Stripling must have wanted out of Toronto for whatever reason in which case the Jays would have known for a while. The deal he just signed is a good one for the team in today's market. A 2 year contract is the way to go for a 33 year old who just had his best season. I thought that he was seeking a longer term and that is why talks broke down with Jays. Now it looks like he was leaving no matter what.
Jays 2023
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Interesting video on what it's like to deal with player agent Scott Boras...
My thoughts. Last year in the playoffs there was serious talk of making him start the second game.
A head scratcher for sure.
The funny part is he seemed to like it here, at least the city anyway. Maybe there was an issue with management, or maybe despite speaking very highly of the city, he was indeed one of those people that just didn't want to play in Canada. The only thing I can think of, is the Jays didn't offer him a qualifying offer 1 year 20 million, so he might have said "fuck you guys I'm gone".
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We will likely never know for sure but he was too diplomatic and socially intelligent to knock Toronto and/or Canada publicly even if that is the main reason why he left. I suspect there are many American athletes that will choose to live and play in the USA over Canada if they have a choice. Only a few are public about it but I think it's huge. This should factor into recruitment decisions of all Canadian based sports teams. It should definitely be part of the questionning when interviewing draft prospects. Not all Americans have an issue with it, but many do.
I'm quite certain the Raptors and Jays both due their due diligence when drafting in terms of how comfortable kids are with playing in Canada.
Bassett is clearly better regarded than Stripling. He has 4 good seasons in a row — Stripling has had one.
More likely that Stripling regresses from an aberration year, although at their ages both are decline risks at this point.
Stripling’s season last year sort of reminds me of Marco Estrada in 2015 who had a career season out of nowhere. Estrada was good again for about 4 months in 2016, and then was a liability.
More likely that Stripling regresses from an aberration year, although at their ages both are decline risks at this point.
Stripling’s season last year sort of reminds me of Marco Estrada in 2015 who had a career season out of nowhere. Estrada was good again for about 4 months in 2016, and then was a liability.
Jays trade Gurriel jr and Gabriel Moreno to Diamondbacks for Lefty hitter Daulton Varsho who can play catcher and the outfield.
He hit 27 HRs in 2022.
Guess mgmt is trying to change the clubhouse culture, too much fun in the dugout last year, gotta ditch the HR jacket.
ca.sports.yahoo.com
www.baseball-reference.com
He hit 27 HRs in 2022.
Guess mgmt is trying to change the clubhouse culture, too much fun in the dugout last year, gotta ditch the HR jacket.
Blue Jays trade Gabriel Moreno, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Diamondbacks for Daulton Varsho
The Blue Jays have made a major splash before Christmas.
ca.sports.yahoo.com
Daulton Varsho Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Daulton Varsho. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com
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IDK, that seems like quite a big package to pay for a guy whose career OPS is under .750 and a .240 hitter. They gave up the top prospect in the game as well as a proven hitter in Gurriel who is also injury prone and nothing more than an average fielder..
I assume that the Jays see a lot of upside potential He's already arbitration eligible but under control until 2027.
So the outfield is now Varsho, Kiermaier and Springer and oppose to Gurriel, Springer and Hernandez minus Moreno but with Swanson in the pen and a pitching prospect.
Does this improve them and if so, how much? Maybe they're saving on payroll, but the window to win is now.
I still would have preferred Bryan Reynolds from the Pirates. He'd asked for a trade so the Pirates don't have a lot of leverage. Who wants a disgruntled player on your roster?
I assume that the Jays see a lot of upside potential He's already arbitration eligible but under control until 2027.
So the outfield is now Varsho, Kiermaier and Springer and oppose to Gurriel, Springer and Hernandez minus Moreno but with Swanson in the pen and a pitching prospect.
Does this improve them and if so, how much? Maybe they're saving on payroll, but the window to win is now.
I still would have preferred Bryan Reynolds from the Pirates. He'd asked for a trade so the Pirates don't have a lot of leverage. Who wants a disgruntled player on your roster?
Scary, considering Kiermaier and Springer can’t stay healthy for a full season.
After more reading, a few more points in favour of the trade.
The Jays should be significantly better defensively in the outfield/run prevention with Varsho, a gold glove finalist. As well they got that left-handed bat that they were looking for. As well I think it's probably not bad that they took a chunk (Gurriel and Hernandez) out of that Dominican clique that seemed to be apart from the rest of the team and was so keen on celebrations, which I think was a distraction. They should be more professional and focussed now. I think that this will help Vlad stay more focussed.
The Jays should be significantly better defensively in the outfield/run prevention with Varsho, a gold glove finalist. As well they got that left-handed bat that they were looking for. As well I think it's probably not bad that they took a chunk (Gurriel and Hernandez) out of that Dominican clique that seemed to be apart from the rest of the team and was so keen on celebrations, which I think was a distraction. They should be more professional and focussed now. I think that this will help Vlad stay more focussed.
Gurriel was no iron man either and with Springer out of center there should be less wear and tear on him. As such, I think that your health concerns, which are valid, are somewhat mitigated.
I just saw a tweet on TV from Gary Sheffield Jr. that "whoever signed off on this for Arizona should go to jail". LOL
I've been reading American commentary on this trade and there are quite a few who think the Jays won the trade. I hope they are right. If anything, because Varsho catches in addition to playing outfield, he gives the Jays a lot of lineup flexibility. I expect to see Kirk DH even more next year. Apparently Varsho is an upgrade defensively over Gurriel. The team's culture will be different. Hopefully it translates into more wins.
IDK. LG was a perennial high average hitter and Moreno was a gold chip catching prospect. That's a lot of value to give up.
