Weekly Takes - Monday, November 14 Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, November 14 Edition

1. My three stars from the Leafs loss to the Golden Knights on Tuesday…

1. Erik Kallgren

2. Timothy Liljegren

3. Mitch Marner

A sloppy, sloppy game that the Leafs managed to take a point out of, wrapping up their toughest stretch of the season by taking five out of a possible six points.

Take it and run, while being happy they do not have to see Vegas for the rest of the season.

2. My three stars from the Leafs loss to the Penguins on Friday…

1. William Nylander

2. John Tavares

3. Mark Giordano

The Leafs were the better team, but goaltending and the lack of bounces were the difference. Kallgren cannot allow the game-winning goal to go in.

3. My three stars from the Leafs win over the Canucks on Saturday…

1. Jordie Benn

2. Pierre Engvall

3. Alex Kerfoot

What a difference Engvall makes when he is engaged. He can drive a line in the bottom six. Benn looked a lot faster than I thought he would.

4. MLB free agents, by position, in the order I would like the Blue Jays to target them…

Starting Pitchers…

1. Justin Verlander

2. Carlos Rodon

3. Sean Manaea

4. Ross Stripling

5. Jameson Taillon

6. Andrew Heaney

7. Nathan Eovaldi

8. Taijuan Walker

9. Chris Bassitt

10. Tyler Anderson

11. Michael Wacha

There is no question that the Jays need one, if not two starting arms. No free-agent starter should be off-limits for them and their budget.

Relievers…

1. Kenley Jansen

2. Taylor Rogers

3. Michael Fulmer

4. Andrew Chafin

5. David Roberston

With absolutely no exceptions, the Jays need two back-end relievers.

Catchers…

The only way the Jays will be in the catcher market is if they trade one of theirs, but even then, they will be in the market for a third-string catcher.

First Basemen, Second Basemen, and Third Basemen…

The Jays will not and should not be in the market for a first basemen, second basemen, or third basemen

Shortstops…

1. Carlos Correa

2. Trea Turner

3. Xander Bogaerts

First off, I do not see the Jays signing a starting shortstop, as I think they are fully committed to Bo Bichette there. But, you have to at least explore the possibility of signing one of these players and moving Bichette to second base. With that being said, starting pitching and bullpen help is where the money should go first and foremost.

Outfielders…

1. Brandon Nimmo

2. Michael Brantley

3. Andrew Benintendi

4. Joc Pederson

The only real circumstance the Jays sign a starting outfielder is if it is a left-handed bat, hence the four names on this list.

Summary: Two starting arms, including one impactful one and two impact relievers, are a must. A left-handed hitting outfielder would be nice, but is not a must. A starting shortstop is the definition of luxury but again, has to be something they explore.

Due to the catching depth on their roster and their prospect system, they do not need to address every hole and want via free agency. In fact, they will not. And that is more than fine, given it is a weak relievers market.

5. When it comes to the catcher I trade if I am the Jays, it is Danny Jansen.

He is the oldest of the three catchers, will likely have the worst bat of the three moving forward, and is not as good defensively as some make him out to be.

And despite all that, he probably still fetches a decent return.

With that being said, you have to listen on all three catchers if you are Ross Atkins.

6. My Week 11 NFL Predictions…

• Titans (+2.5)

• Eagles (-9)

• Rams (+1.5)

• Bears (+4)

• Commanders (-2.5)

• Jets (+4)

• Giants (-3.5)

• Panthers (+12.5)

• Bills (-7)

• Raiders (+2.5)

• Steelers (+5.5)

• Vikings (+2.5)

• Chargers (+7)

• Cardinals (+7)

I went 6-6 in Week 10 and am now 66-76 on the season.

7. My Super Bowl Ranking, after ten weeks, compared to my ranking after Week Five…

1. Eagles (+1)

2. Bills (-1)

3. Kansas City (-)

4. 49ers (+3)

5. Vikings (New)

6. Ravens (-2)

7. Cowboys (-1)

8. Bucs (-3)

9. Dolphins (New)

I listed the Packers, Bengals, Broncos, and Rams as potential additions to the list after Week Five, but the Packers, Broncos, and Rams have no chance.

Cannot rule out the Bengals quite yet.

As for the Giants, Seahawks, Titans, and Jets… they are having great seasons relative to their expectations but they are not serious contenders at all in my mind.

8. No matter what happens against a powerhouse Blue Bombers team in the Grey Cup, the Argos have shown they are going to be a force for years to come.

Their offensive line, wide receivers room, quarterback room, running back room, front-seven, secondary, special teams, and play-calling are all championship worthy.

Some of this (offensive line, wide receivers room, running back room, and front seven) was to be expected, but the development of McLeod Bethel-Thompson as clearly the best quarterback in the East and the continued development of Ryan Dinwiddie and his coaching staff have been game-changing.

9. My Notable 2022 World Cup Predictions…

• Brazil beats Germany in The Final

• France and Argentia make the Final Four

• Canada finishes last in Group F, but not without giving Morocco a run for their money

10. My analysis of the US Midterm Election…

• Trump was the biggest loser of the Midterm in the sense that it showed he has no chance to win back the White House in 2024. I think, despite him having a very loyal base, most Americans are of the opinion that he is a lunatic and is not fit to serve. It showed on Tuesday when so many of the candidates he endorsed lost in States that Republicans should not have lost. Trump-style politicians have an expiry date and Trump himself has reached his. He is done. He no longer has the presence of being must-see TV.

• Republicans should have rid themselves of Trump and his election-denying cronies the second he lost in 2020 but they really need to do so now. Rightly or wrongly, Tuesday was flattering to anti-Trump Republicans, both in terms of how voters voted and how they got portrayed in the media. Trump is no longer relevant in the eyes of your average American voter.

• The Democrats need to prepare for the Republicans to oust Trump-style politicians ahead of the 2024 election. There was no “Red Wave” because a vast majority of the Republicans running were appalling to most Americans, not because people believed in the Democrats and their message. Things may not be this easy in 2024.

• The one thing Democrats – and in particular President Joe Biden – did well this Midterm cycle was getting young people out to vote in record numbers. It turns out that young people will come out and vote (D +28) if you give them a reason to. Biden’s Student Debt Forgiveness order did exactly that.

• The biggest winner of the night was democracy, with a vast majority of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum rejecting election-denying candidates. That is a pleasant surprise, given there was a coordinated effort by Trump and his cronies to implement election-denying politicians all over the country. Some got in, simply because Republicans are a lock to take certain states and districts, but it was an overall bloodbath against Trump-supported candidates.

• John Fetterman ran the exact kind of campaign that every Democrat should strive to run moving forward.

11. So, do I think Trump at least wins the Republican nominee in 2024? I do not.

I think Ron Desantis is going to be their nominee. He will head into the primary cycle with all the momentum, the backing from the Republican and media establishment, and a ton of support from the Republican centre and right-leaning base, even though he himself is almost as far-right as Trump.

So many influencing right-wing personalities denounced Trump after Tuesday for a reason. They know he has peaked and that they have to make things tougher for the Democrats in 2024.

With that being said, Trump’s issues this election cycle were not in the primaries. A lot of his candidates beat establishment Republicans in the spring to become nominees in the first place. Maybe that happens again but what a mistake that would be for the Republicans.