OverDrive - Griffin on the Blue Jays' leap in the standings, Springer's commanding stretch and the trade deadline perspective

Episode Date: July 4, 2025

GriffsThePitch.com Columnist Richard Griffin joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Blue Jays, the team's sweep against the Yankees, the red-hot stretch for the roster, George Springer's dominant run and the MVP of the team, Alejandro Kirk's position, Anthony Santander on the IL, the trade deadline moves, pitching additions that could fit, the AL East division and more.

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How are you today? I'm good, guys. How are you? Good. We're just brimming with optimism here. So I guess the ultimate question is, how legitimate is this and how sustainable is it? Well, for me, we've got to wait until the All-Star game, the All-Star break. You know, it was a tremendous four-game sweep of the Yankees, but now you've got a chance

for a letdown. You've got the Angels for three, then the White Sox, and then finally the Athletics before the All-Star break. So that's three teams that are 48 games under 500 and don't forget that in this 23 and 10 stretch They did have a three and six Nine game series that ended with two out of three losses to the white sox. Well, i'm reserving my unbridled optimism for the all-star break and and you know that that is Two weeks before the trade deadline, so we'll hear the rumor mills

out of New York with the Yankees who, you know, they're always looking to make a deal, especially after being embarrassed at Rogers Center. So we'll see. It is a time for optimism, something that happened that nobody would have believed at the end of May, and here we are but I'm still holding back until the All-Star break. Despite that though I mean a massive series a sweep of the Yankees the first time in Jays history they've completed a home four game sweep of the team from New York and just like how big

of a statement was that for this J's team, kind of telling the world and maybe even, you know, Michael K specifically, we are in the class of this division. Yeah, it's a huge step forward and a huge slap in the face for the most celebrated cheering hometown media in baseball. You know, that's the New York Yankees media. It's the biggest, it's the biggest small-town media in North America. And it just, to see Michael K go on about run differential and these aren't a true chat and then be finished

the sweep was really sweet. And you know, like I like individual, in fact I love individual players on the Blue Jays because I worked with them for four years, but the team You know the team Let's just reserve judgment for now, but it was really nice to see because I also do not like the Yankees It's a good way to put it Griff. Well, let's talk about the guy who's sort of been that's a good way to put it grip well let's talk about the guy who sort of been leading the charge here Griffin and it's an unexpected charge from George Springer given he's coming off last season which was by a lot of statistic the worst season of his career age 35 it looked like you know wasn't gonna be a

nice forecast for the remainder of his career in Toronto and yet there he is at the top of the standings with 15 home runs leading the team, 891 OPS leading the team. What do you make of it? Yeah, I felt the need. We recorded an Exit Philosophy podcast this morning, and I felt the need to apologize publicly to George Springer for saying he was washed, that he was done.

We did say specifically that he should be moved out of the leadoff spot, which he has been. I heard your guys' discussion earlier about the MVP of the Blue Jays thus far, and I would go Kirk, Bichette, and then Springer. Because he was being carried through the first little while. The player who would be the hardest to replace is Alejandro Kirk. You know, when you go wins above replacement. Well, if the replacement is Tyler Heineman, then his wins above shoots up

because you can't afford to lose Alejandro Kirk out of that lineup. Meanwhile, you can afford, especially as you guys were mentioning the performance of Nathan Lupeis. And then they've had other outfielders come up and do a job briefly, albeit, but they've done a job. You can credit the injury list early in the season for discovering who could play, for discovering who could step up. Addison Barger didn't make the opening day roster

and here he is leading the way as much as George Springer is. And you've got Ernie Clement, who I think his supreme role is as a super sub at third, short, and second. He doesn't play first base. He plays first base, but not very well and I think his optimum is 120 130 games with someone else starting at those positions and Him just playing the field but you found out you discovered all of this because of injuries to Santander and Andres Jimenez and others and

in the past few years when there's been an injury they've been bewitched bothered and bewildered and not been able to do that and that's the key to me is the ability of some guys that already existed in this clubhouse on this roster to step up. Yeah, Griff, I like the way you described that because that's really what we're seeing in the past injuries have happened and you know not only the Jays have had this issue but I like the way you described that because that's really what we're seeing in the past. Injuries have happened and not only the Jays have had this issue but others and they go south and for whatever reason, and we don't know what it is, this year the pieces that

have had to step up have done that. I think that's what really draws people into this story. Kirk's a great example. I don't know what you would expect out of him but he's just done a really great job in him and really engaging to watch And some of these other people that we've talked about Barger Lucas and and some of the others that you didn't know we're gonna do it have done it Springer who's been injured in the past Bichette has been injured have done it

You know you thought Vlad he was gonna carry the the gravy train here, but he's you know He's finding his way and Santander well He's injured so that's that's really the intrigue in this team is that you don't know who's going to do it but you're pretty confident somebody is. Well Tappman I remember being on your show earlier in the season in April or early May and we're talking about Alejandro Kirk who was struggling at the plate at the time and I reminded you that the reason he

made the team originally was back to ball skills was his offense it wasn't his defense and there was a lot of the fan base saying wow we need a catcher who can hit we do what about Danny Jansen why they let Danny Jansen go but this he has returned to what earned him a spot on this team in the first place and I think that's a great thing the one thing that I'm not sure you guys discussed it, but that trade deadline that I really believe they have to go out and get is a an experienced veteran starting pitcher. And it doesn't have to be somebody who's locked in for extra seasons after this one. It has to be someone who can help them down the stretch because

they're just rolling the dice with Max Scherzer going out every fifth day and Eric Lauer is not going to maintain the statistics that he's got right now. Today they brought up Lazaro Estrada, who's a right-hander that a lot of people haven't heard of, but he can eat innings if Lauer slows down or if Max Scherzer is injured again, keeps flexing that hand and after 50-60 pitches and you go, uh-oh. And so they need at the deadline, and that's a month from now, less than a month from now, they need to find another starter and I think they'll be fine. At the deadline, is a replacement for Anthony Santander something they're going to have

to think about? He was just placed on the 60 day IL. Is he someone that the Jays can rely upon for once he gets back into the fold that he can be a contributor to this ball club or are they going to need to go out and get another kind of power back to kind of supplement what Santander might not be able to bring? No, I think that they can retro, they can, you know, the 60 days is going to expire when he's ready to play. So that's not an issue, it's just getting a roster spot for Estrada. But they've locked him in for five years and I think they're going to roll the dice and stay with him. And I think I've seen so many times that there were injuries,

there were extra twists and turns, injuries that affected a player's performance early in the season that nobody talks about. And when they come back, they're 100% to what they were. Because this guy hit 44 home runs a year ago and you're expecting the power that you didn't see early in the season. They're committed to him. I do not believe that they will go out and get another experienced power RBI bat. I think that they'll roll it. I mean, one of the depths of this Blue Jays team is the outfielders and we talked about Nathan Lucas

of this Blue Jays team is the outfielders. And we talked about Nathan Lucas. And there's other guys who have been up and down and proved that as a fourth or fifth outfielder, they can do the job. And Miles Straw that everybody made fun of because he was like an expensive throw in so they could get money to sign Roki Suzuki and that didn't happen.

But he's been contributing and he's been a defensive an adequate defensive Replacement for Dalton Varsha who's a gold lover So yeah, I don't think they need to go out and get another outfielder and to me George Springer It's going to take up the bulk of the d8 spot when down the stretch just to continue his good health and Keep him in the middle of that order as long as he's hot. So Griff, your MVP, team MVP rankings to date to go over them again, Alejandro Kirk, number one, Bo Bichette, number two, Springer, number three. This panel had Springer as the

unanimous MVP, so we'll disagree on that. But talk to me about why you put Bichette at number two. He's been nicked up. He'll be back in the lineup tonight he pinch hit last night in this contract year he had a lost season last year to injury what has impressed you so much about boba shed well when they move springer out of the leadoff spot they needed somebody there and I didn't think the shirt was the right guy because he swing that anything that's close to the plate and you want a guy working the count at that point but he's done the job batting leadoff he's the only games that he's missed are the last four the only starts that he's missed are the last four and only one of those previous was

as a DH and this guy was among the top three in base hits. He's been playing probably some of his best defense, which was a low bar to begin with, but it's still nevertheless. And I just think that for the first 87, 88 games, that he has been more valuable to me, to this team, than a hot and cold George Springer. So what does that say about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Does it make your

your top three and you know he's the one who got paid this past offseason and you know I was I was looking to see over this stretch since May 28 that's kind of that date we look at he's not even in the top five of the Blue Jays. It wins above replacement. Like what have you made of Laddie's season since getting that big contract? Well, you know, it's like arguing whether the Mona Lisa is the MVP of the Louvre. It doesn't move, doesn't do anything. But still, it's the face of the franchise. And he is the face of the franchise. When he is the face of the franchise. When he signed the contract, fans turned and paid attention and said,

hey, you know, these guys are serious. Even the clubhouse turned and paid attention and said, hey, these guys are serious. So last year around the same time, he had 10 to 12 home runs and he ended up with 30. I believe that that is a trend that we're going to see again. He still by the end of the season probably won't be the team MVP but if he is the team MVP they will not have won the division. They may make the playoffs if they played 500 ball the rest of the way they'd have 87 wins which will be enough in sort of a mediocre middle of the pack in the

American League. But they want to win the division and if he's the MVP of this team at the end of the season, given the three-month head start he's given to Kirk and some of the others, then this team's not going to win. Griff, in terms of what the Jays would part with at the deadline, where are you on that and is there any possibility Manoa reappears? Yes, yes for Manoa. I think that also Trey is Sabbath, the guy that they drafted first round last season.

I think that he started in Dunedin, he started at low A, went to Vancouver, where he learned what it felt like to have Looney's and Toonies in your pocket. And now he's in New Hampshire and he's just tearing it up. The only thing he's not doing is pitching deep in the ball games. But at 22 years old, it's not like he's 19 or just turning 20. He's been around. He's a college junior. I think he may help. Manoa may help, and if they get somebody at the deadline, they'll be covered because I really don't think that Max Scherz is going to take the

ball 14 more times the rest of the season. But what do you think they're going to move out? Oh, they've got that surplus of outfielders we talked about, and there are teams, if you look through MLB trade rumors, there are teams that are looking for outfielders. There are arms at some of the lower levels that they'd be willing to part with. Not Cal Stephen, who was another right-hander from the draft last year. Not Johnny King, who's a left-hander, high schooler, just turned 19, pitched him to Eden the other day. And not Yusavage, and not use that is and not really key to me but there are down there that would

teams that are looking to restock their farm system so i'd say uh... surplus arms and outfielders would get in would be enough to get a uh... veteran starter uh... with no years beyond twenty twenty five i think that that would be the case. So, Griff, you're not ready to get too excited about this pennant race just yet. You're the old head. You're saying wait till the All-Star break, wait to see if this is real. But if we're jumping ahead, like if you have to handicap the other two teams that are apparently going to be the threat to beat

the Blue Jays out for the American League East. Who do you like between the Rays and the Yankees? Well, Dave, the Rays have had the advantage of playing probably two-thirds of their games at home because they don't want them playing in this stinking hot middle of the summer in Tampa where it rains every day. I rented a convertible one time for a trip to Miami. I wondered why there were so many in the stinking hot middle of the summer in Tampa, where it rains every day. I rented a convertible one time for a trip to Miami. I wondered why there were so many in the parking lot available. It rained every day when I drove to the stadium in Miami. So I know that as a factor was never any BP.

So I think that the rays have had the advantage, the scheduling advantage, so I don't believe they can do it. I don't believe they can do it. I don't like them anyway. And the only team they really dominate is the Blue Jays, which is the only way that they can win. The Yankees are the ones that I worry about. Red Sox, that clubhouse went into a spiral when they traded Devers, and the GM and the

manager are not where they were a year ago even. And so I'm looking at the Yankees, I'm looking at the Yankees at the All-Star break, watching them reload, watching them line themselves up for the second half, and then at the trade deadline making a significant move. So they're the team that I worry about and probably historically rightly so. Gref, I think we're done. I think we've exhausted the question supply. Is there anything we didn't ask you?

Yeah, that's an old journalism trick and I don't do that anymore. Hey, by the way, how's your manager's career going? Oh man, we play at all the ballparks. I'm in the perfect game, Collegiate Summer League, and we're not very good, but I'm managing my ass off. But we're just not very good. But it's fun going to all the ballparks from the New York Penal League, Jamestown,

what I used to write about as an Expos PR guy, our team was there, Batavia, Newark, Auburn. It's great. New, all ballparks that I've written about and never been to and now I'm there and I'm managing and I love it. Griff, I was told to say go iron backs, go. Perfect, I appreciate it.

Plenty of tickets still available. Ha thanks very much appreciate it. Alright guys anytime. Richard Griffin, griffsthepitch.com. The biggest songs in the world. You've heard them countless times. Now learn the details of how they came to be. Join Ruby Carr for Encore, the stories behind the songs you love. New interviews and newly unearthed archive footage make for a fascinating weekly deep dive.

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