Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro discussed the state of his organization with Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic (subscription link). You’ll obviously want to read the full transcript for all the details, but we’ll cover a few key points here.
One of the more interesting observations from Shapiro relates to the hot stove more broadly. The precise course of the market every winter is never a given. If you went back and replayed the offseason you’d likely end up with quite different results.
Shapiro spoke of the Blue Jays’ surprise at the early free agent market development, saying that “some of the signs that happened were pretty far outside what our expectations were.” That forced the club to “adjust to what the market’s doing and still keep our values, but look at measuring what the level of inflation is, and then adjust our values for that inflation.”
One wonders whether the opposite has been true for various teams in the prior two offseasons, which were notably quiet for free agents. It remains quite the curiosity that we saw such a marked dive in spending activity for two-straight years before the market suddenly perked back up this time around.
Certainly, the Jays could’ve just shrugged and decided not to keep pace in the market bidding. Instead, it re-worked its expectations and kept after the best remaining players, ultimately walking away with quality southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu. But stretching to land Ryu doesn’t necessarily mean the front office anticipates a postseason surge.
In terms of timing and expectation, Shapiro walked a line and avoided setting firm expectations. On the one hand, he says that upper management has “started to listen to our young players and just the power of their belief in each other … and the belief in their potential.” That’s part of the reason the club pushed for improvements this winter. At the same time, the team’s top executive isn’t setting runaway dreams. He didn’t want to cap the possibilities but also said that “.500 would be a big step forward in wins.”
So … what happens if the team does surprise and puts itself in contention in 2020? Adding more to the roster “would be spending outside of our budget, for sure,” says Shapiro — an evident nod to the fact that the club has plotted out some lower-spending years after ramping down from a 2016-18 cost inflection. But he also said that he’s “confident that we’ll get the support” from ownership when the time is right. The club is obviously dedicating attention and funds to broader building efforts; Shapiro spoke at length about the improved Dunedin facilities that he believes will help “lead to wins” in a multitude of subtle ways over the long haul.
In discussing the eventual need to ramp up the dedication of assets to the current MLB roster, Shapiro made another observation of broader interest. As he put it: “Usually, the dollars you spend at the trade deadline are not too significant because it’s part-season, partial season of salary.” It’s obviously also important that such investments are made with much greater knowledge of team need and likelihood of postseason qualification. Based upon Shapiro’s characterization, Jays fans can justifiably expect the club to push the pedal down when the young talent comes into its own and the competitive situation warrants further supplementation.
dynamite drop in monty
Nothing compares 2 U
DarkSide830
I agree, U2 is second to none
One Bite Hotdog
I obviously don’t want to read if it’s behind a paywall.
I’m a little salty this am. Sry
Geebs
Have you ever had a subscription to The Athletic? If there’s a sports site with a paywall worth its salt, its The Athletic.
Tom Healey
Agree. The Athletic consistently delivers real value. Excellent writing, accessible, with many daily updates. It’s the only paid subscription I have. And as a side benefit, the comments tend to focus more on sports and less on juvenile insults.
its_happening
Or just sell more advertising since it’s worth it according to you and abgb. That’s not juvenile it’s just an adult outlook to prove it’s really not what it’s cracked up to be.
Geebs
Some people don’t want to be bombarded by advertisements, I for example won’t go to espn, si, or any of the other sports sites that hammer you with auto play videos, and advertisements.
Good researched journalism without an agenda is worth the cost of subscription. As far as comments go I assume Tom Healey was talking about he comment section, and he’s right.
its_happening
Some people don’t want to spend money on content they can find elsewhere at a similar level. If baseball has shown us anything the last few years ranging from Hall of Fame ballots, other voting ballots and promoting other baseball-related items, the agenda is there and you have chosen to ignore it. The Athletic is absolutely riddled with agenda-driven stories, no different than the rest.
Geebs
Ok well… thank-you for your opinion, I guess.
jimmertee
I wouldn’t be without Adblock on my PC and Iphone.
terrymesmer
Finally, a subject on which Jimmer and I agree.
One Bite Hotdog
I have, Followed Stoeten there during his departure from the common blogs. When I tried to cancel my subscription (which was promised to be an easy process) it became a bit of a battle to rectify the situation.
However, (years) since then, I still keep hearing great things about The Athletic. Be it online or in person. I can’t be bitter forever. It seems a shame to waste the opportunity of a good read (in addition to all the great ‘free’ reads out there.
coldbeer
Hey Joel why bother paying for the Athletic when this site breaks down the stories for free?
MoRivera 1999
That’s been my takeaway.
creacher
Banking all the money for the sportsnet blackout deal with MLB, but wait issa the Jays
jimmertee
Sounds like a lot of corporate-speak to me.
Mark tends to talk a lot about nothing.
I definitely like what he did with the Dunedin project. Next step is to renovate the Rogers center.
Blacking out all Canada for paid sportsnet is a sour note though.
Essentially what happens on the field in all that matters. Let’s hope some of the pitching kids take a step or it will be another long losing season with this rotation.
30 Parks
The blackout decision is horrendous and again indicates the Jays front office is tone deaf in relation to their fans across Canada (Nova Scotia here). Agreed on Shapiro talking “a lot about nothing.” The Jays are making positive strides on field, but they do not have the team to compete in the AL East in 2020 and that’s okay – keep building. I’m not a fan of the Ryu signing, I think he’ll be in-tough in the AL East, I would have spent that money on Castellanos. Lastly, Rogers Centre (forever SkyDome in my books) absolutely needs to be renovated. Great points, Jimmer.
jaysfansince1977
What gets me is an annual subscription to one team with MLB.TV is 96.00 + taxes US, To get a annual subscription through SportsNet is 249.00 + taxes Canadian, that is a huge difference for someone like me who only watches baseball even if I buy monthly from SN I am still paying 160.00 +taxes Canadian. Just a money grab IMHO
One Bite Hotdog
On the other hand (btw, love mlb.tv and really hate the thought of giving rogers more money) , one only need to pay the monthly fee for the baseball season and playoffs. It doesn’t need to be an annual payment
jaysfansince1977
That still costs $160.00 + taxes compared to $96.00 with MLB.TV
jdgoat
30 parks- the blackout is a Rogers decision, not a front office one. Obviously they are somewhat connected but the FO can’t control that. You can’t hold that against them.
case
Assuming some of the profits are captured through their tv contract I can’t imagine the front office has much of a problem with it… having to overpay for players (in the sense that Canada has fewer loopholes and higher taxes on the wealthy) in an extremely rough division puts a lot of pressure on the front office.
infractor
We all know that the blackout was by MLBTV by now. Right?
Chasingamymatt123
I’m a UK based fan so don’t really understand the blackout thing. Is is in essence if you live in a certain radius you can’t see local games? How is that sensible for a team? Surely you get people watching on tv/internet and it encourages them to go see a team? Im possibly being simplistic but it makes no sense to me
its_happening
Basically we are forced to watch the local feed because they are selling advertising we can bypass watching MLB.TV. They might have 1 commercial and some highlight packages running in-between innings. But Sportsnet also charges extra for NOW, One and 360 which you need in April and May because of the NHL playoffs, and then in October when the NHL returns.
Chasingamymatt123
Again why? Surely this is diluting the fanbase? In the uk football teams build up there brand through tv and then getting local support
its_happening
Rogers wants to make more money. That’s why.
(I do not agree with it BTW)
Ducey
I dont see the problem. All the games are on cable, A basic cable package isn’t that much
One Bite Hotdog
not less than mlb.tv/rogers streaming service.
In fact, the starter pkg is $24/month and then you have to pay for the Rogers Sportsnet channels on top of that. Plus, you’re stuck with that bill on a monthly basis for the year rather than only the baseball season
its_happening
The one problem is if you don’t subscribe to 360 or Sportsnet One. I’d watch on MLB.TV because I just subscribed to the basic Sportsnet channels, and baseball would air on 360 or One during April, May and parts of June.
jdgoat
Everybody is moving away from cable. Streaming is what the majority of people do but now that is impossible if you used MLB and don’t have a VPN
MuleorAstroMule
No one under the age of 40 has cable. So it might be a problem if they ever want to attract new fans.
jaysfansince1977
I live in a small twon where cable is not an option i would need a sattalite and the monthy packages are astoundingly high for someone on a fixed income!
One Bite Hotdog
You’re absolutely right. It makes sense but also make ZERO sense in terms of making this game accessible and approachable to fans and potentially a broader audience.
Coast to coast, Canada is 6,521 km (4,025 miles). It’s quite the ‘local’ broadcast range to be blacked out.
Chasingamymatt123
I’m honestly baffled. Manfred is worried about pace of play and changing rules for no logical reason and this HUGE reason for lack of connection with fans is present. Actually it’s about money, I’m not shocked at all. Back into my cave and grateful that I can watch any teM on mlbtv. For now.
coldbeer
Nobody in MLB is going to try to stop an owner from making money. Paul Beeston successfully fought this for years but unfortunately the new CEO doesnt have the stones to step up the same way.
infractor
It’s not Rogers’ call, guy. How is this still a mystery?
its_happening
Copy and paste nearly the same quotes from the previous Mark Shapiro interview conducted by media based in Canada.
At least Jeter is challenging his ballclub to be better. Where is that in Toronto? This is what happens when you have a winner who’s been successful (Jeter) versus guys who can’t or won’t get it done (Shapiro). Drive home as much analytic data you want, it cannot measure desire. Jeter has it, whether he achieves it in Miami or not, and Shapiro and company in Toronto do not.
coldbeer
Jeter is an owner. Shapiro is not.
its_happening
Even better.
MoRivera 1999
Jeter is a tiny investor and President. Hardly THE owner.
SuperSinker
Shapiro is so corporate it pains me.
jimmertee
“Shapiro is so corporate it pains me.”
That’s why Shapiro was hired. The Rogers board couldn’t tell Beeston what to do, he had too much clout. Shapiro is a highly efficient obedient administrative lapdog.
coldbeer
Shapiro is a future mlb commissioner. He’d be perfect for the job for one main reason: everybody already hates him.
basquiat
Shapiro remains the best snake oil salesman in MLB.
richt
I don’t understand how MLBTR can allow a writer who pens a mouthful like:
“based upon Shapiro’s characterization, Jays fans can justifiably expect the club to push the pedal down when the young talent comes into its own and the competitive situation warrants further supplementation.”
And in another article writes:
“Dude could rake in his prime.”
The tone at MLBTR is so all over the place these days it makes my head spin.
MoRivera 1999
Maybe they should put you in charge and then you could personally pen all the articles.
MuleorAstroMule
It used to be solid, workmanlike prose that reflected the subject matter at hand.
Now it’s about trying to cram in as many rhetorical flourishes as possible and it’s distracting.
bjaygrr1977
It’s kind of funny, but yet sad at the same time…..this article about Mark Shapiro and his interview created more comments being posted about the Athletic and the blackout, than it did anything about the Blue Jays. I guess it’s because Shapiro didn’t really say anything, just like always! It will be a great day for Blue Jay fans when Shapiro moves on!
30 Parks
Interesting point.
tomahawk203
I’m located in Canada but am no fan of the Blue Jays. I simply don’t understand all the hatred for Shapiro & Atkins. The Jays made a push for the World Series under Anthopoulos and went all in to win. In the end, they couldn’t get it done and in the process, depleted much of the farm and took on the contracts of aging veterans. Enter Shapiro & Atkins. Any GM would have a difficult time dealing with the fallout from these prior decisions. They quickly understood that the team needed to retool and shift their focus towards a rebuild. The fan base appears to have unrealistic expectations and thought that they would continue to be playoff bound each year or that the rebuild would be occur in an instant. This shortsighted mentality was shared by Marcus Stroman as well and was not was not based in reality. I’m not suggesting that Shapiro/Atkins are infallible or that they have made prudent decisions every step of the way. Far from it. It just seems that they were scapegoated after the team’s playoff run when in actuality they were cleaning up the mess left behind by the previous GM. I am a braves fan and Anthopoulos has grown on me and appears to have learned from his mistakes. Cheer up, the future looks bright in Toronto, but this process takes time. I know that fans are fickle and that these same people calling them Shatkins will jump back on the bandwagon if they manage to sneak into a wildcard spot this year.
its_happening
2016 self-imposed payroll where they spent less money that they should have and lucked out from a career year out of Happ and a good 2 months from Saunders to barely secure a wild card. This after nearly reaching the World Series, front office and ownership took their foot off the gas.
Then they sign 3 DHs in Morales, Pearce and Bautista. Again penny-pinch. This time they take a step back thanks to injuries. Rebuild time, right? Trade Donaldson, Smoak and others? Nope.
Prolong the inevitable rebuild, trade one of the best 3B in baseball for a perennial minor league pitcher who’s injury prone and fail to make other trades in the process. Then extend a 4th OF to an 8-figure per year contract and fail to trade one of the best closers in baseball at his peak (recurring theme). Other trades that either haven’t panned out or weren’t necessary.
Future is bright thanks to Vlad, Gurriel and that scout who told Atkins to draft Bo. But it’s way too soon to say the future is bright. Future was bright in 1996 too with Delgado, Green, Gonzalez, Carpenter, Halladay, Stewart.
Easy decisions that weren’t made and the Blue Jays have suffered greatly. Shapiro has never won, doesn’t know how and doesn’t have the desire to. The flack is warranted.
filthyrich
Why do you keep saying to trade Smoak, teams didn’t want him. Same for Pillar.
Minimal return, why bother.
Signing 3 DHs was dumb, although Morales came with Gurriel isn’t so bad.
The whole decision to keep Donaldson around and resign Bautista for 2017 was attendance driven and dumb, and the attendance still fell off. Extra dumb.
I find it hard to hate on Shapiro and Atkins in these cases as it seems more like ownership behind self imposed budgets and decisions based on attendance. Good at their jobs. Hitting financial targets now means having some flexibility when the time comes to extend and recruit key pieces. That’s the hope.
The flack is unfair and borderline lunacy!
No team is run perfectly, these guys are clearly making gains but just get spit on consistently.
Tomahawk take was spot on. Aside from the fan of braves part.
kelticknotz
Don’t get me wrong as a Jays fan I’m glad we went into the free agent market. but honestly does Shapiro really think he and Atkins are fooling anyone with this sudden move. They only went the free agent route after it was pointed out neither of their contract had been extended beyond this year so suddenly we have money to spend