logo
News and Notes: Juan Soto has better options than the Blue Jays according to Ken Rosenthal
alt
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 18, 2024, 14:30 ESTUpdated: Nov 18, 2024, 14:12 EST
Comments
If you choose to ask one baseball pundit, the Juan Soto has much better options than the Toronto Blue Jays.
On Monday morning, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote an article detailing why it doesn’t make sense for Juan Soto to sign with the Blue Jays in free agency.
The biggest problem, Rosenthal believes, is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. isn’t locked down and is set to become a free agent at the end of next season. Similarly, Bo Bichette is also set to become a free agent, and if those two depart, no one in the farm system can replace those two players’ production.
Moreover, he claims that the American League East will be tough, noting that the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles made the postseason, the Boston Red Sox are improving, and the “Tampa Bay Rays are always competitive”. Basically, the Yankees, Red Sox, and the New York Mets have a higher floor.
While that may be true, it’s a bit disingenuous. The Blue Jays missed the postseason with a pretty awful year but made the postseason the two prior years. With a retooled bullpen, a healthy Bo Bichette that produces his usual 4 fWAR, and a power bat that doesn’t even have to be Juan Soto, this team has a legitimate shot at making the postseason. Don’t forget, this team also has one of the best rotations in the league and made the postseason in three of the past four postseasons before 2024.
The article also downplays how good Juan Soto is. Aside from acquiring Alex Verdugo in trade and signing Marcus Stroman, acquiring Soto was the only notable move the Yankees made last off-season. They went from an 82-80 record and no postseason in 2023 to a 94-68 record and an American League pennant.

The Blue Jays have an interest in Willy Adames

According to Jon Morosi, who appeared on MLB Network on Sunday, the Blue Jays have an interest in shortstop Willy Adames.
On top of the Blue Jays’ interest, he lists teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, and Boston Red Sox. Moreover, Adames is open to moving to second base, while some teams see him moving to a different infield position.
Last season, the 29-year-old shortstop slashed .251/.33/.462 with a career-high 32 home runs in 688 plate appearances for a 119 wRC+ and a 4.8 fWAR. He had a similar season in 2022, where he slashed .238/.298/.458 with 31 home runs in 617 plate appearances, along with a 4.4 fWAR and a 109 wRC+.
Adames is no stranger to the American League East either, as he started his career with the Tampa Bay Ray in 2018. He spent parts of four seasons there before a trade to the Brewers in 2021. For his career, Adames is slashing .248/.322/.444 with 150 home runs in 3,610 plate appearances for a 109 wRC+ and a 21.3 fWAR.
On top of a potent bat, Adames usually provides stellar defence at shortstop as well. His -16 Defensive Runs Saved in 1406.1 innings at shortstop was rough, but he had 17 DRS and 26 OAA in 2481.2 innings at shortstop in 2022 and 2023. 

The Blue Jays signed Wilfredo Cordero to a minor league deal, release three others

On Saturday, the Blue Jays transaction page noted that they signed right-handed pitcher Wilfredo Cordero to a minor league deal.
The 22-year-old hasn’t pitched since the 2023 season when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers farm systems. That year he had a 14.14 ERA and an 11.78 FIP in seven innings pitched, with an 11.9 K% and a 45.2 BB%. His career-best year in innings pitched came in 2022, where he had a 9.72 ERA and a 6.85 FIP in 25 innings pitched with a 24.5 K% and a 28.1 BB%. He’s never pitched outside the rookie leagues either.
The Blue Jays have also released a handful of players over the past week. They are Jarold Montealto, Rafael De Jesus, and Carlos Abad. Montealto signed with the team during the 2023 international free agency period and slashed .279/.402/.412 with a home run in 82 plate appearances in his debut season in 2023. However, the 2024 season was a rough one for the Nicaraguan native, compiling a 50 wRC+.
Abad only pitched 3.1 innings in the Blue Jays system after the team signed him on June 1, 2024. De Jesus was a similar story as he signed in 2024 as well and posted an 11.57 ERA in 2.1 innings pitched with the Dunedin Blue Jays.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

Featured

News

Breaking News