Blue Jays Morning Brew: Transaction Friday and Stroman

It’s a strong Monday roast for the Blue Jays Morning Brew, where we look at stories on Transaction Friday, Marcus Stroman and the vacant leadoff spot

The Toronto Blue Jays have made some noise since our last cup of coffee, adding Drew Storen from the Washington Nationals in a move that was logical, beneficial for both clubs and left the fan base relatively pleased. It was a refreshing scene! It also continued the tradition that’s become known as Transaction Friday (h/t Minor Leaguer).

Transaction Friday Theories  –  Think it’s all a coincidence? Gideon Turk over at Blue Jays Plus has a perfectly factual explanation of Transaction Friday, which is no fluke. I don’t want to spoil the truth here, but this one’s highly recommended.

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Let Pompey Play!  –  A good argument here from our favourite Dalton Pompey enthusiast Shaun Doyle over at Jays From The Couch. Though 2016 may be a little early to see him in a full-time leadoff role, his longterm potential in that lineup spot remains tantalizing. One thing working for Pompey will be his defense, which should keep his overall performance afloat even when his bat struggles. For the young Canadian, it’s all about getting a long and consistent look.

Leadoff Talk  –  Kevin Papetti of Blue Bird Banter wraps up the leadoff conversation nicely here, including the point that Ben Revere is not as irreplaceable as many have come to think. The high batting average and hit totals are nice, of course, but those offensive numbers can be relatively empty. “Around ninety percent of .300 hitters may be above average MLB hitters, but the statistics indicate that Revere is not among this portion of the group.”

The Stro Show  –  Nothing but gold here from Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling who brings us a profile on Marcus Stroman, the young man fully ready to take over as Toronto’s ace. The physical talent and mound ability is certainly there with room to go before hitting his ceiling, but there’s still something to be said about his mental approach.

An MLB ‘ace’ typically has some sort of edge, but this doesn’t have a hard definition and varies from pitcher to pitcher. Roy Halladay was the stoic, straight-faced workhorse. David Price was so relaxed that he could have taken the mound in his pyjamas. Stroman is a different force of energy altogether, but could soon emerge as a dark horse Cy Young candidate in the American League with this offense and defense on his side.

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Praise for Storen  –  Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun has some fresh looks at Drew Storen here after Saturday’s Team Canada banquet. The right-hander is by all accounts a quality human being off the field, which, yes, we’re still allowed to value in professional sports. Storen also has the respect of Canadian closer John Afxord, a man very familiar with the ups and downs of closing ball games.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Drew’s, watching the way he handled things,” Axford told Elliot. “I respected the way he reacted, whether good or bad.