Toronto Blue Jays: Tomorrow and Today
Why rebuild when the Toronto Blue Jays can just build?
After the Blue Jays horrid start to the 2017 campaign there was much talk of a potential rebuild for Canada’s only Major League Baseball franchise. Numerous pieces surfaced discussing justifications for and against a Toronto Blue Jays teardown. Though the Jays have managed to claw back to a near .500 record, the end of this season will no doubt bring about the discussion again. With any aging team showing plausible signs of decline, discussion of ‘blowing it up,’ or going ‘full Astros’ often is thrown around rather nonchalantly. Comparisons to the disastrous Phillies mismanagement of a closing window and calls for radical change are natural. What many fail to recognize is the Toronto Blue Jays, led by still relatively new management in Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro, have very quickly obtained and fostered one of the most elite prospect groups the Jays have had in recent memory.
Of course comparing todays prospect base to the days of notoriously trade-happy Alex Anthoplous is negligent. But even in current comparison to the rest of the league the Jays have set themselves up for future success, with zero cost to the Major League team. There is a preconception amongst many in favour of rebuilds that future talent comes only at the cost of current results. Atkins and Shapiro however, have creatively and effectively obtained a high ceiling prospect base while simultaneously fielding a competitive Major League roster. This management group is discarding the prioritized rebuild with the shockingly revolutionary idea of simply building.
The Jays minor-league system is reliant around a top heavy prospect base, featuring the most Baseball America top 100 prospect of any American League franchise (even tied with the lauded White Sox system), and multiple first round picks in the coming draft will give the Franchise the ability to continue to feed one of the leagues best minor league systems.
The pride and joy of the Jays farm are none other than Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the most feared left-infield in Michigan minor-league baseball. The blood alone of these two blue chip prospects is enough to allow Jays fans and management to dream big, and the duo has already made like their former All-Star fathers and done nothing but raked. Far more under appreciated prospect Bradley Jones joins these two in Lansing to represent the third cog of the new ‘Lansing Three’. Likened to the former Jays minor league gems and three-headed monster of Aaron Sanchez, Noah Syndeergaard and Justin Nicolino. The new incarnation of the Jays prospect core is terrorizing the Midwest League from the other side of the plate at a blistering pace.
Atkins and Shapiro however have brought more than their new Lansing jewels to the system, including being responsible for the addition of four of the Jays top 10 prospects in only two years. Shortstop Richard Urena, Outfielder Anthony Alford, and First Basemen Rowdy Tellez join Pitchers Sean Reid-Foley and Connor Greene as the main pre-Shapiro prospects that currently man the Jays upper minors.
The Blue Jays managements’ attempts to circumvent the modern rebuild do not rely simply on efficient and effective drafting. Retaining a successful current roster will often result in low draft picks and even require losing draft picks to sign Qualified players. This amongst other factors has inspired the aforementioned creativity Atkins and Shapiro have shown. As much as fans would care not to acknowledge, the Blue Jays are one of the higher spending franchises in baseball, though often overshadowed by even deeper pocketed division rivals. Apparent in their top-10 payroll, this capital has also been leveraged by Jays management in the international market, and the results will be seen north of the border sooner than many may realize. Of course top prospect Guerrero Jr. came through this process, but joining him are brother of Astros 3B Yuleski Gurriel , Lourdes, as well as (allegedly) two of the top 30 International prospects in the coming class.
With the Jays currently led by the likes of Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki a change of the guard is all but inevitable, a rebuild however may not be. Potentially without skipping a beat, the Jays could slot Anthony Alford, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette into the roles of the aforementioned stars and continue to win games. With young starters like Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and possibly Joe Biagini, anchoring a productive rotation, and perennial closer Roberto Osuna, the future Jays roster could be much clearer than many claim.
Prospects are prospects for a reason, they sometimes don’t pan out, but if you are going to have future success you have to believe in the talent of your organization and the Jays top minor leaguers are giving them every reason to believe. The Jays may not win in 2017, and maybe not in 2018 either, but to trade former MVPs and All-Stars when future MVPs and All-Stars may already be in the system would go against the perennially competitive mentality Shapiro and company have preached. No one likes losing players to Free Agency for nothing in return, and if players have to be traded then so be it. Players like Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki don’t grow on trees, but neither do the likes Bichette or Guerrero.
While Alex Anthoupolous was certainly a fun GM to be a fan of, Shapiro and Atkins are showing to be significantly more boring in the best way possible.
