With the Fisher Cats having capped off their undefeated post-season and their Eastern League championship on the evening of my last post, all farm team play is of course now more than two weeks in the past. The Blue Jays clubhouse has been packed with kids at a level no one can remember in previous Septembers […]
Author: Tammy Rainey
Minor League Update: Year in Review
As of now, there is only one Blue Jays minor league affiliate still playing ballgames. That team — your New Hampshire Fisher Cats — now sit one win away from being crowned Eastern League champions. Both Lansing and Bluefield also played in the postseason, but each was eliminated in the first round, while the Cats have […]
Minor League Update: What’s Next Edition
As of this writing, the complex league teams are already done, Bluefield has but one more (regular season) game, and the rest of the affiliates have at most a week’s worth of regular season play. The good news is that three teams are postseason bound and another is in serious contention. Likewise, beginning Saturday major […]
Minor League Update: Arbitrary Endpoint Edition
For half a season now, I’ve been speculating that this player or that is due for a promotion. Even in the last month of the minor league season I’ve noted other writers commenting on the subject. But I’ve reversed field. Let me explain why. As of this moment, five of the Jays’ six non-complex teams […]
Minor League Report: Trade Deadline Edition
As of this writing, the non-waiver trade deadline is about six hours in the past. You have probably read a fair amount of reporting on the six players that the Blue Jays acquired in July before today, and at least a little on the two new farmhands brought in just before today’s deadline. On the […]
Minor League Report: Organization All-Star Edition
The upper level All-Star games were last week. The A-ball All-Star games were weeks ago. Even though such breaks are considered the ceremonial divide between first and second “halves” of the season, just like in the majors, the event doesn’t actually fall at the halfway mark of the season. Three of four full season teams […]
Minor League Report: Signing Day Edition
After the draft, this week’s July 2nd start to the international free agent signing period was the other gold-rush event for teams to add young raw talent to their system. Unsurprisingly, the Jays gave what might be the highest bonus in this cycle — $3.5 million of their $4,983,500 pool — to 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Orelvis Martinez. […]
Minor League Report: New Teams Edition
While the major league club, despite a wonderful weekend, is facing up to some harsh realities, it’s that time of the summer when things get hopping again in prospect land. Beginning with the Rule 4 draft last week, systems see an influx of new talent and the start of play for the short-season clubs, usually packed […]
Minor League Report: Draft Week Edition
The 2018 major league draft is upon us so let’s take an overly brief moment to look at what we have seen so far from the previous two draft classes selected under the current management team, shall we? In 2016 the Jays signed 28 of their selections, one of whom is serving in the Navy […]
Minor League Report: Coming Up Big-gio
This week’s report is heavier on high profile prospects than might ordinarily be the case. Other than the youngsters making noise in the Lansing rotation, few of these names are going to catch you by surprise. That said, top prospects doing what you expect them to do is much better than the alternative. Hottest Pitcher: […]