The Blue Jays have signed right-hander Javy Guerra to a minor league contract and invited him to their big league Spring Training camp, as per a team announcement. MetsMerized’s Michael Mayer (Twitter link) first had the news of the signing earlier this month.
Guerra, 33, posted a 5.55 ERA, 7.6 K/9, and 2.50 K/BB rate over 35 2/3 innings out of the Marlins’ bullpen last season. That marked Guerra’s highest innings total in four seasons, as injuries, a 50-game suspension for a drug of abuse, and just simple ineffectiveness at both the MLB and Triple-A levels kept Guerra from re-establishing himself as a solid reliever. He did manage a 3.00 ERA over 21 frames with Miami in 2017, albeit with uninspiring peripherals.
It has been some time since Guerra has delivered quality results for a big league bullpen, though he was an effective arm for the Dodgers in 2011-12 and for the White Sox in 2014. With 213 1/3 MLB innings under his belt, he’ll also be one of the more experienced arms vying to win a job in Toronto’s bullpen.
Low expectation signing for a team with non existent expectations. Meh…
He could be a good flier for them.
Guess the Bisons need warm bodies too…
Very true.
Good signing for a team that is half tanking.
Half??
I have to agree with Jimmer on the basis Smoak and Pillar are still on the team.
I highly doubt keeping smoak and pillar are the difference between half tanking and full tanking. They are full tanking and have no reason not to.
Iron Mike – Rowdy Tellez playing in the majors would mean tank. Rowdy Tellez playing in AAA means the Jays are still trying to (somewhat) win.
Same goes with Pillar. And Devon Travis since Bo Bichette should be the future 2B. Then add Stroman and Sanchez. Although I would not deal them until they show they’ve bounced back.
Therefore, half tanking is appropriate. Jays are not quite at full tank mode and probably won’t even be last in their own division.
There is no “half tanking”. It’s an oxymoron. Either you are, or you’re not. They are.
And, I’d imagine the only reason Pillar and Smoak are still Jays is because the Jays are likely getting low ball offers even for the limited return they’d each attract. Add in as players they’re fan favorites and it’s a non starter until trade offers improve.
Yeah there’s value in them (financially) for at least being watchable as a team, they’ll still draw TV numbers in Canada regardless of how bad they are. The team owns the TV network. They’ll still care about ratings.
How on earth is playing Tellez for sure tanking. All he did was hit last year when given the chance. Do I think he’s going to hit .350 all year long no, but he should be given the chance to play.
Obviously the point was over your head Iver. However, you are correct; Tellez should be given a chance to play.
The point is HE WILL NOT! Why? Because the Jays are keeping Smoak. Keeping Smoak means half-tank. Not giving young players ready to play beyond AAA is a half-tank. Signing Freddy Galvis for no reason is a half-tank.
Welcome to earth.
not as bad a Baltimore though
In fairness, that was borderline history making bad. Just because they have a couple major leaguers, they are very much in tank mode. Pillar and Smoak are their version of Adam Jones and Davis.
he better leave the blow in Miami
Wavy Gravy?
I guess he could be possibly be cashed in for a lottery ticket prospect at the deadline if he somehow thrives in TO…not likely in the meat grinder that will be the AL East this year.
no
Ok MLB…Jeter gets rid of another Marlin great, and still you do nothing. I need to hear what LeBetard has to say about this.
Let’s see. Bad in mlb, bad in aaa, suspended for drugs, not even performance enhancing. Seems like an interesting signing.
Haha!! Nice.
Oxford Karma- What do you mean Jones and Davis are like Pillar and Smoak?? Pillar is way better defender then Jones and Davis is simply all or nothing and mostly can’t hit anything
A .168 batting average, 16 home runs and 49 RBI’s?!
How about 2013 when he hit a baseball .286 53 home runs and 138 RBI’s?!
He looks like a rookie in his first year!!
Nobody cares about batting avg or RBIs, nobody intelligent that runs a baseball team. You don’t need to look any further than their salaries to tell who are better players. It’s pillar and Smoak and it’s noy even close and it’s got nothing to do with avg or RBIs.
If he has a good year, trade him at the deadline to a contender for prospects. That formula seems to work. I like this. I see little risk if any.
Don’t count on Pillar and Smoak being with the Jays beyond the mid season trade deadline. But look on the bright side Shapiro and Atkins are having special event days for nearly every home game, they are putting together a cheerleading team and they now have the largest foam finger in the world. Priorities they are living proof of that old adage “If you build it they will come”. However if you tear it apart they won’t come.
Hahaha!! Cheerleaders and the world’s largest foam finger. What’s not to love? #win
Is Toronto really that far off ? If they brought up Guerrero for third ,Bichette for second then Smoak at first. They have that other young shortstop already up. You have Grichuk, Pillar and Alford for your outfield Jansen as the catcher. Along with Biggio as a possible super utility player. It looks like they could just use a couple of pitchers maybe. I gotta believe they could try and flip Travis to maybe the Brewers for a pitcher like Anderson. They dont look too bad on paper
You won’t see Guerero and Bichette until mid May and the same could hold true for Jansen. But not bringing them up until they have less then a certain number of games in the 2019 Jays retain another year of control over them.
I agree these are the future however these are rookie players and I believe you have to have some veteran leadership to guide and mentor young players. While Pillar and Smoak have shown they field their positions with the best they have never shown any signs of taking leadeship.
And the current pitching staff is just a total unknown. Maybe Stroman and Sanchez bounce back, the rookie they brought up last year looks good but he could be a late season wonder who knows what a full season will produce.
I think the Jays are about 10 yrs out. The years remaining on Shapiro’s contract the hiring a new president and gm and doing some true rebuilding.
Unfortunately there are very few Gillicks and Beastons around and the Jays let AA slip away tp make Shapiro happy and look at where Atlanta is 2 years after his arrival.
Well said, but I think the Jays are 3 years away with some good moves, which is possible but questionable from this leadership team.
One of Sanchez and Stroman will bounce back. the other not so much.
This team definitely needs a Gillick to helm the baseball decisions. There have been those types available but the the Rogers board didn’t want that, they appear to have wanted a stadium manager and someone to chop the budget and lie to the fans about being competitive.
Stubby they are far off for many reasons.
– Boston and New York are Boston and New York
– Bichette only gets the call if he performs in AAA
– Biggio doesn’t really have a position and he too must perform in AAA
– No OFs in the system. Anthony Alford hasn’t taken the next level
– Minimal stud pitchers. Nate Pearson has yet to put it all together
– Ownership with deep pockets and minimal guts
The Jays prospect list is top heavy. The other promising players are all under 19.
Jays had to deal Smoak at last deadline. They will get a minimal return unless he goes 290/40/120 pace midseason. Nobody needs a 1B right now and he’s in his walk year.
I get it depends which foam finger it is.
HAHAHA!!! I totally missed that.