The Blue Jays today announced five minor league deals, including the previously reported deals for right-handers Julian Fernández and Casey Lawrence. The other three are right-hander Drew Hutchison, lefty Paul Fry and catcher Rob Brantly. All five will receive invitations to major league Spring Training.
Hutchison, 32, returns to the organization that drafted him in 2009. He worked his way up to the majors in 2012 and had some success with the Jays, including a 2014 season where he made 32 starts with a 4.48 ERA. Unfortunately, his performance dipped in subsequent years and he was traded to the Pirates in 2016. He’s gone into journeyman mode since that time, also suiting up for the Phillies, Rangers and Tigers. With Detroit in 2022, made 18 starts and 10 relief appearances, posting an ERA of 4.53 over 105 1/3 innings. His 14.7% strikeout rate was well below par, but his 9.1% walk rate and 40.3% ground ball rate were close to league average. He’ll give the Blue Jays some veteran rotation depth in the minors, should injuries create a need during the season.
Fry, 30, seemed to have a breakout in 2020. He made 22 appearances for the Orioles that year with a 2.45 ERA, 29.6% strikeout rate and 57.6% ground ball rate. His 9.2% walk rate was a tad high, but it was a few ticks better than the 11.4% rate he posted the year before. Unfortunately, his improved control slipped from his grasp over the next two seasons. In 2021, his walk rate shot up to 16.3%, pushing his ERA to 6.08 in the process. His 2022 was similar, with a 14.8% walk rate and 6.23 ERA, a year that included a trade to the Diamondbacks, who outrighted him in August.
Assuming Yusei Kikuchi is in the club’s rotation, then Tim Mayza and Matt Gage are the only lefty relievers on the 40-man. If Fry can improve his command at all, he still has a couple of option years remaining and between three and four years of MLB service time. If he earns his way back on the 40-man, he could be retained for future seasons via arbitration.
Brantly, 33, is a journeyman catcher who has spent time in the big leagues with the Marlins, White Sox, Phillies, Giants and Yankees. Though he’s played in parts of eight MLB seasons, he’s gotten into just 135 big league games and made just 456 plate appearances. He has a .225/.287/.326 batting line for his career for a wRC+ of 68. He’s made it to the bigs in each of the past four seasons but didn’t get into more than six games in any of them. The Jays have Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk to handle the big league catching duties but traded Gabriel Moreno to the Diamondbacks in the Daulton Varsho trade. Varsho himself has plenty of catching experience but seems ticketed for outfield work for the Jays. Brantly gives the club a veteran depth option to have on hand in the minors.
Feel like they could’ve gotten Zach Thompson to from us, that would be ok-..
You want a Fry with that? I had wondered what happened to him after a decent 2020.
I still think Hutchison can be an ace. He was filthy back in the day, way better option than berrios
Hahahahahahahahahaha
@goalieguy41 what’s funny, meat?
I think it’s a overrated signing. Yes no doubt that he will be our best defensive centerfielder since Devon White,but how many games can he play? 60?80?100?(that’s unlikely). I don’t mind the move, but only if they had a really good 4th outfielder, and to me, Merrifield doesn’t make the grade. We will be missing Teos bat..thatsfor sure
Overall to me, the Jays made some good moves(Varsho trade,even though we paid lots),and the Bassitt signing. The Hernandez trade is questionable at very best(one year left or not, Teo was one of our best bats on a team with alot of good/great bats). Not sure if Swanson and Macko will be enough(Donaldson for Merriweather was the same type of trade,which ended horrible for us), and the K.K. can either be a good signing(if he can start 100 games), otherwise it might end up being a very foolish move dealing with a veteran who’s best days are far behind(like Morales move)
Donaldson trade wasn’t the same type of trade, Donaldson was dumped at the end of August injured for a bag of scraps.
If we traded him before the 2018 season we would’ve gotten a much stronger return.
Jays aren’t done so dont judge the roster as it is. We will add a dh and another outfielder who is a bat first player. We are far from done
You think Hutchinson can be a ace? Good luck.
An OK fifth, probably. The guy needs a good sports psychologist to keep him foucused and he’ll be an OK contributor.
U serious bro? Hutchinson a ace? I get it that ur a obvious fan of him,and I will give the guy credit..I thought he was finished(missing2017,19,20,and 21),but he made it back to the show last year. That being said..at very best,he might end up as the #5,but realistically, i think theyre looking to him more as a depth move if injuries occur. Could be a good move(hope it is), and yes, Berrios was awful last year,but zero chance he ends up being the ace
Hutchison has the potential to go 13-5… if he gets ridiculous run support again.
This has to be a troll comment
Mr. Clutch
Fry’s the most intriguing one to me off of that list. He’s some nice added competition for a LHP spot in the pen.
Always nice to see Drew Hutchinson back even though hopefully he’ll be playing in Buffalo for most if not all of the season if he stays in the organization. It’s still hard to believe that he was our Opening Day starter for that magical 2015 season.
Hey, we got an opening day starter!
Do not forget to mention that at home in 2015 Hutch had a 2.48 ERA, got rocked on the road but at SkyDome he was as unhittable as anyone!
Correction to my above comment re-Hutch His ERA at home in 2015 was 2.91 in 15 starts had 1 complete game and 1 shutout and an 11-2 record on the road in 13 starts he had an ERA of 9.83
Bauer? His schedule just freed up.
Well Clippper, you all can have him in the Big Apple, Canada surely does not want him!!!
No thanks, as you can see, he’s free to a good home.
This Canadian would love to have him on the squad.
I haven’t heard anything factual to treat him any differently than I would any player who happened to wear my team’s Uniform
I reserve the right to change my opinion if anything new comes to light, something actually worthy of locking him behind bars. Not just being accused of something he’s currently innocent of and as others say being “an a-hole d-bag” who’s a bad teammate/clubhouse cancer
Well he did admit he had rough liaisons with women, which violates the domestic violence protocols, Jays would not keep Osuna, why would they pick up Bauer??? And I for one do not want him on my team!!!
Some casinos want your ID if you cash out 2500 and some only want it at 10k.
Policies aren’t laws. Policies aren’t what we should build our moral fabric around.
Rough liaisons amongst consenting adults should not even need to be discussed when going thru any job process. Not mine, not yours and certainly not his.
Osuna is an apples to oranges comparison because he physically assaulted his GF who was not a consenting party nor did she request that behavior.
I would have still cheered Osuna had he completed any punishments handed to him and he acknowledged what he did was wrong while never doing the same again. Everyone makes mistakes, 2 mistakes are a habit, 3 mistakes are intentional
I support your choice to not want him on the team, just like I wouldn’t be upset if you didn’t like the Grichuk trade or weren’t impressed with Springer signings or Bassit.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, and as long as it remains that way, we can all agree to disagree on certain subjects
Also Fan77,
We’re both probably Alomar fans. His # is on the ring of excellence, hall of famer.
Do we happily forget what he was accused of? Do we or have we suggested he is out of the Hall?
The HOF said they don’t care. Is the HOF canceled?
He even on smaller scales was quite the a-hole primadonna who spit on umpires.
Doesn’t change he helped us win in 92/93
Does that WS feel tainted now?
Doesn’t to me
Umm, speak for yourself
Yes, I am speaking for myself. I think it would be better if more people thought like i do. However that’s not real life.
Youre also free to disagree. And I get the sense you do.
That’s perfectly acceptable as well
Jays1981: Aside from his current very publicized actions, as morally divisive amongst the public as they may be, that’s only one reason why I’d not take Bauer. Even absent his personal choices, he’s too divisive on teams, too public and outspoken over issues [he feels] are problematic, and Bauer on the Yankees would be a constant distraction.
Thus, it isn’t simply a moral judgment I am rendering against him. I believe he’s a terrible fit [on the Yankees] for a variety of reasons.
I also won’t presume to tell you that you should feel the same way, as I respect the fact you may believe opposite on your team (I’m not implying you’re trying to either). I get there will be a lot of people that may want Bauer on their team. He’s a talented pitcher. I also understand that many take no issue with what he did, whereas many believe his actions were reprehensible.
Since the issue at hand is about morality and (subjective) perspective, it’s very difficult to assert one is “right” or “wrong” for his or her perspective while maintaining complete objectivity on the matter. Therefore, I defer to my objective source. It is the basis for my opinion in situations like this but it is not for other’s; therefore I choose to stick to between the lines stuff for my anti-Bauer position.
I agree with Clipper in regards to Bauer as a distraction. He’s done that everywhere he goes. He has a brand and he likes to push that brand on social media. He’s much more of a ‘me’ guy than most players. Some folks like that about him, some don’t. There’s a risk of upsetting a clubhouse balance and the Jays are going through some noteworthy roster and clubhouse changes this offseason. They don’t need any extra drama.
My 2 cents, if I had to guess, Houston is the obvious landing spot. They could fit him in their rotation after seeing Verlander leave (they’re rotation is still good but an effective Bauer would improve it). They’ve shown a willingness to take on guys with bad PR (Roberto Osuna) so I think it would make sense. The GM from the Osuna situation is gone, but the owner is the same.
I would honestly prefer to just look at it from your perspective, whereas you think he’s not a fit for the team because of other factors more related to baseball
Im sure we’ve all had teammates we didn’t like, we may have fought with or didn’t care for in one way or another, but when they performed well you were happy they were on your team for that day.
When looking at simple roster construction and fits, I think like this.
We let the kids have their fun, they got to dance around and try on suit jackets, it was fun to watch at times, silly other times when it’s happening down 6 runs.
I think the Jays are focused on winning now, at all costs because Rogers (I hope) understands winning = more money.
If they want to win now, it was a good start by adding SP a LHH OF and another CF while ridding the team of the guys mostly responsible for yhe goofing off.
Hiring a bench coach like Mattingly (who we know you’re knowledgeable about) would coincide with bringing on a player like Bauer. Meaning his no nonsense , sacrifice, just play and win approach is a stark contrast to the fun loving pineapple hair sunflower seed tossing jacket wearing crew of last year
Our current #5 options in no particular order are
Pearson who can’t stay healthy long enough to even be a RP
Kikuchi who can’t throw a strike but when he does it gets launched
White who is not making many fans in TO with how poorly he’s pitched. After being compared to a young Stripling and watching them both on the same squad last year be on totally opposite ends of the spectrum.
Hutchinson just signed a Minors deal. Our opening day starter from a near decade ago.
Tieddeman who would need to be rushed, and start his service clock early.
One of 3 or 4 AA/AAA guys like Murphy or Kloffenstein who used to be “top” organizational prospects who have had injury and performance issues.
I want the Jays to win the Division and the WS, that goal becomes increasingly more attainable if Bauer is the #5 and maybe even the #1 depending on how his year goes
their #5 slot is wide open right now however if they can just keep it together until july, ryu is due back by then. no guarantee that he will be back to what he was but if he is good to go then you’re adding a borderline ace back into the rotation.
bauer would strengthen any rotation on paper but it also depends on how he is received by the clubhouse. the players dont have to like each other to make the team successful but it might not be worth the headache and pr issues.
i wouldnt have an issue with him on the team based on the legal situation he’s in as he hasn’t been found guilty of anything. my only concern is whether his presence will negatively affect the team more so than any positive contributions he may bring. the dodgers are gunning for a world series and still decided to drop this guy while paying him not to play for them.
@Cedric (starting to @the responses so it’s not as confusing)
Being a professional athlete should be mo different than any other gainful employment or even nefarious employment
In most cases, it doesn’t matter how a co worker feels about you, they should perform well at their job regardless who’s beside them, they are expected to leave their ego’s and personal problems at the door when they arrive to work.
I see that being more important to professional athletes given the amount of money they make in comparison.
It sounds harsh, and I don’t mean this as an all encompassing statement to fit every situation. But in a situation like this, I believe they should just shut up and play.
If I didn’t like a coworker or even when I became management and didn’t like people I had to manage myself. It was still on me to produce or find another job. It was on me to get the best out of my employees because that’s what I was paid to do.
Not complain that they ate food I didn’t like the smell of, not to give my opinions on Bobs or Karen’s wardrobe. Not to get involved when other people gossip etc.
I was paid to shut up and do what I’m paid to do. Or be replaced willingly or forcefully.
Now, they are more valuable as there’s less of them. But there’s also 10000 kids ready to take their jobs, 100 of them will be good enough and another dozen might get a chance they didn’t just because of those players stances or refusals to play with player X or Y
@Clipper.
Understanding you’d rather he not be on the team, I think I’d be correct if I said you’d still tune into his starts and cheer him on in the playoffs if Cashman decided to go get him right? (Assuming he performs well)
I base that off Donaldson fitting similarly into the mold of player you’d rather not be on the team, as well as the perceived drama that needed to be addressed with him and Cole prior to the season starting
But I feel although you’d rather he not be in pinstripes. You’re not going to hang your head when he HRs
Jaysfan1981: Well, that’s the decision isn’t it? I guess my immediate response to such a hypothetical is to analogize it much like you did. So, in effect I would be rooting for the team, and obviously his success is directly tied to theirs, so your point is completely valid.
I think Bauer is more similar (although the two are still different in their actions) to Correa for me. I didn’t want Correa on the Yankees. I don’t want Correa near the Yankees. But if they acquired him, I’d likely not root for him as a person, but root for the team’s success (so cheering for the obligatory HR in key spots, etc, would be natural).
Hopefully I’ll never be put in that position, but again, I certainly won’t judge you for hoping Bauer is acquired Jays either. There’s little question he would improve any rotation and I think most fans would root for his successes as they help the team, especially in key spots, to your point.
Bauer specifically outed the Astros for using Spider Tack when Cole was in the rotation, and Cole and Bauer had a bad relationship as teammates for UCLA. Adding Bauer to the mix with a highly passionate competitor like Rodon in the rotation would be an enormous gamble that I’d consider foolhardy. The Yankees have the troublesome personality department already covered with Donaldson, and Donaldson is a model citizen compared to Bauer. No, thank you.
Chapman continues to be pilloried for a phony assault charge — never even formally charged on the scene or afterwards — when the only thing the responding officers reported him doing was locking himself in the garage and shooting his pistol like an idiot. Florida’s state attorney found no cause to charge him with anything.
I have little doubt that some of the same fans of other teams now going to bat for Bauer would be part of the digital lynch mob bagging on the Yankees incessantly if they signed him, same as they did with Chapman. Again, no, thank you.
It’s manifest that Bauer is who he is and hasn’t learned a damn thing from the trouble he’s created for himself with his big mouth, his on-field taunts and trolling, and his off-field behavior. Let some other team sign up for that nonsense.
Well there was a recorded conversation where he admitted to striking his ex… so there’s that..
“In most cases, it doesn’t matter how a co worker feels about you, they should perform well at their job regardless who’s beside them, they are expected to leave their ego’s and personal problems at the door when they arrive to work.”
Most coworkers don’t shower with their coworkers, ride on airplanes together, share locker rooms, stay in the same hotels, and daily run the risk of seeing their own performance record suffer as a result of a coworker’s mistakes. The team ethos is of more intense and immediate importance on an athletic playing field, where every game can be a passionately contested affair. Major League Baseball isn’t “The Office.”
“Well there was a recorded conversation where he admitted to striking his ex… so there’s that..”
Who are you talking to?
Fink, he’s responding to Jays1981. But also, let’s not forget the stalking/harassment/threat allegations originating from Bauer’s text exchanges with that girl on social media before the assault allegations were reported. Again, I’m not condemning him (because I don’t want to debate this as a rights issue), but talking strictly baseball between the lines, this matters as he represents the team & players.
Honestly, it’s no wonder some teammates don’t want him on their team. Imagine how many hook up during travels. I imagine the fear of being implicated in a future allegation concerns many players. It’s natural for them to shy away from him. The old adage is that you are the friends that you keep, or some version of that admonishment by Mom.
He’s unpredictable, volatile, and a huge distraction. He’s like Donaldson but with an uncontrollable urge to fire off on social media.
A number of commenters point out that the woman in question asked for it. That’s legally significant, but as far as team-building is concerned, that’s not the point.
The point is that Bauer finds beating up women enjoyable.
If he’s entitled to feel that way, so are any potential teammates entitled to find his personality and private life repulsive.
“You’re known by the company you keep” is a germane adage. The Yankees already dealt with having to rehabilitate German’s reputation with his teammates, and German wasn’t recalcitrant. Bauer, on the other hand, makes no apologies for his behavior. I can’t imagine that anyone in the front office wants to take on the task of integrating him into the clubhouse.
Nor can I imagine anyone on the Yankee roster wanting to be associated with, much less have to stand up for, Trevor Bauer. And he’s the sort whose on-field antics present a better-than-average chance of starting something on the field that could end in his getting charged on the mound.
What you said about the casinos isn’t true. All casinos are suppose to ask for ID once you reach a certain threshold. In fact there’s been a couple recently that haven’t been doing it and caught by a secret shopper kinda thing and were fined for it. It’s not a policy it’s a AGCO law.
I’m quite fine taking a lower standard of evidence than required to lock someone behind bars. The imprisonment standard is extremely high and designed to let off well defended individuals. The evidence required is essentially impossible in the given scenario.
The Dodgers like winning, and want to win. There was enough evidence for the league, and therefore enough for the Dodgers.
Maybe the Yankees, Red Sox or Astros can pick him up, they’re fine with dirty wins.
Jays should totally sign him. At minimum keep him in the minors and flip him at the deadline. By that point any team Henry for the post season will have forgotten about the allegations
Yes, there is a law. Youre right.
However if you frequent casinos in different parts of North America, you’ll find that some don’t ID you unless you actually look under 25, and they usually don’t request ID on cashout unless it’s a large amount OR the LAW gets triggered by you having more than the LAW states
The policy part is the grey area, maybe Bob’s one armed bandit convenience store wants ID no matter what.
Do you HAVE to provide it? No. You don’t. You didn’t trigger any LAWS.
But Bob can then have you trespassed off his personal property he owns for you not complying with his POLICIES
I was responding to Jaysfan1981. He said “I reserve the right to change my opinion if anything new comes to light, something actually worthy of locking him behind bars. Not just being accused of something he’s currently innocent of..”
Since they have a recorded conversation of him admitting to striking his ex he’s not exactly innocent.
Hutchison was actually our opening day starter, in a season we won the AL East. 2015. He was terrible, but a good luck charm.
The jays have very little depth at a number of positions so this is fine. Poo Hutchison is a good fit for Buffalo.
Just depth. It only becomes relevant if someone on the 26 hits the IL.
I actually thought my comment on Hutch and his 2.48 ERA at home in 2015 would generate some chatter, Never thought Bauer would take over a thread that he is not even mentioned in the article.
Probably because they are always closing comments on his articles.
Unfortunately most of us can’t have a civil discussion about him like we have here.
If the rest of the board knew we were talking about him here yesterday, they would highjack this thread and likely get the comments closed here too
A poll of readers was done on this site and the overwhelming choice was not to have comments on certain subject, Domestic violence being one of them, it was the reader’s choice