The Blue Jays sent us their Florida Development League roster this morning. The first thing you've probably noticed was the name change from Instructional League. We don't know at this point if that's a permanent thing, or a result of the pandemic. This is a much more prospect-laden group than in the past, likely caused … Continue reading Blue Jays Release Florida Development League Roster
Lessons Learned for the Big Club; Where Does the Blue Jays System Go From Here?
2020 may seem like a year with no end at times, but the arrival of the Blue Jays on the scene as playoff contenders was a pleasant surprise. It was a season in which the young trio of Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr took varying steps forward, although their collective post season … Continue reading Lessons Learned for the Big Club; Where Does the Blue Jays System Go From Here?
Blue Jays Let Huckaby, Quantrill, and Hentgen Go
Word just came out, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, that the Blue Jays have fired three veteran members of their minor league staff. Ken Huckaby, who drew praise for the job he did running the alternate site at Rochester, was among three popular staff who will not have their contracts renewed. Former Jays Pat Hentgen … Continue reading Blue Jays Let Huckaby, Quantrill, and Hentgen Go
FBJ Interview: Joe Sclafani
Joe Sclafani photo We caught up with Blue Jays Assistant Director of Player Development Joe Sclafani recently. The former Dartmouth and Astros minor league player has largely taken over the day-to-day operations of the farm department with Director Gil Kim having added MLB coach to his portfolio. As with everyone in the industry, Sclafani has … Continue reading FBJ Interview: Joe Sclafani
What Will the Blue Jays Farm System Look Like?
A century ago, the minor leagues were still very much independent entities, competing with MLB clubs for players and fans. Oh, there was a shrewd operator in St Louis by the name of Rickey who was quietly buying lower level minor league teams and building baseball's first farm system, but for the most part, minor … Continue reading What Will the Blue Jays Farm System Look Like?
Kendall Williams, Alberto Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy, and a Few Other Thoughts
So, just as the Griffin Conine piece below live comes a bevy of Blue Jays prospect news. I've been working on a piece about my interview with Blue Jays Assistant Player Development Director Joe Sclafani, and I promise to have it up by the weekend....or so. Anyway, onward and upwards with the news: -RHP Kendall … Continue reading Kendall Williams, Alberto Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy, and a Few Other Thoughts
Griffin Conine: Some Parting Thoughts
If there's such as thing as a win-win trade, the Blue Jays deal with the Marlins which saw Jonathan Villar head to Toronto (or, more accurately, Buffalo), while prospect Griffin Conine will head to the organization for which his dad became something of a cult hero, may fall under that category. The positives and negatives … Continue reading Griffin Conine: Some Parting Thoughts
What’s Next for Anthony Alford?
We should probably start with a disclaimer: on this site, and an earlier incarnation, I've probably written more about Toronto OF Anthony Alford, whose tenure as the longest-serving Blue Jay came to an end in the middle of the team's double-header sweep of the Phillies on last Thursday, than I have about any other Blue … Continue reading What’s Next for Anthony Alford?
What to Expect From Travis Bergen
Twitter photo I have to be honest: not much. The lefty reliever was added to the 40-man and promoted from Rochester, home of the Alternatives, just in time to likely face a Tampa lineup that will have six left-handed hitters in the lineup. I was a big Bergen booster back in the day, and watched … Continue reading What to Expect From Travis Bergen
Toronto Blue Jays Top Prospects: The Next Guys
Otto Lopez/The Athletic After doing this for most of the past decade, one comes to a realization about Top Prospects lists: once you get past the upper echelon of players in a system, things start to become increasingly arbitrary. There is loads of potential, but predicting a future big leaguer becomes a much more … Continue reading Toronto Blue Jays Top Prospects: The Next Guys