Thursday Bantering: Prospect stuff, Christmas suggestions and other Jays bits

Back from a few days in Vegas. Had a good time, won a little at the tables, spent far far more on food and drinks.

Baseball America has more on their look at Jays prospects.

They give what they think the Blue Jays will look like in 2023. It is a little exercise I like, even though it never works out the way the suggest, but here is their projection:

Catcher: Danny Jansen (28)

First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (24)

Second Base: Cavan Biggio (28)

Third Base: Jordan Groshans (23)

Shortstop: Bo Bichette (25)

Left Field: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (29)

Center Field: Teoscar Hernandez (30)

Right Field: Griffin Conine (26)

Designated Hitter: Alejandro Kirk (24)

No. 1 Starter: Nate Pearson (26)

No. 2 Starter: Simeon Woods Richardson (25)

No. 3 Starter: Alek Manoah (25)

No. 4 Starter: Anthony Kay (28)

No. 5 Starter: Trent Thornton (29)

Closer: Sean Reid-Foley (27)

I can’t see Teoscar being in CF in 4 years. I have a hard time seeing him playing center this coming season. But then, they can’t look in to a crystal ball to see what free agents or trades might happen.

I’d also think Kirk is more likely to be catcher than Jansen. And Sean Reid-Foley at closer seems a very long shot. I’d love them to be right on Conine but I don’t see it.

It is a pretty interesting starting rotation. Add a decent free agent to the mix and we have a pretty good group.

On the same page BA gives us their choices for the minor league players with the best tools, so go take a look.

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The White Sox have signed catcher Yasmani Grandal. There was some talk that the Jays might sign him, but I didn’t see the point. Sign him, trade Jansen? If they really want to trade Danny they could have use Reese McGuire as the main catcher, wait for Kirk to be MLB ready, and get someone cheaper to fill the backup role.

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Baseball Prospectus talks about MLB’s plan to kill off a bunch of minor league teams. I agree that it is a short sighted plan that’s just their to save money:

It’s clear that MLB could afford to both pay minor league players a living wage AND keep the current number of teams. At a time of record revenue (and likely, soaring profits), the league certainly has the resources to do both. Instead, the reduction in minor league size appears intended to offset whatever minor loss of money the owners will take from paying players.

I don’t understand why there is never enough money for owners. They are making huge profits and yet they keep trying to nickel and dime the fans so they can make a couple more dollars. Why is there never enough money for them?

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The Yankees have DFAed Greg Bird. He’s one I wouldn’t mind the Jays taking a chance on. Bring him to spring training and see what happens.

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If you are looking for Christmas ideas for your favorite Jays fan, a company called National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum have a couple of new bobbleheads that I quite like:

I really like this one:

They are very nice, good quality.

They are $40 each US. Here is a link to the Ace one. And the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is here.

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At Twinkie Town Zach Koenig asks if MLB has an announcer problem.

His point is that most TV announcers fall into the grumpy, ‘in my day things were better ‘ catagory. I think a lot of us agree with that.

I wish we could have some announcers that fell us how much better the game is now. How exciting the athletes are. I get it, when you hit a certain age (I’m well past that age) that it seems like everything was better in the past. I spent the last few days in Vegas and everywhere I went they played music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, because us old folks that go to Vegas only like that stuff.

I liked baseball when I was young, but today’s game is exciting, players have more fun, they are better, stronger, faster. At times I think there is too many home runs, but that will correct itself. Baseball goes through these cycles.

Anyway, read his post.