On the heels of their first winning season since 2010, the Blue Jays are hoping to take the next step and reach the playoffs, though they may need to get creative with their payroll to make room for roster upgrades.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Jose Reyes, SS: $66MM through 2017 ($22MM club option for 2018)
- Mark Buehrle, LHP: $19MM through 2015
- Jose Bautista, OF: $14MM through 2015 ($14MM club option for 2016)
- R.A. Dickey, RHP: $12MM through 2015 ($12MM club option for 2016)
- Edwin Encarnacion, 1B/DH: $10MM through 2015 ($10MM club option for 2016)
- Ricky Romero, LHP: $7.5MM through 2015 ($13.1MM club option for 2016)
- Dioner Navarro, C: $5MM through 2015
- Maicer Izturis, IF: $3MM through 2015 ($3MM club option for 2016)
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via Matt Swartz)
- Brett Cecil, RP (4.152): $2.6MM projected salary
- John Mayberry, 1B/OF (4.095): $1.9MM
- Josh Thole, C (4.085): $1.4MM (Thole will be arb-eligible if his option is declined)
- Juan Francisco, 3B/1B (3.147): $2.2MM
- Danny Valencia, 3B (3.118): $1.7MM
- Brett Lawrie, 3B (3.055): $1.8MM
- Non-tender candidates: Francisco
Contract Options
- Brandon Morrow, RHP: $10MM club option with a $1MM buyout
- Adam Lind, 1B/DH: $7.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout
- J.A. Happ, LHP: $6.7MM club option with a $200K buyout
- Sergio Santos, RHP: $6MM club option with a $750K buyout
- Dustin McGowan, RHP: $4MM club option with a $500K buyout
- Josh Thole, C: club option, unconfirmed value
Free Agents
With the exception of Dioner Navarro’s modest two-year, $8MM free agent contract last offseason, the Blue Jays have gone almost two full calendar years without a major transaction. Granted, the Jays reshaped their roster with some huge moves over last two months of 2012, but the lack of any significant follow-up has raised controversy in Toronto. Since the Jays led the AL East for over a month and finished only five games out of a wild card spot, fingers were pointed by both fans and some players at GM Alex Anthopoulos and the Rogers Communications ownership group for not making any acquisitions that could’ve put the team over the top.
A weakened Canadian dollar, the hiring of a new Rogers CEO within the last year and Rogers spending $5.2 billion to acquire NHL TV rights over its Sportsnet channels have all been cited as theories for the lack of Blue Jays-related spending. It could also simply be that the club’s $137MM payroll represents the full budget, so Anthopoulos wasn’t authorized to spend any further. Whatever the reason, it seems unlikely that Anthopoulos will have more than that $137MM figure to work with, and it’s possible the 2015 payroll could be lower.
Certainly, lots of teams would love to have “just” a $137MM budget, though Anthopoulos doesn’t have much room to maneuver given that $96.2MM is committed to only eight players for 2015. Roughly $11.6MM (as estimated by Matt Swartz for MLBTR) will be paid to their arbitration-eligible players if all are tendered contracts, though Josh Thole’s contract option can be exercised instead of going through the arb process and Juan Francisco stands out as a non-tender given how little action he saw over the season’s final weeks. That adds up to at least $104MM for 13 players, plus the Jays figure to pick up at least a few of their outstanding team options lest they create more holes on the roster.
Payroll space is of particular concern in regards to Melky Cabrera, whose solid bounce-back season will net him a significant free agent contract. Cabrera wants to stay in Toronto and the Blue Jays want him back, yet it remains to be seen if the two sides can match up on a new deal. The Jays will issue a Cabrera a qualifying offer at the very least, and as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes noted in his latest Free Agent Power Rankings, teams could be hesitant to surrender a first-rounder and give an expensive multiyear deal to a player with a below-average glove and a PED suspension on his record.
This being said, Dierkes still ranked Cabrera as the eighth-best player in free agency since quality bats are a rare commodity this offseason. The Jays might be out of luck if they’re hoping the QO limits Cabrera’s market enough that they can re-sign him at a relative bargain. In his free agent profile of Cabrera, MLBTR’s Steve Adams made the point that the outfielder might actually be the safest bet among the top available hitters — Cabrera is younger and has more defensive value than Victor Martinez and Nelson Cruz, and he is a proven MLB quantity, unlike Yasmany Tomas.
Cabrera could be the litmus test for how tight a payroll crunch Toronto is facing. Something like Adams’ predicted five-year, $66.25MM contract isn’t an unreasonable sum for a team that has designs on contending and has only one player (Jose Reyes) guaranteed money past the 2015 season. If Cabrera signs elsewhere for such a deal, it’s a sign the Jays will continue to limit spending.
If Cabrera leaves, the Jays will have two outfield spots to fill since center fielder Colby Rasmus seems as good as gone. Rasmus had a disappointing season overall and received only 14 plate appearances in September as the Jays instead used younger players in center field. He seems likely to pursue a one-year deal elsewhere to rebuild his value, leaving the Jays with a combination of Anthony Gose, Kevin Pillar and top prospect Dalton Pompey juggling the center field duties. That trio and John Mayberry could form platoons in left and center, though you’d imagine that would only be the last-ditch plan if a more established everyday outfielder couldn’t be found to handle one of the two spots. Top-tier outfield free agents like Tomas and Cruz will be too expensive, so the Jays could pursue a trade for a left fielder and let the youngsters handle center.
Casey Janssen posted a 1.23 ERA in the first half of the season and a 6.46 ERA in the second half, as he was clearly affected by a severe bout of food poisoning during an All-Star break vacation. That late slump seemed to cinch his departure from the team, and Janssen won’t be the only notable relief arm to leave — Sergio Santos’ $6MM option will surely be bought out after a rough season and Dustin McGowan’s $4MM option is a bit pricey for a reliever without a defined role as a closer or setup man. McGowan still put up solid numbers once he became a full-time relief pitcher, however, so it’s possible the team could decline the option and seek a new contract with its longest-tenured player.
Some bullpen improvements are necessary after the Jays’ relief corps posted a collective 4.09 ERA in 2014, the sixth-highest bullpen ERA in baseball. The Blue Jays will look to upgrade the pen by adding setup relievers rather than pricey free agent closers, and then the setup options would either form a closer committee or one would eventually emerge as the ninth-inning preference. Top starting prospect Aaron Sanchez was dominant in a relief role in 2014, though the Jays would prefer to stretch him out as rotation depth rather than use him for significant bullpen innings.
The rotation went from a glaring weakness in 2013 to a relative strength in 2014. Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey were their usual solid selves, top prospect Marcus Stroman exploded onto the scene with an impressive rookie season, Drew Hutchison recorded 184 strikeouts over 184 2/3 innings in his first year back after Tommy John surgery and J.A. Happ rebounded from an injury-plagued 2013. Since Happ pitched well enough for his $6.7MM option to be exercised, Toronto projects to have the same starting five next year, with young arms like Sanchez, Daniel Norris, Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin providing depth in the minors or the bullpen. After two injury-shortened seasons, Brandon Morrow’s $10MM club option is expected to be declined.
Anthopoulos isn’t ruling out the idea of adding another veteran starter in a trade, though I’d be surprised if the likes of Stroman, Hutchison or Sanchez were dealt given how the GM has so often spoken of the importance of young pitching depth. Could Anthopoulos make a lateral move by trading Buehrle? The idea has been broached in the Toronto media as a way to open up salary space, as while Buehrle is the definition of a reliable starter, he might not be worth the $19MM he’s owed in the final year of his contract.
I’m not sure dealing any pitching is a wise move given that the Jays would be lucky to replicate the general good health their rotation enjoyed in 2014. If they do make a move, however, I’d suggest dealing Dickey over Buehrle. The Jays might well have to eat some of that $19MM to make a deal happen and get a good MLB-ready piece back in return for Buehrle, while Dickey has a more palatable contract ($12MM in 2015, $12MM team option for 2016) to trade partners. From Toronto’s perspective, Dickey is also over four years older, hasn’t pitched as well as Buehrle in 2013-14 and is a bit more of a question mark simply by dint of being a knuckleballer.
Some of the same logic in trading Buehrle or Dickey to free up payroll space applies to Reyes, who is owed $66MM through 2017. The larger term and salary makes dealing Reyes a tall order, however, especially considering Reyes’ injury history and his declining defense; he hasn’t posted an above-average UZR/150 since 2008. Reyes reportedly played through injuries for much of the season so the Jays will have to hope that he’ll be healthy and productive for the remainder of his contract.
Reyes, Navarro, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie hold down everyday positions around the rest of the diamond, though Lawrie’s actual position is up in the air. The Jays would prefer to see his excellent third base glove remain on the hot corner, though Lawrie saw some time at his old second spot last season and could be moved semi-permanently if the Jays can acquire an everyday third baseman. Of course, Lawrie isn’t a stable option himself, having spent significant time on the DL in each of the last three seasons.
There aren’t many attractive 2B/3B options within Toronto’s price range in free agency, so a trade might again be the ideal route for an upgrade. I cited the Cubs’ Luis Valbuena as a trade candidate in my Red Sox offseason outlook piece, and Valbuena (coming off a .249/.341/.435 season with 16 homers in 547 PA) might make even more sense for the Jays since he can play both second and third. The Marlins, White Sox and Rockies are all teams with second base depth that could be available in trades, and there’s plenty of room for improvement given that Toronto’s second basemen combined for only 0.5 fWAR in 2014.
Right now, Ryan Goins and Steve Tolleson are the top choices to platoon at second base, while Maicer Izturis will be in the mix. Izturis had a terrible 2013 season and was injured for almost all of 2014, so his three-year, $10MM contract has thus far been a bust for the Jays. Munenori Kawasaki was outrighted off the Jays’ 40-man roster but there’s a good chance the fan favorite infielder will be brought back as a minor league depth option.
A broken foot limited Adam Lind to only 318 PA last year, yet his injury history and inability to hit left-handers don’t offset his value as a righty-smashing bat. Lind posted a .942 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2014, so expect the Jays to exercise his $7.5MM option and use him in his usual role as a primary DH and part-time first baseman. Mayberry or Valencia fit as right-handed hitting complements to Lind at DH, or Reyes could even see some action at DH as an effort to keep him fresh.
Anthopoulos has stressed durability as one of his key musts for any new player, which goes towards a general team-wide goal to cut down on injuries and add bench depth. It’s no coincidence that the Jays’ red-hot stretch in May and early June came when they had almost all of their key performers healthy at the same time. They lacked the depth to withstand multiple injuries, however, and ultimately fell apart around the time when Encarnacion, Lind and Lawrie’s DL stints overlapped.
With promising young talent and and a very good veteran core, there is a lot to like about the 2015 Blue Jays on paper. They could be close to being serious contenders, and yet if the youngsters don’t pan out or the veterans start to decline, the Jays’ window of contention could just as easily start closing given how many key talents are only controlled (via team options) through 2016. The unknown payroll situation and the possibility that team president Paul Beeston could depart also adds to the winter uncertainty. The Jays have been so mysteriously quiet over the last two years that it’s hard to predict exactly how busy they’ll be before Opening Day, though with so many areas that need addressing, the club can’t get away with another offseason on the sidelines.
The Jays should be close to things anyways in 2015. They have decent rotation depth and an excellent 1-4 in the batting order especially if the Melk-Man comes back. Plus they have other pieces like Lawrie, Lind, Francisco. If they can scramble a decent pen together they might just be might be my favorite to take the AL East next year even as a Red Sox fan. Any team would envy the combination of OBP, Power and quality starts they project to have.
Francisco is a non-tender candidate.
My mistake, he is. They probably would like to find a decent second base option and leave Lawrie at Third.
A second baseman and some starting pitching depth would be nice
Niese and Murphy and a minor league arm for Bautista
no just no. I could see Tor pulling the trigger but with Sandy that is not happening. You are thinking of Omar.The Mets need another 2012 in scoring runs with 2 outs.The Mets knowing the budget should target Andrew Miller, Sergio Romo along with Michael Cuddyer. I see Flores being a RBI guy with a shaky glove. They need a OFer but to keep that SP in good shape they will need 6 solid arms out of the pen
Agree they need a couple BP arms, but you suggest 20 million in salary while referencing the budget.
I agree with Cuddy which would negate Bautista, (not in terns of production but as a need filled satisfactorily. Would try to persuade Cleveland out of Jose Ramirez in either situation.
i never said 20 million and I did say target not buy. Cuddyer will cost 12 million and if what is said i about the budget is true they can’t afford him anyway. I would offer Murphy to the Jays if we could get something good but in all honesty if it wasn’t for Dustin in Boston Murphy would of been shipping up to Boston because he is a perfect fit.
He could be Boggs slapping it off the green monster
I also see Melky going to Seattle or staying put.
I figure Miller costs 7-9, Romo in the 5 range, and Cuddy I think can be enticed at 9-10 with a vesting 3rd year option.
I agree Murphy would fit perfectly in Boston, maybe for Nava straight up.
Agree on Melky though the White Sox may be a wild card there
We both know the payroll should be 140 with the right moves but it won’t and Selig doesn’t care because of the Hebrew Connection. The Mets are built for the next 3 years yet it seems like the fans will get more of the same. Cuddyer is a one year deal at a crazy cost of 12 million.
Who would the Mets have with a $140 million payroll though? Bourn? Drew? Morales? It’s really difficult to argue that they would actually be a better team right now with a bigger payroll.
Cano kept Reyes
Those would be terrible contracts… Reyes also got us Plawecki.
you said Plawecki hits like a backup SS so I am confused.
It’s easy to get confused because you’re conflating two separate posts. Plawecki hit for a 99 wRC+ in AAA Vegas this year. Tejada hit for a 90 wRC+ at that level this year. So Plawecki hit just a bit better than a backup SS this year. Many people are already saying Plawecki is better than TdA; d’Arnaud, conversely, hit for a 253 wRC+ in Vegas – more than twice as well as Plawecki. So in the post pointing out that Plawecki hit relatively poorly in Vegas compared to TdA, it was to show that d’Arnaud is way ahead of Plawecki offensively, to the point where Plawecki may never catch up. However, Plawecki is still an excellent catching prospect and his numbers at lower levels of the Minors suggest that he could be a solid Major League catcher – an extremely valuable trade chip and more so than an injury-prone speedster on the decline phase with a backloaded contract (Reyes).
Miller should be asking for 4/40 at the very least. There’s no way he’s signing for less than $10/yr. I like Nava but don’t see the difference between him and Matt den Dekker. Romo and Cuddy would be bad moves.
a relief pitcher making 10 million a year what?He is not even a closer
Look at his numbers. A team like the Tigers would definitely consider it.
Cuddy is a poor fit for the Mets – a team not in the search for guys who can’t stay on the field and are well into their decline phase.
seems like he fits the mold (Abreu, Byrd)
I’d like to move on from that point.
Wait, why wouldn’t you go for Niese, Murphy, and a Minor League arm for Bautista? That’s quite the underpay from the Mets’ perspective and a poor deal for Toronto. Also, Cuddyer would be a poor move – he’s 36 and has missed 200 games over the past three years; we don’t need a guy who can’t stay on the field in addition to being very old.
Conversely, I’d do Wheeler/Murphy/Plawecki+ for Bautista and see if they bite; the drop from Wheeler to Thor/Matz/Montero is tiny but the upgrade from the Youngs to Bautista would be gigantic.
Bautista is 33 and he has been injured prone. I would not ship Plawecki as he is the real catcher because TDA is injured prone.Cuddyer could fill in at 1st for Duda against Lefties.I prefer something better than Cuddyer but I see Mets not spending much again so it is what it is
That’s extremely self-contradictory. Cuddyer is far more injury prone than Bautista, older, and much, much worse as a player. Bautista was arguably the best hitter in baseball last year after Trout and McCutchen, and ahead of Stanton. So you’re comparing Michael Cuddyer to a guy who had a better year than Giancarlo Stanton. That’s a pretty tough stretch to make. With respect to Plawecki, sure, TdA is more injury prone but he’s also a much, much better hitter. Go look up TdA’s numbers in Vegas and compare them to Plawecki’s. TdA has averaged right around 180 wRC+ in Vegas; Plawecki has hit pretty similarly to Ruben Tejada at that level. Once Plawecki starts hitting better than a backup shortstop, I’ll give him more credit but he really hasn’t shown he can hit AAA pitching yet.
no I am saying one will be cheaper and won’t cost top prospects. I don’t see TDA playing 120 games every year but if you insist. Why would Tor make that trade if they are looking to compete now ?
Don’t see that happening
and Nimmo I think you meant to say
At the time I didnt, but after looking atvthe Jays since then a BP piece or Nimmo would have to be included
I doubt Francisco is back. His bat disappeared just after the All Star break, and then completely dropped out of the lineup in late August.
True, he will remain cheap but offers little roster flexibility, is somewhat redundant given we will most likely see Lind’s option picked up and with his k rate and subpar defense is relatively useless if he’s not hitting the ball out of the park at a good rate.
How can the Jays be anybody’s favorite to take the East next year when they might only turnover between three and five players from last year’s Opening Day to next year’s? I’d even suggest they’re in worse shape if they can’t replace Cabrera and Rasmus. If they don’t make major changes they fall even further back in the East.
Wow…Ricky Romero. Forgot all about him….between him, Morrow and Josh Johnson the Blue Jays have had some lousy luck with once-good arms.
Not really lousy luck when there were major red flags about all 3.
The question is whether or not Rogers wants to be content with the same old story we’ve seen in Toronto countless times over the past twenty years. Ownership needs to support the team or else they’ll be a disappointment yet again.
This is more or less the only reason for the team’s struggles this season. Ownership has pulled the rug out from under AA when he needed to keep adding pieces to complete the team’s transition to contender that started with the Marlins trade. The fact that AA is so afraid to ask for money that they had to pass a hat around the clubhouse to sign Santana is a disgrace for a team with an owner with more money than God. Beeston and AA keep telling us that Rogers has never said “no” when they have asked for more money, but when you know enough no to bother asking, Rogers doesn’t have to say anything.
I still really don’t understand why they did nothing last winter. Those trades 2 years ago was enough to put them in contention, but they never made a complete team. Then they did nothing. They had already shipped out many of their top prospects, so they set themselves back several years in a rebuild of sorts, yet aren’t going for it. They seem to be content to get stuck in that dangerous middle ground. Be bad and get the top picks, or be real contenders.
Having Bautista and Encarnacion breakout when they were suppose to rebuild rushed their plans. It’s hard to imagine anyone not willing to go for it all when you get two 35-40HR threats fall into your hands rather cheaply I might add.
They still have a year or two with this core to put it together, hopefully they do something this off-season. Taking on a bad contract of a 2-3WAR player in a trade and resigning Cabrera should help throw them into contention given their proper bench depth now.
Oh I agree, but that doesn’t explain really doing nothing all last winter, and those awful trades before that.
The media in Toronto/Canada was actually pushing the idea on attempting to trade Bautista all of last year. Way too many “leadership” questions were circulating making it seem inevitable that The Blue Jays were going to go through a firesale in the near future.
I think Toronto has bigger concerns like the Maple Leafs who is praying for Mr. Steven Stamkos to solve all the problems. I see him in NY wearing Blue and Red myself.I see Toronto being like Philly(11-13)/Mets(09-11) not a top pick but not a real contender.
Too bad that has nothing to do with winning baseball games, and it’s just a lazy narrative to generate page views by bad reporters. Bautista is generally loved by his teammates, but everyone wants to point fingers at some clubhouse scapegoat when things go wrong.
I know, it’s sickening. I love Bautista and in no way does trading your best player help a team that’s unlikely to have such a great duo like Bautista/Encarnacion playing at the same time for extremely below market value contracts.
Hindsight is 20/20… Its pretty hard to say the trades with the Marlins and Mets were awful…. The Marlins trade was seen as quite a good deal for the Jays by just about everyone in the game at the time…The Dickey trade was a little questionable however, but not awful….. I do agree though if they were willing to pull the trigger on those deals they should have made a couple more at the time to shore up the rest of the teams question marks.
I guess I was the outlier then. The Marlins essentially traded backloaded contracts that they had signed the previous winters for several pretty good prospects. People tried to make that team out to be world series favorites, and it was ridiculous. That team had tons of holes that people were blatantly ignoring.
To be fair, nobody expected Josh Johnson to fall off the planet for the Jays in 2013. Bautista/Encarnacion/Reyes all going through significant injuries set them back in 2013 as well. I said the same thing was going to happen this year and all three men got injured and spent time of the DL, Bautista is the only exception to the later comment but his production initially suffered when he was trying to play through it.
They don’t seem to understand that they need to acquire guys like a Martin Prado that can step up into a cleanup role if a Lawrie/Encarnacion/Lind get hurt and the team won’t be hurting offensively or defensively. Anyone on this site can look at my comments from the Martin Prado threads, I was praying and hoping that the Jays would get him since I knew it wouldn’t require anything significant and the Yankees, of all people got him for a never will be prospect catcher. Prado was the Yankees best player over the next month and a half!
think he was pointing out why trade for Dickey Reyes if you are content with doing okay last off season. Neither guy is young with their skill set. Jays time is now with Yanks in sorts along with Sox who are in between. The O’s don’t spend and the Rays just lost their architect. Anything less of a ALCS and Mr.Anthopoulos should be canned next year regardless if he deserves it.
The Jays could be a team to watch next year, but they certainly aren’t a front runner in the AL East, let alone the entire AL. Saying anything less than the ALCS next year would be a failure seems like a giant stretch.
I guess AA should be fired because he traded TDA and Thor for a 37 year hard throwing knuckler. The way the division stands the Jays have no excuse not to win the division. That team is built to win now so if they have any doubts they should consider a complete fire sale and collect prospects
I don’t even think they need to be in the ALCS though. Now in the past 10 seasons they have not won 90 games, and they have not lost 90 games. That is the dangerous middle ground. You aren’t real contenders, and you aren’t getting the top draft picks. It is the worst spot to be in as a team. They already shipped out many of their prospects in those trades, so that really ended their chances a future team really. But it is just like do something. Make yourself legit contenders, or start retooling to get to a time where you are winners. A team in the middle ground is a team without a plan. Small market teams accept that too, even the A’s will be bad for years and then win for years.
That Dickey trade was really bad and Marlins traded backloaded contracts for prospects which you stated. AA is a terrible GM
I’m sorry but who’s really panned out for the Marlins in that trade with the Jays? Alvarez, Hechavarria, Marisnick, Mathis, Nicolino? Alvarez was never and I repeat never going to post the numbers he’s posted up this year in the AL East and everyone knows it. Look at Phil Hughes once he left Yankee Stadium, suddenly he’s living up to the hype everyone thought he’d be. Every other prospect the Marlins acquired has gone on to do nothing yet. Hechavarria has posted a -1.1WAR with the Marlins over the last two seasons.
The Jays would have never had signed Melky Cabrera without having that Marlins trade happened, Reyes is still a very valuable bat and Buehrle has been their best pitcher over the last two seasons. What’s to complain about that trade? Josh Johnson fell apart, yes? Who really expected that to happen as horribly as it did?
The Mets trade was horrible, everyone knew it. Dickeys numbers were never going to translate playing in the hitter friendly AL East and it shows. The Jays had the world of baseball talking about them and they signed a guy who was use to playing in the big ballparks of the National League. They could’ve done so much more signings that off-season, instead they wasted their funds/prospects on Dickey.
In all fairness if Melky wasn’t caught with PED he would of gotten more money like he will this offseason. Phil Hughes did well because of no pressure. He was a pitcher that could get to two strikes and couldn’t throw a out pitch. In case you didn’t realize the Yanks and Rays offense didn’t look hot at all this year.It’s funny i remember Dickey throwing back to back 1 hitters against the O’s and Rays that Cy Young year both on the road. You could of had any of the guys you traded for only money but instead waited a year to give up prospects. I don’t see the logic since the Marlins didn’t pick up any salary.
No pressure? Phil Hughes is a FLYBALL PITCHER. Have you seen right field in Minnesota? The towering wall alone takes away homers. Have you seen that compared to Yankee Stadium where any pulled ball is a home run since it’s 300 feet down the line for both LHB and RHB?
I have no idea what you’re talking about, none of what you wrote made any sense. When you’re a loser for 20+ years without coming close to the playoffs, you don’t get elite like talent such as Jose Reyes wanting to sign with you, the only way the Jays get any names is by massively overpaying for them like Cano’s horrendous contract or Pujols horrendous contract. Or in this case, trading for those players so that you become World Series favorites.
They didn’t do anything last offseason. It looked like they were stuck between going for it and seeing it play out.
A simple answer could be that Rogers green lit the trades to generate a buzz within the fan base, but they were not actually in it to win a World Series. They don’t care as much about how the team performs as long as they have a half full stadium and free TV content for their Sportsnet channels when hockey is in the offseason.
The off-season question will ultimately be, how invested is Rogers in this team? Spent 5.2 billion on TV rights, whats an extra 20 Million in payroll if they want to put a winning team on the field? This group isn’t far off but AA has holes to fill. Trades are an option, but who do we have to trade? Beyond Sanchez, Norris and Pompey do any of our prospects have value around the league?
If AA doesn’t get extra payroll, i don’t see how he can fill holes in LF CF, 2B and pen. This team wont compete if we go into 2015 with Pompey, Gose and Pillar making up LF and CF and Goins at 2B.
C’mon Rogers, I promise i’ll start paying my phone bill on time…
I normally would say $140 million in payroll is enough, but the farm lacks positional depth, the Red Sox and Yankees will be active players in the off season, and your franchise guys are at their absolute prime. Rogers should not waste this. Spend what it takes for the next year or two.
I agree, window won’t be open for long with current group. 1-2 years
Jays need to spread money around the diamond, and need someone capable of hitting major league pitching to man CF and 2B….
Yanks always have a healthy payroll, and now a need at short….
How ’bout a Reyes for Gardner swap? Might that free up enough money to sign both the Melk Man and a Jed Lowrie to play 2b? Then maybe prioritize defence at SS and use your young CF’s as trade bait to shore up that pen.
As for the rotation… I see Buehrle as being the only question mark…. That second half performance has got to raise some eyebrows about a potential state of decline.
no way the Yanks make that swap of Reyes and Gardy. They would rather wait a year for Desmond to be honest and no problem with that.
Agreed… It would never get done one for one….. Jays would need to sweeten the pot, and being a inter-division deal that’s prob not gonna happen to the extent the yanks would need to pull the trigger……. But if the yanks acquired a SS this year that would open them up to choose between a couple pretty good FA 2B in 2016 (Kendrick/Murphy) instead of pinning their hopes that the one good SS option is still available.
That would be a horrible trade for the Yankees.
If I’m Alex Anthopolous my absolute first priority is to re-sign Melky Cabrera, without a doubt. Melky was their best hitter last year in so many ways and was actually really solid out in left field. Then the Jays need to either find an everyday 2B or CF, they don’t need both. I’d love to see Jed Lowrie wind up with the Jays as an everyday 2B and let Gose roam CF and have him platoon against lefties. The Jays rotation is fine and should be left untouched. Their biggest need in my mind is the bullpen. The only guys you can count on for next year are Brett Cecil, Aaron Loup, and Todd Redmond in his usual long-relief role. I can see McGowan coming back on a cheaper deal once his option is declined and there is always a chance Delabar could come back and contribute. So what they need is two right-handed arms who can pitch late in the game and a closer. Instead of paying big bucks for a closer the Jays may just be better off making Aaron Sanchez the closer for 2015. It sucks because he has top of the rotation stuff, but it’s not like it hasn’t happened before. Then the Jays should go for a guy like Pat Neshek in a setup role and sign a former closer who can backup Sanchez should he falter, names like Andrew Bailey, JJ Putz, and Chris Perez come to mind.
If you platoon Gose in CF, you need another OF to bat versus lefty pitchers. With Lind still in the lineup, that’s two platoons burning four roster spots.
I’m not opposed to giving Gose a shot in CF, but I think Pompey is the CF by the All-Sta Break.
Neshek probably shouldn’t be a set-up guy, but a late-inning/rally killing righty matchup guy. The greatest value for a guy like Sanchez, hands down, is to start. Plenty of stop gap clozers out there, too.
Would we rather see Sanchez provide 180+ innings as a quality starter or 50+ innings as a quality closer? I think the answer is right there… as long as his control problems don’t creep up after pitching through the lineup a few times
But you know he can provide you 50+ innings as a quality bullpen arm. There is no evidence so far that he can be a 180+ quality starter. So the question is what helps the Jays the most next year? The known production or the unknown certainty?
You let him start until he fails as a starter.
They have that OF already in John Mayberry
In what ways was Melky their best hitter? Because he lead the team in doubles and had the highest average of qualified hitters? Those are the only areas that I see him leading in, but they in no way make him the best hitter on the team last year. 3rd best, arguably 4th.
Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnación were miles ahead of Cabrera on offense. I agree that the Blue Jays need to make sure they get an LF – Cabrera would be the ideal piece. In CF, Pompey should be given every chance to win the starting spot because his stuff is special – he plays above average defense, switch-hits, steals bases, and hits for power – he could be a 5-tool guy. With Bautista in RF, that just leaves the corner to deal with. At 2B/3B, there are multiple options like the guys mentioned and Daniel Murphy.
I would target RH Relievers who are cheaper that may sign on minor league deals like Jim Johnson or Luke Hochevar. Cecil could close if needed. And as much I want to keep both EE and JoeyBats I think you should trade one to fill all the other holes and retool with younger players. Personally I would try and package EE and Buerhle together (30 mil salary) and send to the Mariners for Ackley, Saunders, Wilhelmsen and DJ Peterson
Add Walker and the jays can send cash otherwise terrible offer.
Why is Kawasaki looked at as minor league depth? Hasn’t he earned at least a utility role? With his solid defense and steady OBP, I’d have him as the leading candidate for second base to start the season.
If you guys dont want him, Id gladly take him from you as the Mets to be our backup for Wilmer Flores. Daniel Murphy for Kawasaki, Aaron Loup/Brett Cecil and a minor league prospect.
Goins and Tolleson can’t hit. Either put Kawasaki there or acquire a third baseman and move Lawrie there permanently. Goins has a great glove but didn’t hit .200. Tolleson is a below average bat. Kawasaki has a good eye & draws walks. He was hitting above .270 until late in the season when Gibbons stopped playing him every day. The Jays can’t afford to go into next season with a second baseman who can’t hit when they’ll have a center fielder who could be offensively challenged.