Thursday night Blue Jays links

With an off-day, i thought we’d share some links.

I think we knew Lourdes was coming back tomorrow but it is nice to have confirmation.

Also Lourdes tweeted this:

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At the Athletic, Jim Bowden grades the MLB farm systems, after the trade deadline and he places the Blue Jays third:

The Blue Jays have the best prospect in baseball in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has a chance to do something no one has ever done over the last century and that’s to hit .400 for an entire minor-league season. Guerrero needs some developing defensively, but the bat is major-league ready now and he’s already my pick for the 2019 American League rookie of the year award. Guerrero is not the only top prospect the Blue Jays have, fellow infielders Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio are also tearing it up in the minors and both are expected to join Guerrero in Toronto sometime next season if not this September. The Blue Jays infield prospect depth is staggering because infielders Kevin Smith and Jordan Groshans are also considered elite prospects. The Blue Jays, after promoting pitching prospect Sean Reid-Foley to the majors recently, can now point to 17-year-old Eric Pardinho and Nate Pearson as their top two pitching prospects, both who profile out to top-of-rotation type potential.

I’m not sure I buy Bowden as a great judge of farm systems, but I’m willing suspend disbelief when he places us near the top. Baseball America also ranked us third.

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Emily Waldon and Melissa Lockard, also in the Athletic, pick four prospects who have jumped onto the radar this year and there is a Blue Jay on their list: Chavez Young, an outfield, playing in Lansing. Here is part of what they said about him:

A switch-hitter, Young is able to pull the ball surprisingly well from the right side. His power isn’t overwhelming and although he continues to show a need for refinement in his overall plate presence, his .150+ ISO is promising. Young has a bit more muscle from the left side of the plate, but thrives more off his ability to generate gap-to-gap drives.

The progression up the ladder for Young has also carried an uptick in improvement to his overall profile. Over his first three assignments, Young’s strikeout rate ranged from 20 percent to 33 percent and, in making the jump to Class A Lansing for the 2018 season, that rate has continued to drop, sitting at 18.9 percent over 113 games.

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Keith Law had a chat

Asked about the Bowden and BA’s ranking of the Jays system:

Keith Law: I said in a recent chat that I do not find that ranking credible. I still don’t. It is not a top 3 system. BA is generally very good, and this is part of what they do; I just strongly disagree on what I would consider objective grounds. The other guy doesn’t cover prospects at all.

And about Vlad:

John: What is Vlad Jr’s recourse, or any other MiLB player who is kept in the minors an unfair amount of time? Keith Law: A grievance. I do hope he files one. Keith Law: We need a test case.

I’d love to see Vlad try it, but it will be too hard to prove, in my opinion.

And about where Vlad should play:

Keith Law: I think he’s a future DH. When I was on TSN1050 a week or so ago, I said he could be David Ortiz. I think any Blue Jays fan would take that.

I’m ok with him becoming a DH and I’d be thrilled if he turned into Ortiz, but I think he could handle a position for a few years and then move over to DH later.

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Shi Davidi writes about possible renovations to Rogers Centre.

I hope I live long enough to see whatever they do.