Blue Jays: The Jays Nest Podcast episode 58, Depth!

The Blue Jays organizational depth goes under the microscope for episode 58 of the Jays Nest Podcast, along with the contract situation of Jose Bautista

The Jays Nest Podcast is back for another episode of Blue Jays talk. Hold your applause!

This week on the show, I joined our friend Shaun Doyle who is the founder and Senior Editor of Jays From the Couch. The full episode can be found here, and is also available for subscription and download on iTunes and Stitcher.

We were all about the depth chart on this week’s episode, and that starts with Maicer Izturis who has recently rejoined the organization on a minor league deal.

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Team president Mark Shapiro continues to circle back to the concept of “championship level depth”, which is something that Izturis could come to represent if he’s able to remain healthy and find his stride again at the triple-A level.

Veteran minor leaguers like Izturis may not offer a dynamic skill set when called upon, but they do come with very few variables. Given the talent elsewhere on the roster, there is value in a player that has been there and done that. Izturis should be trusted to put together a professional at-bat should an injury to Ryan Goins, Devon Travis or Darwin Barney necessitate his presence.

After the Izturis talk, Shaun and I bat around the upcoming contract situation of Jose Bautista after Arden Zwelling’s passionate plea at a Pitch Talks event. Shaun and I both agree: pay the man. We also discuss whether his emergence as an ambassador of the game in the Latin American baseball community holds an increased value in contract talks, as well.

Prior to taking some listener questions, we go position-by-position down the Blue Jays roster and look at the “next man up”.

Outside of the starting rotation and bullpen, Toronto’s outfield will be a cloudy depth situation with the left field battle and Junior Lake being out of options. Catching depth will also be an issue with Josh Thole behind Russell Martin, while the middle infield picture will depend largely on which depth pieces are able to cover multiple defensive positions.

Enjoy, subscribe, and send in your questions for the show each week!