TORONTO — The first break in an off-season of wide-open possibilities could come soon for the Toronto Blue Jays, whose first major move will dictate the course taken in their subsequent additions.
As a handful of moves followed the Chicago White Sox’s acquisition of right-hander Lance Lynn from the Texas Rangers, there was chatter that some of the winter’s most pressing business may soon begin to drop.
While Blue Jays assistant GM Joe Sheehan treaded carefully in describing “momentum” that was “developing” in the market, one agent suggested that the end game might arrive with one of their position-player targets as soon as this week.
If and when that happens, the rest of their off-season plan will come into tighter focus, as at the moment, the combination of varied market options, roster versatility and spending power allow them to “pursue a lot of different potential places to upgrade,” said Sheehan.
“It’s not like in a normal year, you might have one hole and the rest of your roster is kind of locked and you’re looking for players that can do one specific thing,” he continued. “We’re really fortunate that our roster is flexible and that we can pursue good players in a lot of areas.”
Pursue good players is something the Blue Jays have done, targeting top free agents like George Springer, D.J. LeMahieu, J.T. Realmuto and Trevor Bauer, among others. Ace Hyun-Jin Ryu told Korean broadcaster KBS that he recently had dinner with Ha-Seong Kim at the request of the shortstop posted by the Heroes, which also raised eyebrows.
General manager Ross Atkins, meanwhile, did nothing to quell the ongoing speculation about a trade for star Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor during an appearance on MLB Network, saying, “Frankie’s a great player, there’s not a team in baseball that wouldn’t be thinking about how he can complement them.”
“What I’m going to do is just step out of the way and let you guys make some deals for us right now,” Atkins then quipped. “We think the world of the organization. We think the world of Frankie, and we do have some history with him.”
Whatever decisions the Blue Jays make will have far-reaching implications for the franchise’s short and medium term, both in terms of players currently on the roster as well on financial considerations in the years to come.
A Lindor acquisition, for example, would force Bo Bichette off shortstop, a position that he not only believes is his, but also sees as part of his identity as a baseball player. That’s an uncomfortable spot to put arguably the franchise’s most important player, even if his desire to win trumps all.
And assuming an extension is part of the equation, a commitment to Lindor puts a big number on the books that will impact future roster decisions, which when you factor in acquisition cost, means the Blue Jays better be sure this is the best use of their capital.
Long-term roster efficiency is certainly one concern, as is trying to identify the most impactful upgrades.
The infield is probably the Blue Jays’ greatest area of opportunity given that they have a spot open, a notion that’s underlined when looking at the 2021 ZiPS projections by FanGraphs senior writer Dan Szymborski along with Steamer’s data from here and here.
Though an inexact science, such modelling systems offer a reasonable, objective baseline for what performance could look like next year (teams have their own propriety systems).
The following chart looks at the Wins Above Replacement projections under both systems for the infielders currently in place, along with some Blue Jays targets (targets in italics). We’ll operate under the assumption that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is getting the bulk of his reps at first base, Rowdy Tellez is mostly at DH and Bichette and Cavan Biggio are filling two of second, short and third.
While not a huge upgrade over Bichette, dropping Lindor into the Blue Jays roster would be a spectacular boost. LeMahieu, to a slightly lesser degree, does as well, while Kim projects to nearly four wins under Steamer, although translating performance from Asia to North America remains difficult. Regardless, the range of 2.7 wins from Gregorius on the low end to 5.6 from Lindor on the high end is a gain the Blue Jays would be hard-pressed to match elsewhere on the roster.
The next closest spot would be adding Springer to the outfield. Ranging from 3.9-4.7 wins, the 31-year-old slugger is a significant upgrade over the projections of each member of the current group.
The systems’ disagreement over what to make of Teoscar Hernandez’s breakout 2020 underlines the volatility there, which is perhaps another reason to prioritize an outfielder. Michael Brantley and Jackie Bradley Jr., offer less of a projected gain, but an add would create surplus from which to trade.
More intriguing is the club’s catching situation. Realmuto is without doubt a dynamic game-changer, but is a likely nine-figure commitment worth the level of upgrade he delivers over incumbents Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk?
Realmuto is projected at a roughly 2.5-win gain over both the kids, and with the intangibles of his presence and leadership, offers everything you want behind the plate. But signing him cuts off the development arcs for both Jansen and Kirk, which is fine if the club is convinced the projections on them are right. If the Blue Jays believe one or both still have upside, though, a case can be made to allocate resources elsewhere.
The rotation is another area where things are really interesting. Atkins said after the signing of Robbie Ray that the Blue Jays have enough depth to cover innings, and are now seeking more quality than quantity.
Let’s assume, then, that the starting staff is Ryu, Ray, Ross Stripling, Nate Pearson and Tanner Roark.
Bauer aside, there isn’t a free-agent option that’s projected as a major upgrade over the arms in place. Factor in the prices on the open market, and you can see why the Blue Jays seem to be prioritizing other areas of the roster first, before circling back to pitching.
Sheehan described the innings in place as “definitely a nice situation to have in the rotation,” and added “sometimes at this time of the year, you have two starters and you’re trying to just make sure you can get through a season.”
“So that would be an area where,” he continued, “if you add a starter, what’s it adding over (who is currently in place) and what’s that impact actually look like versus adding a position player, adding an infielder or adding an outfielder?”
A trade to address their pitching may become the best path forward for the Blue Jays in that regard.
Now, it’s worth noting that roster decisions aren’t made based solely on projections and simply throwing WAR totals around the diamond isn’t the way to build a functioning roster. There’s way, way more to consider than that. But as the Blue Jays inch toward that first defining move, they’ll need to have properly prioritized their needs, their options and their best opportunities.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
