The Mariners announced that right-hander Casey Lawrence has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma, thus reducing the team’s 40-man roster to a count of 39. The veteran of eight minor league seasons can reject in favor of free agency.
Lawrence, 30, joined the Blue Jays organization in 2010 after going undrafted and ultimately worked his way to the Major Leagues for the first time in 2017. Toronto brought Lawrence to the Majors in early April but designated him for assignment a month later, leading to a waiver claim by the Mariners. Lawrence was up and down in Seattle for much of the season, totaling 42 innings out of the Seattle bullpen and working to a combined 55 1/3 big league innings between the two organizations. Lawrence struggled to a 6.34 ERA overall thanks to his susceptibility to home runs, though he averaged a more encouraging 9.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 with the Mariners.
In parts of four seasons in Triple-A, working primarily as a starter, Lawrence has logged a 3.99 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9.
What a surprise, Casey lawrence set down without a wiaver claim. Perhaps the Jays can bring him back as a fill-in for a down mlb level #1 or #3 starter. That would be a good move eh? Sarcasm heavy.
Let’s be watching to see if Shapiro and Atkins sign or trade for the elite level starters they are going to need this year. As I said last year, the Jays 2018 rotation is not compete quality let alone championship quality. Don’t drink any kool-aid that tries to convince you that it is. I am looking forward this offseason and let’s all hope by 2018 spring training the Jays Mgmt team has acquired elite starting pitching, becuase what the Jays have now at the MLB level will only contribute to near last place results[again] in the ALEast. Stroman will be Stroman, Sanchez finger issue in not resolved, Happ will decline [again], Estrada back is putty and will decline further, that leaves: who knows as 5th starter and depth. Biagini belongs in the pen.
You turned the outrighting of a 30 year old rookie for a team across the country into an opportunity to trash your FO. Kudos.
I don’t see what this has to do with the Jays in 2018.
I’m totally behind the idea that the Jays’ FO is messing up, however I don’t see this particular transaction as indicative of that.
Like one thing I’ll note- most of their moves (or non-moves for that matter) have been almost immediately panned (i.e. The Morales signing, not doing ANY selling this offseason, not properly replacing Encarnacion etc.). Right now with a rather barren farm-system and old, injured and expensive vets, I don’t see any way for the Jays to find success without beginning a rebuild or even retool.
Trading Pillar, Donaldson, Stroman, Pearce, etc. could probably get them enough of a base to build around Teoscar/Alford/etc.
That’s just my two cents.
Hey good two cents on the Jays. The Jays can do one thing, that is spend spend spend if they want too, but clearly they do not. They could easily rebuild this club overnight by spending correctly. But there must be some pay plan incentives on Shapiro to prevent this. Rogers is the richest owner in baseball.
As far as trades go, they had a good offer on the table for Bautista and the 2017 trade deadline and did nothing with it. Shame shame. They could have unloaded others too. They announced that they wanted to “compete” in 2017. What a load of crap. This was never going to happen yet they sold that Kool-aid to the fans. Not all the fans drank it though.
Since I doubt they will be spending much to fill the gaping holes in this roster, and they won’t be winning anything in 2018 with this lineup anyways, why not trade Donaldson for a haul and they would get a haul. Why not trade Smoak in the last year of his deal? It is clear Shaprio has the reigns tightly wound around Atkins with the draft and hold and wish that one day they will win philosophy, I wish I could be more optimistic.
The Jays seem to have a great amateur scouting department but judging from Shapiro’s first few years and especially the depth players that were brought in in 2017, the professional scouting department is in dire need of improvement.
The Blue Jays have lots of work to do both on the field and in the organization in order to step up to a first rate winning organization. Let’s see if they take steps this offseason prior to 2018 spring training.
To be fair, he would probably make a better closer for the Astros right now than Giles.