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	<title>Toronto &#187; John Gibbons</title>
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		<title>Artificial Turf Wars Ep. 77: And Now our Watch is Ended</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/10/04/artificial-turf-wars-ep-77-and-now-our-watch-is-ended/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Oct 2017 10:34:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Artifical Turf Wars]]></dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[Josh Donaldson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mark shapiro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Offseason]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ross atkins]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Episode 77 Greg and Josh go over the final week of the season and the decisions and press conferences from the immediate aftermath. They discuss Jose Bautista&#8217;s final games and the declining of his option, Josh Donaldson&#8217;s desire to remain in Toronto, the early outlook for the upcoming offseason based on comments from Ross Atkins, [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<strong><br />
Episode 77</strong></p>
<p>Greg and Josh go over the final week of the season and the decisions and press conferences from the immediate aftermath. They discuss Jose Bautista&#8217;s final games and the declining of his option, Josh Donaldson&#8217;s desire to remain in Toronto, the early outlook for the upcoming offseason based on comments from Ross Atkins, the murky future for Devon Travis, and the ballot goofiness from the Blue Jays team award voting. They also answer listener questions and give out two Do Overs, one to MLB and one the Giancarlo Stanton. </p>
<p><strong>Podcast</strong>: <a class="powerpress_link_pinw" title="Play in New Window" href="http://d1at8ppinvdju8.cloudfront.net/1/031/show_10311991_2017_10_04_03_35_15.mp3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Play in new window</a> | <a class="powerpress_link_d" title="Download" href="http://d1at8ppinvdju8.cloudfront.net/1/031/show_10311991_2017_10_04_03_35_15.mp3" rel="nofollow">Download</a></p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/blue-jays-plus-podcast/id705699884?mt=2"><img class="alignnone wp-image-63" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/03/itunes1.png" alt="itunes" width="168" height="62" /></a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/turfpod"><img class=" wp-image-9054 alignleft" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/soundcloud.jpg" alt="soundcloud" width="123" height="60" /></a></p>
<p>Follow the guys on twitter: <a title="@coolhead2010" href="https://twitter.com/coolhead2010" target="_blank">@coolhead2010</a> and <a title="@JoshuaHowsam" href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaHowsam" target="_blank">@JoshuaHowsam</a>.</p>
<p>Intro music is Slow Burn (<a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/" rel="cc:attributionURL">Kevin MacLeod</a>) under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="license">CC BY 3.0</a>.</p>
<div><strong>Podcast Email</strong>-<a href="mailto:artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com" target="_blank">artificialturfwars@baseballprospectus.com</a> Please drop us a line if there is a guest you&#8217;d particularly like us to interview, to submit a question to <strong>Stump the Josh</strong>, or to simply give us feedback on the podcast. We&#8217;d love to hear from you!</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		</item>
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		<title>The Most Surprising Stats from an Underwhelming Blue Jays Season</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/09/05/the-most-surprising-stats-from-an-underwhelming-blue-jays-season/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nick Dika]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kendrys Morales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Saunders]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=13285</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the calendar flips to September, the Blue Jays and their fans have accepted that there will be no pennant race at the Rogers Centre this season. While the team headed into 2017 with an eye on a third straight playoff appearance, injuries and subpar performance made this season a rather underwhelming one on the field. But [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As the calendar flips to September, the Blue Jays and their fans have accepted that there will be no pennant race at the Rogers Centre this season. While the team headed into 2017 with an eye on a third straight playoff appearance, injuries and subpar performance made this season a rather underwhelming one on the field.</p>
<p>But just because the season was a frustrating one doesn’t mean nothing interesting happened. To <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/look-here-for-your-justin-smoak-optimism/">almost everyone’s</a> surprise, Justin Smoak broke out, turning himself into an elite hitter in the middle of the Blue Jays’ lineup; Josh Donaldson played shortstop; and Aaron Sanchez, like many of his peers, couldn’t quite grip the new baseball without tearing open his fingers in the process.</p>
<p>Those were some of the biggest stories of 2017, but they weren’t the only ones. Here are some of the most surprising stats &#8211; some of them good, and some of them bad, from a Blue Jays season that got away.</p>
<h3>Team Strikeouts Are Way Down And So is Their Run Scoring</h3>
<p>In a year when strikeouts are more prominent than ever, the Blue Jays have managed to cut down on their strikeouts from a season ago. The Jays rank in the bottom third of the major leagues in strikeout rate, posting a team strikeout percentage of 20.9% &#8211; a surprise for a team that struck out so frequently in 2016.</p>
<p>When a team struggles to score runs, strikeouts are often said to be the root of the problem. Many were quick to suggest that the Blue Jays, who went into an offensive funk in September of last season, were striking out far too often to be a good offense. But preventing strikeouts is not always the way to increase a team’s offensive output and the 2017 Blue Jays are demonstrating why:</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="63">Year</td>
<td width="56">K%</td>
<td width="78">League Avg</td>
<td width="43">Rank</td>
<td width="85">Runs Scored</td>
<td width="41">Rank</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="63">2016</td>
<td width="56">21.9%</td>
<td width="78">21.1%</td>
<td width="43">8th</td>
<td width="85">759</td>
<td width="41">9<sup>th</sup></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="63">2017</td>
<td width="56">20.9%</td>
<td width="78">21.6%</td>
<td width="43">19th</td>
<td width="85">582</td>
<td width="41">24<sup>th</sup></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>In 2016, only 7 MLB teams struck out more than the Blue Jays but the team managed to score the 9<sup>th</sup> most runs in baseball. This season, the Jays have significantly cut their strikeout rate, yet their offensive production has cratered as well.</p>
<p>Strikeouts don’t matter. Even if they feel like they do.</p>
<h3>Michael Saunders is a Speed Demon</h3>
<p>…relative to the rest of his teammates. We all knew the 2017 Blue Jays were going to be slow, but this is still surprising. More surprising than Saunders, who signed with the Phillies last offseason being back with Toronto this September? Still, yes.</p>
<p>Saunders, who was once a stolen base threat, tore his meniscus in 2015 and hasn’t possessed the same foot speed since. But despite Saunders’ surgically repaired left knee, he is actually STILL one of the fastest members of the 2017 Blue Jays.</p>
<p>According to Statcast, with a sprint speed per second of 27.4 feet, only Kevin Pillar and Ezequiel Carrera are faster. Saunders’ sprint speed of 27.3 feet/second in 2016 suggests that his 2017 number isn’t an aberration, either. This quirky stat could change if Anthony Alford, Dwight Smith Jr. or Teoscar Hernandez see any significant time with the team in September.</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="131">Player</td>
<td width="146">Sprint Speed (ft./second)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="131">Kevin Pillar</td>
<td width="146">29.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="131">Ezekiel Carrera</td>
<td width="146">27.7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="131">Devon Travis</td>
<td width="146">27.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="131">Michael Saunders</td>
<td width="146">27.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="131">Darwin Barney</td>
<td width="146">27.2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="131">Josh Donaldson</td>
<td width="146">27.0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Kendrys Morales: Not Very Valuable, Despite the Offence</h3>
<p>As of September 5<sup>th</sup>, Kendrys Morales was sitting on a line of .247/.303/.456 with 26 home runs; an offensive performance fairly similar to his 2016 output (.263/.327/.468, 30 HR) with the Royals. But as we continue to see home runs being hit at record paces, a pure slugger’s contributions become less helpful than they once were.</p>
<p>Wins Above Replacement Player – the stat that measures a position player’s overall contribution to the team on defense, offense and the base paths, has not been kind to Morales this season. Even if you don’t believe in advanced stats, it’s pretty easy to make the case that Morales hasn’t been too valuable on the bases or in the field. Of the 43 players in the major leagues with at least 25 home runs this season, only one has been less valuable (per WARP) than Kendrys Morales: Texas’ Mike Napoli. Morales didn’t change, but its starting to look like the game has.</p>
<h3>Gibby: Not Getting Ejected at his Usual Pace</h3>
<p>In September of 2016, while the Blue Jays were embattled in a fight for the American League wild card spots, John Gibbons was chasing history. The Blue Jays manager, who had been kicked out of seven games at this time last year, was in line to possibly break the <a href="https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/blue-jays-manager-gibbons-making-a-run-at-record-for-ejections-toronto/article31827217/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&amp;">Blue Jays’ all-time record</a> for managerial ejections (8) set by Bobby Cox.</p>
<p>But like a fine wine (or a team with little to play for and hence, to scream about), John Gibbons has mellowed with age; having only been thrown out of five games so far in 2017. The Blue Jays manager will need to belligerently ratchet up the kicking and screaming this September if he has any intention of breaking the franchise ejection record he came oh-so-close to last season.</p>
<h3>The 2017 Team Might Not Really Be Unlucky</h3>
<p>2017 has brought with it some frustrating losses. These hair-pullers, the ones where the team can’t hold a late lead or isn’t able to push that one extra run across the plate cause some to dream on what could have been. If the team was just a little bit luckier; if Roberto Osuna would have been able to save just a couple more games, or if Josh Donaldson could have hit just a couple more home runs, those blown saves and one run losses could have turned into wins and the season would look a lot different.</p>
<p>But the Jays, who currently sit at 64-74, might have been lucky to get to 64 wins according to several stats that attempt to remove luck and random distribution of run scoring. While the Jays have posted an ugly 5-12 record in extra inning play, the team is 21-21 in one-run games, suggesting that they haven’t been that unlucky (or lucky) in close games at all.</p>
<p>Based on the teams -90 run differential (they’ve allowed 90 runs more than they have scored), Baseball Prospectus’ expected winning percentage for the team sits at .428, or 59-78. Similarly, Baseball Reference has the Blue Jays’ Pythagorean win-loss record sitting at 59-78 as well.</p>
<p>Stats like expected winning percentage and Pythagorean win-loss are far from perfect, and they don’t account for the role that bullpens play in close games, but combined with the Jays’ poor run differential and .500 record in one-run games, the team might not be as unlucky as we’d hoped they were.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s to an interesting end to the 2017 season (how great would a 5 stolen base month from Kendrys Morales be?) and a better 2018.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How to Build a Blue Jays Line Up John Gibbons Style</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/08/23/how-to-build-a-blue-jays-line-up-john-gibbons-style/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Aug 2017 11:39:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Greg Wisniewski]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=13081</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Sunday afternoon in Wrigley field, the Blue Jays fielded a rather unorthodox lineup. Much was made of the words written down on the card at game time, but I&#8217;d like to take one step back in time. Surely John Gibbons didn&#8217;t just pick the names out of the hat, there must have been some [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On Sunday afternoon in Wrigley field, the Blue Jays fielded a rather unorthodox lineup. Much was made of the words written down on the card at game time, but I&#8217;d like to take one step back in time. Surely John Gibbons didn&#8217;t just pick the names out of the hat, there must have been some method to the madness. Let&#8217;s imagine ourselves as a fly on the wall Sunday morning in Chicago&#8230;</p>
<p>John Gibbons: DeMarlo, you got a pen?</p>
<p>DeMarlo Hale: Sure, boss.</p>
<p>JG: And you got one of the lineup cards they gave us Friday?</p>
<p>DH: I got one of them too.</p>
<p>JG: &#8217;bout that time again.</p>
<p>DH: Yes, &#8217;bout that time.</p>
<p>JG: Look, let&#8217;s just get dis done. And don&#8217;t give me one of those looks.</p>
<p>DH: What looks?</p>
<p>JG: Those looks like you thought I din&#8217;t think it all the way through. It&#8217;s a log-i-cal thing.</p>
<p>DH: I&#8217;m not sure I know what you&#8217;re saying.</p>
<p>JG: If we do it log-i-cally, eight hitters for eight slots, &#8216;course pitcher bats last in the NL, it will flow logically. Look. Just lookit&#8230; let&#8217;s just get this done.</p>
<p>DH: Okay.</p>
<p>JG: Alright. Hendricks is a righty. So Carerra leads off. He&#8217;s fast, been hitting well all year.</p>
<p>DH: Good.</p>
<p>JG: Martin&#8217;s still hurt. Gotta use Josh in the two slot. Hasn&#8217;t had a hit this weekend, but he&#8217;s due.</p>
<p>DH: Sure.</p>
<p>JG: Smoaky looks good still, put him third. Jose bats fourth.</p>
<p>DH: Fourth?</p>
<p>JG: Do you want to tell him he&#8217;s batting lower than that? Because I&#8217;ll tell you what, if we move his name any lower, I&#8217;m gonna make you tell him it was your idea&#8230; Besides, who else is going in there?</p>
<p>DH: Don&#8217;t get mad at me. We aren&#8217;t even in the bottom third of the lineup yet.</p>
<p>JG: Montero is gonna bat 5th, because he&#8217;s gonna hit a home run against his old team today. That&#8217;s how that goes, right?</p>
<p>DH: Ha, sure it does.</p>
<p>JG: Okay, so Pillar is in center. And I&#8217;ve got Goins at second. Good kid. Like that kid. Lots of big moments for him this season.</p>
<p>DH: That&#8217;s seven. Who bats in front of the pitcher?</p>
<p>JG: Well, Aoki can work the count. Maybe run a little bit if the pitcher bunts him over. Good range out there in left.</p>
<p>DH: Uh, about that.</p>
<p>JG: About what?</p>
<p>DH: There&#8217;s two guys in left field, Zeke and Nori.</p>
<p>JG: Aw, s_t! Don&#8217;t look at me with that face.</p>
<p>DH: I&#8217;ve only got the one face, John.</p>
<p>JG: I told you&#8230; lookit. I got this. I can&#8217;t ask Marco to go out there and not give him some bats, score some runs. We already lost the g&#8212;amn DH! I got this!</p>
<p>DH: All I&#8217;m saying is the outfield is pretty crowded.</p>
<p>JG: Jose can play third. Heck we had Martin out there, nobody died. It can&#8217;t be any worse than that.</p>
<p>DH: Okay, now it&#8217;s crowded in a different place entirely.</p>
<p>JG: Stop it! JD is still going to play third. He&#8217;s just gonna play it thirty, forty feet to the left of where he&#8217;s used to.</p>
<p>DH: Don&#8217;t you think Goins at short and Josh at&#8211;</p>
<p>JG: &#8211;Josh has never started a game at second base! Are you nuts?</p>
<p>DH: But he&#8217;s never started a game at sho&#8211;</p>
<p>JG: Stop saying things or I&#8217;ll send you out there to show him the card and make you tell &#8216;em it was your idea.</p>
<p>DH: &#8230;.</p>
<p>JG: Exactly. Hey, one your way out, could you put a couple cans in the fridge for me in case I get myself thrown out early today? Don&#8217;t look at me with that face! And stop shakin&#8217; your head! Logic took us right through the whole thing Demarlo, it&#8217;s like math, you can&#8217;t fight it!</p>
<p>And that&#8217;s how you get <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN201708190.shtml" target="_blank">this lineup</a>:</p>
<p>1. Ezequiel Carrera &#8211; RF<br />
2. Josh Donaldson &#8211; SS<br />
3. Justin Smoak &#8211; 1B<br />
4. Jose Bautista &#8211; 3B<br />
5. Miguel Montero &#8211; C<br />
6. Kevin Pillar &#8211; CF<br />
7. Ryan Goins &#8211; 2B<br />
8. Nori Aoki &#8211; LF<br />
9. Marco Estrada &#8211; P</p>
<p>Lead Photo:<em> Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Steve Pearce on Breaking Through an Early Season Slump</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/25/steve-pearce-on-breaking-through-an-early-season-slump/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/25/steve-pearce-on-breaking-through-an-early-season-slump/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2017 11:02:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AL East]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hitting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Steve Pearce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=10322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO &#8212; Baseball can be a funny game. The harder you try the more the game tends to slip away from you. The entirety of the Toronto Blue Jays roster has frustratingly dealt with this all season with the team breaking out of the gates to a dismal 5-13 record. They know they’re a good [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO &#8212; Baseball can be a funny game. The harder you try the more the game tends to slip away from you.</p>
<p>The entirety of the Toronto Blue Jays roster has frustratingly dealt with this all season with the team breaking out of the gates to a dismal 5-13 record. They know they’re a good team, but when they press and try to overcome their slow art in a single game nothing seems to break right.</p>
<p>Few individually have felt this more than newcomer Steve Pearce. After a scorching Opening Day start where the 34-year-old got three hits and scored a run, Pearce managed to equal his first game output of three hits in his next 32 at-bats.</p>
<p>What Pearce has been trying to focus on during this rut is simple, “just getting better.”</p>
<p>“Bottom line we got to get better, individually and as a team.” Pearce said prior to the Jays’ 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox last Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.</p>
<p>Pearce has admitted to pressing in the opening weeks of the season and trying to do too much at times. What he’s lost during that time is his feel for the game. The feel of the game coming to him instead of chasing it. Seeing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand and making solid contact on a consistent basis.</p>
<blockquote><p>“Bottom line we got to get better, individually and as a team.” &#8211; Steve Pearce</p></blockquote>
<p>As funny as it may sound, in baseball sometimes less is more. When you start to try to do too much you end up pressing and making things more complicated for yourself.</p>
<p>“That’s when everything gets tense. You can’t play the kind of game you want to play when you’re tense,” Pearce said. “The looser you are, the better you feel, the better your production’s going to be, the better you’re going to feel, the better chance you have to get a base hit.</p>
<p>“This game can move so fast. The pitchers are so good that you really have to be in the best position in order to get base hits. They’re throwing 95 mph and if you’re tense that’s going to get blown right by you. You need your body free, and you need to be able to see the ball and unload on it.</p>
<p>“You know what they say, ‘if you’re thinking, you’re stinking.’ …You got to go up there and just see the ball and hit the ball.”</p>
<p>Manager John Gibbons knows this too.</p>
<p>“Baseball’s a different sport. In other sports you can run harder, you can hit somebody harder, you can give a better effort and that can work to your benefit. (In) baseball the harder you try the worse it gets sometimes,” Gibbons said.</p>
<blockquote><p>Baseball’s a different sport. In other sports you can run harder, you can hit somebody harder, you can give a better effort and that can work to your benefit. (In) baseball the harder you try the worse it gets sometimes.” &#8211; John Gibbons</p></blockquote>
<p>For Pearce that has led to a dreadfully slow start to his season slashing a meagre .162/.205/.162. It’s not for lack of talent either as Pearce has averaged 93 games, 16 home runs, 41 RBIs with a slash line of .267/.347/.493 over the last three seasons. All spent in the AL East.</p>
<p>His familiarity of the division however has not benefitted the Lakeland, FL. native, despite all but two of Toronto’s first 15 games coming against the AL East.</p>
<p>Even left-handed pitchers, Pearce’s bread and butter, have kept his offense at bay. Pearce hit .309 with seven home runs in 81 at-bats last season against lefties, and has slashed .264/.347/.489 in his career versus southpaws, but is just 2-for-19 with eight  strikeouts against them this season.</p>
<p>The sample size is small, and the stats magnified this early in the season, but there’s no denying that the first few weeks of the season have been less than ideal for Pearce.</p>
<p>When he’s slumping Pearce relies on video, stats sheets, pitching tendencies, and any other source available to Major Leaguers these days to try and break out of it, but at the end of the day it essentially comes down to feel.</p>
<p>“It’s mostly about feel. You just got to find a feel,” Pearce said. “Your mechanics they could be on or off, but if you feel good that’s really the most important part.</p>
<p>“If you get in that box and you feel good it’s definitely a heck of a lot better than anything. You could be mechanically sound, you could have the perfect BP, the perfect cage swing, but underneath the lights it’s a completely different ball game.”</p>
<p>With three hits in his last four games, Pearce is is at his best production level since his first game as a Blue Jay. A baby step in the right direction.</p>
<p>It’s more than enough for his manager, who has full confidence in his team, and the men on it.</p>
<p>“Pearcey is going to hit,” Gibbons said. “He’s going to hit some home runs, he’s going to swing it for us pretty good.”</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Gibby the Best: Blue Jays to Extend John Gibbons</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/03/21/gibby-the-best-blue-jays-close-to-extending-john-gibbons/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:30:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tammy Rainey]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Extension]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=9695</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Update: Source says #BlueJays and John Gibbons reach agreement on extension that adds two guaranteed years plus 2020 option. Steve Phillips first &#8212; Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) March 21, 2017 It appears as though the deal may be done, keeping ol&#8217; Gibbers around through at least 2019, with a club option for 2020. With his current [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Update:</strong></span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Source says <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a> and John Gibbons reach agreement on extension that adds two guaranteed years plus 2020 option. Steve Phillips first</p>
<p>&mdash; Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/844302815371677696">March 21, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>It appears as though the deal may be done, keeping ol&#8217; Gibbers around through at least 2019, with a club option for 2020. With his current deal set to expire after the season, Gibbons has been given a two or three year extension. That&#8217;s a nice reward for back-to-back ALCS appearances, and should provide some nice stability as the team transitions from the current Bautista/Donaldson era to whatever comes next.</p>
<p>The veteran roster seems to suit Gibbons&#8217; &#8220;let them play&#8221; managing style, and the club&#8217;s recent play certainly does nothing to dispel that notion. While there may be the occasional issue with his in game tactics at times, he is by no means a <em>bad</em> on-field manager and his work with the players behind the teams could push him squarely into the &#8220;above-average&#8221; group. We don&#8217;t know financial details, but Gibbons is likely looking at a nice little raise as well.</p>
<p>It was thought that Gibbons wasn&#8217;t Shapiro/Atkins&#8217; guy, but they clearly believe that he&#8217;s the man for the job. Now it&#8217;s time to go win a World Series.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Original Story</strong></span></p>
<p>News is breaking in Blue Jays camp today. Jon Heyman of<a href="https://www.fanragsports.com/news/heyman-jays-finalizing-extension-manager-john-gibbons/" target="_blank"> FanRag Sports</a> reports that Toronto is finalizing the parameters of an extension with Manager John Gibbons, noting that it is said to be a multi-year deal. Word is they are confident that a deal will be signed by Opening Day. Terms are not yet known.</p>
<p>Gibbons&#8217; history with the franchise is exceeded only by that of World Series manager Cito Gaston, who is also the only manager in Jays history with more wins. Initially hired by GM J.P. Ricciardi in 2004 to replace the fired Carlos Tosca, Gibbons lasted through the next three full seasons before being dismissed 74 games into the 2008 season to be replaced by Gaston</p>
<p>Gibby had every reason to believe he&#8217;d had his one shot. He then went on to spend some time as the bench coach in Kansas City and was managing the minor league club in San Antonio, his hometown, when GM Alex Anthopoulos called him up to talk about returning as manager for the 2013 season. Anthopoulos had built a strong working relationship with Gibbons in his previous tour of duty and felt that he was the man to help right the franchise after previous manager John Farrell had ditched the club to return to Boston. He stuck with Gibbons even when 2013 did not go as planned and many doubted that the right choice had been made.</p>
<p>More questions followed when Anthopoulos left the fold after the 2015 season and the arrival of new team president Mark Shapiro, but the new upper management team kept Gibbons and found that they had a good thing on their hands. All reports indicated a strong working relationship between the hold-over manager and the new leadership and both sides insisted at every opportunity that they anticipated a long term relationship. Those predictions seem to be coming to fruition in the coming days.</p>
<p>Gibbons’ original contract structure agreed upon when he was brought back to the club before the 2013 season featured a “no lame-duck” clause, which meant that every year on January 1st his contract would automatically extend for another year unless he was fired. However, that recurring option was bought out by Shapiro and Ross Atkins last off-season, requiring the club to come to an extension with Gibbons this season in order to keep him beyond the length of his current agreement.</p>
<p>From an anecdotal perspective, it is practically impossible to find anyone in the game who has a bad word to say about John Gibbons. Everyone who works with him seems to love him, and despite the occasional contentious debate among fans about some managerial decision or other (a phenomena which no manager ever has been immune to) the fans, by and large, seem to find him likeable as well. It is arguable that in terms of in-game decision making, a manager has a limited impact on the game, but a manager&#8217;s primary duty is to put 25 diverse human beings in the best position to succeed as a unit. The Blue Jays clearly think Gibbons has done that well.</p>
<p>For the record, Gibbons has now managed the Blue Jays to 644 wins (and 614 loses) in the regular season, and two consecutive playoff appearances. He&#8217;s 13th among active managers in wins. Also, <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/03/03/john-gibbons-is-a-modern-day-bobby-cox/" target="_blank">he gets ejected a lot</a>, and that is really fun to watch.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>An Early End to the Blue Jays Comeback (and Season)</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/20/an-early-end-to-the-blue-jays-comeback-and-season/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:52:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[2016 ALCS]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Pillar]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Troy Tulowitzki]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=7626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO – Well, that didn’t last long. The hope, the optimism, the belief &#8211; they all died quickly in the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 5 matinee against Cleveland. Cleveland scored three times, once in the first, then again in the third and fourth, and the Jays hardly threatened, if ever. Ryan Merritt threw slop that [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO – Well, that didn’t last long. The hope, the optimism, the belief &#8211; they all died quickly in the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 5 matinee against Cleveland.</p>
<p>Cleveland scored three times, once in the first, then again in the third and fourth, and the Jays hardly threatened, if ever. Ryan Merritt threw slop that Toronto couldn’t hit, and then the bullpen came in and did bullpen things.</p>
<p>It was another exciting season in Toronto, but now it’s over. An offense that struggled all September reared its ugly head at the worst possible time. Even solid pitching up and down the Jays staff couldn’t help them. They needed to be perfect and they weren’t.</p>
<p>If you’re a Jays fan there’s a lot to bemoan. The team is better than it performed in the ALCS, and certainly better than their 11-16 September. But you also must tip your cap to Cleveland. With two fantastic starters out with injury manager, Terry Francona mixed and matched his way to a World Series berth.</p>
<p>“We grinded. We battled. The other team just did a bit more than us,” Russell Martin said. “They pitched extremely well all the way through the whole series – their starters, their bullpen, everybody, they played good defence. They didn’t make too many mistakes. I feel like they made one mistake and that was the game we won…But overall they deserved it, they played really well.”</p>
<p>With neither offense performing at peak levels it came down to pitching and key hits, and it seemed that more often than not Cleveland found a way to come through at critical times, especially early in games. In fact Toronto outhit Cleveland 32-25 in the series but were outscored 12-8 in an extremely low-scoring series.</p>
<p>The loss hit the players pretty hard. The clubhouse was very sombre after the game. A lot of man hugs and best wishes were given, and players were packing up and putting things into boxes, some knowing they may never be in that clubhouse again. Part of that mood stemmed from the attitude and belief that they were better than they performed, and had a whole lot more fight left in them. None of them ready for the season to be over.</p>
<p>“I wish we were still playing. This team had a lot left in it. Just came up a little short,” Marco Estrada said.</p>
<blockquote><p>“I wish we were still playing. This team had a lot left in it. Just came up a little short.” &#8211; Marco Estrada</p></blockquote>
<p>“I think not winning games is the biggest disappointment,” Kevin Pillar said. “We were in every game and that’s all you can ask for this time of year we just didn’t come up with a big hit.</p>
<p>“Each and every one of us, you can look at everyone in this room, everyone had opportunities to drive in some runs and it just didn’t work out that way. It’s unfortunate, but everyone’s going to go home, reflect on it, improve, and come back and look forward to doing it again.”</p>
<p>That was the overwhelming silver lining of a season now lost. There’s a returning core for the Blue Jays that should make them a viable playoff candidate regardless of what moves are made in the offseason.</p>
<p>The strength of the team, the rotation, stays fully intact &#8211; minus the likely departure of R.A. Dickey &#8211; with Francisco Liriano the heir to the fifth starter role. Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, Devon Travis, Kevin Pillar, and Russell Martin are also all under contract, meaning the defence up the middle and a part of the heart of the order will be returning. Lastly, the team’s best bullpen piece, closer Roberto Osuna, will continue to close out games and Joe Biagini and likely Jason Grilli will be there to help get him the ball. There’s a lot to work with even if Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Michael Saunders, and Brett Cecil find work elsewhere. Those holes will be filled, but it all starts with starting pitching and defense, and the Jays should have that in spades entering 2017.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I’m sure there will be some disappointments and grumbling and complaining about how you fell short again, but that’s not coming from me, because I know what these guys did, and I think it’s a pretty good accomplishment.&#8221; &#8211; John Gibbons</p></blockquote>
<p>That, however, doesn’t take the sting out of Wednesday’s loss for fans. But after 22 years without a playoff berth, coupled with back to back trips to the American League Championship Series, there’s a lot to be thankful for too.</p>
<p>“The tough part is getting in (to the playoffs),” manager John Gibbons. “So many good teams out there. In the American League we look at it all the time. All the divisions are good and competitive. To stay on top or get close to the top, near the top, it takes a lot. A lot of things have got to go your way.</p>
<p>“I’m sure there will be some disappointments and grumbling and complaining about how you fell short again, but that’s not coming from me, because I know what these guys did, and I think it’s a pretty good accomplishment. The key is we want to take that next step on of these days, hopefully it’s next year. But these guys, they did a hell of a job.”</p>
<p>That doesn’t make the result any easier to swallow. Everyone wanted more; the fans, the players, the coaches, the staff. Everyone thought this team had more to give, but just like last season they fell just short. An admirable accomplishment, it’s just that they wanted more.</p>
<p>“Both times that we lost it sucked equally,” Martin said. “This sucks. It’s part of the game. Only one team goes home happy. Unfortunately it’s not us.”</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>This is Why they Play the Game</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/05/this-is-why-they-play-the-game/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:20:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[postseason 2016]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[wild card]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=7254</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO – This is why they play the game. A common message that echoed through both clubhouses prior to Tuesday’s Wild Card game between the Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. The pressure of the postseason, playing with everything on the line. Everything to lose but also everything to gain. No player would want it [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO – This is why they play the game.</p>
<p>A common message that echoed through both clubhouses prior to Tuesday’s Wild Card game between the Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.</p>
<p>The pressure of the postseason, playing with everything on the line. Everything to lose but also everything to gain. No player would want it any other way.</p>
<p>“This is the only reason a lot of us play,” Blue Jays centerfielder Kevin Pillar said. “This wasn’t what we had in mind getting to the postseason, but&#8230; we got a chance to do something special and it starts today.”</p>
<p>And do something special they did.</p>
<p>In a game that had it all: plenty of great defensive plays, spectacular performances on the mound, some gigantic moon shots, a plethora of nervous moments, and a curious pitching decision; this game will be remembered for one swing of the bat.</p>
<p>Already among the all-time hitters in franchise history, the man they call Eddy entered Blue Jays playoff lore with one swing of the bat on Tuesday night in Toronto. Like Jose Bautista, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter before him, Edwin Encarnacion can now count his name among Toronto legends after depositing a massive shot into the second deck in left field at Rogers Centre to win the Wild Card game for the Jays, 5-2 over the Orioles.</p>
<p>The long-term weight and significance of Encarnacion’s game-winning home run in the 11<sup>th</sup> inning of the team’s first ever Wild Card game will be determined by the success of these 2016 Blue Jays, but in the short term there’s not a single moment in all of baseball that stands bigger right now.</p>
<p>The always subdued 10-year veteran called his home run “a very special moment and very special opportunity for me to get. Thank God I did the job, and it worked out for us pretty well.”</p>
<p>Encarnacion is not one to give much recognition or praise to his own performances, but his teammates have no filter for their appreciation for the man who’s called Toronto home over the last eight seasons.</p>
<p>“He’s one of the elite hitters,” manager John Gibbons said after the game. “He’s done that many times for us.”</p>
<p>“I can’t say enough (about him). We had the right guy up at the right time,” Pillar said. “He’s been the one guy throughout the whole year that’s been in the lineup, healthy, carried this team when guys were out. He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does. This guy should be in the MVP conversation.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“He’s been the one guy throughout the whole year that’s been in the lineup, healthy, carried this team when guys were out. He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does. This guy should be in the MVP conversation.” &#8211; Kevin Pillar</p></blockquote>
<p>After a season that saw him finish third in Major League Baseball with 42 home runs, and second in the league with 127 RBIs, there’s no doubt he’ll garner some attention on the MVP ballot. But in reality, despite his terrific regular season, Tuesday’s swing is what people will remember most about his year barring further heroics. It may even end up his signature moment with this franchise.</p>
<p>This is why they play the game.</p>
<p>Every kid dreams of hitting that big home run, or make that perfect pitch when the stakes are highest. Encarnacion actually lived it. Even a Roberto Osuna, who was in the trainer’s room nursing an injury to the front of his right shoulder that he sustained in the 10<sup>th</sup> inning, couldn’t contain himself in that moment.</p>
<p>“I was so excited,” Osuna said. “I was jumping in the training room. I forgot that I have ice on my shoulder. George was like ‘Hey Osuna, stop jumping around.’ ”</p>
<p>Just five days ago no one could have ever envisioned this moment for Encarnacion. Following a disappointing 4-0 loss to these same Orioles last Thursday that put their playoff lives in jeopardy, Encarnacion left the Jays dugout worried he might have played his last game in a Blue Jays uniform at home. In that moment he took his time in the dugout, soaking up the moment and the gravity of the situation. When he finally left to the clubhouse he gave a subtle wave to the crowd on his way out.</p>
<p>Now, no matter how this season plays out or what the future holds, there will always be this moment. His own bat flip heard ‘round the world.</p>
<p>This is why they play the game.</p>
<p><i>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</i></p>
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		<title>The Problem With John Gibbons&#8217; Roster Usage</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/09/19/the-problem-with-john-gibbons-roster-usage/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:33:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Matt Gwin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=6725</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Blue Jays have had a tumultuous September. With a record of 5-11, and a winning percentage of just .313, Toronto’s team has managed to put up on of the worst September records in all of baseball. That’s not quite what you’d like to see out of a team that should be competing for a [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Blue Jays have had a tumultuous September. With a record of 5-11, and a winning percentage of just .313, Toronto’s team has managed to put up on of the worst September records in all of baseball. That’s not quite what you’d like to see out of a team that should be competing for a shot at the World Series. Of course, you know this already. You also likely know the reason behind many of these poor results; Gideon Turk detailed them in <a href="//toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/09/13/how-to-lose-first-place-in-the-al-east-in-12-days/“">a post last week</a>. But, to me, the Blue Jays’ woes aren’t the most interesting thing about the team right now, it’s how they’ve dealt with them that intrigues.</p>
<p>In the month of September, the Jays have dealt with two things offensively: poor hitting and sore/injured batters. That’s been true for them more so than most other teams. Given the expanded rosters, one might then expect Toronto to shake things up; optimize usage of those extra batters on the bench. However, that hasn’t been true at all. Instead, the Blue Jays have stood pat, using their regular roster players* more so than any other team in Major League Baseball:</p>
<p>￼<img class="alignnone wp-image-6726 size-full" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/Screen-Shot-2016-09-17-at-11.10.52-AM.png" alt="Screen Shot 2016-09-17 at 11.10.52 AM" width="100%" height="auto" /><br />
<i> *A regular roster players was defined as having &gt;= 300 PAs prior to September.</i></p>
<p>That fact can be taken as interesting in two very distinct ways.</p>
<ol>
<li>The Blue Jays have a lot of faith in their current roster</li>
<li>The Blue Jays don&#8217;t have a lot of faith in their bench</li>
</ol>
<h4>The Blue Jays Have a Lot of Faith in Their Current Roster</h4>
<p>Despite having a struggling offense (and defense), the Blue Jays have done very little to spread the starts around. Nothing to ‘shake up the roster'; nothing to ‘spark some performance’. At the very least, that runs contrary the clichés of any sport, which would tell you that sometimes players just hit slumps. It also runs contrary to how we&#8217;ve seen other teams around the league managed. But, is it the right thing to do?</p>
<p>The laws of sabrmetrics would say yes; that positive regression will come to those whose true talent level is above their present level of play. Over the long haul, that principle will almost certianly be right. But over the short term, with an eight-man bench at their disposal, one would think that the Jays would budge more than they have. This especially applies with two defensively struggling corner outfielders in Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders. Thus far the changes have been limited to a few extra games at DH for Bautista, but that&#8217;s not nearly enough.</p>
<h4>The Blue Jays Don&#8217;t Have a Lot of Faith in Their Bench</h4>
<p>This is inverse of the previous statement, but it has broader implications, especially for the playoffs. Beyond being an opportunity for experimentation, September has become a good managerial test for optimizing one&#8217;s roster. In some ways, John Gibbons has passed that test with the bullpen; getting use out of even the likes of Matt Dermody. However, when it has come to the bench, Gibby&#8217;s been less liberal.</p>
<p>As far as pinch hitting goes, the conservatism is somewhat justified&#8230;which is actually part of the problem. The Blue Jays don&#8217;t have a well-hitting bench. In turn, John Gibbons does not utilize that bench. But, the bench has other strengths; particularly in speed and defense. The question of whether or not to give others on the active roster a start is debatable; the question of whether or not to utilize them at all is not.</p>
<p>This lack of usage has been particularly evident on a few occasions with one of the three catchers on base. When there are three catchers available, and runners on the bench, there&#8217;s zero reason that Thole, Navarro, or Martin should be running late in a close game. The same is true of either Michael Saunders or Jose Bautista in the outfield late in the game (which Gibby has admittedly gotten better at with Jose, less so with Saunders).</p>
<h4>The Playoff Implications</h4>
<p>At this point, there are 13 games left in the regular season. If the Blue Jays end up playing in the wildcard game (<a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/" target="_blank">it&#8217;s likely that they will</a>), then they could have up to 20 more in the playoffs. Over an entire entire season, logistical mismanagement means very little for a manager. But in the 13 games before the playoffs, and then in a small set of games in each playoff series, it means a lot more. This is something that Rany Jazayerli and Sports Illustrated&#8217;s Joe Sheehan often talked about on the now defunct <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/baseball-show-rany-joe/id423737550?mt=2" target="_blank">Baseball Show with Rany and Joe</a> podcast; managers can swing a playoff series. With that said, they also recognized that good teams could win in spite of poorer in-game management (See: 2015 Kansas City Royals).</p>
<p>Previously, the Blue Jays had been playing well enough to overcome having to worry about the margins. The rotation was fresh, position players were healthy, and the lineup was hitting better than ever. Now, for the Jays to succeed, they should take all they can get. With the little time left in September, Gibbons should be pinch hitting and running out the wazoo. In that way, they can take advantage of the expanded roster while it&#8217;s available, and prep for a smaller series in which similar tactics will need to be applied with a shorter bench.</p>
<p><i>Lead Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</i></p>
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		<title>Blue Jays have the Perfect Excuse to use Bautista as DH</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/25/blue-jays-have-perfect-excuse-to-use-bautista-as-dh/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/25/blue-jays-have-perfect-excuse-to-use-bautista-as-dh/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2016 13:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jose Bautista]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Melvin Upton Jr.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ross atkins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=5849</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO – With the return of Kevin Pillar to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup Tuesday, and Jose Bautista expected to be back today it would seem that the club’s outfield picture just got a lot clearer. However, with further inspection it would seem that in actuality the water is about to become a whole lot [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO – With the return of Kevin Pillar to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup Tuesday, and Jose Bautista expected to be back today it would seem that the club’s outfield picture just got a lot clearer. However, with further inspection it would seem that in actuality the water is about to become a whole lot murkier.</p>
<p>As my colleague <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/09/its-time-to-get-jose-bautista-out-of-the-outfield/">Matt Gwin suggested two weeks</a> ago, the logical move by the Jays might be to have Bautista, who is in the midst of an historically bad defensive season, stay out of the outfield altogether. This would let Melvin Upton Jr., Pillar, and Michael Saunders get the lion’s share of work.</p>
<p>Bautista is last on the club in defensive runs saved with -9, while Upton Jr. has +3 in his time in Toronto despite appearing in slightly more than a quarter of Bautista’s innings. However, the imminent return of Bautista likely won’t affect the club’s outfield hierarchy according to general manager Ross Atkins.</p>
<p>“(Bautista) will be playing every day.” Atkins said. “As long as his health is dictating that he’s feeling fine, recovering fine, he’ll be playing every day.</p>
<p>“BJ will be the guy that we acquired who can play all three (outfield spots), and when he’s not playing someone who can come off the bench and pinch hit, pinch run, pinch defensively, so providing depth.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“BJ will be the guy that we acquired who can play all three (outfield spots) and when he’s not playing someone who can come off the bench and pinch hit, pinch run, pinch defensively, so providing depth.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Maybe Atkins is toeing the company line and staying sensitive to a clubhouse leader who has been unselfish by putting the team first and his personal stats second time and time again this season. Maybe he even believes that for whatever reason (unannounced injuries, hitting ability, etc.), the Jays are better off with Bautista in the outfield.</p>
<p>At the plate the 35-year-old is batting just .129 with one home run, one RBI, and a .250 on-base percentage when not in right field this season, albeit in just nine games and 36 plate appearances. That could certainly be part of Atkins&#8217; decision, however historically his slash line is a tidy .267/.380/.503 with 14 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 44 runs scored in 288 at-bats as a designated hitter.</p>
<p>Whatever the reasoning behind it, it seems unlikely Bautista will move from his usual spot in the outfield. That is unless Gibbons has found a way to put his best defensive and offensive lineup out there with a convenient, and ego-saving excuse; Bautista’s left knee injury.</p>
<p>“When Jose comes back, he’s probably coming back Thursday, he’s going to need to DH a lot with his knee,” Gibbons said prior to his <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/23/recap-blue-jays-7-angels-2-blue-jays-break-seventh-seal-silence-angels/">club’s 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels</a> Tuesday. “It feels good, but I think it’s the smart thing to do.”</p>
<p>Admittedly, little has been revealed about the Dominican Republic native’s left knee injury outside of it being a grade-1 sprain, so maybe it’s still not fully healed and won’t be for some time. But it does make it a little bit easier for Gibbons to put Bautista at DH when he returns.</p>
<p>Furthermore, with Upton starting to find his stroke a little, hitting .290/.343/.581 over his last nine games and .255/.302/.447 with three home runs and nine RBIs in his past 14 games entering Tuesday, it would mean his spot in the batting lineup wouldn&#8217;t be a complete black hole devoid of offense and with limited returns.</p>
<p>Something else that Gibbons has noted is how Upton&#8217;s comfort levels with his surroundings, new city and teammates over the past little while are likely contributing to his recent success. This is something that would bode well for the future.</p>
<p>“I think he’s settled in here, he’s comfortable here,” Gibbons said. “I’ve said it before… you’re in a new environment you naturally want things to get off to a great start. Your tendency is to press and try to make things happen, in baseball that works against you. It always does, or always seems to.&#8221;</p>
<p>As the season continues Gibbons said that Upton&#8217;s &#8220;going to play a lot.”</p>
<p>Time will tell how much playing time Upton Jr. will see and in what role down the stretch drive. For Gibbons, however, it only makes sense to optimize your lineup with what works best for the club both offensively and defensively moving forward, and it appears there’s at least a possibility that Bautista will be found focusing more on his hitting and less on chasing down fly balls in the future if the manager has his way. He has the prefect excuse to make it happen.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Maybe It&#8217;s Time for a Blue Jays Managerial Shake Up</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/28/maybe-its-time-for-a-blue-jays-managerial-shake-up/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/28/maybe-its-time-for-a-blue-jays-managerial-shake-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2016 14:47:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gideon Turk]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marco Estrada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=2072</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve defended John Gibbons for a while. I&#8217;m of the opinion that some managers are bad at their jobs, some are extraordinary, but most are just there &#8211; not having a huge impact on their teams either way. Until this season, I&#8217;ve put Gibbons into that last category. He did some things well, and some things poorly, but they seemed [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve defended John Gibbons for a while. I&#8217;m of the opinion that some managers are bad at their jobs, some are extraordinary, but most are just there &#8211; not having a huge impact on their teams either way. Until this season, I&#8217;ve put Gibbons into that last category. He did some things well, and some things poorly, but they seemed to even out over the course of a six month season. Recently, however, I&#8217;ve taken a 180 degree turn and have no faith in Gibbons at all, thinking he is part of that first group of managers who actively hurt their ball clubs.</p>
<p>This season hasn&#8217;t started out well for Gibbons. First, he made the peculiar decision to stick Kevin Pillar in the leadoff spot despite all evidence suggesting he should do something else. Predictably, the man notorious for swinging at anything thrown at him struggled immensely in that role, batting .188/.235/.271 in his 12 games in the leadoff position before being demoted back to the bottom of the lineup. Gibbons then inserted Michael Saunders into the top of the lineup where he has thrived, batting .310/.375/.448 in seven games played. However, the results here don&#8217;t actually matter; the process is most important, and the process was flawed from the start. When the player with a career walk percentage of 3.9% (defined by the <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/library/offense/rate-stats/" target="_blank">FanGraphs glossary</a> as worse than awful) was put into a position where he had to see pitches and get on base, something went wrong.</p>
<p>Then, there was the dress controversy. A manager is at his best when he doesn&#8217;t make the news, and &#8220;Gibby&#8221; has failed at that this season for much more than his shoddy bullpen management. He became the topic of conversation when he couldn&#8217;t control his tongue after a Blue Jays controversial loss a few weeks ago, saying, &#8220;maybe we’ll come out wearing dresses tomorrow.&#8221; That was bad enough, but it was at least a heat of the moment slip. However, when given the opportunity to apologize the next day, he doubled down and told everybody to &#8216;lighten up&#8217;. Instead of apologizing and trying his best to make sure the stories surrounding the team were about baseball, he couldn&#8217;t give up his pride, and did the wrong thing. Again.</p>
<p>Then there has been John Gibbons&#8217; actual on field management, which is the easiest part of his job to dissect. It could just be recency bias, but it feels like there have been a lot more opportunities to second guess the manager this season than in years past. There are too many examples to run through them all, but if you have been following the team, you&#8217;ve surely seen a few of them. However, Wednesday night&#8217;s game was the final straw, and the reason I am writing this piece, so let&#8217;s break down exactly what happened.</p>
<p>Marco Estrada was throwing a gem, but the Blue Jays could not do anything on the offensive side of the ball. After six innings, Estrada had thrown 90 pitches, and the score was still 0-0. The obvious move here was to keep him in for the seventh, right? 90 pitches is a lot, but still a small enough total that Estrada should have been able to pitch one more inning. On most nights, that would be right, but yesterday Estrada was seen grabbing his right shoulder throughout the game &#8211; between pitches, between batters, and in the dugout. A pitcher with a sore shoulder should have his night ended at 90 pitches, if not before, let alone one who has just recently recovered from a back injury. Instead, John Gibbons kept Marco Estrada in the game, and he promptly gave up two runs by allowing three of the first five batters to reach base. That would end up being all the White Sox needed to win, as they wound up taking the game 4-0.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not the loss that is at issue though. Estrada threw 118 pitches on a night where his shoulder was pretty clearly bothering him. Maybe part of why that happened would seem to be because Gibbons didn&#8217;t want to go to the bullpen. As you probably noticed, they&#8217;ve been rather poor lately. Unfortunately, that would be another example of Gibbons trusting a small sample of data because of its recency, rather than opting for the conventional move.</p>
<p>That may not be the reason though, as John Gibbons apparently didn&#8217;t even know that Estrada&#8217;s shoulder was hurting him.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gibbons &quot;didn&#39;t know anything about&quot; Estrada rubbing his shoulder. Marco said &quot;it didn&#39;t feel good, don&#39;t wanna talk about it&quot;. Getting odd.</p>
<p>&mdash; Joel Gallant (@SportsCamDude) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCamDude/status/725519323834531840">April 28, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>What? How could a manager not know that his pitcher was hurting? Estrada even came out late for the start of an inning because he was being treated in the clubhouse. Joel is right. It is odd. That&#8217;s something a manager needs to know. Now perhaps Gibbons <em>did</em> know and is simply choosing not to discuss it with reporters. But if that&#8217;s the case he is not excused; he is simply negligent instead of ignorant, neither of which is a good quality for a man at the helm of a major league baseball team.</p>
<p>Overall, it seems like nothing has gone right for John Gibbons this season. The process behind his bullpen management has been poor, his lineup construction has been questionable at best, and it seems he&#8217;s lacking some basic communication with his players. Then, in addition to everything on the field, he created a story and refused to end it by doubling down and not apologizing.</p>
<p>I doubt that firing John Gibbons is a cure all. That won&#8217;t fix the Blue Jays relievers allowing everybody and their uncle to score. But maybe it would lead to the relievers being put into better positions where they can succeed. And it won&#8217;t stop the Blue Jays from striking out at historical levels. But it might lead to a change in approach by some players, and that could get this offense back to where it should be.</p>
<p>Josh Donaldson is right; this the &#8220;get it done league,&#8221; not the the <a href="https://twitter.com/SNBarryDavis/status/599774412716441600" target="_blank">&#8220;try&#8221; league</a>. But in order for something to get done, you have to try first. Maybe it&#8217;s time to try somebody new at the helm of the Toronto Blue Jays.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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