2020 Blue Jays General Season Thread

[hockeyfan1]

Ladie and Gentlemen, Everyone...your 2020 Toronto Blue Jays.  Spring Training edition.

Welcome to the FIRST full squad workout of the year! πŸ‘‹ #ST2020 pic.twitter.com/wejyMQXtGn

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 17, 2020

[hockeyfan1]

Blue Jays Spring Training roster:  (Includes 40-man roster & NRI (Non-roster invitees).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Toronto_Blue_Jays_roster

Blue Jays begin their Grapefruit League schedule Saturday Feb. 22.
Here’s a good synopsis of what Jays fans can expect to see:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-2020-spring-training-players-stories-watch/

[Highlander]

Big Nate Pearson just threw his first BP session and supposedly the guys were gasping at his 104MPH fastball. Out of his (I think it was 40 pitches), Walker said not one would have been a base hit.

Why is the consensus that Nate has to start the season in Buffalo?  Heck, this kid is already 23 and would have been in the bigs for sure this year without that freak injury two years back.  His work ethic is off the charts and maturity level is in place.

I say that Nate should be with the team on Opening Day and create some excitement around this team that has been sorely lacking for a long time (outside of the debut of Vlad, Biggio and Bichette last year). Time to get the boys rolling and build back an exciting Blue Jays team... I am ready for some baseball.

[The Empire]

Big Nate Pearson just threw his first BP session and supposedly the guys were gasping at his 104MPH fastball. Out of his (I think it was 40 pitches), Walker said not one would have been a base hit.

Why is the consensus that Nate has to start the season in Buffalo?  Heck, this kid is already 23 and would have been in the bigs for sure this year without that freak injury two years back.  His work ethic is off the charts and maturity level is in place.

I say that Nate should be with the team on Opening Day and create some excitement around this team that has been sorely lacking for a long time (outside of the debut of Vlad, Biggio and Bichette last year). Time to get the boys rolling and build back an exciting Blue Jays team... I am ready for some baseball.

Agree.  At almost 24 he belongs in the majors but with 4 veterans already slotted in that leaves only the 1 open spot.  We have 2 injury prone starters in the rotation so my guess is they will start him in Buffalo and then call him up when Ryu or Shoemaker go down.

[hockeyfan1]

Matt Shoemaker on the mound...

Welcome back, @MattShoe52 πŸ’™

His return: 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 K πŸ”₯ pic.twitter.com/9YfyasYzKM

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 2, 2020

[hockeyfan1]

The Jays are currently 6 and 2.

Here are some Spring Training stats:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/_/name/tor

Alford is the strikeout king while Tellez is having a whale of a time.

Nate Pearson continues to shine.

https://jaysjournal.com/2020/03/02/blue-jays-nate-pearson-difference-playoff-push/

[Highlander]

I actually think we may surprise if our pitching remains healthy.  Some of these guys in Spring Training are really hitting the ball well.

[L K]

I actually think we may surprise if our pitching remains healthy.  Some of these guys in Spring Training are really hitting the ball well.

ST means nothing until like the final week.  Guys are feasting off MiLB pichers.

[Highlander]

I actually think we may surprise if our pitching remains healthy.  Some of these guys in Spring Training are really hitting the ball well.

ST means nothing until like the final week.  Guys are feasting off MiLB pichers.

More in reference to the upgrade in pitching.  Hope Shoemaker can stay healthy, looks like he has picked up where he left off when he was injured last year.

[L K]

New report saying the Astros players were telling pitchers after games that they stole signs that the pitcher was telegraphing pitches.  These guys are absolutely disgusting.

[Nik Bethune]

Wasn't that always what they said about Darvish in the World Series? That the Astros beat him up so badly because he was telegraphing his stuff?

[The Empire]

They are disgusting.  For those that haven't seen the Rosenthal / Correa interview.  Must watch.  They are the victims.  LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjYEJ8XSXto

[Highlander]

They are disgusting.  For those that haven't seen the Rosenthal / Correa interview.  Must watch.  They are the victims.  LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjYEJ8XSXto

Cheating in any professional sport should be made a Federal Offence punishable by Federal terms.
The Astros that can be proven to have known and took place in this travesty should be banished from the game in lieu of jail time. Not slap on the hand one year suspensions.

[Nik Bethune]

I really don't get working yourself into a lather over the morality of this stuff, especially considering Baseball's historical winking eye towards cheating. With steroids the whole thing was it was separate because it involved dangerous drugs that players might have felt pressure to use. This doesn't. Sign stealing is as old as the game and while the use of technology crosses the line between a violation of the rules and not, it doesn't make it some terrible ethical crime.

The problem here is with the lousy decision by MLB to not really take a sledgehammer to the Astros and their "championship" as a punishment. But the efforts to rig the scales in your favour is as old as baseball itself. They got caught, we know they're frauds, MLB messed up the punishment.

[hockeyfan1]

Well, about time we see some Vladdy histrionics (cures boredom). 😁

Vladdy: 1
Wind: 0 pic.twitter.com/JFceEu8WmD

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 7, 2020