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Bluebird Banter

https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/ | 223 entries published

Roster moves R Us.

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Today in Blue Jays History: Jays Trade for Grichuk

Eight Years Ago The Blue Jays traded pitchers Conner Greene and Dominic Leone to the Cardinals for Randal Grichuk. Greene had been a good prospect. He was #100 on Baseball Prospectus’ Top 100 Prospect List in 2016. Then, in 2017, Conner played in New Hampshire and had a 5.29 ERA in 132.2 innings. He had […]

about 17 hours ago | 0 reads

On Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette has been a Blue Jay since we drafted him in the second round of the 2016 draft, so ten years now, seven of them with the major league team. He was a top prospect, reaching number eight on Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list. In 2017 he was number on nine our top […]

about 21 hours ago | 0 reads

Saturday Bantering: Bo, Tucker

Jon Heyman tells us that the Jays offer to Kyle Tucker was $350 million for 10 years. He signed a 4-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers. So I guess the question is will he be able to find a 6-year, $110 million contract at age 33. I guess it is best to get the […]

3 days ago | 1 read

Blue Jays Birthdays: Brad Fullmer

It is Brad Fullmer’s 51st birthday. Also, 23 years ago (2002), the Blue Jays traded Brad Fullmer to the Angels for Brian Cooper. So it is a shared birthday/today in Jays’ history post. About the trade: Cooper was an RHP. He was 27 at the time. He pitched for the Angels for portions of three […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

Bichette Signs With Mets

Jeff Passan is reporting that the Mets and Bo Bichette have agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract. That is $41.5 million a year, which is more than I would want to pay him, but I would want him on a short contract like they got. It also seems like a lot of money for […]

4 days ago | 0 reads

Kyle Tucker Signs With Dodgers

Kyle Tucker has signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers. That’s $60 million a year, which seems almost insane to me. The rumour was the the Jays offered a long term contract, but I’m sure not at $60 million per year. That would be a hard number to turn down. Such is life […]

4 days ago | 2 reads

Better Know Your Blue Jays 40-man: Angel Bastardo

While we wait to hear who Kyle Tucker has decided to sign with, (I have to go out in a bit, so of course he’ll wait until then) let’s have another one of these. Angel Bastardo (what an amazing name) is a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher who the Jays picked up in the Rule 5 Draft […]

5 days ago | 1 read

Happy Birthday Rance Mulliniks and Tim Mayza

Rance Mulliniks turns 70 today. Rance was one of my favourite players because he seemed to get the absolute most out of his natural abilities. He wasn’t big or fast. He wore glasses. A left-handed hitter, geeky looking, wore glasses. How could I not like him? You didn’t think ‘professional athlete’ when you looked at […]

5 days ago | 0 reads

Today in Blue Jays History: Trade David Wells for Mike Sirotka

25 Years Ago On January 14, 2001, the Blue Jays traded 37-year-old David Wells and Matt DeWitt to the White Sox for Mike Sirotka, Mike Williams, Kevin Beirne, and Brian Simmons. The only two that mattered were Wells and Sirotka. DeWitt and Williams were traded back for each other before the season started. The Jays […]

6 days ago | 1 read

Jays And Mets Make Offers To Tucker

It looks like we are going close to the finish line on the Kyle Tucker chase. The Mets have made a “short-term’ offer to Tucker. Apparently, they have offered $50 million a season for three-years. And the Blue Jays have made a longer term offer to him, but there are no details on their offer. […]

7 days ago | 1 read

Today in Blue Jays history: Rolen/Glaus trade

Eighteen years ago today. The trade was official on the 14th, but we got wind of it on the 12th, so let’s split the difference. In the middle of a very slow January for Blue Jays news, the Jays traded Troy Glaus to the Cardinals for Scott Rolen. As Hugo said in his post on […]

7 days ago | 0 reads

Better Know Your Blue Jays 40-Man: Addison Barger

Addison Barger was added to the Jays’ 40-man in November 2022 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He’s 26 and, in two seasons, he’s played 204 games for the Blue Jays, with a .229/.286/.422 line and 28 home runs. In 2025, he split time between third and right field, playing 91 games at […]

8 days ago | 1 read

Jays Sign Eloy Jiménez To Minor League Contract

This would have been big news a few years ago. Eloy Jiménez was a top prospect, #3 on the Baseball America in 2019 and #4 in 2018. He’s a 29-year-old, right-handed hitting outfielder. He plays the corner outfield spot, with no time in center field in the minors. He made it to the majors in […]

8 days ago | 1 read

Bregman Signs With Cubs

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Alex Bregman signed a 5-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs. Apparently, $70 million of it is deferred. Bergman will be 32 this coming season. The deferral makes the value somewhat less than $175 million but he won’t be having to buy value meals at McDonald’s any time soon. I’m […]

9 days ago | 1 read

Saturday Bantering: Jays Bits

Not much for Jays’ news today. Eric Lauer (all Erics should come together and pick one spelling for their name) and the Jays filed their numbers with the arbitrator. Lauer is asking for $5.75 million the team is at $4.4 million. I’m generally on the player’s side in these things, but I can’t see why […]

10 days ago | 0 reads

Happy Birthday Otis Nixon and Alek Manoah

Former Blue Jays center fielder Otis Nixon turns 67 today. Nixon had a 17-year MLB career. He spent two of those years (well, just short of two years) with the Jays. With the Jays, he hit .275/.362/.317 (it is hard to imagine an outfielder with a Slugging Average that low) with 2 home runs and […]

11 days ago | 1 read

Reacts Poll Results: Bo/Tucker Poll

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Blue Jays fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. SB Nation ran a poll asking if the Jays would sign either Bo Bichette or […]

11 days ago | 0 reads

Friday Bantering: Arbitration, Bo

The Jays made deals with three of the four arbitration eligible players: Eric Lauer looks to be heading to arbitration, unless they make a last-minute deal, but most teams don’t negotiate after exchanging arbitration numbers. Lauer filed for $5.75 million with the team going with $4.4 million. I have no opinion on which number is […]

11 days ago | 0 reads

Question Time: How did you become a Blue Jays fan?

There isn’t all that much to talk about today. We’ve had a fair bit on the Okamoto signing, and I’m out of the house for most of today, so let’s ask a question: How did you become a Blue Jay fan? I’m always curious about how people come to baseball as their sport to watch, […]

12 days ago | 0 reads

Blue Jays Reacts Survey: Are The Jays Done Signing Free Agents?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Blue Jays fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. The question, this week, is whether the Jays are finished spending or not. And more […]

13 days ago | 5 reads

Happy Birthday Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion turns 43 today. When we traded Scott Rolen to the Reds for Josh Roenicke, Zach Stewart and Edwin, no one would have guessed that Edwin would be the last one standing. But, of course, Edwin did spend three weeks as an Oakland A in the winter of 2010. The fans didn’t exactly love […]

13 days ago | 2 reads

Tuesday Bantering: Kazuma Okamoto

Happy Tuesday. I played badminton this morning. I’m trying out the game because I don’t think I’m going to be playing squash for many more years. It is hard on the joints. But the problem, for me, is that Badminton isn’t much of a workout. I played for an hour and a half, taking about […]

14 days ago | 1 read

The Season That Was: Mason Fluharty

Mason Fluharty (why do I always want to spell his name with a d in the t spot?) was a fifth round draft pick, in the 2022 draft, by the Blue Jays. There are only five players picked in that round who have made it to the majors, so far. He made it onto our […]

14 days ago | 2 reads

Happy Birthday J.P. Arencibia

Former Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia turns 40today. Arencibia was a first-round draft pick by the Jays in the 2004 draft, number 21 overall. He quickly became our top prospect and hit #43 on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list before the 2009 season. Then, he came up to the Jays and played his first […]

15 days ago | 1 read