OverDrive - Griffin on the Blue Jays' roster set for Opening Day, Shapiro's perspective of Guerrero Jr. and Kirk's extension in Toronto

Episode Date: March 24, 2025

GriffsThePitch.com and Former Toronto Star Columnist Richard Griffin joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Blue Jays, the Opening Day roster for the team, Mark Shapiro's perspective of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his impending deal, Alejandro Kirk's extension in Toronto, George Springer and Max Scherzer looking for a bounce back season and more.

All new, all Canadian, the best of our great nation, one song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback. Made in Canada, on iHeartRadio. Rock, pop, hip-hop, and when it comes to country, it's the true north all the way. Loud and proud. An all new digital radio station from coast to coast.

Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud. Let's ask a guy that's been going to spring trainings for a long time. If he puts any weight into the Grapefruit League championship, which is what we just witnessed. Here's our friend, Richard Griffin.

Griff, do you place any value whatsoever in a positive win-loss record for the Blue Jays in the spring? Hey man, yeah, no, there's going to be, I believe the Golden Grapefruit victory parade goes from booster juice on Bay to booster juice on Bay. Okay, I like it. Upstairs or something like that i like that idea uh... i think i think in researching their history the blue jay's history of spring training their to world series when they were well under five hundred spring training and their worst seasons they've been that had winning records so this does not bode well if you believe in such a thing but it really means nothing i mean

you have guys coming from uh... nowhere like Alan Roden and making the team. You have Ryan Yarbrough showing up at camp and the J's counting on him to be a left-hander out of the bullpen and a long reliever. And he opts out on the last day and they say that they were going to cut him, but I think he just wanted to go to the Yankees that's all and so it'll be it's the first time since 2019 that they've opened at home and it'll be the first time that any of these Blue Jays have opened in Toronto. Griff before we get into the details of the the roster and the expectations just a quick comment on Shapiro coming out and saying they're

going to be optimistic that the Jays and Vladi will get something done. What do you make of the stances from both parties here? Well, it's obvious to me because in October at the end of the season, he said Vladi was a good player but he's not a generational talent and now six months later with no games being played he says that he's got a chance to be a Blue Jays legacy player so somebody's pushing him in this direction and my belief is that it's Rodgers ownership that's gonna be here a lot longer than Mark Shapiro is and that would coincide with the length

of a contract that they would give to Bloodhound. I think that it's pretty simple. You know, they're either going to do it or they're not and if they're going to do it why not on Wednesday morning before the Thursday opener and create such a big splash and it's simple to do. got and these numbers are ridiculous to begin with we all agree with that But 38 million per year for 14 seasons after this one So he's got his 28.5 lined up and that adds up to five sixty point five Offroom an opt-out after the 2030 season. So that's when our friend Alejandro Kirk's contract runs out. So, obviously, setting that as your window of competing.

And then see if he'll defer at least some money down the road. I mean, if they're going to do it in November, they might as well do it now. Yeah, I think this is a window of competing with Alonjo Kirk. I don't know if you're being serious or not, Griff, but this is a front office that is generally not... They don't love the idea of long-term contracts for really anybody. I mean, they gave one to Springer, they gave one to Barrios, they gave one to Randall Gritchick somehow. They gave one to Kirk of all people. And that's it.

Like this is I think the fourth one where they've given a guy a deal like of multiple years like three plus years on a contract, four plus years on a contract. He gets a five year deal. He's the guy though, right? Like he outlasted Jansen. Marino really never arrived here. Heinemann, if you're wondering, is is gonna be the backup catcher this year, but they believe in Kirk.

And I understand why behind the plate, I think pitchers love throwing to the guy, but if his bat doesn't return to where it was a couple of years ago, how do you make sense of this commitment to Alejandro Kirk? Yeah, the caveat with Kirk is that he's never started more than 89 games. And you don't just say,

we're gonna give you this money and you're the number one starter. And all of a sudden, your endurance and your ability to catch 120 games shows up. It's just not the way it works. But the funny thing is, when Alejandro Kirk showed up in 2020 during the COVID summer camp at Rogers Center, nobody knew who he was. And the coaching staff was looking and suggesting, you know, this fat little Mexican, he's got the best back to ball skills in the clubhouse. How can we get him on the team? And now, five years later,

everybody's worried about his offense and raving about his defense. And so the ability to hit has been there. He just needs to me to be able to catch 110 to 120 games. And that isn't necessarily a given. And when you've got Tyler Heineman behind him, you know, that'll be 73 games if he only does the 89 that he did last year 73 games where you're worried about Production and defense behind the plate. Yeah, that's not not ideal I mean you do not want that you don't want to see Heinemann that many times if he even sticks it out throughout the whole year I mean there was some competition in terms of that position

Coming out of camp we're chatting with Richard Griffin But what did you make of Max Scherzer's comments over the weekend where I'll paraphrase But he was asked if he feels like they got a good club and he basically said I don't know and we won't know until We get into the season and it wasn't necessarily a shot at like the roster or the depth chart He was he was pointing to his experience where you got to get into the year to know how professional guys are how guys show Up how guys react to losing streaks. Yeah, but Brian if they were a World Series Contender he would say we have as good a chance as anybody to win a World Series Probably basically knows what the hell is okay to do you enter? How do you interpret that Griff? I?

I Interpreted as the Max Scherzer finds it difficult to give a thumbs up because his thumb is killing him. Very true. But at spring training, I mean, here's a guy who's showing up for his first camp with the Blue Jays, and from spring training, from having been to so many spring trainings, this is my 53rd opening day in the major leagues. Having been to spring training all those years, you know that at camp, these guys never, if they're not pitching, they very rarely stay for the game.

They very rarely get to interact with everybody else. And so he's right until he travels on charters, spends time with the same 25 guys in the clubhouse, he won't know. And so he's just being honest about it. He doesn't want to pump, especially if he thinks he's not going to be a big part of it. And I heard you guys last week discussing an over under on Scherzer starts 15 or 20. I think if he could give them 25, they'd be thrilled. Oh, I think they would pounce on that, Griff. I think if you offer 25 starts, they would absolutely jump. I think they might take 20 from him right now.

I sent Pete Walker before spring training, I sent him an out, I sent him my version of the six man rotation and it allowed for an extra day for every starter, every start and through the all-star break they still had basically a number that would put them at 32 starts at the end of the year and and there were fewer for the third and fourth guys and that would be Max Scherzer. So if they can get Yariol Rodriguez in the mix and push everybody back a day, I think that that could benefit Scherzer. That first day he'll probably have his hand on ice trying to get the swelling down on his thumb. But

yeah, I mean he didn't want to give an opinion because he doesn't know how big a part of it he will be Something to chew on brought to you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar enjoy $15 lunch at BP We get an entree aside and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less a fast lunch doesn't have to be fast Food see you for a $15 fast lunch or your local Boston pizza. We've been asking online Griff I'm curious how you would answer this who is more likely to return to form for the Blue Jays this season closer to you know the prime versions which is not realistic for either guy but who do you think you could say by the end of the year wow that guy actually looked like himself more often than not. Max Scherzer or George Springer? I think Scherzer.

I think Springer is, Springer was part of that, you know, we talked about earlier about the signings, the big free agent signings. I think Springer and Hungeon Ryu were both ripple signings where the club was showing Major League Baseball that they were back in business, that they wanted to compete with the big boys. I think they maybe didn't expect that Springer's performance would last as long as his contract did, but it had the effect. When they signed Ryu in 2020, it had a ripple effect and people looked at the Blue Jays differently. And same thing with Springer, but I think his best years are done and it's going to be what we saw last year the rest of the contract and so

to me Scherzer if he can go out there 20 to 25 times he you know what you're going to get from him because he's got unbelievable competitiveness and savvy and I think that that can carry him through if a diminished fastball which it was down to 92.5 from 95 96 I think there's no doubt in my mind that the return to form would be easier for Scherzer than Springer. Well Griff it's been a blast catching up with you. I mean, what else can we say? Always great catching up with you. And we're closing in on go time here on Thursday. Are you feeling optimistic at this point?

Like where's your head at in terms of kind of a prediction for the season before we get you out of here and before they start the season? I had a learned friend say to me that the Blue Jays are two bus crashes away from contending into AL East. Okay. All right. Is that Baltimore and Boston, the Yankees? Who are we including in that?

Well, the Yankees have already had their accidents. And then, you know, you get to play the Orioles without Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez. And you know, so there's an opportunity for a good start which obviously we all agree they need in April. I think that they've got a chance to win anywhere from 74 to 88 wins. Okay that's a big gap that's a massive gap but somewhere in there we will be correct right he is Richard Griffin from GriffsThePitch.com thank you Griff appreciate it. Okay guys anytime. There he is. Griffin from GriffsThePitch.com. Thank you, Griff, appreciate it. Okay guys, anytime.

There he is. All new, all Canadian. The best of our great nation, one song at a time. This is Justin Bieber. Hi, this is Terry Clark. We are Nickelback. Made in Canada on iHeartRadio. Rock, pop, hip hop, and when it comes to country,

it's the true north all the way. Loud and proud. An all new digital radio station from coast to country. It's the true north all the way. Loud and proud. An all new digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeart radio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud.