How the Twins and Blue Jays Can Match Up on a Big Trade Again

[Cris E]

Sounds like his injury is in his hat, not his sleeve. Hard pass without someone who intimately knows him and his situation giving some very hard evidence on specific things that can be changed to bring him back.  Or offer a bag of balls for him to  see how close they are to cutting him. If he has a bad spring he might be looking at a second year of this and the fewmets could really hit the windmill. at that point he might be more amenable to coaching with a second season going down the tubes.

But generally I don't think TOR is a good match for us since they really don't look to be moving good pitching. If we want good starters there's a short list of teams to court and the cost will be high. Making up nonsense like this doesn't change that fact one bit, it just draws clicks until the players start to move.

 

[Boswell]

I’m surprised no one lifted up the national and provincial appeal of Edouard Julien for the Blue Jays.  He’d make some good material for Canada’s Team - not sure how many Québécois have made it to “les Show”.   Clearly a hero from the last World Baseball Cup. 
 

Good to bring back Erik Swanson.  Straight outta Fargo - I know some of his hometown relatives.  Sell some extra tickets just for that family!

Not sure whom else to receive back from Toronto.  Maybe some pieces to swap over to Seattle - real prize is Kirby or Gilbert!

[Riverbrian]

On 12/18/2023 at 6:35 PM, PatPfund said:

I'm sorry, but why on earth would the Jays want Polanco? He was absolutely dreadful at 3B last year, the Jays certainly saw the same things I saw, because a couple of his worst plays happened against them in Game 1 of the playoffs (Polanco fields easy grounder, double clutches, then almost gets Kirilloff killed with an awful throw; later Polanco has a slow bouncer, runs right past it, and leaves it to Correa to come halfway across the infield to bail him out with the fantastic throw to get Bichette).

Polanco needs to go to a team that needs a 2B or maybe wants to convert him to 1B. And that team is NOT the Jays.

 

49 total chances for his career as a 3B. 27 in 2023

2918 chances as an INFIELDER!

The Blue Jays have a pretty good idea of what he can do on the dirt. 

Fans on the other hand... still think they have to stand in a specific spot on the dirt. 😉

 

[PatPfund]

4 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

49 total chances for his career as a 3B. 27 in 2023

2918 chances as an INFIELDER!

The Blue Jays have a pretty good idea of what he can do on the dirt. 

Fans on the other hand... still think they have to stand in a specific spot on the dirt. 😉

 

Well this fan has played ball for almost 60 years including long stretches at all of the positions except pitcher, and giggles at anyone who thinks infield is the same except for where you stand (consider for instance that SS is considered the top of the defensive spectrum while 1B is the bottom).

3B is a space where you can hide reduced foot-speed, but it requires fast reaction time and a strong accurate arm; the last two being areas Jorge was deeply exposed last year. More reps/practice could help fix the reactions, but his arm has never been the highlight of his game and expecting that to change at this point in his career is a fantasy (and I seriously doubt it is one shared in Toronto).

I love Polanco, and he was a hero for giving 3B a shot at a time of need last year, but if I never see him play there again (regardless of the uniform he wears) I'll be a happier fan.

[Riverbrian]

4 minutes ago, PatPfund said:

Well this fan has played ball for almost 60 years including long stretches at all of the positions except pitcher, and giggles at anyone who thinks infield is the same except for where you stand (consider for instance that SS is considered the top of the defensive spectrum while 1B is the bottom).

3B is a space where you can hide reduced foot-speed, but it requires fast reaction time and a strong accurate arm; the last two being areas Jorge was deeply exposed last year. More reps/practice could help fix the reactions, but his arm has never been the highlight of his game and expecting that to change at this point in his career is a fantasy (and I seriously doubt it is one shared in Toronto).

I love Polanco, and he was a hero for giving 3B a shot at a time of need last year, but if I never see him play there again (regardless of the uniform he wears) I'll be a happier fan.

I've played the game to. 

Anybody who has played ball for 60 years including long stretches at all positions understands what baseball players are capable of and the shades of differences in skill sets from position to position.  

Yes 3B requires reflex and a strong accurate arm on SOME BALLS HIT THEIR WAY. Gotta be able to charge and throw as well. Gotta learn the cut system for that position. 

But, it's a mistake to assume that 2B doesn't also require a strong accurate arm on SOME BALLS. 

When you think about it... using those 60 years of experience to draw upon. The thought that a BASEBALL PLAYER with 6,674 major league infield innings (the majority of those innings spent at SS - 4,478) plus 6 years of minor league infield is NOT CAPABLE anywhere else but a single position. 

If defense was the primary concern... The Jays would have just locked up Chapman who is one of the finest defensive 3B that I have ever seen. Besides... the Jays can just play Polanco at 2B and look for a different 3B or play Biggio there. Or move Vlad Jr. back.  

Players have to hit and field. 

Logical conversation as a 60 year baseball expert needs to refrain from declarations that Polanco can't play 3B based on a couple of boots in a single playoff game.

Probably 10,000 innings of experience in the dirt.

Correa is a better SS than Polanco is. That doesn't mean Polanco sucks.

Lewis is probably a better 3B than Polanco is... that doesn't mean Polanco sucks. 

Polanco is probably a better 2B than Julien is... that doesn't mean Julien sucks.      

 

[PatPfund]

9 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

I've played the game to. 

Anybody who has played ball for 60 years including long stretches at all positions understands what baseball players are capable of and the shades of differences in skill sets from position to position.  

Yes 3B requires reflex and a strong accurate arm on SOME BALLS HIT THEIR WAY. Gotta be able to charge and throw as well. Gotta learn the cut system for that position. 

But, it's a mistake to assume that 2B doesn't also require a strong accurate arm on SOME BALLS. 

When you think about it... using those 60 years of experience to draw upon. The thought that a BASEBALL PLAYER with 6,674 major league infield innings (the majority of those innings spent at SS - 4,478) plus 6 years of minor league infield is NOT CAPABLE anywhere else but a single position. 

If defense was the primary concern... The Jays would have just locked up Chapman who is one of the finest defensive 3B that I have ever seen. Besides... the Jays can just play Polanco at 2B and look for a different 3B or play Biggio there. Or move Vlad Jr. back.  

Players have to hit and field. 

Logical conversation as a 60 year baseball expert needs to refrain from declarations that Polanco can't play 3B based on a couple of boots in a single playoff game.

Probably 10,000 innings of experience in the dirt.

Correa is a better SS than Polanco is. That doesn't mean Polanco sucks.

Lewis is probably a better 3B than Polanco is... that doesn't mean Polanco sucks. 

Polanco is probably a better 2B than Julien is... that doesn't mean Julien sucks.      

 

Dude, you can type as many words as you want, pretending I said things I didn't say (pretty sure the only one using the s--ks word is you, I actually said I loved Jorge; never said people couldn't play more than one spot and in fact have advocated on this site for playing Jorge at 1B if he stays a Twin), but I'd bet my Tom Kelly Wearing Zubaz Smoking A Stogie T-shirt that the Blue Jays are unmoved by the prospect of trading pitching for a 3B who can field SOME BALLS, and can sometimes be accurate throwing SOME BALLS. (Well, OK, maybe not that shirt. I love the thing. Maybe my reputation? That means less to me.)

[ashbury]

On 12/18/2023 at 4:55 PM, Riverbrian said:

Morosi was the guy who reported and apologized later for letting the world know that Shohei Ohtani was signing with Toronto and on a plane heading for Canada which had everyone tracking the plane. When it landed Robert Herjavec the Shark Tank guy got out of the plane and was surprised by his welcoming party. 

Too hip for the room, you are. 

[ashbury]

23 hours ago, Cris E said:

Sounds like his injury is in his hat, not his sleeve. ...

...

and the fewmets could really hit the windmill.

First I learned a great turn of phrase that I'm sure I'll wind up stealing in some future context.  And then I learned a new word!  All in one post!

[Riverbrian]

11 hours ago, PatPfund said:

Dude, you can type as many words as you want, pretending I said things I didn't say (pretty sure the only one using the s--ks word is you, I actually said I loved Jorge; never said people couldn't play more than one spot and in fact have advocated on this site for playing Jorge at 1B if he stays a Twin), but I'd bet my Tom Kelly Wearing Zubaz Smoking A Stogie T-shirt that the Blue Jays are unmoved by the prospect of trading pitching for a 3B who can field SOME BALLS, and can sometimes be accurate throwing SOME BALLS. (Well, OK, maybe not that shirt. I love the thing. Maybe my reputation? That means less to me.)

I take full responsibility for use of the word sucks. I used sucks to make my point that he doesn't. 

What you said... that drew the original response from me was:  

On 12/18/2023 at 6:35 PM, PatPfund said:

I'm sorry, but why on earth would the Jays want Polanco? He was absolutely dreadful at 3B last year, 

It's way to early in the morning to a take a trip down the semantics rabbit hole so I'll pass. 

The Twins chose Jorge Polanco to play 3B when Royce Lewis got hurt. They could have gone with Farmer or Castro they didn't and I assume it was because they felt that Polanco at 3B and Julien at 2B gave them the best chance to win. He made those errors and back to 3B he went. 

I will also assume that the Jays will do the same thing that the Twins did. They will look around the room and play Polanco at a spot that gives them the best chance to win... If that's 3B because Davis Schneider has 2B locked up... It's 3B.

The reason that the Jays would want Polanco is because he can hit and they need players who can hit from the left side and he has 10,000 innings of professional infield experience, the majority of that time was at SS the number #1 spot on the spectrum. 

Regardless... your latest post stated "never said people couldn't play more than one spot". 

OK I agree with that... I disagree with the not Polanco at 3B part.