Blue Jays Morning Brew: Round-ups and Gibby Gold

The Blue Jays have officially left the comfy confines of 2015. In this morning’s Brew we round up some of the best moments that were. And some Gibby.

The tradition of Friday transactions took a week off as we rung in the new year, and the MLB news cycle may remain quiet over another weekend before picking up for the 2016 campaign. These are the dog days of the baseball offseason, but as always, we’ve got you covered. So pull up a chair! The coffee, and Blue Jays links, are on us.

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• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

The Mind of Jose  –  Don’t miss this great piece on/by Jose Bautista, as told to Jamie Ross of The Globe and Mail. It’s a fascinating series of snapshot-like thoughts from the man himself, from top to bottom. On top of his article in The Player’s Tribune, Bautista is becoming an important and increasingly respected voice off the field. Here’s an excerpt:

“I like to understand how things work, why they are the way they are, and if I don’t get it, I ask questions. I try to make sense of it. I use logic. I don’t consider myself more intelligent than other people, but I try to pay attention and make sure that I know what’s going on. I don’t mind asking questions. I know a lot of people are shy about it because they feel maybe they’ll come off like someone who may be ignorant or not knowledgeable, but I’m the opposite.”

Gibby The Best  –  Ian Hunter over at Blue Jay Hunter is your man for Blue Jays .gifs and Vines. He served up a great final dish for 2015 with the best Gibby selections from the year that was. I dare you to get through that article without smiling.

Dalton Does Air Farce  –  Also from Ian at Blue Jay Hunter, check out Dalton Pompey making an appearance on the Air Farce New Years Eve Special.

Related Story: Blue Jays farm system facing critical growth period

Year in Review Round-up  –  A couple more opportunities to simply scroll and smile here. Tom Dakers from Blue Bird Banter and Jenn Smith over at Blue Jays Plus both take some great looks at the standout moments from 2015. I was amazed at how many I’d forgotten, or at least how many I’d buried beneath the bat flip. What a year.

Offseason Story Refresher  –  Richard Griffin over at The Star has a nice wrap-up of his top-5 surprises of the offseason to date. It’s a league-wide list, but not surprisingly, Toronto tops the list. I’ll give the last word of the morning to him, however:

“But there are three months to opening day, with more surprises to come.”