Some notable debuts, updates and Alan Roden and Adam Macko, and who knows what else by the time I finish this edition…..

Smash Debuts

This was undoubtedly a busy week for the Florida-based Player Development staff. Not only was there the usual orientation and administrative work to be done with the players drafted or signed as free agents, but a slew of players came to the organization as a result of the Blue Jays being sellers at the trade deadline, and roster moves and transportation arrangements had to be made (the players coming from other organizations do not go through an orientation - they head to their new assignments).

Trey Yesavage’s college teammate got the ball rolling:

C Jacob Sharp, who came over in the Yimmy Garcia deal with the Mariners, did not waste much time in introducing himself to the Nat Bailey faithful:

I saw Sharp in action over the weekend, and he’s been a shot in the arm on both sides of the ball for the C’s. Not the biggest (5’7”/180) guy in the world, he’s stout and has some pop. Compared to other guys Vancouver has had behind the plate this season, he’s a smooth and fairly polished receiver.

Another backstop, 6th round pick Aaron Parker, hit a moonshot for his first pro HR:

I was listening to the Daytona feed of the game while I walked my dog. The Daytona announcer, as one might expect, was only mildly enthusiastic about the blast, but I could hear D-Jays radio guy Larry Larson in the next booth over call it, and he was pumped.

SS Jay Harry, acquired from the Twins, wasted even less time than Sharp in his Vancouver debut:

But there were guys already in the organization who had impressive debuts at their new levels (as a result of the influx of new players at the lower levels). RHP Grant Rogers, who seemed to improve with every start while with Dunedin, threw 8 innings of scoreless ball for the C’s. He faced the minimum over 7 innings, and punctuated his outing with a bang:

Not to be outdone, RHP Rafael Sanchez, whose spot Rogers took in the Vancouver rotation, was just as sharp. His debut was delayed a day by rain, but Sanchez gave the beleaguered New Hampshire bullpen a break by tossing a complete game (7 inning) shutout in the first game of a doubleheader:

Yesavage Signs

And hours before the deadline, RHP Trey Yesavage, the club’s first round pick, signed for just slightly over slot at $4.2 million.

This is every bit as good as the Alek Manoah pick in 2019, make no mistake about it, and if I was writing up a To 30 Jays prospects list, Yesavage would be the best pitching prospect in the organization. He’s all but a finished product, and like Manoah, I expect his tenure in the minors will not be a long one. That doesn’t mean we’ll see Yesavage this season - it’s just too hard to get guys like him ramped up in time after having shut down at the end of the college season (one of the disadvantages, to me of the new draft format, although MLB clubs may see it in the opposite). There’s no point in having him pitch to Florida State League hitters, nor is there any in sending him to the Northwest League to face guys who have been hitting all season.

Yesavage will be well worth the wait.

Alan Roden

Last off season, there was talk in the media about Roden possibly making his way to Toronto this year. The 2022 3rd round pick had a breakout 2023, but got off to a slow start this year as he got accustomed to a new swing set up designed to get his barrel more into play.

Roden earned a mid-June promotion to Buffalo, but got off to another slow start against the more advanced pitching, going 5-39 in his first dozen AAA games.

The Creighton grad has turned things around in a big way, and is in the midst of a 9-game hit streak, a stretch that includes four multi-hit games. When asked how he’s found the transition to AAA, Roden replied:

The transition to AAA has been, at times, difficult, and perhaps has taken longer than I would have liked. My thoughts on the largest difference between AA and AAA so far has been the maturity in the pitchers. While the “stuff” is probably fairly similar in most ways, the maturity of the pitchers, which involves command but also how they sequence their pitches and their tunnels, has been a constant learning curve. Continuing to find consistency is what I’m looking to do now.

Roden is one of the more thoughtful and articulate players in the system. Both of his parents are college professors, and if not for baseball he would likely be pursuing a post-grad physics degree. He applies his considerable baseball IQ to improving his skills at the plate. Perhaps it’s a long shot, and would involve roster considerations, but if Roden continues his hot hitting of late, he may have worked his way back into the conversation about guys who may get a late-season audition.

Adam Macko

Macko was arguably the best pitching prospect in the system (given injuries to others) with his first-half performance.

After a couple of June outings where his velo was down, Macko was put on the 7-day IL on July 5th. I asked Keegan Matheson, Jays’ MLB.com reporter, if he could ask John Schneider for an update during one of his sessions with the beat reporters, and Keegan posted:

I asked around this weekend, and the word I received was that Macko was still in Florida, “building back up to return this season.” While there was some thought while he was healthy that Macko might find his way to Toronto in the second half (he’s already on the 40-man), given the big club’s dismal record, the rash of UCL injuries that have happened, and Macko’s own injury history - granted, he had not missed a start in a year and a half with the Blue Jays organization - there really isn’t much point in rushing things. The problem is, I guess, is that when we hear “on a throwing progression,” we tend to think, “is on his way back,” but in truth that can be an up-and-down process. But “forearm soreness” is a very significant red flag, and Macko will have to check a lot of boxes before he returns to action this year.