Waldron doesn’t finish the game, they should DFA him tonight.
Why yes, I did add Joshua Baez to my fantasy team this morning, thanks for asking.
Last year when it was announced that the Phillies would be playing in the Field of Dreams game this season, I wrote about who would come out of the corn from Phillies history. @baseballprospectus.com www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...
It strikes me as kind of a problem that this was considered necessary.
Keegan Matheson@keeganmatheson.bsky.social · last wk.John Schneider has cranked up the in-stadium music through the speakers in the #BlueJays’ dugout, anything to bring more energy: “It’s like the crowd. You can already hear it, but if you can *really* hear it, that goes under the category of ‘full send’. Like, let’s fucking go.”
Same. Bateman could be a real find. At worst, a good and affordable fourth OF. At best, a regular CF who gets on base and runs well.
Keegan Matheson@keeganmatheson.bsky.social · 2w agoJohn Schneider on Brett Bateman: “I like the zone control, I like the contact ability and I like what’s going on between his ears.” “You never know when you’ll find a dude. It’s whatever handful of games, but he has the potential…” #BlueJays
There are so many positions this team needs to upgrade for next season, but LF has been a complete sinkhole.
So long, Jeff Hoffmann. I think we both know how I’ll always remember you.
Josh Smith is now the last remaining link to Drew Hutchison.
Kevin Glew@coopincanada.bsky.social · 3w ago10 years ago today, the Toronto Blue Jays traded right-hander Drew Hutchison to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Francisco Liriano, Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez.
Wild thought: The Jays might be looking to trade Gimenez.
Josh Smith put up 6.4 bWAR in 2024-25, so yeah, I’ll take a flyer on that in return for a lefty reliever.
I have a feeling the Jays are going to be very busy today, and that they’re not done buying as well as selling. My guess is that they’re extremely unhappy with how the roster performed, and they intend to enter 2027 with a very different mix.
Soriano famously had an unreal April and May, then went into the tank in May and June. Interestingly, though, he recovered somewhat in July: 1-1, 2.74, 23 IP, 14 H, 8 BB, 16 K. His overall 2026 via Baseball Savant:
In some respects, you can look at Soriano as the effective replacement for Berríos — the new Jose is here for about as long as the old Jose will be out (although much cheaper). Put differently, Berrios’s TJ surgery cost the Jays Nimmala.
One thing about the Blue Jays is that they make up their minds about their draftees quickly. Austin Martin was here and gone like that. Jordan Groshans didn’t stick much longer. They’re also not usually wrong about the guys they let go. Otto Lopez, and maybe Griffin Conine, but that’s about it.
I had a feeling they’d make a play for Soriano or Detmers from LAA. They love getting controllable pitching at the deadline. The price will be steep, though. Some prospect you like is going the other way.
In fairness to Bateman, he’s running a .431 OBP this season, which is fourth across the entire AAA level. Sure, with so little power, major-league pitchers will knock the bat out of his hands a lot, but he should still be able to get on base at a reasonable clip. I’m liking this deal a lot better.
Gideon Clarke@gideonclarke.bsky.social · 3w agoLooking at Bateman’s profile, I’m inclined to think he’s the Blue Jays everyday CF next season. That’s not the high praise it might sound like.
Looking at Bateman’s profile, I’m inclined to think he’s the Blue Jays everyday CF next season. That’s not the high praise it might sound like.
It’s a little funny that the Jays and Cubs basically traded Gausman for Taillon.
Brett Bateman is basically Myles Straw, but with much less power.