Blue Jays Morning Brew: Josh Donaldson, have mercy

The Blue Jays are officially within a month of pitchers and catchers reporting, and as we celebrate another Friday, the buzz is beginning to build. But first… Vikings?

Bizarre stories can look very normal in the moment. Imagine, if you will, that 14 months ago, I told you the following: “A little over a year from now, Josh Donaldson will be the reigning A.L. MVP third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. Oh, he’ll also be making a guest-star appearance HISTORY’s show Vikings as a character named Hoskuld.”

What. A time. To be. Alive.

Donaldson will play “a Viking warrior of great skill, in an episode that will air later this year as part of the fourth season.” Excuse me as I check to ensure that HISTORY is part of my cable package.

“Two-time All-Star Donaldson will film in Ireland this week,” read a press release I received from a HISTORY executive yesterday evening.

Saunders the wildcard  –  Good stuff here from Jays From the Couch as they look at Michael Saunders and his breakout potential in 2016. Just because he was injured in 2015 does not mean that he is poor at baseball. This idea seems to have been lost somewhere along the way!

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Blue Jays: Shohei Ohtani trade rumours hit a slight speed bump
• Toronto Blue Jays: Alek Manoah is an AL Cy Young finalist
• Blue Jays: Strikeout type free agent relievers to pursue this offseason
• Blue Jays: Guerrero Jr. gives us his thoughts on the New York Yankees
• Blue Jays: Who could be non-tendered this offseason?

Pentecost getting some love  –  Blue Jays catching prospect Max Pentecost was named the number nine catching prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. He’s got a boatload of talent, especially with the bat, but there’s a real chance that Pentecost does not see the majority of his reps at catcher this season. Persistent shoulder injuries have continued to plague the high pick.

Muni Memories  –  A collection of the best Munenori Kawasaki .gifs and Vines courtesy of Ian Hunter at Blue Jay Hunter? I’m sold. If you’re struggling to wake up on this final day of the work week, this should put a smile on your face.

Pinch-Pompey  –  Here’s an extremely interesting article by Nick Ashbourne of Sportsnet on Dalton Pompey and the art of pinch-running. The young Canadian seemed to thrive in that role, especially come playoff time.

“I don’t really steal off the catcher,” Pompey tells him. “The difference between a really good catcher’s pop time and an average one isn’t that big of for me. It’s moreso about stealing off the pitcher. My jump is off the pitcher.”

The Great Zaun  –  I personally got a huge kick out of this article from Nick Dika over at Blue Jays Plus which argues for Gregg Zaun as the greatest Blue Jay of all time. I’ll admit it here and now: there was no bigger Gregg Zaun fan from 2004 to 2008 than me. But now isn’t the time or place to go posting a picture of my family’s dog, purchased in 2005, named Zaunie. A decision rivalled only by my authentic B.J. Ryan jersey.