Future Blue Jays Newsletter 7/4

On Alek Manoah and the FCL, Player/Pitcher of the Month, and some trade targets in this edition.

The Florida Complex League

“Don’t bother.”

That was the response I received from a Blue Jays Player Development staffer earlier this year when I said a bucket list item for me was to see a Complex League game.

It’s hot (the games start at noon), there’s no atmosphere, the games are full of mistakes made by youngsters just learning the pro game, and there are funky things that go on when rehabbbing big leaguers are present. It’s baseball, but it’s more of a Petri dish.

It came as something of a shock, but given Alek Manoah’s work in a AA game with New Hampshire on Sunday night, it all seems to make sense now. Manoah, of course, was dinged for quite an ugly line in his one and only FCL start earlier in the week, and it’s obvious by now that he was working on something picked up in the pitching lab and the defence behind him featured no Matt Chapmans. The FCL outing was not one where Manoah was looking for a W.

When people rushed to judge Manoah from that one Florida appearance, that comment immediately came to mind.

Trade Targets

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays will be buyers at the trade deadline. Manoah likely has one more minor league outing to keep sharp over the All Star break ahead of him, but perhaps the need for another starter has diminished. Still, this team needs another bat, and bullpen help is always nice.

The problem is, the system is getting thin. Keith Law ranked the system 17th in his recent rankings, and to be honest, I think he was generous. Ricky Tiedemann is a Top 100 guy, and perhaps Orelvis Martinez is hitting his way back in, but beyond that the Blue Jays minor league organization is bereft of potential impact players.

That’s not to say that there are not some possible nuggets there, maybe some diamonds in the rough that need some polishing. Last year’s first round pick, Brandon Barriera, is likely not one of them, mainly because he hasn’t’ pitched in over a month. With Tiedemann’s experience this season, the Blue Jays are likely now more determined than ever to stick to a developmental timeline with Barriera.

Martinez has turned his offensive game around this season. He’s walking more, working the count, and making much better swing decisions. He might be the biggest trade chip in the system right now. Teams are likely taking long looks at his teammates starters Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse. Kloff has righted himself this year, and Robberse is still young enough to add velo; both players could be mid-rotation starters on a big league staff one day. Chad Dallas is no dobut getting some long looks as well.

Last year’s 2nd round pick 3B/2B Tucker Toman may not have produced huge numbers in the Florida State League, but he’s put together a solid first pro season, and while he might not warrant a frontline player in return, he could be part of a package to get one.

Bullpen guys in the minors tend to be a dime a dozen at the lower levels, but New Hampshire has a core of guys who all throw 95+, including Connor Cooke, T.J. Brock, Juan Nunez, Luis Quinones, Troy Watson, and Fitz Stadler. None are perhaps big league ready, but there is promise. Vancouver starter Damian Santos could be tantalizing to some club as a fastball/slider relief arm.

Player of the Month

May was a month that saw the bats in the system start to come to life, a trend that carried on through to June. There were several candidates who merited consideration, but Vancouver INF Alex DeJesus, who slashed .300/.412/.563 led the way.

Honourable mentions go to Orelvis (.306/.409.458), David Schneider (.963 OPS), and Dunedin’s Ryan McCarty (1.006 OPS).

Pitcher of the Month

Similarly, there were several players to choose from, but Dallas has picked up in AA right where he left off in High A, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.95 ERA. His WHIP for the month of an impressive 0.98, and Eastern League hitters managed only a .169 average against him.

Kloff had a solid month once again, recording a 2.33 ERA, but his walks (14) were a bit on the high side. Buffalo reliever Jimmy Burnette had an ERA just above 3.00 in 11 outings, fanning 22 hitters in 13 IP.

Last Thoughts on Manoah’s Start

When Marcus Stroman tore up his knee in spring training of 2015, he was thought to be out for the year. But Stro threw himself headlong into rehab, and came back to start four games on the Blue Jays wild run to a playoff berth.

He made a start in Lansing along the way back to the bigs, and he absolutely packed the place with media and fans, some of whom made the 4+ hour drive from the Greater Toronto Area. It was an incredible day for the people who work from the Lugnuts, and it focussed attention on the team in a way that rarely happens.

Much was the case for Manoah’s start for the Fisher Cats in Manchester. The crowd may not have been capacity, but several national media types were there, and likely many more eyes were watching the MiLB.tv broadcast. It was a day in the sun for the Fisher Cats, especially their broadcast crew. As someone who has gotten to know minor league staffers throughout the Blue Jays system, I was really happy to see them get that attention.