Vancouver gets into the playoffs two years running, they'll extend their contract this offseason.

Just curious - where might Tirado slot in among the Jays' pitching prospects? I know he's really young (turns 18 in December), but he's off to a great start. For example, how does his repertoire compare to that of Osuna?

Also, in compiling prospect lists, when does a player (like Hechavarria, for example) lose prospect eligibility?

AFAIK there are different measures for prospect status. MLB has one, Baseball America has another. Buth the basic level is 150 at-bats. MLB has also a days on the roster qualifier. Here at BB we use the 150 at-bats cut-off.

Tirado might slip into the back half of the top 30, probably in the 20's.

injuries have kind of ruined his season, but Pompey has really been impressive this year in a small sample size.

Gabe Jacobo, the Rule 5 pick from last December, is currently on fire. He has a perfect 8 hits in his last 8 at-bats at New Hampshire, including a homer and two doubles. Over his past 10 games, his OPS is 1.183 and he is slugging .697. He's also a versatile defender, able to play the outfield and the infield. Of course he is 25 and some might dismiss him for that reason alone. But his numbers this year are impressive. is there any chance that he might have major-league potential, if only as a Gomes-type utility guy?

A 25 year old getting hot in double A doesn't mean much.  However, he has hit .344 over the season (212 at-bats) in the FSL and (as a right-handed hitter) in New Hampshire.  He might be able to hit .280 in the majors.  On a club with 11 pitchers or less on the roster, there might be a spot for him some day. 

Yeah, I was including the Florida numbers when I referred to "his numbers this year" -- not merely a 10-game sample, of course. But I was discounting the Florida numbers to some extent because he's obviously much above the normal age for that league.

If versatile enough he'd be useful in a Mike McCoy way.  A guy you can call up and down as needed to backup various positions.  However, since Jacobo only plays 1B/DH with a tiny bit of 3B/RF/LF in his career (under 25 games total between the 3 positions) I don't see him getting a shot unless he keeps hitting in AAA and has a bit of luck on his side (ie: injury to someone when he is hot).

Marcus Stroman's been suspended for 50 games for PEDs. (via everyone on twitter)

It's a banned stimulant that is apparently quite mild, but which apparently may be a masking agent.

Bautista's having surgery and is out for the year.

Does this season stack up with the Season From Hell yet? It must be getting close.

My first thought was that "Stroman's dad must be so proud!" But it turns out it was a stimulant. Dad will be laughing his butt off at the weaksauce.

This season hasn't been close to the Season From Hell. A good part of this year's bad luck has been well earned. The managing has been much, much worse than SFH though, and I am pretty allergic to crap managing.

"Despite taking precautions to avoid violating the Minor League testing program, I unknowingly ingested a banned stimulant that was in an over-the-counter supplement," Stroman said in the statement. "Nonetheless, I accept full responsibility and I want to apologize to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, my family, my teammates, and the Blue Jays fans everywhere. I look forward to putting this behind me and rejoining my teammates."

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120828&content_id=37482092&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor

Make of it what you will.

WADA acknowledges that Methylhexaneamine is also a very common additive in over the counter supplements although it is generally never listed in the ingredients under its official name.

Rays' prospect Josh Sale was also suspended for 50 games:

https://twitter.com/RMooneyTrib/status/240555639645040640

DJ Davis and Griffin Murphy have been promoted to Vancouver. Today is the last game of the season for Bluefield.

I don't mind giving Stroman the benefit of the doubt... but that just makes him extremely stupid. How, in this era of suspensions and drug tests, can you take anything without being 100% sure of it? I've known varsity athletes that were paranoid about buying cold medicine, but Stroman, a millionaire playing for a MLB franchise, decides to take a supplement without running it by anyone? It boggles the mind.

I wonder how much money this could cost him. He could have had a September callup, or made his way into the bullpen next spring, but this will probably keep him in the minors until mid-season.

I am pretty allergic to crap managing

That's a bit harsh, Craig, if understandable.

When I read that Stroman had been suspended, I was sure it was for HGH.  It's never too late to try to add an inch or two of height!

Mike, there is no way that that assessment of Farrell (and Farrell's input into personnel decisions) is harsh. Constant leading off with Rajai Davis versus RHP. Managing his bullpen backwards so that his good pitchers rarely face good hitters or important situations. The constant SB attempts with power hitters at the plate. Omar Vizquel. The obsession with reliever roulette, to the point that a team with 61 relief pitchers keeps emptying out its bullpen. The inability to identify a realitic starting rotation. Reliance on Jeff Mathis and Omar Vizquel as pinch hitters. Constant use of players out of position. The inability to pull anything extra out of the pitching staff when he's supposed to be a pitching guru. Omar Vizquel, for crying out loud. The constant, incessant lying. The arsfardel of playing Edwin in the outfield, refusing to admit the injury that resulted, then finally admitting it was a bad idea, but that he would continue to do it, but that he wouldn't allow Edwin to practice there. Despite the reliever roulette, still getting outfoxed consistently over platoon issues (remember Loup facing three good righties in an inning last week?). Omar Vizquel.

His terrible communication skills and love for incomprehensible bafflegab. He didn't even talk to Brett Cecil before Cecil was sent down. Omar Vizquel. Running Cordero into the ground and then burying him completely. Not being in charge of his ballclub - he threw Happ into the starting rotation because he asked. His total befuddlement with NL rules, as if he didn't even know it was coming.

Oh, I almost forgot Omar Vizquel.

Sorry, I should go on and start looking stuff up but I can't, as I am so discouraged by writing this that I want to go drink something inadvisable.

Oh, I did forget one important one, which was that Farrell couldn't get on top of his players about their relationship with the umpires. Of course those guys are all hurt right now but when they come back the problem will resurface.

Oh, and the shifting, especially the response to getting beaten with the bunt (just shift again!)

Oh, speaking of bunts, does anyone else remember the late game single-Vizquel bunt-automatic IBB of Bautista? That was fun.

Oh, and the shifting, especially the response to getting beaten with the bunt (just shift again!)

I know I haven't been paying too much attention lately, but has shifting really gone from "progressive tactic that more managers should use" to "lame"?

I agree with all the comments about the pitching, Craig.  And they do amount to a lot.  As for the position players, I am quite a bit more generous.  Farrell was saddled with (chose to have?) a short bench.  Somehow, the offence produced significantly more than expected until the All-Star break and I give Farrell a little credit for this, Omar Vizquel and all! 

As for his communication style, he fits squarely in the middle of the managerial pack.  I am more worried about his lack of effectiveness with the scalpel than his bedside manner. 

Every year, fans get angry at managers. John Gibbons was an idiot and an imbecile, until Cito Gaston came along, and then Cito was an idiot and an imbecile, and then Farrell was an idiot and an imbecile. (Think I'm exaggerating? Have a look at Craig's rant. If Farrell is actually guilty of every one of that long list of stupidities and errors, he would have to be an idiot and an imbecile.) Can't imagine why the Red Sox would want such an idiot, but let's set that aside and move on to the charge sheet itself.

Let's begin by acknowledging that every manager makes mistakes, and lots of them. That's simply because every in-game decision is a gamble, based on instincts, odds, statistics, strategy and many other factors. Many of those gambles, inevitably, don't pan out. That's the nature of gambles. It's always easy to compile a long list of choices that didn't work. That doesn't prove anything.

Some of Craig's criticisms are certainly valid. But he discredits his argument with a long series of sweeping generalizations and wild exaggerations that just don't hold water.

"....The inability to identify a realitic starting rotation.... Reliance on Jeff Mathis and Omar Vizquel as pinch hitters...."

And yet Craig doesn't make a single mention of the massive wave of injuries that necessitated most of those decisions in the rotation and lineup. Nor does he mention that AA deserves much of the criticism for his personnel decisions. A manager can only work with what he's got. And to suggest that the occasional use of Mathis or Vizquel in pinch-hitting situations is a "reliance" on them is an absurd exaggeration. Occasional use is not the same as "reliance."

"....Constant use of players out of position...."

Aside from playing Encarnacion once or twice at LF, is there any significant evidence of "constant use"?

"....The inability to pull anything extra out of the pitching staff when he's supposed to be a pitching guru...."

A very questionable and subjective statement, with no evidence provided. Who knows the maximum capacity of the Jays pitchers? Who's to judge their "extra" abilities and whether the manager is extracting those "extras" or not? If Romero collapses and Alvarez fails to live up to lofty expectations, where's the evidence that this is Farrell's fault? And who anointed him a "pitching guru"? Just because he was a pitcher and a pitching coach doesn't make him some special "guru" with the talent to turn mediocre pitchers into aces, and I don't recall anyone making that claim for him. Everyone can have an opinion about whether Farrell could do more with the pitchers, but it's an opinion, there's no evidence to say that the pitchers would do better or worse with someone else.

"...The constant, incessant lying..."

That's what managers do. Every one of them. It's their job.

"...His terrible communication skills and love for incomprehensible bafflegab..."

That's also what managers do -- produce bafflegab. It's their job. They aren't hired for their ability to give eloquent speeches to the media or the fans. That's incredibly far down on any list of their job requirements.

"....He didn't even talk to Brett Cecil before Cecil was sent down...."

My understanding is that Farrell or Anthopoulos talks regularly to every player, especially when they are sent down. Where is your evidence that Cecil was mistreated or persecuted in some way? As far as I can see, the Jays have given Cecil plenty of opportunities over the past two seasons and have treated him pretty well. Is there some evidence that he was mistreated or abused?

"....Running Cordero into the ground and then burying him completely...."

Anthopoulos gave Cordero a big salary and anointed him the set-up man. Would it have been reasonable for Farrell not to play him as the set-up man? You can argue that he was used too often, but it was AA, not Farrell, who gave him the salary that signaled his role as a set-up man. Darren Oliver has also been used a hell of a lot this year -- was he "run into the ground"?

"....Not being in charge of his ballclub - he threw Happ into the starting rotation because he asked...."

This is perhaps the most absurd accusation of all. Happ was always a starter, and he was acquired to be a starter. Of course he was going to go into the rotation. It was nothing to do with Happ's request. The Jays paid a high price to acquire Happ, and obviously he was always seen as a starter. (He was in the bullpen initially for the sole reason that the Jays already had 5 starters and were waiting to see which of them would falter first.) To claim, on the basis of Happ's couple weeks in the bullpen, that Farrell was "not in charge of his ball club" is a ridiculous allegation, with no evidence provided.

"... Farrell couldn't get on top of his players about their relationship with the umpires...."

You really think that Farrell should have complete control of every flailing gesture of a hot-tempered kid like Brett Lawrie? That's like blaming Brian Butterfield for the incident when Moises Sierra blew past him to home plate. Managers can do as much as they can, but baseball players (especially young stoked-up firebrands) are not robots who can be controlled from the dugout. Try as you might, some players are going to occasionally blow up, and where's the evidence that this was Farrell's fault? As for Bautista's sniping at the umpires: it's little different from what dozens of Yankees and Red Sox have always done.

All in all, a dubious charge-sheet against Farrell, even if some of it is valid.

"....Constant use of players out of position...."

Aside from playing Encarnacion once or twice at LF, is there any significant evidence of "constant use"?

It's not like he used a 29 year old bad-kneed Glaus at SS...

Managing his bullpen backwards so that his good pitchers rarely face good hitters or important situations.

If this is supposed to mean "manages his bullpen like 90% off all MLB managers" then you won't get an argument from me. If you are recommending Farrell use his best relievers in earlier high leverage situations than he does I will nod my head in agreement. If the statement is supposed to be taken at face value, well all I can say is it is not like Jesse Chavez is leading the team with the highest game leverage index.

Ok, a few other thoughts on Craig B's frustrations with Farrell...

On Davis in the leadoff spot vs RHP... He has only started 27 games in the leadoff spot, after Escobar and Johnson failed there, and Lawrie injured himself. The only other option might be Rasmus, but at this point that seems like hair-splitting, since he's hitting second.

On the bullpen, is he managing it backwards, or is he managing it like every other (or almost every other) manager would? Seems odd to hang a negative on a guy for doing the industry standard.

The reliever roulette can get a bit excessive at times, but it's the rotation's deficiencies / morbidity rate (damned TJS epidemic!) that is the true bullpen emptier.

The identity of the rotation frustration seems a bit misplaced to me. Call me crazy...

Mathis has been used as a pinch hitter 5 times, and Vizquel 11 times. With interleague play, this was bound to happen a few times.

Cordero only saw 10 games in April. How was he run into the ground? As for being buried (in terms of role), he did that to himself with his performance.

China Fan covered Happ well, so I'll simply nod in agreement here

Really, looking at the post, you should be more angry with AA for putting Vizquel on the team in the first place, since he's the source of 6 mentions in your two posts. :)

As for drinking, I always encourage that, whether for thrill or for ill.

"....On Davis in the leadoff spot vs RHP... He has only started 27 games in the leadoff spot, after Escobar and Johnson failed there...."

I agree with Spifficus about this, and meant to mention it in my earlier post. There's really been no obvious alternative to Davis over the past couple of months. Even if you focus purely on RHP, Davis has posted a higher OBP than Escobar and Johnson over the past couple of months (and higher than Escobar over the whole season too).

Vizquel at first, Mathis at DH, Hech at third, Edwin at third, Lawrie at short, Torrealba at first, Gomes in left (hell, Gomes at catcher), Bautista at first, Mike McCoy in center, and yes, Edwin twice in left field. Thirty times this year in all.

As for China fan, he almost begins everything with the injuries as an excuse, despite the fact that all of this was happening before anyone was getting injured at all. Come off it.

Guess I need to re-evaluate my assumption that Joe Torre and Terry Francona were considered two of the best and most successful managers in recent history.

Ugh. I hated watching Posada ABs, in particular.

I don't think that Farrell has been that bad, although there have been some questionable moves along the way (like McCoy bunting the runner to second with none out in the first inning of a ballgame).

I'm more concerned with the the foundational issues, like why are so many key players (Escobar, Rasmus, Arencibia, Johnson, Lind, Romero, Alvarez) performing so badly? Why is the team's OBP so horrid? Why so many pitching injuries? Why wasn't another SP acquired in the off-season?

Vizquel at first, Mathis at DH, Hech at third, Edwin at third, Lawrie at short, Torrealba at first, Gomes in left (hell, Gomes at catcher), Bautista at first, Mike McCoy in center, and yes, Edwin twice in left field. Thirty times this year in all.

Vizquel@1B: substitution in a 16 inning game... wacky happens. Mathis@DH: not really 'out of position' (except in the batters box) and he only started there once, but yeah, not my preference. Hech@3B: that's what he was brought up to do and had received reps at the position. Edwin@3B: that was his natural position, and saw enough action there even last year to get by in a pinch. Edwin@LF: there was talk of increasing his versatility last year and in the spring by having him play some OF, so if you believe it, why not use it? Lawrie@SS: this was due to an Escobar injury and my guess here is that they didn't want him doing the DP turn at 2B, but that's just supposition. Torrealba@1B: Ick. Gomes@LF: Ick (as for @C, well, that's what one of his roles was). Bautista@1B: it's been a couple late game substitutions, presumably after PR/PH for Lind. McCoy@CF: Yeah, that's a bit odd with Davis in LF.

So, for me, there have been a few times where I also disagree, but others that were dictated by injury or machinations of the ballgame. The Hech one particularly seems like an attempt to pile on.

Cordero being used in higher leverage situations than Janssen has to be laid at Farrell's door.  At 1.16, Janssen's leverage index is pathetically low for a reliever used in the modern fashion. 

At the start of the season, Farrell had the starters going deep into games despite their relative youth and with little evidence of propensity for endurance.  In particular, he sent starters out repeatedly to start the seventh inning when I would have pulled them.  That can work, but it is dangerous, particularly in light of the lack of depth in the rotation.  It was also a bit strange in light of the length of the bullpen.  I gave him the benefit of the doubt, realizing that he knew much more about pitching mechanics than I (which isn't saying a whole lot).  Did his decision-making contribute to some of the health issues?  Maybe and maybe not.  Did decisions about Hutchison's repertoire contribute to his health issues?  Maybe and maybe not. 

What I do know for sure is that a considerable amount of money (relative to the overall budget) and roster space was devoted to pitching, that Farrell's calling card is supposed to be management of the pitching staff, and that the team significantly underperformed in this regard.  It is surely not all Farrell's responsibility, but equally well, it seems to me to be too easy to let him off the hook completely. 

"....Maybe and maybe not..."

Thanks, Mike, for acknowledging the uncertainty of these managerial issues. I don't trust sweeping scathing indictments from people who refuse to admit even a smidgen of doubt about their opinions.

And, finally to clarify the idiot and imbecile point that was also raised. I don't think Farrell is an idiot or an imbecile. He has his problems, so do most people. What he is, is a bad manager who doesn't think ahead. That doesn't make him an idiot, it just makes him a guy who shouldn't be a field manager.

I'm not running the guy's personal qualities down, other than his tendency to run his motormouth without the brain-clutch engaged. (And that is more amusing than anything else).

I do think he's objectively quite bad at his job. There are fourteen things that I think are key aspects of a manager's job, many of which intersect but which can all be treated differently.

_Strategic Aspects_

1 Input into roster composition
2 Identifying a starting rotation
3 Shaping a bullpen
4 Creating a bench
5 Choosing a lineup

_Tactical Aspects_

6 Pitching changes
7 Pinch-hitting
8 Calling the running game
9 Defensive formation
10 Defending on the bases

_Managerial Aspects_

11 Motivation and leadership of players
12 Management of the players on the field/at the park
13 Mediating the relationship between players and the club
14 Mediating the relationship between the players/club and the media/fans

Of those, I think Farrell is poor or very poor at eleven of them. I can't tell about #11; while players who've been here since Farrell seem to collectively be worse, it isn't something I like to ascribe wholly to the manager.

On 1, 2, 4 and 5 he's been absolutely terrible as far as we can tell. Farrell seemed perfectly happy to go through March with a settled rotation even though those kids weren't by and large ready to do the job collectively. His benches have been the worst in the major leagues for a very long time. His advice to his GM on roster composition has been very poor. His lineups are a joke, Davis of the .267 lifetime OBP vs RHP leading off twice a week against them is not the least of it.

On 6, I think he is always managing his pen backwards, putting bad pitchers in tough situations while his good pitcher twiddle their thumbs after the game is lost, then using the good pitchers in blowouts to get them work, then sitting the good pitchers the next day for claims of workload issues. He shifts guys in and out like a fire drill, then leaves guys in bad matchups to get hammered.

On 7, once you've seen Vizquel and Mathis pinch hitting, you've seen it all. He also consistently fails to pinch-hit for very poor hitters in high-leverage situations (see Rob Pettapiece on this). Didn't Mathis once pinch hit for Cooper when the game was still in the balance?

On 8, he was terrible at managing the running game - running into outs in front of the good hitters. I remember a game ending on a caught stealing attempt (I can't bring myself to call it a stolen base attempt) by a 45-year-old man. Now that there are no more good hitters except Edwin, this has improved a lot, possibly because of circumstance.

On 9, the formation thing, I am probably overstating it. They way he *speaks* of the shift seems to show he misunderstands it - being happy for Carlos Pena to take a bunt single, for example. He did say that if Pena ends up on first base, the Jays win that. But he may be doing more dissembling again for the rubes up in the press box.

On 12, I really was getting fed up with the tendency of the red-ass guys to witch and bine at the umps, something that hurts the team. Obviously, Farrell can't do that by himself, he needs Bautista, for example, to show leadership there. But if Farrell can't mediate his relationship with Bautista to get him to tone that down, that's too bad because it hurts the club. What hurts worse is that he can't get JP Arencibia to do it (or indeed to do anything about Arencibia letting the plate umpires get hit by pitches all the time... this is a matter of basic professionalism).

On 13, again, he falls down. The Cecil thing really sticks out in my mind. Players should not ever be expressing surprise about what the club asks them to do, or what is happening to them. Too, the management of Snider. I don't remember the last time a player on this team spoke highly of their manager. That could be me blocking it out, though. I don't want to rely too heavily on this.

On 14... well, I think he says a huge number of dumb things, but people do seem generally happy with it, so I can't fault him.

Regarding Hechevarria. Clearly, he'll be able to play third base at a major league level once he has played there some.

Hech is a young shortstop of some promise. But his glove at short is widely acknowledged as his only plus tool. Calling him up and playing him at third base seems crazy to me.

Oh, instead of "calling the running game" I should include bunting there. I think of those together (stealing, bunting, hit-and-run, run-and-hit, tag plays).

Mike, just curious as to why you are using pLI instead of gmLI in the comparison. Unless I am mistaken, pLI is the overall leverage for his appearance, of which the reliever himself is responsible for contributing to. I generally prefer to look at the gmLI when evaluating a manager's decision since it reflects the leverage at the moment the reliever enters the game but perhaps that isn't the best tool?

why are so many key players (Escobar, Rasmus, Arencibia, Johnson, Lind, Romero, Alvarez) performing so badly?

I don't think there are many mysteries here. Rasmus and Johnson look pretty much the same as they did last year (with Johnson having another equally awful season in 2009). Arencibia is the same hitter he's always been. Lind has a bad back. Alvarez doesn't look that bad, considering he's just 22.

Escobar and Romero are really the only puzzles.

My favourite Farrell-fart was when he used Omar Vizquel as a pinch hitter for JP Arencibia in the top of the 9th of a 2-2 game with runners on first and third, one out. Presumably Farrell called for a safety squeeze, which Vizquel promptly popped up to the 3B.

pLI is probably a better measure, Hodgie.  The manager should bear the full weight of a 2 inning low leverage relief appearance and the full responsibility for not bringing in a reliever in the eighth when he ought to be (a longer high leverage outing gets more credit on pLI).  In any event, Janssen's gmLI is only slightly better at 1.28, and well below where a "closer" ought to be, even bearing in mind the inefficient standards of the industry. 

Craig didn't mention this in his list, but I felt (subjectively) that some of the responsibility for Johnson's season ought to be laid at Farrell's door.  Johnson started off the season red hot and then pulled a hammy.  Initially, I felt that it was within reason not to DL him (others disagreed-hat tip:92-93), but after a few games, it was clear to me that while he could "play", his performance was being significantly affected.  That turned out to be right. 

Obviously Farrell is not alone among managers in asking a player to play through a minor injury, but it seems fair to point out when it does not work. 

On the flip side, Encarnacion has taken a large step forward this year.  While I am not going to give Farrell most of the credit for this, I do think that one ought to give him some.  Farrell gave him a chance and put him in a position where he could succeed; many, but not all, managers would have done that. 

Rasmus and Johnson look pretty much the same as they did last year...Arencibia is the same hitter he's always been

I'm pretty sure the goal was to have the 26-year-old Rasmus get his developmental path back on track in Toronto, not have him stagnate or regress. During his last two seasons in St. Louis, he got on base at a .361 and .332 clip (OPS+ of 132 and 108). Since arriving in Toronto, his OBP has been .201 (2011) and .296 (2012), with corresponding OPS+ of 37 and 92 in those years.

Likewise, Arencibia ("I'm a run producer") should be getting better with experience. He's 26, in his prime and in his second full season. But he's walking even less than he did last year (quite a feat).

To me, it looks as though the coaching staff is saying to these players, don't worry - just let 'er rip! Hit some home runs and let the good times roll! Sure, this philosophy is leading to a few more long balls, but producing worse overall hitters.

I don't know. Maybe those players just aren't that good. Arencibia seems like the sort of player who's never going to be a high OBP guy, no matter who's on the coaching staff.

Fair enough Mike and I agree about Janssen, even taking into account his time as a non-closer I would have expected his leverage numbers to be higher at this point. The fact that Janssen's and Cordero's gmLI numbers aren't that dissimilar doesn't surprise me considering (ill-advised as it was) that Cordero was signed as a high-leverage reliever and was used as such. I just have a hard time giving a pitcher like Cordero "credit" for a higher pLI when in reality he manufactured much of that higher leverage with his poor performance.

Rasmus' struggles started before he came to Toronto. His monthly splits from last year:

April: 301/392/476
May: 253/370/407
June: 213/268/416
July: 169/234/310
(traded to Jays July 27th)
August: 236/253/444
September: .089/128/156 (spent time on DL)

And of course his struggles came with arguments about whether or not he was listening to the coaching staff. Rasmus was only available to the Jays because the Cards thought he was broken - part mechanics, part personality. Many people assumed he'd bounce right back and be awesome, but it may not be that simple.

I wasn't one of the posters who assumed Rasmus would "bounce right back and be awesome" (I think most Bauxites were more circumspect than that). It is at least encouraging that he's had an OK year after his terrible initial showing in Toronto. However, the Jays essentially took a player who had a .332 career OBP before the trade and hasn't been able to crack .300 since.

It's also clear that he isn't the only Blue Jay hitter whose plate discipline has completely sucked this year - with the exception of Bautista and EE (and EE sought out independent coaching last off-season), this has been a team-wide trend.

People like to dump on JPA's bat, but he is providing league average offence.  That's above average for a catcher.

Yeah, JPA's offence is decent enough for a catcher. What annoys me is that he could be an elite offensive catcher if he tightened up his plate discipline. For example, here is a comparison between the rookie and sophomore seasons of Arencibia and Trumbo (another 26-year-old who didn't walk much in his first year):

Arencibia (age 25): 219/282/438 (90 OPS+)
Arencibia (age 26): 242/279/466 (95 OPS+)

Trumbo (age 25): 254/291/477 (114 OPS+)
Trumbo (age 26): 279/331/529 (140 OPS+)

In other words, Trumbo is progressing. He's still not a big drawer of walks, but his walks are up (6.6% walk rate over 4.4% last year). Meanwhile, Arencibia's walk rate has declined from 7.4% to 4.3% from his rookie to his sophomore season.

My point is that it's not unreasonable to hope/expect that a player isn't fully formed at age 25. But a lot of Jays, including some relatively young players, seem to be stagnating or regressing.

In theory, Arencibia (wRC+ of 98) and Lawrie (wRC+ of 101) provided about the same level of offensive contribution to the club.  Unfortunately, the formulas don't accurately describe the contributions. For a club that is 11th in OBP and 7th in slugging, Lawrie's contribution is underweighted and Arencibia's  is overweighted.  Anyways, the issue with Arencibia is not offence- if you take the average of the last two years, he has been about average for a catcher.

The Jays have been losing a lot. So a good RANT is welcome to me. Thanks Craig B. Farrell can handle the heat IMO.

I do not know if Farrell has a 3 or 5 year contract. If 3 then next year may be his last or with 1 year left he can choose to take his chances here or in Boston which is a tougher environment. If they want him.

He really cooperated with everyone IMO.

"Farrell isn't the problem. Some of the posters are the problem."

OK, yes, I admit it. I am the reason the Jays are in last place. IT'S ALL MY FAULT.

The Jays have lousy OBP because they don't pay for top free agents or develop hitters internally.  The Jays best farm products, hitter-wise, in the past 15 years? Here is a quick list of best rookie position players since 1998:
Hinske - peaked in year 1
Homer Bush - yeah, for those who don't remember him, go ahead and see how that went after year 1.
Alex Rios - so much like Vernon Wells (good year, terrible year, VG year, bad year, repeat until overpaid and/or retired).
Lawrie - offense got a lot worse this year, injuries hit, still potential. But recently with another organization, so Toronto gets limited credit. 
Hill, Phelps, Ruiz, Reed Johnson, Adams, Cash, Gross, Hudson, Lind, Arencibia, Felipe Lopez, Wells, Snider, Werth...

None of these players developed into a consistent, reliable, above average hitter with Toronto (Werth did later for a while). Wells had a few very good years. None developed notable on base skills (with Toronto) aside from Johnson's HBP ability. NONE of them. Toronto clearly has major coaching and development issues when it comes to hitting. Another few examples -

Hudson - walk rate after leaving Toronto was much better.
Hinske - walk rate good first two years, declined the next two years, leaves Toronto, immediately and forever returns to previous levels.
Hill - walk rate peaked as a rookie, higher immediately upon leaving.
Snider - peaked year 2, immediately reduced walks, and now higher again in Pittsburgh (SSS of course).

Toronto is failing somewhere - maybe they need multiple hitting coaches or something.

OK, yes, I admit it. I am the reason the Jays are in last place. IT'S ALL MY FAULT.

With the culprit identified, I'm thinking that someone should be alerting the media.

OK, yes, I admit it. I am the reason the Jays are in last place. IT'S ALL MY FAULT.

You're a good man, C. B.

I wrote my anti-Farrell rant last year, so I won't repeat it again.

But after a short time in the first month of this season where I thought he was starting do well, it was back to his same old tricks soon enough.

I just don't think he's a very good manager, at all.

I wouldn't shed any tears if they dumped him this offseason. Give me some Dave Martinez. And might as well replace all the coaches (aside from butterfield) too.