Every Friday, Blue Jays Talk host Scott MacArthur will weigh in with his observations on the Blue Jays from the past week.
Man, did the Blue Jays need that. Taking two out of three against the division-rival and American League East-leading Yankees takes the edge off, at least a little bit.
Atkins extension is no surprise
The extension given to general manager Ross Atkins, reported on Thursday night by Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, should come as no surprise.
Atkins was president Mark Shapiro’s hire and considering where the Blue Jays are in this rebuild, it wouldn’t make sense to part with Atkins now. See the plan through and assess it based on its result. Let’s hope the Blue Jays have the right guy in Atkins because, as stated here before, two decades of maddening mediocrity (as experienced from 1994-2014) should never be again be tolerated in a market this size.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s arrival
There will be a long list of moments upon which we’ll reflect when Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s time with the Blue Jays comes to an end. His April 26 debut against Oakland will be remembered for its pomp and circumstance. Vladdy’s June 5 home run off Yankees reliever Zach Britton and his nasty sinker will be looked back upon as one of those "he’s truly arrived" moments.
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Edwin Jackson’s future
What becomes of Edwin Jackson’s Toronto tenure from here?
The Blue Jays have a day off on Monday, which means they won’t require a fifth starter again until a week tomorrow, June 15, at Houston and manager Charlie Montoyo suggested after Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Yankees there would be internal discussions about whether Jackson makes his next scheduled start on Wednesday in Baltimore. If they keep him around, I’d rather have him pitch against the Orioles than the Astros.
The rational answer is it’s time to move on. Sure, four of the six runs Jackson allowed to New York were unearned but that’s because the Yankees’ rally started with Thairo Estrada reaching on a two out throwing error by Guerrero Jr. Hard contact followed with Cameron Maybin’s single, D.J. LeMahieu’s RBI double and Aaron Hicks’ laser beam three-run home run to right field.
The practical answer is a question: Who is the better alternative?
There are both developmental and roster considerations. Double-A New Hampshire has a strong starting rotation featuring three players — Patrick Murphy, Yennsy Diaz and Hector Perez — who are on the 40-man roster. Remember, any minor leaguer who gets called up to the big leagues must be on the 40-man and the Jays have spent most of the season maxed out. Such a rule favours bringing up one of those three as no corresponding 40-man move would need to be made.
Developmentally, though, it’s preferable not to rush a guy in order to plug a hole on the big league roster in a lost season. Murphy, Diaz and Perez should only come up — even if it’s only for a start or two — if they’re ready.
Julian Merryweather’s is another name which comes up but he’s coming off of Tommy John surgery and hasn’t yet pitched in an official minor league game. Merryweather, the return in the trade of Josh Donaldson to Cleveland, reportedly has hit triple digits with his fastball. Look for him at some point in the second half of the season.
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Eric Sogard heating up
It’s nice to see Eric Sogard heat back up as his playing time’s been reduced. When I see Sogard, a left-handed hitter wearing a single-digit number, stepping into the batter’s box in the first inning I can’t help but envision another left-handed hitter who wears a single-digit number occupying that spot in the future: Cavan Biggio.
Dome memories
I enjoyed Wednesday night’s 30th birthday celebrations for Rogers Centre/SkyDome. I grew up in the stadium thanks to my father, who was hired as SkyDome’s CFO in 1987 and eventually ran the facility before his departure in 1997.
My fondest Blue Jays moments in the stadium include watching both World Series clinchers, first on the JumboTron in 1992 and then being there for Joe Carter’s home run in 1993; and Game 4 of the 1992 World Series, which featured Jimmy Key’s brilliant final start as a Blue Jay.
More recently, through my own work, I got to experience Jose Bautista’s bat flip home run and the craziest inning I’ve ever seen in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS and then, a year later, Edwin Encarnacion’s walk off home run off Ubaldo Jimenez to clinch the 2016 wild card game against Baltimore.
Rogers Centre is not the most aesthetically pleading stadium in baseball; sometimes it doesn’t have a baseball feel. Personally, however, it holds many cherished memories shared with loved ones, including some who’ve left this world. I think of them each time I enter the stadium.
