Who'd you rather?
by JaysSaskatchewan on Sep 28, 2010 4:23 PM EDT
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PrintWho'd you rather have closing tonight's game, Mariano Rivera or Kevin Gregg? Obviously this isn't a question about your preference for best career or best year. Just tonight's game. Some stats:
Mariano Rivera last 6 appearances:
0-1, 9.53 E.R.A, 3 blown saves
Kevin Gregg since the All-Star break:
2-2, 2.78 E.R.A.
Just for tonight, I'd prefer Kevin Gregg. Perhaps Mariano is due to start pitching better though. A second question is should we exercise the option we have for Kevin Gregg for 2011 and/or 2012? I'd say 'yes' to that also at least for 2011. I don't think we have any better options available and he's done a lot better than most of the closers we've had in recent years.
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if the jays want to wait a bit more before contending
keep him for one more year, maybe even 2
To Infinity. And BEYOND!!!
by YunelTheLazyLatino on Sep 28, 2010 4:59 PM EDT reply actions
Gregg closer in 2011
Jays Closer for 2012 and beyond?
This guy:
…although something looks wrong with his picture….is it just me or his torso all messed up?
by craig in calgary on Sep 28, 2010 10:21 PM EDT reply actions
no wonder...
he’s injured…that looks awkward…almost like that is his back not his chest! I’m all for giving Dustin a chance in the bullpen but i’m not sure he can get healthy enough…I hope he does though
I love Dusty as much as the next guy
but that is one awkward delivery in profile. I really hope we fix his delivery and mechanics. He had great stuff as a starter; upper 90s FB and a few devastating off-speed offerings.
Any news on his comeback trail?
HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THEM, I PRESS DOWN MAH GUNS!
No
Decline the option, then offer arbittration. After the good year he has had, he will decline and we get a sandwich pick in a good draft year. I would take a gamble on a potential top of the rotation guy or a starting batter, than any of guys in the bullpen. We are still rebuilding, who cares if we don’t have a legit closer next year? we want to contend if a few years.
I believe we could have a legitimate enough closer next year.
His name is David Purcey.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
Nice call
Lets see if we can make him closer. The next year or two should be solely focused on rebuilding and trying different things with our young guys, not extending marginal relievers. We need to continue to show patience and follow what we started with Alex Gonzalez, by turning marginal players into prospects or good young talent. The half rebuild model never works. Its all or nothiing
Marginal relievers and players buy time for young guys to develop properly. That was the whole reason Gregg, Buck and Gonzalez were brought in this year.
Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...
Agreed
But then you flip them for better, younger assets. Then repeat until you are ready to compete.
But I don’t see how that translates to not picking up Greggs option? If he have another similar year he may get pushed to type A and with Downs, Tallet and possibly Frasor looking like they might leave as well it wouldn’t hurt to have a cheap vet in the pen to help out.
Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...
Assuming you don’t want him for next year, wouldn’t you be better off picking up his option and then trading him. I would think you could get a better prospect than a sandwich pick would bring.
I don’t necessarily agree that we aren’t in contention next year either. We could win 65 games or 95 games depending upon injuries and the development of the rotation. I think the AL East will have a bit more parity than it has in recent years. The Rays are losing some players and some of the Yankees key players (Jeter, Posada, Rivera, and Pettite) are starting to show their age and will most likely still be there next year.
by JaysSaskatchewan on Sep 30, 2010 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think you could get something better a very good proospect in a very good draft year, and I think they have already tried to trade him at the trade deadline and couldn’t get what they wanted.
With you saying that they could win between 65 and 95 (i would say 75-88), shows we aren’t ready to contend. With that big of spread and just one year of rebuilding, we need to continue to stock pile young prospects and have some trading chips to have when we have had a season of more than 90 wins or consecutive seasons of high 80’s.
I think we are closer than that if things go well. We had very good luck with injuries this year. If we have a decent 5th starter next year we would have 5-10 more wins. If one of Romero, Cecil, or Morrow emerges as an ace next year you add a few more. Neither of those conditions are unreasonable. Baseball is very difficult to predict however, especially with young pitching staffs. Not many people would have thought the Rays would be so good in 2008 and likewise that the Mariners would be so bad this year.
I agree that we should continue to stockpile prospects but we don’t have to sacrifice next year to do so. We will probably have extra draft picks already and hopefully sign some more international free agents.
by JaysSaskatchewan on Sep 30, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, Baseball is unpredictable, so if you don’t have $150 million to spend, you have build slowly or else you will end up like the Jays for almost the last 20 years of having good seasons, but spending when they should be saving and ending up not good enough. They should buy and go all out when they know for sure their core is ready to compete seriously, not just hoping after one promising season.
I loved how exciting this season was, but I hope it doesn’t ruin our long term plan, because you can’t take shortcuts in rebuilding. Gregg might be a playoff closer, but will never WS closer. Let’s face it we are not winning anything nnext year, so I can’t see why we shouldn’t sacrifice everything for the most prospects possible and to enhace our long term plan at any costs.
I’m not sure how you determine that the Jays aren’t winning anything next year.
The Blue Jays win totals in years before winning the division:
1984 – 89
1988 – 87
1990 – 86
I think there is more upside to this year’s team than there was in other 80+ win seasons in the 2000’s. I’m not saying that we should go sign a bunch of free agents. Only that we don’t need to let everyone go for draft picks either.
by JaysSaskatchewan on Oct 1, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
you're right
but remember they have to win a ton of games (at least low-90s) while playing against three of the very best teams in baseball. you don’t “just” have to be a 90-win ballclub, you have to be a 90-win ballclub that beats elite competition consistently. that’s much harder.
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Our record in the East isn’t the problem this year. It was the other divisions and interleague play where we are far behind Tampa and New York. We had the 2nd best record against the East within our division 39-33 (The Yankees can go 39-33 by winning 2 out of 3 in Boston). We were also 10-8 against the Yankees. Tampa was 42-30 this year.
by JaysSaskatchewan on Oct 1, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
good point
but (i know this is cherrypicking) a ton of those wins came against the Orioles, who are decidedly NOT elite competition.
Prehistoric Hoops - We're back! And we have a real domain!
Why not get a guarunteed sandwich pick in avery good draft year and get another decent closer looking for a comeback year like Gregg this year and get another pick or picks next year as well. There are endless options for relievers in free agency, and if it doesn’t work out, it really doesn’t matter we gotta take risks to compete, especially in the rebuilding years, plus we ended up with sandwich pick anyways, so its a no lose situation I think.
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