For years, Anthony Bass believed that Major League Baseball players going to play in Japan signalled the end of their careers in North America. He, like many other scribes and athletes, thought that foreign baseball was easier and less demanding than its North American equivalent. Now, he regards Japanese professional baseball as a vastly different,…
Read More →There was once a time when the Toronto Blue Jays were among the biggest spenders MLB free agency. In 2005, they emptied the tank, signed multiple high-priced free agents and acquired a few impact players to go along with them. An offseason 14 years in the rear-view mirror, it seemed like a pertinent time to…
Read More →Welcome to The Shapkins Defender, where I inhale your toxic screeds and spit out the fresh oxygen of optimism, like a tree that kind of understands WAR. (Just don’t ask me to explain it.) Let’s get to it! For this edition, I am going to talk about Stealers Wheel. I mean, Wheeler’s deal. I saw…
Read More →We’re just over a month into the off-season and I’m already bored to death of the daily dose of the Blue Jays are kicking tires on X pitcher without any tangible evidence of genuine interest or actual contracts being offered, so let’s go in a completely different direction today.
Read More →Some Major League Baseball teams had to make some difficult decisions as to who to non-tender this week, causing an inevitable stir and debate as to who should (or should not have) been non-tendered. Beat reporters rushed to get news out and swamis or fans pulled out stat sheets to compare their choices against those…
Read More →The deadline to non-tender players ahead of arbitration was last night, and the Blue Jays made it through without doing anything controversial. Ken Giles, Matt Shoemaker, Brandon Drury, and Anthony Bass were tendered contracts for 2020, while Luke Maile, Derek Law, and Jason Adam were cut loose to free agency.
Read More →Part one of this Rule 5 draft preview profiled pitchers who could be ready to step in and contribute in the majors next season. Those pitchers all had one elite skill whether that be spin rate or high velocity. This post is going to feature pitchers who maybe aren’t quite ready to be contributors in…
Read More →The status of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be one of the most hotly contested Blue Jays storylines this winter. Judging by some of his latest workout videos, it looks like Vladdy’s already well on his way to being in the “best shape of his life.™” Regardless, all eyes will be on the 20-year-old when spring…
Read More →I have to admit something. I am a sucker for the Rule 5 Draft. I love the idea of adding players to your Major League team so essentially free. The Blue Jays have been wildly successful at selecting players in the Rule 5 Draft and then keeping them on the big league roster for a…
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