Summary[]
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan preview the Blue Jays’ 2017 season with Joshua Howsam of BP Toronto and the Athletics’ 2017 season with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Topics[]
- Toronto Blue Jays preview with Joshua Howsam
- Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion
- Kendrys Morales
- Starting rotation
- How will fans look back on this run?
- Russell Martin
- Young prospects
- Pitching depth
- Troy Tulowitzki
- Oakland Athletics preview with Susan Slusser
- Did Billy Beane plan this lull?
- Starting rotation
- Revenue sharing as a low payroll team
- Struggling defense
- Rotation competition
- Sonny Gray
- Matt Joyce
- Sean Doolittle's political action
Interstitials[]
First Aid Kit, "Blue"
Destroyer, "From Oakland to Warsaw"
Banter[]
- Since recording the preview with Susan Slusser, Sonny Gray was shut down by the Athletics.
- Bill Hands, who was cold-called in Episode 964, passed away.
Notes[]
- Jose Bautista signed a one-year, $18 million contract during the offseason.
- Joshua thinks that if the Blue Jays had just made the ALCS once that fans would look back on the 2015 season more fondly. Since they made it again in 2016 and lost, he thinks they will see the last few seasons as missed opportunities.
- Joshua predicts the Blue Jays will win 87 games.
- This will be Billy Beane's 20th season as the Oakland Athletics' GM.
- Susan predicts that the A's will win 82 games.
Links[]
- Effectively Wild Episode 1030: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Athletics