Monday Bantering: Jays Bits

I’m having one of those mornings, my computer couldn’t find my mouse for a while there, which worried me. My laptop is getting to the point where I should replace it. The ‘I'm key sticks a fair bit (though not this morning, I think it knows I considering replacing it and doesn’t want to push me over the edge).

And I started at a gym last week, and I’m all aches and pains at the moment. I know it is a good thing in the long run, but I’m not a no pain/no gain guy. I want to get into better shape, but it doesn’t have to happen in a hurry. I’m giving myself the winter to get back to where I can run. But the gym offered a few free sessions with a personal trainer, and I took one. I tried to explain that I have given up the dream of playing in the NFL, but still, I went harder than I should have.

Anyway, last week we had an approval poll on Mark and Ross. Since then, FanGraphs had a post on the great job the Jays did in the free-agent market last year. They say that Marcus Semien and George Springer are at the top two position player free agents from last year (by fWAR). Semien has a 4.9 WAR and Springer a 1.9 WAR (pretty good since he really didn’t start playing until mid-June).

Here is their graph:

A lot of that is luck. The team talked to every free agent out there. Those were the two that they matched up with. And the signings of David Phelps, Tommy Milone, and Tyler Chatwood didn’t go near as well.

Had we had horrible luck, we would have had Trevor Bauer, though I don’t think there was any way he would have signed with us.

I can’t imagine how our season would be going without the two of them. Nor can I imagine that they could have signed two better free agents for the money.

Baseball America has re-worked its Organizational Talent Rankings for mid-season.

The Blue Jays rank 10th on the list. Alex Manoah has graduated off the prospect list, and, of course, Austin Martin, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Riley Adams are no longer part of things.

I like this: