Dec. 15: The Blue Jays have formally announced their one-year deal with Kiermaier. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the contract contains $750K of bonuses based on days spent on the active roster.
Dec. 14: Kiermaier’s contract is a one-year deal that comes with a $9MM guarantee, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Between Kiermaier’s $9MM salary and the recent $21MM annual value on the Jays’ three-year deal with righty Chris Bassitt, the Jays now project to cross the luxury-tax threshold for the first time; Roster Resource pegs them at just over $234MM — a bit more than $1MM north of the $233MM cutoff point. Certainly there are ways for Toronto to duck back beneath the barrier if required — a trade of catcher Danny Jansen, for instance, would clear his projected $3.7MM salary and bring back help in other areas of need — but there’s no indication that ownership has placed given the front office any such mandates.
Dec. 10: The Blue Jays have an agreement in place with center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The deal is pending a physical. It’ll be just the second team Kiermaier has played for, having spent ten big league seasons with the AL East rival Rays. He became a free agent for the first time after the Rays declined his $13MM team option for 2023. Kiermaier is represented by Equity Baseball.
Center field has been an area of need for the Blue Jays this winter, and they had previously been linked with Brandon Nimmo and Cody Bellinger.
The 32-year-old appeared in 63 games for the Rays last season, slashing .228/.281/.369 with seven home runs over 221 plate appearances. He’s always been known for his stellar defense in center field, and while that’s declined a bit in recent seasons he was still worth two Defensive Runs Saved there in 2022. The offensive production amounted to a below average wRC+ of 90, but his defensive work meant he was still worth 1.1 fWAR.
Injuries played a big part in Kiermaier’s 2022 season, as he landed on the IL in June with left hip inflammation. He was activated July 1, but by July 10 he was back on the IL with the same problem, which ultimately ended his season early. He’d wind up having surgery in August to address the labrum issue in the left hip, but the expectation at the time was that he’d be ready for spring training.
Kiermaier is a three-time Gold Glove winner who’s been one of the best center fielders in all of baseball for the past decade. Since his first full year in 2014, Kiermaier has been worth 147 Defensive Runs Saved, according to Fielding Bible. That’s the best of all outfielders and second overall behind Andrelton Simmons (who had 1,400 more defensive innings).
Despite 2022 being the worst defensive year of his career, it was still above average and there’s every chance his hip problem played a significant part in that. After all, just a year ago he was worth 13 DRS in 894 2/3 center field innings. He still ranked in the 93rd percentile in sprint speed and ranked well above league average in arm strength.
Offense has never been Kiermaier’s calling, and he owns a lifetime .248/.308/.407 line. That’s largely built off his early work, and since 2018 he’s put up a wRC+ of 79, 79, 94, 101 and then 90. There’s not a lot of power there (82 career home runs), and his strikeout rate has gradually ticked up to 27.6% in 2022 against a walk rate of 6.3%.
George Springer has been handling the bulk of the work in center field in recent seasons, but there’s been speculation that he’d move to a corner spot moving forward. The trade of Teoscar Hernandez to the Mariners and this signing of Kiermaier seems to confirm that, and it looks likely the Jays will line up with Springer and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the corner spots with Kiermaier manning center.
This move may not be the last outfield addition either, and the team could look to add a fourth offensively-minded outfielder at some stage. Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet reports that the team has interest in both Michael Conforto and Michael Brantley. Signing either of those two would give the Jays a more flexible outfield group, and allow them to rotate options through the DH position as well depending on matchups, form and workload.
Photo credit: USA Today Sports.
Kirk or Kevin? I have read conflicting reports.
The Tigers should have bought a prospect with him last year when Greene went down. The Rays were vastly underwater with that contract and his defense would play well in Comerica.
And his injury history would have made him a perfect fit for the snake-bitten 2022 Tigers!
Perfect fit for the jays. This is something the fans should be excited about. A guy who fits multiple needs.
See fans aren’t smart. They think you need 9 batters who hit 30 hrs. Just not realistic. If the jays offence falters it won’t be because KK got 4 abs in a game. He”lol prevent more runs then the bat will cost you. Jays have a great offence already run prevent is more important I do t expect fans to understand that though.
In general a good rule of thumb to find out if a move is good, listen to talk ratio if the fans love the move big trade or signing it’s usually terrible. So in summary if the fans like it, it’s bad, fans hate it, good move. You can run a excellent baseball team by doing the opposite of what the fans think.
They weren’t getting Nimmo, Nimmo isn’t a CF the same as Springer wasn’t a CF when they signed him. Guys who are borderline average CF now don’t suddenly get better in two years. So you’d be stuck with yet another expensive corner often injured OF.
They wanted Bellinger because he fit 3 needs, everyday CF, LH and LH middle of the order bat. He got went for what they thought was too much considering his flaws.
If you haven’t noticed they’re isn’t a lot of quality LH everyday CF options available.
I agree with everything you said with the exception of calling Bellinger a “middle of the order bat” as he hasn’t even been a league average bat for 2 years now.
While he definitely has the potential to be an above average hitter again based on his previous track record. I highly doubt any team that would’ve signed him was excepting him to be a middle of the order bat.
*there
I would agree with you except for the fact that he can’t stay on the field. He’s only topped 100 games twice in the last 6 years and half of that was when he was in his 20s. Now that he is entering his mid 30s banking on him to be a starter seems extremely optimistic. If he can stay on the field they could do worse but I find it difficult to believe he will given his track record.
I’d contend that Nimmo is also an above average defensive CFer at this point. He’s improved dramatically in the last few seasons defensively
Huge huge upgrade over Tapia, who can’t even field a corner position properly, and the light-hitting Kiermier still makes more solid contact than Tapia, so a slight upgrade there also.
Keirmaier is the equivalent of Nimmo in Canadian dollars.
He is gonna be the 4th outfielder. Basically a much better version of Zimmer. He will probably start I’m guessing 50-80 games(if healthy), while also coming in to games in the 7th inning on. The Jays aren’t done with moves as another bat first outfielder is needed(has to be lefthanded no matter what though). Brantley is the logical choice(if healthy), or a trade with the Dbacks makes the most sense
He’s not if you listen to any scouts within the game. He’s average at best and probably much better suited for a COrner spot right now.
Agree except not sure about his shoulder. Could affect his defense, which is his main value.
I meant his hip.
Underwhelming move and has injury risk. Better then nothing but hard to get excited over this move. Not sure how u guage success on fan reactions. Speaks more of confirmation bias than future events.
It’s simple. Generally if the fans love the move it’s because it’s a name they recognize and a splashy trade or signing which comes with excitement and nobody ever hates that those moves when in reality they rarely work out especially the free agent moves.
So here’s how you know if it’s a good move, fans love it, bad move. Fans hate it, probably outstanding. Generally you’ll be right more often then not with this method.
Can you name a few examples of this, iverbure?
Just search on this site for any players contract who turned out terribly and read the comments.
Go read comments from any move the rays or guardians have made in the last 10 years.generally everyone hates the moves and yet they keep winning.
What’s important to remember is the fans are always wrong. And their opinions should always be ignored because none of them know anything
This is all very nice but with a STARTING job in CF, you are saying he’s going to play 140 games, learn how to hit and somehow bring his extreme defensive decline to a halt after major hip surgery from turf injuries….while playing on turf..Lol
You’re saying the fans not liking this deal makes it good? You’re outside your mind and delusional. This is supposed to be a contending team and in your mind, the smart decision to solve last year’s huge injury problems in the outfield is to bring in a guy coming off his worst and most injury filled year. The starting CF needs to hit .230, play 140+ games and typically add speed to the bases. He can do none of those things. So please stop lecturing anyone one what’s smart.
No I will not. And you obviously need the lecturing so I’ll be sure to comment on every one of yours posts from hear on out. I bet you I could convince you rather quickly face to face you know very little about baseball as well. Everything you said was wrong if you disagree with me.
Another Shapiro mistake
Kevin.
never did I imagine that a career.248 hitter be offered a $9MM 1 year contract
It’s almost as if gms aren’t looking at batting average right? It’s because they’re not looking at that stat.
Sure but maybe just maybe they should be looking at defensive decline and hundreds of career games lost to injury in a 9 year career. Would yah say that might be important there skipper? Please keep preaching your nonsense.
I will because I have a perfect track record when it comes to these things. Several gms around the league have burner accounts here just to read my opinion. Nobody can intelligently argue against that.
His last 2 seasons averaged about 1.5 WAR. $9M would be a fairly average spend for that.
Weak
I would say desperate. Also I don’t want this A-hole on any team I cheer for.
Curious what makes him an a-hole
The things that I watched, to me (as I stated), he comes across as an A-Hole and that is just how I feel. I don’t like him.
Is it because he’s ridiculously handsome?
Why is he an A-hole?
Probably stemming from the incident where he stole the catchers info card
Not from the card at all. It’s from his interviews. He’s a me me me person.
Obviously you are just jealous of his pretty green eyes.
Oh no, he’s certainly sexy, but he’s very much a me me me type person. Please watch his interviews.
“I’ve never met him but he’s an a-hole.”
“Why?”
“Because of interviews I have seen.”
Yep, about average for this board. It’s like a battle to find out who is most ignorant. It’s a tie, amongst many of you.
Do you even realize how asinine your comment is? You quote multiple different commenters as if one person said it. It was clearly stated that it was an opinion to which you gave your opinion that the people you quoted were ignorant because they gave an opinion. Then in your opinion you judged them as a tie for being ignorant..
In other words you used your opinion of them to judge them for giving their opinion and called them ignorant for giving an opinion.
Shakes head and wonders about you.
How does that even make sense? I didn’t say I’ve never met him. I did when he played against Cleveland one year. But he was fine when I met him, for his interviews though he’s a terrible person.
You think he’s a terrible person based on interviews? Did he say that he was for bombing orphanages or kicking puppies or something? He may very well be a “Me me me” type of person, I don’t know, but that makes him more of a jerk (if he really has that mentality to begin with) than a “terrible” person lmao
Yes, he said he kicks puppies.. funnily enough I don’t think he’s a jerk because of that. I think he’s a jerk based on interviews that he’s done making everything about himself including putting his teammates down. You must not know anything about the man if you don’t know the puppy thing or the me me me thing.
From my hometown. Your description is accurate.
Weak, desperate and pathetic. LOL that their answer to taking pressure from Springer playing in center was to go get a bandaid that is wrecked by turf. This guy is a complete plug.
Who would you take, then? Pretty easy to anonymously chime in on a db and complain without an alternative option. Not many cf’s out there, Toronto needs to improve defense and add a lefty bat.
So who ya got?
Why are you obsessed with KK? Are you hiding your sexuality? It’s okay to come out on here we’ll support you.
“In his interviews he is a me-me guy.”
Call me crazy, but when they are interviewing him, aren’t they typically asking him questions about….him?
Almost never does baseball ask you about yourself. Are you serious? Every single time it’s for ex. “what do you think of Oscar or kwan or Jose and how they’ve played this season or game” and so forth. It’s literally the after-game interview it’s about your TEAMMATES. But KK immediately says idc how my teammate is doing, it was was my ball, I can cover that whole outfield, they should have let me get it because I could have throw the runner out at home…. See? Me me me. If you can’t comprehend that I’m not going to comment back to you after this.
Jays are one of the big losers of the offseason
Still a lot of off-season left to go and plenty of quality players left. A bit early to be making stupid comments.
Dang dude. A bit harsh. I’d say to this point Jays have been a loser in the off-season. Things could certainly change. But, man, take it down a notch.
Well they better do something soon.
Why does it matter when they make their moves?
Because they have to make them when guys are still available to be had?
Lol come on, this board is made for stupid comments!
Just mute the trolls and those who are so insecure that they have to personally attack. They Lack of integrity, maturity and respect.
Yup I totally agree. I made a post on one of the articles last night saying I had no clue what they would do for CF. I said Varasho for Kirk/Moreno wasn’t worth it and they they were in trouble, guess I was right. STL was there best trade partner for a Catcher.
Losers of the offseason are always the winners.
Let’s wait to see what pitchers they add before making comments like this. Also, keep in mind the Cubs paid 17M for Bellinger who will probably be just as productive as Kiermaier lol. Sure this move ain’t great, but let’s not make Kiermaier out to be Bradley Zimmer.
12.5 for Bellinger when he opts out after the season. The other 5 million is the amount if he opts in for a second season and the team opts out.
Kiermaier is about done. I would not expect too much from him.
A shoulder takes time to heal. Bellinger should rake at Wrigley if healthy. Was the better gamble of the two.
Could have done better yes, dark.
I understand a lot of people think KK is the 4th OF, but even if he isn’t I cant see them replacing Teo
The blue jays are just fine and will be fine. There is still moves to be made the blue jays luckily don’t have too many “needs”. The braves are in the same spot unfortunately for me (except Nick Anderson and Joe Jimenez.) Would you call the Dodgers losers of the off-season too? They haven’t made many moves either and they don’t have to, they will be elite anyway.
Conforto prob goes a long way in replacing Teo
He’s replacing Tapia I think.
Springer gets hurt, this clown is the starting CF until he gets hurt because he spent ten years diving on turf.
Blue Jays have a good off-season merely by resisting temptation to trade Moreno. Dodgers have a good off-season by resisting temptation to trade Cartaya. Two future all-stars.
Have to disagree with Moreno. Dude has 0 pop. Can’t make same mistake they did with Pearson, move him to land a good starter this offseason.
The “pop” will come with time. Regardless, a potentially great defensive catcher that will likely be a career .300+ hitter doesn’t need to hit 30 HR to be an all-star.
Didn’t realize the off-season was over…
Because spending millions each off-season has worked so much better for the Mets and Padres. Blue Jays already have a good core.
They certainly *had* a good core but giving away Hernandez for a fungible reliever didn’t help. That lineup’s a lot less scary when you take his bat out and replace it with an automatic out like Kiermaier.
Here’s Kiermaier’s DRS decline. 2015-38. 2017-20. 2019-12, 2022-2. They’ll be lucky if he’s an average outfielder. An average outfielder who can’t get on base should either come from your farm without fear of having to waive him, or a minor league signing.
Agreed and they’ll be losers during season as well.
They are meh-okay team, biggest playoff chockers though.
Jays are one of the biggest winners of the offseason. Avoided a massive albatross contract. Although Bassits deal isn’t great.
When I say you should ignore fans takes this is the kinda of stuff you should ignore. It’s so wrong is laughable.
Hope he can stay healthy.
Now they need to go out and get another CF to play the position when Kiermaier spends half the season or so on the IL.
No surprises here. Hopefully he can be a multi-dimensional 4th OF who can play almost every day as a starter and late inning sub. If he is the main starter in CF and not used as a 4th OF, then the Jays seriously degraded offensively from Teoscar. Defensively, he is a major upgrade for the OF defense.
Has Brett Gardner retired? I’d imagine some teams would be reaching out based on the current options available.
Seems like Gardner only wanted to return if it was with the Yankees. So he’s essentially semi-retired
To be yearning for a Brett Gardner signing to save your off-season is perhaps the saddest comment I have ever read on these boards. It’s Saturday, it’s raining outside, I don’t have a girlfriend, I don’t have a dog, and I just had to read the sorriest comment in the history of these boards. It might just push me over the edge. (But it’s not on you man, it’s on Shatkins.)
You seem…unwell. Myocarditis? I’ll pray for you.
Ugh Shatkins. The one guy no fan wanted.
Lots of intelligent fans wanted this guy. All they need is a guy to play everyday in CF who is LH bat. They have a great offence they don’t need another expensive bat.
should have included that fans aren’t smart in your post.
We get it you like the signing but calling people who don’t not intelligent doesn’t make you right either. I plain don’t like KK and never did and never will. I think, from what I have seen, he is an A-Hole.
Again, why is he an A-hole?
Again, from what I watched of KK he comes across as an A-Hole and I don’t like him and never did.
Yes it does in fact make me right. I’ll tell you if I’m right ok. Because I know. Alright I’m thinking about it. I’m right. End of discussion. Your welcome.
I know you aren’t talking lol. Your grammars been horrendous all day!
yup, agreed
One question: Why?
They needed a valuable 4th OF since they got rid of Tapia.
Tapia was bad buck absolutely hates his swing. Guys a contact hitter who goes up hacking every swing like he’s gonna hit it 500 feet
Thats a team hitting philosophy. Hes been a contact hitter and can actually get a bunt down but thats not the Jays way
.050 hitter I mean I might stand a chance of beating him
Whit Merrifeild is the most un talked about blue jay of the off season.
Whit Merrifield had a 0.0 WAR last season. Not sure I have ever seen that before on a guy who played the entire season.
In 2016, Yasmany Tomas appeared in 140 games for the DBacks and hit 31 HRs, yet had -0.6 WAR.
I guess I just think they don’t have the luxury right now of being able to blow valuable bucks and roster spots on late inning defensive replacements.
Great defense, LH at in a RH heavy lineup, can move Springer to corner OF…
Upgrade on Zimmer.
Anyone you could possibly think of would be an upgrade on Zimmer – even Billy Hamilton.
right now, ONE injury to the outfield and they’ll need to sign Zimmer again. how many man games missed do you think they’ll have with Springer and KK in CF lol
Well I guess no JBJ reunion
Nor will they sign Joey Gallo now
I could be wrong ..
This a good signing by the Jays
Remember when jimmertree called Ray a 4th starter and matz a 43 starter. Keep that in mind when you read his post below.
Maybe Jimmer is whining
But Jimmer has #PsychicScoutsEyes! Or was it #BettyDavisEyes?
I’m hoping Orioles get Joey Gallo and Cody Bellringer. I think they’re under valued because of shift they’ve had to deal with.
It’s not just the shift that changes thier outlooks (though that’s 50% of it), it’s also pitch sequencing! W/o shift, they’ll see less 6 pitches ABs with everything on their hands…or they will, and w/o the shift they still benefit! Idk…maybe not, but it seems like it’s a win/win for extreme lefty pull hitters. One man’s take.
Bellinger signed with the Cubs
Gallo there is still hope
Bellinger is off to the Cubs
Didn’t you see enough swing and miss with Chris Davis?
@Rking,
Right?! I dunno, Chris was middle of order, and I don’t see Joey hitting higher than 6th. The rest of the lineup is vastly better than Crush’s era. And Joey is a very good OF glove, adding too an insanely strong defensive club.
But yeah, Chris Davis…shudder.
What a joke the BlueJays are so far this free agent offseason. They are not winning anything again this year, Give up the false hope folks.
They need two more reliable starters, one an ace. Manoah is not an ace. He choked in the Playoffs. They need one more power arm for the pen too. They need better pitching depth now in AAA to cover off injuries.
Manoah is your ace jimmertee
You could argue Manoah and The Gasman are aces.
Third in Cy Young voting last year, yeah pretty easy to make the case for his Ace title.
Manoah is an ace but so is Gausman. The guy literally had a once in a lifetime bad luck season in terms of balls in play
He used to be BAD out there. He’s gotten better but Teo is probably one of the weirdest players to watch. He doesn’t look that fast, one of the fastest guys in the league but doesn’t run. He doesn’t look all that strong yet has some of the best raw power in baseball
He doesnt look strong? Hes not Stanton or Telly but hes a bull
I agree in part, they need another good starter but if you strictly go by playoff performance, Verlander would have been a useless pitcher for us then too. Bullpen was weak last year too and we all saw it a mile away. I was really hoping that Merryweather and Pearson would be those in house developed guys..
Imagine if front offices actually made player evaluations off of one playoff start? Jimmertree Scouts eyez don’t believe in small sizes lmao. Guy is a buffoon.
Or maybe @jimmertee knows more about small sizes than you, iv? Just sayin’!
You’re using a sample size of 1 to declare Manoah not an ace? What an inane comment.
No I am using scouting and looking forward. Manoah will eventually settle in as a #3. sometimes pitching as a #2. He is not what he pitched last year. I am calling last year for Manoah as a career year. I scout over a players entire career. Callling him an ace after one season is the very meaning of inane.
“I am using scouting”
Wow, drunk already?
Good for them. As a Dodger fan, I was always wary about the reports about the Dodgers interested in signing Kiermaier. Fantastic player, but coming off that hip injury you really have to wonder how much it would affect his speed and defense, which is what he gets paid for. Any decline in that is a decline in his overall value, even if it does come from an elite bar to begin with. All depends on how much Toronto paid though
The guy that wouldn’t give Kirks batting card back in that playoff game? .. great
This is a good move if it’s the Zimmer/Tapia/JBJ replacement and not the Hernandez replacement.
Yup, I have lost faith in Atkins BUT this is a big upgrade over Tapia/Zimmer if he is indeed the 4th OF.
In a way, Springer is the Teoscar replacement, and Kiermaier is the Zimmer/etc replacement. That doesn’t sound right, I know, but we have to recall that Springer is averaging just 62 CF starts per season for Toronto, and that at one point this year there were FOUR other dudes on the roster at the same time getting reps in centre (Zimmer, JBJ, Tapia, Merrifield).
The question now: Is Kiermaier the starting CF or is he a fourth OF who will play a lot of CF (like Grichuk/Tapia)?
The Jays have Biggio and Merrifield backing up the OF. But I think the team could grab another OF.
Merrifield should be a starter, despite his 0.0 WAR last season. I guys that makes him the perfect ideal “replacement-level” player if he is truly what his WAR indicates. He used to be better than that. BJ’s need Whit to get back to his old self.
The scary part with Merrifield is how much worse his defense rated last year than previously. And his stolen bases. The bat could rebound, but will the legs rebound in his mid-30s? I don’t recall him having a nagging injury to blame it on.
Hopefully not more than 1 year 3m. Not bad if he’s your 5th OF.
Probably a one year with his injury history. Probably closer to 6 or 8.
Not that this reflects his current production whatsoever, but just a reminder than Kevin Kiermaier put up a 7.1 bWAR season in 2015, which is more bWAR in a single season than Gerrit Cole, Yordan Alvarez, and Vlad Jr. have ever eclipsed.
Means nothing now.
Nice, 8 years ago he did that? He must be in his prime now then, right? :/
Yeah, I addressed that at the very beginning of my comment, but I’ll excuse you, it must be pretty hard to read with your head shoved so far up your ass.
That’s why jimmers scouts eyez can’t see anything correctly. Huge hole to see outta but they’re covered in a brown substance.
Hahaha amen!
This could go down for stupidest comment of 2022
Why include Gerrit Cole in a bWAR season? Probably could add 50 pitchers and still get the same answer.
I like KK, but this is proof war is a questionable metric.
Sure glad the dodgers are hibernating this winter.
Dodgers are going to reset the luxury tax and sign Showtime next offseason.
So are the Mariners.
I think zimmer was unlucky but didnt do much. Hopefully a bigger pitching signing and you can platoon kevin but even as a 8th 9th guy in lineup kevin aint bad if he stays healthy. Dont think as a teo replacement but a defensive upgrade and a dozen hrs if healthy
Would like the Jays to pick up Reynolds from the Pirates or Kepler from the Twins or Varsho/McCarthy from AZ or even Happ from the Cubs to fit into LF as an improvement over Gurriel both offensively and defensively. Just do not see Keirmeir as a starting CF but more in a 4th OF, PR, capacity who plays quite a bit, just not the starter in CF.
Kepler is a vanilla nothing-burger non-needle mover. I would pencil in Gurriel every time, and ride that horse all the way to the end. Also Mariners getting Reynolds so there’s that as well. But Gurrriel is a keeper.
Kepler was a 2019 flash in the pan
11years $217 million
You beat me to it!
What’s wrong with Gurriel-Kiermaier-Springer in the OF?
KK is not great, and they are replacing Teoscar with him. Huge offensive decline. KK and Springer are also injured half the year.
KK is not replacing teo he is replacing zimmer/tapia and will be used to spell springer he’s the 4th OFer
Well, all 3 are extremely injury prone, Gurriel is below average defensively, Kiermeir above average, Springer is average in RF IF his arm and shoulder are ok. Offensively, this is a downgrade overall in the OF, if there are not more moves and this is the starting OF. Still a long way to go in the offseason though.
I just looked at Gurriel’s defensive numbers. He has extremely low range for an OF. He’s not much of a hitter either. I hope he breaks out soon.
Not much of a hitter, bro he had a messed up wrist all season yet hit around 300
Human windsock
Two complete bandaids and a below average outfielder…wow sounds great!!
Jays dumpster diving again. I told you earlier in the season that they should trade Manoah for some players as the team is going nowhere. Enjoy 3rd place. Team needs to be dismantled and rebuilt. The current players have no focus to win.
Lol what a take
I can’t believe people like this guy are allowed to just walk the streets or drive a car. Truly scary.
The government hands out driver’s licenses in this country like candy and you’re crying about my logical take. LOL! Yes, you are right, many crazies out there.
I live in Africa. At least people have drivers license in the US.
Thank you. I’m always right.
“Team needs to be dismantled and rebuilt.”
They have a great young core of talent. Why would you dismantle and rebuild that?
OLd York, Iagree that this team is full of holes but trading Manoah is not the answer. The jays need two star starters and one more flamethrowe pen guyr are and a good bat.
Please, trade Manoah to TB. We’d love him. We have plenty of guys to send back for that needed rebuild!
(I could barely type that last part wo laughing)
I guess this is a slight upgrade from JBJ and a huge leap from Zimmer.
Better than nothing I guess
upgrade over Tapia too who appeared in 120+ games last year.
The Teo trade really just hasn’t make a lick of sense has it
Seattle says thank you but now keep hearing horror stories about Teo’s defense. It all comes out in the wash I guess.
He has periodic lapses in judgment, it’s mental not physical.
It’s a contract year though, I’m sure he will tighten up and be fine
Certainly not yet. But if they still plan to get an impact LH hitter, then it’ll make more sense.
As long as he is replacing tapia and not teoscar this is a good move… if he is replacing teoscar it’s terrible, replacing tapia and suddenly we have elite defensive option with some speed on bases too. We need a reynolds or …..benetendi quality bat at minimum.. plus two starters, we got work to do jays!
LOL!
Jays will surprise and trade for Reynolds and sign Rodon. ( Well at least that’s the dream I had last night )
They wont do either sadly, but I upvoted for your optimism.
One can always dream. Actually this would put the Jays firmly in one of the top 3 in the AL. Plus I hear the Yanks are pursuing Rodon so there would be the added benefit of sticking it to the Evil Empire.
Hears hoping it was a dry dream.
trade the farm for a one year rental that won’t extend because he wants to play closer to home….hmm….sign me up!
When’s the press conference ?
I hope the Rockies will now forget about upgrading CF and just stick with Yonathan Daza for another year. Work on improving the bullpen and finding another catcher and a backup IF.
The off-season grade will hinge on what they convert their catcher surplus to; still need a 3/4 starter to replace Stripper, & Gurriel has to be getting his last chance to be a consistent contributor, no?
Gurriel is a FA after this year so yes it is his last chance. But expect a nice contract year.
No Gurriel is not a FA until after the 2024 season.
Gurriel is a free agent after this year. Something triggered in his contract to make it that way. It always was going to be after 24 but not anymore.
I think you are mistaking the contract length and his control. The contract he signed runs out after 2023 BUT he still will have one more arbitration year left thus Blue Jays have control until the end of 2024.
Darth, that’s what I thought too but it’s incorrect, shi tweeted it out a few months ago
Are you sure? Because I put NO FAITH in anything the Rogers media say. According to Spotrac he has one more arb year in 2024 and that has been updated since the Teo trade.
It’s been mentioned in multiple places. He is a free agemt at the end of 2023.
This guy is a waste of a 40-man spot. .281 OBP for 2 DRS. If you can’t find a guy in a minor league deal to give you that then time to pack up. O’s and Sox move up this year with Toronto a lock on last place.
Screenname:
Count on your takes to be way off. Thanks for playing. Sox another last place finish. Must suck to keep losing franchise players.
Tapia had a .292 OBP and is a worse defender and cannot play CF.
Career .735 OPS Vs RHP and still a good defender.
If he’s used as a platoon and defensive replacement he will add value. They need to replace Teo’s production still though
I wonder if they can’t get a good price on one of their catchers if they will turn Moreno into a Super Utility type and give him reps at 3rd and RF along with catcher. I would not be in a hurry to move a catcher just to make a deal. I am so glad they have not signed a fulltime DH gives them much more flexibility to use all 3.
Moreno would be most valuable as a catcher, if you turn him in to a utility player he won’t get the reps he needs behind the plate to improve.
I’m think they should trade kirk, he’ll bring back the biggest piece. Jansen/Moreno would be a nice tandem.
The problem with trading Kirk is they keep Jansen and if they keep Jansen they will give him the most reps behind the plate. Jansen is a poor defensive catcher and with the shift going away that will be felt even more.
Better to just get what they can for Jansen and that just makes the catching and pitching better overall.
Simply not factual
Whats not? Jansen being a poor defender? Yes it is Pick a DEFENSIVE stat and pick a site and you will see. Add in the 7 errors and 4 catcher interference in only 63 games and you get a poor defensive catcher.
Here is a couple important ones to get you started from Baseball Prospectus: Jansen is ranked 69th in Pitch Framing (important for current Jays rotation) Jansen’s worst zone is down and away and down and in. Probably the most important spots to frame with the current staff. Jansen is ranked 70th on Catcher defensive adjustment and he is a -0.5 on fielding runs above average good for 57th.
Both Kirk and Moreno are way ahead of Jansen in almost every category and Kirk is mostly in the top 10s.
Don’t take my word for it go lookup the DEFENSIVE stats.
Wanna bet the jays don’t finish last? Any amount of money you would like. What a dumb take.
Haha , no, you will at least be ahead of the Red Sox.
Nice fit for Toronto. Good pivot after Bellinger chose Chicago. KK is great in terms of run prevention and they have a strong enough lineup to hide his bat.
Bingo. This guy knows baseball and how to run and plug holes on a baseball team.
Not bad for a 31st round draft pick.
This is so bad.
That is, unless, he’s going to be more of a fourth outfielder and they’re still seeking a legitimate starting outfielder—like Bryan Reynolds.
Reynolds isn’t going to be traded nor should the jays trade for him.
Yah jays and pirates don’t line up well in a trade, but I do think the pirates will move him.
My guess is Yankees end up signing a SS and then move one of their prospects for Reynolds
You’re looking at a KK/Merrifield platoon in Center. Doesn’t mean we can’t add another leftie corner outfielder to platoon with Guriel, Springer and dh. Benintendi, Keirmeier and Springer would make an elite defensive outfield and also add two lefties to the lineup. Guriel can cycle through dh, outfield and first base. How about adding Benintendi and a solid starting pitcher and I’d be happy with the off-season. Rodón please and thanks? I’d put that roster up against anyone else in the league.
Now he can finally return Kirks pitch sequence card he picked up at home plate.
A positive take.
Tapia career 83 OPS+
KK career 98 OPS+
Once the Rays acquired Siri the Outlaw had to find a new field to roam.
I had dreams as a younger man for the Jays to get him.. thought it was when Mr. Pillar was here. Can you imagine those two guys in the same outfield during their primes??
I like this move as long as it’s not meant to be a one for one replacement of Teoscar. I see him as a 4th OF who comes in to pick run and play defense. Similar to Breaker Zimmer but you don’t have to hide his but as much, so he can get the occasional start. Is still like a left-handed hitting RF to replace Teoscar. Conforto, Benintendi, Reynolds, etc. I’d even be okay with Gallo. I think getting him out of the NY/LA markets will help him regain some of those Texas numbers (albeit with all the Ks).
If he plays 60 games it will be an accomplishment.
If anyone plays 60 games it will be an accomplishment. I’d be proud to do that.
I’m surprised because he’ll be playing again on turf (said he hoped for grass) and also because of the cardgate mentioned above.
Same. Feels like Turf isn’t a great option for somebody coming off of hip surgery.
Springer…?
Being traded this off-season.
He’s too good to be traded
ded
Looks like they’re planning on moving him to one of the Outfield corners.
Nice move for a 4th OF – improves on JBJ/Tapia/Zimmer. Next up, high OBP outfielder and some arms. Biggio finds his form, he fits the high OBP and OF. Sign Senga and/or Yoshida, keep all three catchers and let’s go eh!
Good luck with the Yoshida signing.
I don’t see a man from no where Indiana succeeding in such a fashion forward, cosmopolitan, world class city as Toronto. He’s be arrested for trespassing in York Mills
Replace Teo’s 30hr bat for Kiermaier’s lmao…yeah that’s how you come out on top in the AL East
I’m just hoping they’re replacing Tapia’s brutal glove with Kiermaier and not Hernandez’s bat.
I really like this move. Run prevention is just as important is scoring runs. Springer moves over to RF as of now. The outfield defense will be much better.
Whenever I see this guy I can’t help but picture him running all the way to the left field foul line yelling “I GOT IT” then getting mad when the left fielder gets in his way.
I never judge the offseason on one or two moves.
However, I’ve seen a pattern for over a year with the Jays that isn’t good…..
Sustainable contending teams regenerate themselves by constantly bringing in younger players. The Jays haven’t done that because their farm system is pretty much dry. All they’ve brought up that impacts the team is a young catcher that hasn’t played much because they have 2 other catchers. So everyone is waiting to see which catcher traded for someone(s).
The reason sustainable contending teams need a constant inflow of youngsters is because many in their core either hit a wall or regress….while their salaries go up. This has happened to the Jays. So for 2 years what they’ve been doing is overpaying for free agents and making so-so trades to “plug holes” ….none of them very smart signings or trades. They’re spending more and more money, but the team isn’t getting any better.
The White Sox peaked 2 years ago, but their fans won’t admit it.
The Jays peaked a year ago, but their fans won’t admit it (it’s understandably hard to). Most of the posters here want to bring
in name players to fill “holes”, with no consideration as to who they have that other teams would trade those players for….if they would even trade those players.
A possible solution is to take a step back and get younger players that can play now. The Jays FO will not do that. They’ll do what they’re doing till the people making the budget cut it.
They brought up Alek Manoah in 2021. Then Moreno this year. The years before that Guerrero, Bichette, Romano, Kirk. They’ve been pretty much bringing up at least one impact player every year. These aren’t 25th man type players we are talking about so I’m not sure you have much of a point on this one.
Yes, the minor leagues don’t have a ton in them right now but that’s because they’ve graduated so many of their top prospects. They do still have Tiedemann and Martinez coming in the next year or 2 though.
They are not a small market team like Cleveland, so they can afford to supplement their core through free agency on occasion. That doesn’t mean they haven’t developed any players as well.
Atkins history trying players in CF isn’t good: Pompey, Ceciliani, Carrera, Upton, Alford, Aoki, Hernandez, Smith Jr, Davis, Granderson, Grichuk, Brito, Fisher, Dickerson, Dyson, Palacious, Tapia, Zimmer. Springer is elite but injured. and Pillar was very good. #bluejays
Jimmer, only reason Pillar never won a gold glove is because of this guy.. This guy throughout his career is one of the greatest CF in the history of baseball defensively. He’s not what he once was, but he’s still a big upgrade over Zimmer and JBJ. I wouldn’t mind him one bit starting in CF opening day. I’m really glad about this move. Run prevention is just as important as scoring runs, this guy has saved the most runs defensively in baseball since he got called up to the big leagues with the Rays. Everyone is saying he’s a “4th outfielder”, to me he’s definitely worthy to start, bat him 9th and steal a bunch of runs from the opposing team.
Mario I don’t disagree with you. The Jays need another big bat though and two more starters and quality depth in AAA not the mostly fodder that they have now. CF has been a black hole over the years without Springer or Pillar. Will Kiermaier put them over the top of anything? no. Hopefully there is much more to come.JBJ would have been as good a signing.
I hear you, man.
Smart move by the Jays & touigh luck for the Dodgers, who shouldn’t have let Bellinger go, just as the Rays shouldn’t have let Kiermaier go. They’re both exceptional defensive center fielders, probably the two best in baseball. Most teams place too much emphasis on offense. Pitching & defense win WS.
Smart? How is signing a bandaid to take pressure off their other bandaid a good idea? this dude is years removed from his prime.
Well I guess they could do worse… not really sure how but…
That Jays fan will want to throw him in with his proposal to MKE for Yelich/Burnes, and take back Woodruff and Williams.
I assume you’re taking about me as I’m one of the few Jays fans in those threads and the most vocal.
If you need to come in here and say silly things to feel good in an effort to get through your day and it gave you the strength to continue, by all means im happy to help.
However, your silliness doesn’t really take anything away from my opinion and it’s legitimacy. It just kind of hurts your side of the “argument”.
It’s a site to discuss rumors. Discuss trades, signings
You dont have to agree that Burnes/Yelich packaged together is a good Idea for Milwaukee. It’s ok to Disagree, I find it fun to engage other fan bases. Get their opinions
As a Canadian I’m sorry we can’t agree or be friends. I’m sure you’ll survive through this travesty of injustice and we’ll both be better for it in the end!!!
Go Jays Go
Take a joke buddy.
Likewise friend!!
It’s not a lie about Canadians being nice people, here’s example #1. (I know it’s not entirely the truth though because I saw those trucker rallies in Ottowa on the news, so yeah there are some turds in Canada, but we all got some.)
Yah those bouncy castles and street hockey games in the name of personal medical freedoms was a real nightmare
If the hip is better, what a perfect fit for both teams. Bat him 9th, enjoy the CF magic. He looked slower last year by my eyes, but here’s hoping the hip is what slowed him down.
He’s a good pick up. Now Maybe sign Brantly and trade for a pitcher
I think it’s still good to remember that prime years for most baseball players is 26-29, and they start to decline at different rates at 30. A team like the Braves are best situated to contend for the most years with their roster! Guardians are younger but they have less talent in my view!
slider32;
The Guardians young talent is only beginning to mature, and some of it hasn’t even gotten much MLB playing time.
The Orioles also have a glut of fine young players, many of them are still in the high minors.
So their answer to trading two outfielders and getting Springer more relief in center is to sign a broken dude that stole from them on the field and hasn’t had a good year in how long? What a cheap bs move. I hope he fails his physical.
Blue Jays wanted a LH CF and they got one, only question will be how many games he will actually be on the field for
hopefully none if he fails his physical. Fingers crossed!
I imagine that’s why no contract terms are being announced until he’s passed his physical, No need to embarrass the club with the numbers being made public if he can’t pass a physical.
Zaidi misses out on another player – CF Kiermaier (goes to Toronto). Zaidi can’t even get a Tier 2 or Tier 3 player now. What a mess Zaidi has created for the Giants this offseason
Redwolves3;
LOL
Mr. Zaidi created the mess long before this offseason.
He hasn’t done anything because no one of merit thjat can go anywhere wants to get stuck on the team with a long-term contract.
Okay, so they got this guy….now we will probably see them grab Pillar and just do a shared job in CF all year. Lefty and Righty combo. This may even push Springer down to the 3rd or 4th spot now that Teo is gone. Or they just leave him in the top spot, with Guerrero, Bichette, Kirk or something after.
I’m more interested in getting starting pitching……can we please make this happen already?
Pillar? wtf are you talking about? Lol is this 2014?
PutMeinCoach88;
Seriously, do you really think those moves improve the team quite a bit?
I didn’t say it improves the team lol I’m just predicting what Shatkins would do hahaha like what other choices do they really have at this point when you still need 2 starting pitchers to grab to even compete again. lol
Yes, who cares,the Jays clear need is SP here like every year. I hope KK is alot cheaper than the $13mm the Rays passed on. We know their Team executives are alot smarter, compared to the Jays are.
Why not …Merrifield to CF. get 2 x decent SPs like Thor and Strip and done. Maybe Keep and try Moreno more as back up catcher but floater ..like 5th OF & try back up 3rd this year? Isn’t Chappy is an FA at the end of’23
Season anyway? Maybe then keep the catching depth until the deadline and reasses then?
Maybe Shapiro is only here to fix Dunedin and Rogers centre, as this I recall as one of the main reasons whth they hired him. Dunedin is finnished, and the Rogers Cetre remake is aswell…Well here is hoping anyways.
Just like his days in Cleveland, and back when he worked under Mike Hart. The Tribe needed pitching, but all the did was add bats for the bench.
j. johna jaymanason;
JOHN Hart.
And yes, those that follow the sport have seen this movie before. Amazed someone on here figured it out.
At least Hart got the team to the WS a few times.
The Jays so-called core is really not very good, let alone dominating. As a whole it’s been deteriorating for 2 years.
Twins should have been ALL over this guy to supplement Buxton. Between the two of them you have a season worth of elite defensive center field.
But who am I kidding the twins aren’t a real organization
I think people miss the point of this signing. He’s a defensive upgrade from anyone they have, even if he’s not the KK of old.
More importantly, this guy is a pitbull. I’ve watched him play against the Jays in the past and he never stops. He turns singles into doubles and always hussles out of the box. This is an attitude upgrade the Jays need and I think it also speaks to part of the reason they moved on from Teoscar. The “Barrio” giggling and joking is fine for TV and if you win. Otherwise, it’s simply unprofessional. It’s like in Bull Durham, if you win 20 games in The Show, you can let the fungus grow on your shower shoes. Until then, you’re just a slob. These last few moves are the Jays washing their shoes and I like them.
JohnnyVelvet;
They continue to “fill holes” with declining veterans that ain’t playing for the minimum.
And I like Kevin Kiermaier a lot.
Yeh, for 60 games or so….good luck Blue Jays…..declining defense, habitually hurt, dismal offense……yes, start the printing of WS tickets!
KK’s defense has a long way to fall before he’s even an average CF. 9 mil for a player that has one elite skill is a good deal, even if he misses games.
Springer
Benintendi/Brantley
Guerrero
Kirk
Bichette
Chapman
Gurriel
Espinal
Keirmeier
That’s a boss lineup and defense with Benintendi. Brantley would be a nice consolation prize but I’m feeling like we need one or the other
As a 4th outfielder I love it. He bats lefty and can provide great defense in CF and speed. He meets a lot of needs. The jays are obviously not done with their outfield(they got rid of tapia, zimmer, Bradley and teo)
I’ve seen no indication that Kiermaier will be Toronto’s 4th outfielder. They’ll have an outfield of Springer in right, where he loses much of his value, Kiermaier in center where he has declined to barely replacement-level, and Gurriel in left. According to their depth chart they have a kid named Lopez as a 4th outfielder who is probably better in the field and at the plate than Kiermaier.
it will be interesting to see who actually plays for Toronto when Springer and Kiermaier are on the DL by the end of May. It was crazy for those guys to chase $ onto artificial turf.
He’s a STARTER dude… not a 4th LOL
This better be a depth signing. The guy is a 4th outfielder and nothing more.
or are Ross & Atkins punting on the 2023 season and that KK is going to be an everyday player
HE’S A STARTER NOT A 4th. LOL…now what do you have to say?
Happy trails! Just don’t slide into 1st base anymore.
This is gross….
Seems pretty long to be waiting to hear about term. I would think we’re somewhere around the 7-9 million mark for 1 year, with a club option for around the same on a second, with a decent buyout on the option. (2-3 million)
They’re hoping he fails the physical.
I think a more realistic estimate would be 2/20 at minimum. You’re underestimating Kiermaier’s value, in my opinion.
I’m interested to see. He already got a 2.5 million buyout from the rays, so you can essentially add that to whatever he makes this year. Also with his age and recent injury it’s hard to tell. If we were bidding against multiple others who were interested then you’re probably right about the under-evaluation. The fact he signed with a team he’s clearly batting 9th on and who already has an All-Star caliber Center fielder tells me maybe his market wasn’t overly robust. Maybe he just really wanted to play for the Jays. I’ll be curious to hear all the side stories relating to how this came about from both sides.
When you say the hip injury was likely a reason for his defense not being elite I’d have to say it is very possible he is never elite again after than surgery. But he could be. We’ll see. Interested to see the finances. The way contracts are going he could top the 13 mil he was gonna make with the rays but I doubt it. Maybe they should have just traded him.
That not than
Whoa. 9 mil for a defensively declining CF who’s never really hit much? Crazy.
IMO this is a desperate bad deal. I say they end up paying him to go away before the trade deadline.
I hope I am wrong and he hits 300 with 20 bombs and stellar defense but that IMO would be nothing short of a miracle.
He will be hurt long before the deadline.
4 million should have been max. I would have thought like 3.2 -3.5. Wow 9 million is a hugh overpay. So unless they are going over the cap they essentially have little or nothing left. This beings them to almost 229 million in luxury tax payroll.
should be brings them
I was praying this absolute plug would fail his physical but I guess not. I guess we are stuck with him for a season. Why?! why sign a dude that’s been literally demolished by turf injuries to be a healthy backup for a dude that can’t stay healthy? Then there’s all these Jays fans that act like they just signed the 2016 version of this loser. Remember how many games their 4th and 5th outfielders had to play last year? This bandaid is the worst signing in years. Good riddance.
I completely agree with you here…. 9 mill for this plug is just cringe as the kids say… Coming off hip issues hitting the turf…. Great win now mooove …sarcasm…
No most Jay’s fans understand that this is a fourth outfielder that will play maybe 75 to 80 games this year.
Well, as of right meow he’s looking like the third outfielder. Yesss I know its still early but most Jays fans also seem overly optimistic we are getting Andrew Benintendi…..Which I dont see happening given his market…
George do you remember Springers market? Mets and Boston bidding against the Jays, who landed Springer??? Gausman was not a lock to come to the Jays given his market last off season!
I do remember springers market. At that time we had to make a move and had the money to do so.
Really? Well last year the 4th outfielder played 128 games and the 5th outfielder played 100 games. Kiermaier has only played that many games or more in 3 of his 9 MLB seasons. Point here is, why sign a guy that has only ever been a defensive wizard when his speed and defense have been eaten away by injuries? There’s also no guarantee that they sign anyone capable of playing full time CF so it’ll be another joke of a year for the Jays in the outfield.
Tee, appearing in a game for an inning is not the same as starting and playing 8 innings of the game. Tapia started 33 games in CF and Zimmer started 21 games
Fro all you know he *did* fail his physical. Wouldn’t be the first time someone has failed a physical but the team just waved him through.
The Jays should have offered him 2 years with 5 million this year and a 4 million buyout of a 4 million team option. Or, they can do one of those 11 year deals.
I can live with this. If he comes even close to his ‘21 numbers, its not a bad deal. Still an improvement over tapia/zimmer/jbj.
You realize tapia’s number offensively are better and will always be better than kiermaiers? Tapia also had a better season in 21 than him as well lol. Kiermaier 4 years ago is far removed from his peak
Kk is a defensive upgrade over tapia, and if you look at ops, and ops+, better offensively in ‘21. And they could have kept yapia for half the price, but didn’t……
Tapia played 128 games, Zimmer played 100…Kiermaier played like 60 and we all know he’s not playing 128 games so please stop with the metrics etc. The bottom line, they spent 9M on a a guy that has been demolished by turf and who is factually half the player he used to be. How are they supposed to get relief for Springer from a guy that rides the IL more than Springer does? Show me your stat to get outta that one.
Your right….a metrics propped up pretty much has been, who’s defensive game is all he has….his offense is non-existent and to top it all off…..pencil him in for less than 80 games for sure…….wow…..big move by the Jays!
Tapia started 33 games in CF in 2022, Zimmer started 21 games in CF in 2022, not sure where you are getting your numbers from.
KK produced 1.1 WAR, while Tapia produced 0.3 WAR in tiwce as many games. Tapia’s defense Torpedoes any value he has (-0.8 WAR on defense).
You know who produced more WAR on defense than Kiermaier? Daulton Varsho 😉
In what world? Tapia’s offensive number are a lot better than kiermaiers
Crossing the LTT? They should be banished! Flogged! Sent to Canada!
The Canadian Gulag has pretty decent food
Haha! Isn’t Canadian Gulag an oxymoron?
They strap you to a chair while forcing you to listen to Celine Dion and Rita MacNeil Christmas special over and over and over and over and over again…..
Standard enhanced interrogation practice.
Now that definitely violates the Geneva Accords, I’m sure of it!
I dunno, Celine is taking it to another level, my friend. I don’t condone that kind of torture.
Next year the Jays have 50M+ coming off the books. Gurriel, Chapman, Keirmaier, Ryu, and multiple relievers. That should free up cap space to address some of these areas. I think the Jays are hoping that Tiedeman is ready to step up into the rotation, I think the Jays will graduate a few players in the minors to the big leagues in order to offset increased costs that Vladdy, Bo and others will incur next year. Addison Barger could be the heir apparent at 3B, Gabriel Martinez could fill the left OF spot, and hopefully Orelvis Martinez will graduate to 2B or 3B and bring his power to play…his hit tool is whats holding him back right now as he hits in the low 200s average wise.
The Jays will need to replace Chappy and Gurriel at the least.
In this market—it’s pretty hard to do and save money with the arb raises also on the payroll.
Gurriel had one year of arb after his deal
Is up….
That is what i thought but was wrong he is a FA after this season
Wow, this makes the Blue Jays the favorite to win the World Series doesn’t it?
Jays to pay a luxury tax payment of $3.38.
That’s almost the entire Pirates’ payroll!
Interesting the Dodgers passed on 1/9 million. Not saying they should have signed him for that, but interesting it was such a low commitment.
On a one year contract, it’s not purely $$$. It’s about how much playing time he can expect to parlay into $$$ next winter.
Over tge luxury tax for Kevib Kiermaier
I know that these things happy frequently in a hurry, but I got a pretty good chuckle out of “Kiermaier” being spelled correctly, but not “tge” lol
Now, Dbacks will take Jansen and his contract off the Jays hands for stud CF Dominic Fletcher.
The problem is that their aren’t any Aaron, Mays, or Trouts out there, most of the big guns are in the infield these days except for RF. The DH has taken them all.
I agree
They need a silver slugger for RF, oh wait…
Terrible signing. Jays going to be battling the Sox for 5th place this year.
Funny that the pic of Kiermeier on the site has him swinging a bat. He’s probably grounding out to 2nd
LOL at this point, I am at a loss for words. This plug has been given a STARTING job? So after a complete circus in the outfield in 2022 that saw them need to keep Zimmer employed all season, you’d think shoring things up would have been a priority. So to bring balance and push Springer to RF they bring in a guy that is 6 years past prime, can’t hit at all, has lost half his defensive prowess to TURF injuries and hasn’t played more than two full seasons out of 9. This is what management is selling the fans as a contender. Now through bad deals, they are at the luxury threshold so where is the 5th starter and a proper backup outfielder coming from? Who’s going to play CF when this damn moron gets hurt again? This is the worst signing in Atkins career.
that’s a lot of money for a 4th OF’er
If they are planning to give him 400+ ab then the brain trust at Roger’s Center needs to be fired asap.
This team had a great lineup, but then they lost simien, and they did not replace his bat
Then they insanely gave away Teo for a song, and they lost the bat of a guy 1 year removed from a silver slugger, and they have not replaced it.
Right now, this is not an offense that should strike fear into anyone. The top half is good, bottom half is a joke. And the OF is now 2/3 of a joke.
They have LG, Mr. IL, and Mr IL who can’t hit.
This is why the Jays are only a team within the American League East and not a real playoff contender. They spend their money on has been and never will be players which puts all the pressure on the top half of the lineup. Other teams get serious and go after the top players in their respective positions but the Jays always go with band-aides in hopes they will stay healthy.
I will be very surprised if they even make the playoffs this season.