Re: General Discussion

13847
Going to throw a few possibilities out there. If Bazzana gets drafted he is probably going to be the 2nd baseman of the future, Future being the summer of 2025.

That leaves Juan Brito to move to the outfield OR be the #1 trade chip to acquire a young controllable starting picture. A trade might look like Brito, Tena, Rodriguez and an A or AA pitcher. Might expand the return for a relief pitcher.

Going to be costly no matter which way the FO goes.

Re: General Discussion

13853
Think reality is starting to set in? Questionable lineup after Naylor. It appears the sox found the hole in our lineup and the tigers followed up on it. Toss a lot of junk and keep that aggressive lineup off balance.

At this point, I don't think Martinez should be batting secoñd. That spot belongs.to Gimenez. Switch Martinez and Gimenez

Starting rotation still is suspect. I lost confidence.in them. I predict the bullpen will run out of gas heading down the stretch possibly sooner unless we find a miracle soon.

Unless we get our act together real soon, I can.see the twins overtaking us shortly after the allstar break.

We overachieved to this point in my opinion. Those timely hits with runners in scoring position seem to be evading us as of late. We've been pretty fortunate along the way.

Gotta sweep the rays and get some momentum going heading into the break.

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“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller

Re: General Discussion

13854
All those timely hits have been turning into timely inning ending double plays for the bad guys. Would have been nice if Hedges had at least gotten.on base with the top of the lineup staring him in the face that last trip to tne plate. Instead yet another inning ending double play. Umm umm umm.
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller

Re: General Discussion

13859
Cleveland Guardians' Chances of Trade for Blue Jays' Bo Bichette Just Increased
The Cleveland Guardians' chances of pulling off a massive Bo Bichette trade with the Blue Jays just recently increased.
Evan Massey | 23 Hours Ago

The Cleveland Guardians have long been connected as potential trade suitors for Toronto Blue Jays star shortstop Bo Bichette. With the MLB trade deadline coming up on July 30th, the Guardians are without a doubt looking to make a move or two.

Bichette would be a dream addition ahead of the deadline.

While he just went on the 10-day injured list due to a calf strain, a recent report gave Cleveland a much better chance to pull off a trade for Bichette.

As reported by MLB insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Blue Jays are expected to consider trade offers for players under contract past the 2024 season. Obviously, Bichette fits into that category.

If he actually is available, the Guardians should do everything they can to acquire him.

At 26 years old, Bichette would fit the Cleveland timeline perfectly. He could help them win now, but would also be a long-term piece for the future.

During the 2024 season thus far, Bichette has struggled compared to what he normally produces. He has hit .223/.276/.321 to go along with four home runs and 30 RBI. However, his production from the past gives hope for a major turnaround.

Back in 2023, he played in 135 games, batting .306/.339/.475 and also hit 20 home runs and drove in 73 RBI. In both 2021 and 2022 he hit over .290 and was very productive in other areas as well.

Making a trade for Bichette would not come cheap. The Guardians would have to pay up to get him. However, he offers legitimate star potential for the future and would fill the shortstop position for years to come.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what Cleveland ends up doing in the next week and a half. They have pieces to make a big move if they choose to do so. The Guardians could also focus on making a smaller move or two to simply improve the roster.

Expect to hear a lot of rumors attached to Cleveland. Bichette is likely going to be one of them if Toronto is actually open to moving him for the right price.

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“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller

Re: General Discussion

13860
Bo Bichette To Miss “Multiple Weeks” Due To Calf Strain
July 20th, 2024 at 5:05pm CST • By Mark Polishuk

5:05pm: Schneider told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) this evening that an MRI revealed a “moderate” calf strain for Bichette and that he will be sidelined for “multiple weeks” due to the issue.

10:57am: Bo Bichette left yesterday’s game due to a right calf strain, and it comes as no surprise that the Blue Jays have now placed the shortstop on the 10-day injured list. Infielder Addison Barger has been called up from Triple-A to take Bichette’s spot on the active roster.

Bichette broke out of the batter’s box after lining out to right field at the end of the sixth inning, but immediately came up limping after a few steps. Last night’s injury was the latest occurrence in what has been a collection of calf injuries for Bichette over the last month, as he spent a minimal 10-day stint on the IL with another strain to his right calf in June. He also left Toronto’s game on July 10 with what was described as a right calf fascia strain, though with the All-Star break looming, the Jays opted to not place Bichette on the IL again, hoping that the time off would allow him to heal up.

Unfortunately, Bichette now again finds himself sidelined, and likely for well beyond a 10-day minimum. Blue Jays manager John Schneider should soon update media on the outcome of Bichette’s MRI, yet even if the MRI was clean, the recurring nature of this calf injury probably means the Jays will opt on the side of caution in giving Bichette plenty of time to fully overcome this issue. This almost surely means that Bichette will still be on the injured list when the trade deadline hits on July 30, all but eliminating the possibility that Toronto could part ways with the former All-Star.

Though it isn’t unheard of for teams to still make offers for injured players if an injury appears to be fairly minor in nature, two calf injuries for Bichette in a month’s time would likely give pause to any potential suitor. From the Jays’ perspective, they’re not going to accept a diminished trade package for a player who (if healthy) is one of their strongest trade chips. Even as it looks more and more apparent that Toronto will be deadline sellers, the team reportedly is still planning to contend in 2025, so their July 30 moves might be limited to pending free agents rather than longer-term core pieces.

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“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller