Meh.
From Jordan Bastian's Blog:
"Gathright has a very good chance of making the Opening Day roster. "
Sigh
almost 2 years ago
hugo
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He’s not taking the spot of Ruiz, I cannot see that. Assuming we have 5 bench spots, I would think they would be:
C – Molina
1b/DH help – Ruiz
INF – Johnny Mac or McCoy
4th OF – Gathright? other options Reed (L) and Padilla®
5th bench spot – I would guess McCoy or another OF
And that’s if Snider makes the team. I think. Did I miss anyone?
That is unless they decide to go with 7 RP, which has not been rumoured but I’ll be honest, I would kind of like to see. Very young rotation means it might be a good idea to have some extra depth in the pen vs. the lineup. 1 of McCoy or Johnny Mac could fill multiple roles if needed, and Bautista can also play an INF position if needed. In a pinch, you also have Lind or maybe even Ruiz who could step into LF. So the options are there to fill out a lineup with 4 bench guys and 7 RP.
Uhh
From Bastian earlier this week:
THE BENCH BATTLE: As I’ve noted on here before, there are three openings on the Blue Jays’ bench: backup catcher, backup outfielder, backup first baseman. In the running are Joey Gathright, Jeremy Reed, Mike McCoy, Randy Ruiz, Brian Dopirak, Molina and Chavez, among others.
Ball.
4 bench spots...
I think Jays philosophy is to go with 12 pitchers….
by jaysfanfromeurope on Mar 12, 2010 10:48 AM EST up reply actions
and there's no J-Mac "or" McCoy
J-Mac is definitely making the team. McCoy’s shot is as the IF/OF 25th man. If Gathright and Snider make the team, I can’t see McCoy making it unless EE starts on the DL
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
Encarnacion says he is feeling better and will start playing soon
So he’ll likely start with the team.
yep, just saw that myself
good news. although I wouldn’t have minded seeing what McCoy could do playing third everyday, a healthy and productive EE makes the team much better and I don’t think that’s what would have happened anyway.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
I don't think he'd be great or anything but
be a lot more fun than watching Alex Gonzalez, and there is some chance he’d be decent.
Worse than "Meh".
My goodness. What is the point?
Seriously, Jays management. Let’s at least try to develop some of the guys who will be with the team when we have a prayer of competing. Or, if you don’t want to do that, go sign Jermaine Dye – IE – someone who will actually have a shot at improving the team.
Gathright is neither.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
It think it will be down to Snider or Gathright....
Away from pitching we have 13 spots left.
Buck ©, Overpay (1B), Hill (2B), Gonzales (SS),E5 (3B), Wells (CF), Bautista (RF), Lind (DH) are in for sure…. so we are left with 5 open roster spots… (if E5 is healthy to start the season… i don´t think so, but that´s another discussion)
It nearly save that Molina © and Jonny Mac (U) will have 2 spots…
So here we are with 3 open spots … (2 on the bench, one in LF)
I believe the open spots will go to Ruiz and McCoy (or Gathright… but i think it´s McCoy as he can handle every position not beeing catcher)
The question is who´ll get the Oscar for LF?
Nominated are Snider and Gathright…. it´s a pitty that the only juror is Cito who likes Gathright over Snider…. (in my opinion Snider will start at AAA if E5 is healthy…)
by jaysfanfromeurope on Mar 12, 2010 10:46 AM EST reply actions
Can anyone explain to me why this team hasn’t already just said that Snider is going to play full time? What could possibly be the point of keeping him at Vegas?
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
dominate at the lower levels first
If there are only 4 bench spots, JMac, Ruiz, Chavez should definitely be 3 of them. Your fourth bench spot should be someone to cover off all three outfield spots. Unless McCoy has a crazy spring, give it to a vet such as Reed or Gathright. Gathright at least has some speed. Let McCoy & a guy like Wallace tear it up in the minors first & play every day. Same goes with some of these young arms (Mills, Drabek, Purcey). When was the last time we called a guy up from the minors who really really tore it up down on the farm first? Have these guys build their confidence there & make them earn the promo to the majors! It’s about the future, right?
McCoy isn't a prospect
he’ll be 29 this season
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
It's About the Speed, Stupid*
*stealing Clinton’s election motto, not insulting anyone.
I think Gathright gets the bench spot due to his speed and his defense. Both AA and Gaston want a legitimate speed threat off the bench, and Gathright is a great defender on top of that. However, a couple of people think that his footspeed isn’t what it was, so considering that McCoy is the only other steal threat near the majors in the system, a few weeks of batting .200 and a couple of caught stealing could see Gathright sent down and McCoy up.
why does cito need a speed guy off the bench? We dident steal last year. I dont see us doing it this year.
I know Cito said they are going to try different things, but I seriously doubt we are going to be anywhere in the top 20 for SB.
I’d say because Gathright’s an ‘established’ major league basestealer, and McCoy’s a career minor leaguer having a good spring. Personally, I don’t think of either as more than a bench player, and while I like McCoy’s patience and bat a heck of a lot more than Gathright, I can’t necessarily fault them with going with Gathright first and see if he sticks.
Plus, as always, they could be seeing things that they like on the field that we’re not, outside of the stats.
Isn’t Gathright more of an “established major league basecaughtstealer”?
I’d take the speed and versatility (assuming he’s a good outfielder) over Gathright.
my bench: Molina, JMac, Ruiz, McCoy
(Of course, if mccoy can play passable SS, JMac is the real redundancy.)
(Of course, if mccoy can play passable SS, JMac is the real redundancy.)
I’ll take that one step further and say that even if McCoy can’t play passable SS, JMac is still a redundancy.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
since our starting SS is "defence first",
I’d have to agree.
I couldn't agree with the two of you more
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
thirded. if that is a word. mccoy should have been given a shot as a backup SS.
Jmac should have been offerd a PR gig of some kind
Well, there is something to be said for the fact that McCoy’s also had a whole 12AB at the major league league. He had a good year last year, and is having a nice spring, but I think people are a little to quick to annoit him ready to start.
I’m not saying that he doesn’t have all the tools people are talking about, but he’s spent seven years in the minors and only got a cup of coffee last year. There might be more to that than we see from here.
for sure
but I’ll take a guy like that over someone who we essentially know isn’t going to be a contributor.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
That's basically the point
I’d rather have someone that hasn’t proved anything over someone that has had years to prove he doesn’t belong in the majors.
The Jays picked up Gathright for his glove and his feet. I think he’s proven he can steal bases and defend well in the Majors, even if he can’t hit a lick. McCoy hasn’t done either of those things yet, which might be why he’s behind Gathright in the depth chart.
Gathright was 2 for 4 stealing last year....
he did have a good year stealing in 2008, 21 of 25 in steal attempts, but 2007 he was 9 of 17 and 2006 he was 10 of 16. If he doesn’t steal at a break even rate it is no value having him run.
I think that saying he’s proved ‘he doesn’t belong in the Majors’ is overstating things. He got offered a deal as a specific roleplayer, and he hasn’t played himself out of that yet, which is why he’s ahead of a guy who got picked up on waivers and has to play his way into a job, instead of vice versa.
I can't see any reason to think he should be a major leaguer
His career batting line is .263/.327/.303. Career he is slightly above break even as a base stealer. Defensively he’s been pretty good, not amazing but good. I guess if he doesn’t play much he’s ok, but then if they don’t play much everyone is ok. He has had chances and really never been someone that would help a team.
although he stole 75% of the time in the minors last year
24 for 32. McCoy stole a lot more and more successfully at AAA (40 of 46). I don’t disagree that Gathright has useful skills – namely, outfield defense and speed. Unfortunately, the impact of his speed is heavily limited by his poor on-base skills (I love speed on the bases but not to the point of having one of 4 bench spots used on a pinch-runner) and his outfield defense is fine as far as it goes but we tend to play Vernon everyday in center and Gathright’s bat really doesn’t play in a corner spot. If he had platoon splits it’d be one thing. So, that being the case, while I don’t think McCoy’s great either, he brings the more useful skillset due to his versatility and better on-base skills. He also offers speed on the bases, perhaps not to the extent of Gathright, but being able to get on means he’ll likely get more out of his speed.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
I should add that it's not like this is a big deal either way
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
Agreed. But, gasp I cannot believe I am DEFENDING Joey Gathright, his OB skills aren’t that bad, actually his AAA numbers are always pretty good and while he’s struggled in the majors if the other option is McCoy, Gathright’s track record is better. McCoy was awful with the bat until he hit Colorado Springs, which is in Colorado AND in a league where it’s pretty easy to hit.
But overall, yeah I agree, it’s another … meh decision. Nobody in the running has much of chance of making an impact here long term.
it's true
Gathright sort of has a history of being decent at getting on, particularly in the minors. he even managed a .371 OBP in 2007 over 261 major-league plate appearances. He hasn’t done anything since then, and had a horrible 2008 in the majors, but it’s not like there’s absolutely no track record there.
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
I like the fact that Mccoy has no track record. He may just take the starting SS job by the break.
HE IS HUNGRY! intangibles FTW!
I’d say b/c Gathright is an OF. McCoy played some OF last year, but who knows how good he is at it. It’s quite clear Lind isn’t going to get time in the OF, so why not break camp with 4 OF vs. 3 OF & 3 SS? If you want to argue McCoy vs. Gonzalez or even vs. Johnny Mac, I get that. But if you’re looking for an OF I think you keep an actual OF. If that happens to be Gathright … ugh … so be it.
*shrug*
Anthopoulos and Gaston want to see the team be more aggressive and head’s up on the basepaths. Personally, I think intelligent baserunning is a lot more important than stolen bases, but having a steal threat off the bench is apparently on the game plan.
i'd actually prefer Reed to Gathright
It’s mccoy or reed for me.
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