The Blue Jays have signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa, per a club announcement. It’s a two-year, $15MM deal, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray (X link), with another $1MM available in incentives. Kiner-Falefa is represented by ALIGND.
Kiner-Falefa won a Gold Glove as the Rangers’ regular third baseman in 2020, but he hasn’t since played much time at the hot corner, since Texas used him primarily at shortstop in 2021 and the Yankees did the same in 2022. This past season saw New York shift IKF all around the diamond since Anthony Volpe took over as the everyday shortstop, with Kiner-Falefa racking up a lot of playing time in center field (278 1/3 innings), left field (248 innings), back at third base (240 1/3 innings), right field (40 innings), shortstop (eight innings) and a lone inning as a second baseman. The public defensive metrics were mixed on his outfield work, but Kiner-Falefa graded pretty well as an infielder, particularly in his return to third base.
With Matt Chapman a free agent, it would seem like the Blue Jays could install Kiner-Falefa as their regular third base option for the time being, giving the club at least a glove-first starter if either Chapman signs elsewhere or if a more clear-cut starter can’t be found. That said, IKF is probably less of a Chapman replacement than he is a replacement for Whit Merrifield, another right-handed hitter who was deployed regularly as a second base and in the outfield. Kiner-Falefa adds even more versatility since Merrifield played very little third base and no shortstop.
IKF is also a better defensive fit at third base than any of Toronto’s incumbent crop of infielders, such as Cavan Biggio, Davis Schneider, Santiago Espinal, or Ernie Clement. Biggio is the only left-handed bat in that group, so it stands to reason the Jays might trade one of the righty-swingers now that Kiner-Falefa is on board. Adding a more experienced Major Leaguer also gives the Blue Jays more flexibility in giving more minor league evaluation time to top prospects Orelvis Martinez or Addison Barger, who should both be in the Show at some point in 2024 and could factor into the infield picture (particularly at third base).
While Kiner-Falefa may work from a depth and glovework perspective, however, he doesn’t represent much or any help to the Blue Jays’ larger need for offense. Kiner-Falefa hit .242/.306/.340 over 361 plate appearances with the Yankees last season, essentially matching his .261/.314/.346 slash line over 2415 career PA at the big league level. This translates to an 81 wRC+ — tied for the fourth-lowest total of any player with more than 2000 PA since the start of the 2018 season.
The lack of offense has limited Kiner-Falefa to 3.8 fWAR over his six Major League seasons, despite his defensive contributions. He rarely strikes out, yet this contact-hitting approach rarely yields hard contact, and he has little power to speak of with only 26 career home runs.
A two-year, $15MM contract seems like a pretty nice score for Kiner-Falefa with this lack of offense in mind, yet there was still quite a bit of interest in the utilityman on the open market. The Brewers, Dodgers, Marlins, and Yankees were all linked to Kiner-Falefa on the rumor mill, and Toronto’s own interest in IKF was first cited by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi earlier this month.
Between Kiner-Falefa today and yesterday’s agreement with Kevin Kiermaier, the Blue Jays have sprung into action after a rather quiet offseason caused by the team’s focus on chasing Shohei Ohtani. The Jays remained at least speculatively linked to a number of other players besides Ohtani, of course, as GM Ross Atkins’ front office routinely checks in on basically every available free agent or trade target as a matter of due diligence. While Kiner-Falefa and Kiermaier should help preserve the Jays’ excellent defense from 2023, some offensive pop seems necessary, whether at DH or to further bolster the infield or outfield picture.
As per Roster Resource, the Jays’ 2024 payroll projects to be just shy of the $230MM mark with Kiner-Falefa now on the books. This leaves a bit of space remaining before Toronto hits the $237MM luxury tax threshold, though that isn’t really a barrier considering that the Blue Jays exceeded the tax line (for the first time in franchise history) last season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
15m for 0.1 bWAR in platform season what am i missing?
Blue jays have to way over pay to get players to Toronto
HE IS HORRENDOUS! I was mad they tendered Espinal a contract let alone pay $15M for a 2nd Espinal.
He is a nice plan B for missing out on Shohei. 😉
I agree. The two moves are odd together. When they lose Whit Merrifield it may make a bit more sense, but you figure a contending team will still be looking to upgrade 2b
He does pitch.
If this is the only deals this year. It is an absolute bust. But if they pick up a big bat or at least a bigger bat then Chapman. Maybe a JD Martinez or even Teo someone who can be a power threat behind Vlad. Maybe just Maybe they can make it back to third in the division. This is no where’s near a championship team yet
I don’t know if I would trust JD Martinez. He is getting up there in age. He was good in 2023 but pretty bad in 2022. Could have just been a bad year but his age is alarming…
Mmmkay
If I were TO, I’d be looking at Turner. Unless they sign a 3B, there will be days where they need another bat at 3rd.
Turner might be helpful, especially because IKF isn’t hitting near where Merrifield was… Merrifield wasn’t even that great a hitter but he’s better than IKF.
But he’s just as much aging as JD Martinez
Only much more defensively flexible
lovely city. team pretty solid. Rogers Communications owns them. am I missing something? why would they be a hard place to get free agents to?
don’t you like poutine, @mad1?
They arent, its a tired narrative. They just have an awful GM.
It’s still a different country to almost every player and the taxes bend them all over as well
why would they be a hard place to get free agents to?
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Some dude named Ohtani boarded a plane for TO, and never arrived. I saw that on a documentary called “Lost”.
@JoeBrady I don’t watch TV much but I loved “Lost”. I tried rewatching it a few years ago but it all seemed ridiculous to me since we know how it all ends. I stopped watching again after season 2 and didn’t want to ruin my original experience.
Might have something to do with Canada not even being in the United States.
@best screen
with politics as they’ve been recently here in the US (for both sides of the aisle)… you’d think that would be a positive. lol.
Toronto is a great city. Been there multiple times and it’s really a fun place.
Different country yes. But it’s New York city Jr. without the crime and population
No way? Canada isn’t in the US?
Ah, but on the other hand, the United States is not even in Canada. So there’s that.
MacGeomit it’s in Canada.
The Brewers, Dodgers, Marlins, and Yankees were all after the player and since you call the Jays GM bad, you MUST also include the GM’s of the four teams listed as being atrocious and bad at the same time. No on can use double standards to praise one for signing the same player and then attack another GM as being bad when they sign the players. It extends to all GM”s or none, since fans can’t pick or choose actions. It makes them look stupid.
FYI: The USA is not the end of the earth. It’s also not even a very safe country anymore.
Players should be clammering to play/live in Canada.
Just another perk!
You’d think that would be a selling point.
…Seems they disagree with you.
Does Canada allow hyphenated names for men? I can understand a woman wanting to keep her maiden name, but why would a man want it?
Not expecting a board full of muricans to agree to that.
The taxes in Canada are insane!
get a life loser
You have clearly never been to Toronto. And NYC is literally one of the safest cities in the world. You .
No one cares about boring A Canada.
There are no perks to having to live in anywhere in Canada.
@maxim I’ve moved to another country once for work. The actual process of moving to another country (even Canada) is just a lot of annoying paperwork and processes. Why do that when another team is offering you the same money in the US?
way friendlier in Toronto than NYC.
@YBC I loved “Lost” so much that upon hearing the ending left much to be desired; I decided to stop watching it early. Now I can’t remember if I completely didn’t watch the last season, or I stopped watching three or episodes before the end. I think it’s one of the best network TV shows I’ve ever seen, but don’t want a lame ending ruining it all. But maybe I should just do it, and see how they wrap it up. Haha.
@santa A man would only do it if it meant a lot to his wife for him to do that. Sometimes people will go to great lengths to make their other half happy.
It’s not hard to get Shohei to go there, according to most Jays fans who fought me to death that it was a better location than LA
It’s in Canada, isn’t that enough reason ?
No one wants to come to a communist country
1-Lack of Americans
2- We don’t worry whether we’ll make it home alive while at the shopping mall or grocery store
3-Kids here aren’t equipped with bulletproof backpacks b/c there’s no need for them.
4-We don’t ban books
5-We don’t deny women access to healthcare.
I would never hyphenate my name as a man who has both parents still living and married over 50 years. Especially not just to make a spouse happy. Lots of these players do this due to having step fathers who probably did a better job raising them than their paternal fathers and I understand that.
upon hearing the ending left much to be desired; I decided to stop watching it early
==========================
Yeah, I’ve been disappointed in a few shows that just dragged out the end until it was embarrassing to watch.
It’s safer than going anywhere in Europe at the moment with so many wars going on there…
Pick your poison.
mad1, I’ve never been to Toronto, but everything I’ve heard about it has been positive – lots of culture, great summer weather, etc. Not sure why the team would have to “way overpay.”
If a player makes $10M in Toronto, they’ll pay $5.3M in taxes, if they made $10M playing in New York, they’d pay about $4.5M. Even setting aside on-field differences, that financial difference is hard to make up.
The Ms need to overpay for bats as well.
@ C Us Sink Can they afford to do that now that they’re on the hook for the Kraken and Blazers TV contracts? Lol
That’s not necessarily true, Springer, Ryu and Gausman all came in on deals that were a little higher, but still reasonable at the time.
I’m not denying that the Jays are not the most attractive free agent destination, but I can name plenty of franchises that would be a less desirable place to land than Toronto.
The issue currently is Shapiro/Atkins. They refuse to hire a decent manager, and have no clue how to take this team to the next level. Pushing Anthopolis out was one of the biggest mistakes the club has made.
Atlanta isn’t too different from Toronto. Both are willing to spend into the top half, but not Dodgers money. Both are not the most attractive FA destinations, but with shrewd trades and smart signings, have a chance to compete for a title.
AA had the Jays in the Championship conversation before Shapiro let him go. He goes to ATL, gets a WS under his stewardship and continues to be a title contender.
Freddie Freeman is going to be too expensive? No problem, I’ll trade for Matt Olson. You know, that guy who has averaged 44 HR’s and 121 RBI’s in his two years with the club.
Jays need a Left Hand bat? No problem, let’s deal a top 5 prospect in all of baseball and a good bat in Lourdes for Varsho. Sure he’s a great defensive player, but he hits .220, strikes out a tonne and helps contribute to the offence falling off in 2023. The offence declined because Vad struggled? Well, is it possible that Vlad’s numbers declined because he had no one hitting behind him?
They clearly lack interpersonal skills.
AA’s greatest skill.
Draw your own conclusions
While I loved AA and 2015 August-October will always have a place in my heart….AA f’d up ALOT in his first 3 years
Just go back and review some of the transactions.
Shatkins have arguably had a better run….despite what you may read here.
Thats not even subjective, its dishonest.
Shatkins had a 10 year run of nothing in cleveland.
Meanwhile, we developed aa for 3 years, and them he turned into one of the best all around executives in the league.
Then we ran him out of town in favour of a couple of corporate accountants that know how to talk to the board.
Shapiro and Atkins are fools
Must be trading Espinal. Don’t like the price at all but if another team was hoping to get IKF for shortstop they might have bid up to 6.5 mil for him. 8.6 bWar for IKF over 20-22 which includes the short covi season. Nice to have a defensive backup for Bichette in case they trade him this deadline or next as you don’t want to lose players like that for nothing. I think the Jays picked up Keirmeir cause Boras was probably telling Atkins he has to pay the Boras tax for Belly cause he had nobody to play the outfield. Sort of a negotiating ploy or maybe he got too frustrated with Boras and said stuff it!
SSS but IKF is caring a .791 Ops at the Rogers Center and hit .303 last year with risp and 2 out.
I heard the Rays need a new shortstop?
I heard the Yankees can’t buy a title anymore…
Yeah this dude simply cannot hit, seems like a lot for a bench infielder/defensive replacement.
I would rather have Gio Urshella than this guy.
Great job Toronto getting IKF, you can play this guy anywhere, and he plays gold glove defense at 3rd base and shortstop. Nice guy too.
How do you know he’s a nice guy Captain?
@rememberthecoop Yankees fans watched him for two years doing post-game interviews. You would never that know he had a bad day at the plate that day. He handled being demoted to UTIL from started SS very gracefully. Also never ever gave the NY media a reason to attack him. He’s a class act. Wish him well in Toronto!
Let’s hope it’s a 1 year plus option and the first year is a million with a 14 million club option
I’m just glad Jays signed him, or the bottom basement Sox would’ve.
You’re missing that a notable chunk of it came from subpar defense in LF when he last played there in 2015 (8 games at that), which will punch a hole in how his value is graded. Probably an overpay, but keep him on the dirt and he’s probably fine enough as a utility guy or fill-in 2B/3B guy.
Building that offense one ninth-place hitter at a time.
U missed that baseball is getting out of control with money
15 for two seasons, so 7.5 per season.
I’d give him more like $10m + incentives.
It is a 2 year deal so an AAV of 7.5 Mil per season!!
Yea, I’m not really seeing the “overpay” aspect of this signing.
I find it hard to imagine every single team doesn’t have a prospect at AAA that can squeak out replacement level WAR and play all over the infield with a below average bat.. at the pre-arb rates.
The reality that this is the new norm for baseball salaries and that the sport is healthy enough to support such salary inflation.
You have to respect the expert trolling of the fanbase by their Front Office.
As I noted midseason, fans will be surprised by what IKF gets.
I had him pegged for $5.5MM/1 yr. going into the offseason. And then Ohtani happened.
It’s sad to see what’s happening to the Jays this offseason
Yeah, especially since the season begins tomorrow, Oh wait….
Roster and game-day flexibility impacts the performance of the whole team.
Why is a player like this so valued while a player like Nicky Lopez is worth almost nothing? Also Lopez had 1.8 War last year while IKF had 0.1 . I’m not saying Lopez is very good but why the difference?
Solid glue guy who has the most important ability… Availability.
I am saying Lopez would be valued much less surely and is generally thought of as a player who would have to fight for a roster spot on most clubs (whether that’s true or not). Mlbtr said 5m for Lopez was steep and the Braves would very possibly designate him for assignment (he was traded), but they predicted a decent contract for IKF. Lopez didn’t seem to require much at deadline either if I recall.
Nothing.
Blue Jays got it backward. Should have been $1MM per year with $15MM in incentives.
I get not being excited about IKF, but he was 3-WAR in both 2021-22, playing mainly in the IF. NYY moves him to OF (where he has a below average bat) in 2023, but that appears to be his worst def position (though better than many options). If TOR moves him back to mainly IF play, he should be more valuable than the 0.1-WAR he showed in ’23 and a valuable utility IF, though I’m unsure how they’ll utilize him.
Its the money the term, this is a guy you sign in February for like 1 year and 4 million.
Interpersonal skills.
Possibly so, but that’s assuming he’d still be available. The IF market is barren, as indicated by ATL taking on David Fletcher’s contract to replace Nicky Lopez.
if they sign bellinger theyll be a threat, otherwise they’re just one step above seattle
i can think of about 18 teams who would love to be one step above seattle 😉
Hey now
What are the Blue Jays doing?? This is a horrible signing!
Did you say that when the Yankees traded prospects to Texas for him and they used him as a super utility players. The Yankees and Dodgers management must be pretty bad to spend billions of dollars on rejects and failure players that obtain nothing year after year in success and trophies. No one on here can have it both ways – praise the super teams and attack the Jays for doing the same thing to improve their teams.
You do know the Yankees have won 27 titles???
@tpaine69: But none that IKF had anything to do with.
How many in the last 50 years?
You are aware that 27 of those titles have originated since the turn of the centuries from 1900 until 2009. The Jays went back to back in 92 and 93. the Yankees have been irrelevant for fourteen years with a billion dollar payroll. That is incompetence.
@Ashleyr: From their first World Series appearance in 1921 to 2009, to be more accurate.
To be fair, 40 appearances with 27 championships in 102 World Series years (including 2023, excluding 1994) certainly doesn’t suck, but too many Yankees fans annoyingly labor under the fallacy that all that past success somehow makes the organization superior in the present.
Even more annoying is their self-serving belief that they as fans had something to do with the winning and that they are superior human beings because of it.
Sounds just like Cowboy & Laker fans
Blue Baron
Not getting on actual real fans, but Yankees fans are still better than the phantom Red Sox fans who came out of nowhere overnight to tell everyone about how long they suffered under the ‘curse’.
And please don’t mention the newly minted Cubs fans after their WS…
Many Yankees fans are front runners, which makes them no better than fans of any other team that wins.
What are you talking about. He is now 29 and showed he is bad. This is different than trading for a young player you hope will be good. Also, The Yankees probably made an awful trade for him at the time, I am too lazy to look it up.
They did Digdugler. They got Donaldson in that trade while shipping out Urshela. It was gross
From memory, Twins traded Mitch Garver to Texas for IKF with a couple other players involved. Then Twin flipped IKF and Josh Donaldson to Yankies for Urshela and Gary Sanchez
It was the WORST trade Cashman has made. Not so much as taking on IKF, it was taking on that massive has been jerk Josh Donaldson and his 50+M in salary. Absolutely awful trade by Cashman.
Very next day
Yankees had a strong lineup at the time. Jays do not.
Second, Yankees traded with the Twins, not Rangers.
Third, it was a package with Donaldson for Gary Sanchez and Urshela.
Nothing you said here was true, Ashley.
“Nothing you said here was true Ashley” should become a meme on this website.
Ashley has a cousin named Karen.
@Blue Baron You are offending all the Karens on this site (30% of the commentators). Watch out!
Thought she was related to Stacie and Chad
@Ashley
The Yankees didn’t trade prospects for him, nor did they acquire him from Texas.
They traded Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to Minnesota for IFK, Josh Donaldson, and Ben Rortvedt. This was right after IFK was traded from Texas to Minnesota.
You liked your own damn comment.
their counselor recommended that to help build much needed self esteem.
The Yankees didn’t get IKF from the Rangers. They got him from the Twins.
Yankees fans were definitely furious when that trade was made fwiw. And we were right. It was two years in hell.
Yeah. This one is pretty gross. I’m ok w KK coming back, but this one is just dumb. Would rather give the job to one of the Buffalo Boys than IKF.
now watch IKF hit 40 homers and steal 80 bases vs the yankees
He can barely hit 4 homers
If anyone could hit the ball over the fence in tee ball that would actually be amazing
Nah
I see someone in the TOR FO has a ghost account.
Yeah watch him take off, eh?
Nice move. Yankee fans didn’t appreciate him but he’s versatile and in today’s game useful.
We didn’t? I certainly appreciated him, and wanted him back. Perfect backup guy, plays with heart, NY guy, what’s not to appreciate?
@Salzilla: NY guy? He’s from Hawaii. More of a Honolulu guy.
Yeah that part was a brain flub. I was thinking of Andrew Velasquez. The mind does odd things sometimes. Classic misremembering.
All else is IKF.
Because he sucks?
I think it’s more we were upset with the FO for not getting one of the many great SS on the open market. Instead he was part of a disasterous trade. Not his fault of course. I do like his hustle and clutch hitting though.
Thanks Joe. That’s what I meant.
@dewey IKF’s ceiling is limited and Yankees fans had high expectations from him when the trade happened. And even higher for Josh Donaldson. Same as you guys for Verdugo. It didn’t pan out.
I thought IKF was fine for you. The mistake was in thinking that his bat and glove played in LF.
That was also Cashman’s mistake thinking he could count on Aaron Hicks, IKF, and Oswaldo Cabrera to platoon LF. You’re stuck with Sale. We’re stuck with Stanton for even longer.
@dewey: This has nothing to do with Yankee fans and whether they appreciated him.
It’s about where wanted to sign given his options.
u
Frankf, Tell us more!
Grats blue jays! Hell of an addition. Great rotation piece, can play all over the diamond
As someone who appreciated IKF’s contributions during his time in Texas, this seems crazy high.
Toronto has to pay more due to National tax system and location.
There’s no substantial income tax difference when players work for a club based in Canada.
Are you serious? Lol.
The sales tax by itself is 13 percent in Toronto.
National healthcare is expensive. No judgment on it’s worth.
The sales tax by itself is 13 percent in Toronto.
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Sales tax is a regressive tax designed to hit the poor, not the wealthy. The commoners wind up spending most of the income, while the wealthy wind up saving most of theirs.
No, you’re making that up in your head. See California’s tax rate (where five MLB franchises are located) for perspective. And last I checked, New York, LA, Chicago and Dallas are the only other metropolitan areas in the league with a larger population. Then these’s the fanbase. Tune in to any Blue Jays road game and count the jerseys. Yankees-like support from coast to coast. Unless you prefer to spend your time in the show living on the down low, signing in Toronto is an absolute gift.
Agreed with tighty whitey (lol)
So much ignorance when it comes to Canada and its tax system and its impact on athletes.
The jays have spring training in Florida (zero state income tax)
The players only get taxed at Canadian income rates for home game dates (days they are working in Canada)
It’s certainly more than Florida or Texas, but on par with Chicago and New York, and less than California.
But the point is that he is buying things there 1/2 the year. It adds up when you can avoid the hassle altogether and just play in Atlanta or Tampa, or whatever.
Wow that’s pricey. Holy crap. Unless they see something they can fix in his plate approach, that’s insane. There are a lot of good defensive infielders around.
Okay, it’s fine, but they do still need a bat to lengthen that lineup.
Jays to start cookin
This has to be fake, there is no way Atkins is this bad of a GM
@Digdugler
Atkins gave up pieces to get DeJong for less than 50 PA’s before DFA’ing him. Atkins isn’t as bad as you think though, he’s worse.
Reminiscent of the Brad Hand trade.
For that kind of money for him, there must’ve been hugh demand that no one ever heard about.
Must have been the “mystery team” driving up the price.
Overpay, could have signed Guillorme for 1/10th of the price if they wanted a light hitting fielder. They already got Espinal, don’t see why they’d sign IKF anyway
Mateo would have cost them less in a trade. Similar profile except Jorge’s elite speed on the bags.
Quite an overpay. I like IKF’s versatility and team first attitude but his bat is crap. Glove is good to gold depending where you put him.
Lol we already have Espinal/Biggio why pay more money for a non bat?
I blame all the dumb Jays fans (not the good ones) that thought Chapman was awful. I hope they are happy with their new 3B.
He’ll be the 3B only until Orelvis or Barger is ready for a big league shot, which they hopefully seize. I could see Orelvis outhitting Chapman next year. His defense obviously won’t be as good, but the kid’s gonna mash.
He’s a decent hitter that can be good but no way for that money.
The man has an career 81 OPS+, you would be hard pressed to find a worse everyday hitter in the MLB
A few thoughts:
Yes, it seems high- question though: does Toronto have to overpay guys because they get taxed extra due to playing their home games in Toronto? I have read that players say their taxes are extremely complicated and multi-faceted because they get taxed per games played in a given city/state and how that breaks down their salary per those games- plus whatever state you officially call home.
So a guy could live in Kentucky, play for the Braves in Atlanta, Georgia, which would be 81 games, but then play another 81 games across the whole country in Baltimore, Maryland, in San Francisco, California, in Kansas City, Missouri, in Chicago, Illinois, in Toronto, Canada, etc. and pay taxes based on those games in those locations.
Meaning if a guy is paid $16,200,000 a year and he plays 10 games in Toronto, he is paid $1,000,000 for those games and taxed on the $1 million played in Toronto…. vs playing 10 games in Seattle where he is taxed differently… is that accurate?
Also: Does Toronto pay players more money than they’re actually worth, to account for/off-set double hits of Canadian taxes and American taxes?
Every player gets taxed basically the same. Players are subject to an entertainment tax which means players pay taxes on their individual game checks to the state (or country) in which those games are played.
Toronto may have to pay a little more simply because the tax rate in Toronto is higher than, say, Atlanta but players are not getting double dipped on taxes.
Without researching it a whole lot, my impression is that TO tax is not much different than the NYC or LA taxes. Probably slightly higher, but not egregious.
Interesting.
Well, all that aside….
IKF is an interesting example of a major league player, where there are elements of his play that validate him being in the majors and there are elements of his play that make him barely replacement level and there’s something oddly ‘obligatory’ about how some guys get paid once they hit free agency.
With a few rare exceptions, there’s this obligatory feeling that players need to top their arbitration salaries in free agency, even if they’ve clearly regressed or plateaued to the point that by market standards, their worth less than they got paid in arbitration, which has both written and unwritten rules about required salary increases.
I mean, the fact that IKF only got $7.5M-$8M per season on this deal means that he got a token raise from his final arbitration salary simply as an acknowledgment of what being a first time free agent theoretically entitles player to- which is significant pay increases with the implication that their arbitration salaries are, by design, fractional values as compared to their market value.
But whether it’s IKF or Joey Gallo, some guys are actually overpaid in arbitration, so their first time free agency deals are token raises on their last arbitration salary and also by extension (natch) a slight overpay as like, a sign of respect for being in the game, I guess?
Almost like- you’ve been overhyped and built up all those 6 or 7 years you were under team control and so the league owes you some kind of contract that secures your financial future, even if you flame out and never get the mega deal or are pushed out of the game due to lack of demand.
It certainly does feel like a lot of guys get $15M or $20M or even $50M ‘early retirement’ packages as if the league is saying “we know you were hyped up and thought you’d be getting 5 years/$70M or 4 years/$100M or whatever, so here’s 20% or 50% of those salaries so that you can walk away from the game extremely financially secure, even if it won’t be mega wealthy.”
TTO — I know your right about the regional taxes for athletes (those taxes apply to Music Artists too).
I’m curious too about Canadian tax rates compared to NYC or LA.
According to folks on here the TOR/CAN taxes are comparable to NY with a very slightly higher rate.
Interestingly, apparently for the Americans or Canadians who play overseas in Korea, the teams pay the in-country taxes owed on their deals so that the players only pay their taxes at home.
So if a guy makes $1M they get to keep all of it, the Korean team pays additional taxes on it in country, then the player pays the taxes at home as if they earned that money in their home state/country.
Very accurate but for the double taxed comment. They don’t get double taxed, they do, as you wrote get taxed wherever the operate their “business” of being a ball player. Also of note spring training factors in the annual salary, with the Jays playing in Florida….its a big impact. And most of the players report weeks to months earlier with the Jays amazing new facilities there…not sure if that can be a factor or not. A few stayed there all winter.
Ugh
I guess if this means Espinal is traded or released it makes sense.
This is your Chapman replacement…
Very highly doubt that, GM’s are able to make multiple additions without the roster coming into focus until closer to the spring
Jays have a very high payroll, they just spent most of the free space (they mentioned payroll will be around the same as last year) on IKF and KK
Seeing as you have no idea what their payroll will be and seeing as they can trade salaries out if need be, many things can happen still
I know what Shapiro told us.
And he told you a specific number?
Their payroll sits at $219M at present (incl IKF) and $230M for CBT purposes. That puts them just $7M under the first threshold to pay CBT.
According to Cots, after IKF, they have $1.5M left to spend, and still stay under.
ABC. Anything But Chapman. I cannot watch another useless plate appearance from Chappy in a Jays uniform. If signing IKF is what moves them on from Chapman, then I guess it’s 15M well spent after all. Better than 150M for all world defense and zero bat.
They aren’t releasing Espinal. At this point IKF takes Whits spot
IKF plays third. Espy will be part of a trade package.
I think it’s fair to say the Jays are world series contenders with this signing ….
I’m fed up with having to suffer the consequences of Ross Atkins’ incompetence
He was too patient at the dish last year compared to his career norms. If he goes back to being aggressive early in the count, he could return to a .270ish hitter with speed, versatility, and defense. I still think it’s an overpay, but it’s not as bad as it may seem.
CRAP – I wanted him to go to National League because I love rooting for him
Tyler Wade 2.0
Steamer projects Espinal at 1WAR and IKF at 0.8WAR in 2024 lol Atkins keeps playing himself
IKF replaces Whit I take it? Ugh
I guess they were not that interested in Rosario after all.
They just leaked that story so nobody would steal IKF out from under them…. Man, they’re clever.
Jays really need a bat or two now. One must be RH as KK and Varsho won’t hit lefties. Or righties for that matter.
Get Vlad some protection and hope he has an uptick in offensive production. 5 through 9 in the lineup looks very thin.
Whit Merrifield has to be licking his chops. Was hoping the Sox would get him but he’s now looking at 15 mil+ AAV IMO.
Nah, the only one overpaying anyone is Atkins. Whit was also pretty bad last year and is much older.
Whit was good most of the season but the last few months he was terrible
Can they get someone that can actually hit? Varsho, Kiermaier, IKF. Tons of defeanse no bat. Such a shame that they are wasting their playoffs window.
Yep. Except the apologists cite WAR of Varsho and Kiermaier and everything is right in the world. Except it isn’t, and the Jays have a suspect lineup. They were lucky the starting pitching remained healthy and effective in 2023.
To be fair, I think Daulton Varsho bounces back somewhat, I do agree with your sentiment however, seems like they are definitely prioritizing defense over offense. Doesn’t mean they won’t bring in a decent bat though but that remains to be seen!
Jays need to bench Varsho vs lefties to help his confidence. He can’t hit and therefore is not an everyday player. Hard to bounce back when his best years hitting wasn’t great.
Toronto should wake up and realize their window is closing sooner than later. These moves are a waste of time and a waste of resources.
Sign Hoskins to play first and DH and move Vlad to 3rd for 1 season, he can get time at first and DH as well. Who knows maybe he can be an above average third baseman.
Vlad cant even play 1st let alone 3rd.
His gold glove would disagree with you, guarantee you don’t watch any jays games
If you watched Jays games you would know they now need a RH outfield bat off the bench to cover KK/Varsho facing lefty pitching. If they DH Springer then they will need a starting corner OF and a RH outfield bat. Hoskins is nice but not an OF.
Derek Jeter won 5 Gold Gloves and was the worst shortstop in the history of MLB. In 2022 Juan Soto was nominated for one and he is an absolute liability in the outfield. Many really good players win them and deserve them, but there are others who do not.
I guess you missed the part where they also need a third baseman and probably a 2nd baseman. It’s almost like getting a guy who can play 1st and moving a guy to third wouldn’t stop them from getting a 4th outfielder
Who’s moving to 3rd, Vlad? Biggio? They just got their 3B in Kiner-Falefa. No guessing here – you missed that part with this comment.
Biggio/Schneider combo gets first crack at 2B. Orelvis or Barger is called up if they struggle.
All Rhys would do is force Springer to play RF every day and he cannot stay healthy. Love Rhys’ bat, but this Jays team should not be chasing another 1B/DH.
Maybe go re read the comment that you are responding to
The guy with 26 career homers is not going to be the everyday third baseman but keep telling yourself you watch baseball
Derek Jeter won 5 Gold Gloves
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GGs have gone from irrelevant to almost like sarcasm. As in “let’s nominate the worst fielders in baseball”.
I can’t believe anyone is pushing Vlad as a fielder based on GGs.
I did. Unfortunately.
What an asinine comment, no more then two years ago he won a GG. Bad trolling bro
See above.
Franx You didn’t flinch at Vlad playing 3B. Ozzie Smith won a ton of GG so would you have put him at catcher? No. Yet Vlad suddenly is gold glove material at third?
No one suggested Vlad would win a gold glove at third base, but he most definitely won one at first and is a very good defensive first baseman who came up playing third base.
And your Ozzie Smith comment is more asinine ridiculousness
He was moved to 1B for reasons you can’t comprehend. Proving you haven’t watched baseball. If you had you’d understand why Vlad no longer plays 3B. With the IKF signing he will not go to 3B anyway, making your comment even more absurd.
With ShapieRo and his useless GM Atkins…This is as good as it gets….
So frustrating…that they are still in Toronto …
Seems like way too much for this guy.
That .660 career OPS will make Toronto fans miss Chapman in a hurry. Okay, the guy’s not as bad as some commenters say, but 15 million bucks? The Blue Jays must have American money to burn.
Oh boy, a mediocre hitter with no power…Woohoo.
Well, we missed out on Ohtani, but at least we got…the fourth-worst hitter in the league. Great work, Shapiro!
He is a big glove at any infield position, and runs well…over pay, sure….but they still can add a bat at DH, and IKF can hit 9th and be a super defensive replacement at 3b, a ton of options for the manager. Curious how he projects at 2b in term of range. Not as bad as some are suggesting in the comments.
They already have Varsho and KK to hit 8th and 9th…and Chapman just won the GG so the 3B defense got worse.
Jays signed this guy for his name. KIIIINER-FALLLLLLEFA
“Kinda Falafel” Sounds like something you’d buy in a Toronto subway station on the way to the Skydome.
Huge overpay, especially since I think that plan A is to acquire a true starter and use IKF as a super utility player.
Jays’ signings have been worse than Royals’ up to this point
More infield depth? A trade has to be in the works…right???
A pretty big trade from what I heard & it doesn’t involve the usual suspects.
I heard it involves Ohtani. Now Vladdy will get a Porsche from Ohtani
Porsche!? Not necessary…I would offer him a big submarine sandwich as a consolation..
Care to elaborate and give us a reason not to jump off the nearest bridge?
Multiple payers going in either direction (Manoah, Espinal +others) Guys coming back will be MLB players. Jays willing to take on salary if Springer goes the other way. Former Jays pitcher may be re-signed.
I don’t get it. I like IKF well enough. I thought he should’ve been the starting SS for the NYY last year, and like him as a starter for teams like the WS.
But on TO, he seems like a Biggio and Espinal clone. Unless you start him at 3rd, which creates a problem for the offense.
This reminds me of TO trading for Varsho’s glove, but then stashing him in LF. Or when TO signed Tapia, JBJ & Zimmer, even though they are identical triplets.
It’s because Jays like triplets and quadruplets
I also am scratching my head about some things, but what IKF tells me is that the Jays are acknowledging that they haven’t been developing defense well enough. They had a bunch of SS prospects who were thought to profile better at 3B and now even those projections have slid. Barger now looks like he may take his arm to the OF going forward. Martinez (once given a Beltre comp) is playing more 2B and figures to continue that. Leo Jimenez is still a good fielding middle infielder but the arm might limit him to 2B. Damiano Palmegiani might be more 1B profile than 3B. Davis Schneider is more bat first 2B.
I think IKF is more about insurance at 3B if the internal guys can’t field the position well enough for regular duty and he can back up SS.
Tbh they haven’t developed any position well enough lol
Is Vladdy a success? Not with how he played last season and ended the season for the Jays
LOL IKF starting over Volpe. Volpe is better at everything than IKF.
Volpe had a .666 OPS last year. IKF had a .646. You’d have been better off saving a year of service time.
Probably, but there would have been a riot in the Bronx. IKF is a good man and I like him, but Volpe was one of the few bright spots about the Yankees in 2023. Volpe might not be the next Derek Jeter, but he at least represents hope for the future, while IKF represents one of the worst trades in Yankees history.
Volpe won a GG and led the league in DRS, stole more bases and hit ten times as many homers, sooo no, we wouldn’t have.
What we would have been better off with is having a hitting coach that could help him develop at the major league level instead of saying he’s hitting “a professional .200”
I’m okay with this if he’s just the backup utility infielder. If the plan is for him to start, I am not down.
Shapiro!! All Indians fans know he is the smartest guy in the room and a baseball prodigy genius! No one better, ever! All those titles speak volumes.
Baseball salaries are getting more and more insane.
What about the owners who are making even more money? At least the players actually play the game. Every team should be owned by the fans in that city. Especially since the taxpayers of each city are the ones paying for most of the stadiums.
Then teams would be run by the government who represent the taxpayers. Oye vay… what a disaster that would be.
Yes, because capitalism is so great.
Feel free to go live under a different system
Every team should be owned by the fans in that city.
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I’d be curious to see how many games these guys go to.the games.
If these teams had to rely on the attendees for their contributions, they’d have $50M budgets.
If they relied on the people that think the owners should reach into their pockets, while not buying a ticket by themselves, the budget would be $300M, and the team would lose $250M a year.
I find that many people are much more generous with OPM.
This site has a bunch of ignorant children that think they understand economics. It’s a really sad statement about how awful the education system has become.
Keyboard warrior. Must be a Republican.
It’s a really sad statement about how awful the education system has become.
=======================
I have an explanation for that. When I was a kid, you had to hustle for a living. You’d get paid for delivering newspapers, and you’d make money in the winter shoveling snow.
I don’t think kids do that any more. So when they grow up having everything paid by someone else, socialism seems more intuitive,
When you grow up, and have to pay for your own stuff, you naturally grow more capitalistic.
You win the award for most inane comment on the board today.
Kudos!
As long as I am right, that’s’ all that matters.
Are the Blue Jays ever happy with their team?
They redid their outfield last year and now it’s their infield
The Jays plan to win a lot of 0-0 games.
As a Yankee fan I find this deal to be hilarious.
As a Jays fan i am very sad, but I also find it funny how Atkins still has a job.
Maybe he got a Porsche from Ohtani for helping drive up his income….just sayin’
Wth… this is lame. No idea what they are doing. Our offense sucked last year and they seem intent on making it worse. If this is the best they can do this FO needs to go. I have defended them in the past, but this is so stupid. They should have tried to at least get Gio. I could have gotten on board with that.
Agreed, Gio likely wouldn’t be much more (projected to make slightly more than the $8.5MM last season), but Gio has a better bat without losing much on defense.
Omg thats exactly how torontos bean head management thinks.
“On paper hes 90% of the player chapman is”
Lol
Gio is such a more dynamic player than IKF. I feel like Gio is almost like a minor Yankee cult legend. I never met a Yankees fan who didn’t love Gio. Nobody thought he was the best player, but nobody thought Brosius was the best player either. He’s a just a dude you felt confident about his being out there, and he delivered way more often than his stats suggested.
I wish I had money to throw away like that.
Hell, I would love to have a quarter of that to throw away, mortgage and heat are killing me this month!
I’m just glad Jays FO has got off their thumbs and actually making some moves. Go after Hoskins, JD Martinez, Bellinger hard and see if you can land one of these fellas or two. Jays still need some thump in there lineup. If Vladdy shows up that will be a bonus but I’ve lost confidence in him.
Did the Alonso for Vladdy trade lose steam or was that just flap?!
If I’m the Mets, I’d never trade Alonso period. Especially for Vlad.
I wouldn’t either!
Essentially replaces Blue Jays legend Paul DeJong
I like IKF. Lots of grit and hustle. Seems in interviews like a really good dude. Would be happy to see us pay him the league minimum.. But if you’re paying the fourth-worst hitter in the bigs more than that, you’re getting screwed.
Are you related to “Blue Baron?”
I remember watching a game where he stole home. Good luck to him. He’s definitely got the wheels.
That was a GORGEOUS slide. An all-time smoothest slide.
Chapman is definitely not coming back. Espinal is likely on his way out as well. The only upside I can see is it’s more likely that Barger/Martinez make their MLB debut.
Downside, they paid a lot more money for Espinal 2.0.
Just another bad move in a long list of bad moves.
I think the take is pretty well universal here. Kiner-Falefa was a solid defensive depth signing at 1 year and under $5MM.
2yrs and $15MM is absolutely ludicrous. Like truly ludicrous. You couldn’t get the Twins to cough up 1yr $6MM Kyle Farmer for a low level prospect?
Exactly this. IKF is a likeable guy, easy to cheer for, can help you on defense, etc. He’s a legitimately terrible hitter, and not worth the deal he got. Good for him to make this deal happen, but wtf was the front office doing here?
Yup this is the kind of guy you expect to sign for scraps late in the offseason.
He’s a perfectly respectable and useful kind of player. If he performs at 2021/22 levels, it’s a reasonable pickup and price. But if he’s like 2023, be prepared to tear your hair out every time he walks to the plate..
What a “spring into action” must be rough getting guys to come to baseball purgatory.
Is a guy like this really that much better than what they already have? Jays would be better off taking the money they are spending on replacement level players and invest in locking down their young stars with long term deals. They have some quality pitching. They will be competitive. Better bet than over paying mediocre players would be to give players from their bench and farm system the playing time and mix and match with overlooked free agents readily available in March at one year make good prices. There are always useful players available given the right situation. So many teams make the playoffs anyway that if they are in the hunt in July, and they should be with or without IKF, they can pick up a rental player to fill any shortcoming.
That’s why I’m good with Chapman not being brought back for way too long. Orelvis needs that shot to fill a lineup hole on the cheap so that $25 million that would’ve gone to Chapman every year can be spent extending guys and hunting another big FA in 2024.
3 pennies paid up front, $14,999,999.97 deferred.
Almost 10 times his actual worth (minimum wages)
The Yanks were called stupid for signing him last year at $6m. So what’s this?
Then again this is Toronto where even bad hitters suddenly hit 30+ homers so…
I’m sure he was an arb-eligible guy last year, so they just “tendered” him that time.
so they just “tendered” him that time.
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If they were going with Volpe, Donaldson, Gleyber, Rizzo, DJ and Pereza, then they shouldn’t tendered him (or they should’ve traded him). GG-caliber SS, with weak bats, don’t translate into assets in LF.
I am a Jay’s fan where are all these 30 HR players please name them
Vlad got there once!
Toronto has their own version of trash cans but it’s just not as effective.
Ffs…. First they sign Kiermaier to start and now another starter with another soft bat? Where is the offense going to come from? There are two starting spots left and I don’t see how they fill both those doors with impact bats. Plenty of DH meat around but no one good enough to make up for all the soft bats in the current lineup. How may utility players do they need? What a damned joke to go from finalists for ohtani right back to the damned scrap heap.
ShapieRo and useless Atkins at their Best….This is as good as it gets with these 2 Clowns
There are new seats in the entertainment emporium….and various characters to add to the hot dog guys…(they need to get stuffed)….
i don’t understand the Jays anymore.
They should be looking to trade Manaoh for a bat, but the return has to be worth it, and that’s tough. Manaoh was a top pitcher in 2022 but brutal last year. They won’t get anyone with his upside. At best they could probably find a very good but not great hitter with 2-3 years control left that a team might be willing to part with for Manaoh’s four years of control and upside.
7 m a year is ludicrous he’s a AAAA player worth vets minimum, there are dozens of speedy, defensively versatile guys who can’t hit who aren’t getting major league deals let alone 7m a year.
IKF’s MLB career will forever be best known for:
1.) An acronymistic nickname that suggests way more baseball competence than he’s shown.
AND
2.) Being used to entice Cashman to gobble down Donaldsons bloated contract.
#2 especially
I would hope that Atkins at least offered this deal to Merrifield first and was turned down flat
Neither is worth this.
Atkins suddenly awakened from his hibernation after Ohtani said unh unh and realized he had no team to field next year so he sent his minions out to sign any player available with a glove, unfortunately like last off season he forgot to add the words “who can drive in runs”
Redundant signing with the GOAT Eddy Romero in house!
What a loser franchise. The Blue Jays went from thinking they had Ohtani, to IKF and Kevin Kiermaier! Two complete and utter scrubs.
Kiermaier isn’t a scrub. He’s a great defender. He’s not gonna put up superstar numbers. But he hits for you in the playoffs if you’re a playoff team.
A team looking to win a championship might value that more than a guy who just puts up monster numbers.
Scrub is a scrap heap player. A scrap heap player is defined by a player that either no other team wants which last year he was. This year, he’s dang close to it again with it being fairly obvious that he didn’t get any starting offers for a team playing on a grass field. So, he’s not quite a scrub but let’s not go start sculpting his statue because he signed twice in Toronto without it being his first choice. His coming back was the Jays missing on Ohtani and Bellinger then needing to save some face with the fans just like last year when they signed him off the heap after missing on Nimmo. He did fine but expecting him to have back to back healthy seasons for the first time ever with only IKF or Biggio pencilled into the 4th spot.
Pitching n D…I guess.
Utility player that can serve as a RH option in CF against lefties.
Another odd move. Adding him is fine in a vacuum, but seems like a big overpay. Kiermeier was weird move too. Should have gone after a corner OF so Varsho can maximize his value in CF. Off-season won’t be a total bust if they can re-sign Chapman, add another DH option, and a reliever, but overall still a bit disappointing
Jays prioritizing his added versatility and 3B defense over someone like Espinal, who will probably be moved now. This likely rules out a Chapman signing, which I’m fine with, saves money for extensions and a run at another big FA in 2024 and doesn’t block Orelvis Martinez. Rotation of Biggio, Schneider and IKF at 2B and 3B to start the season and hopefully Orelvis forces himself into the 3B picture sooner than later. Jays need a bat now, lots available.
A lot for a utility guy. Jays definitely overpaid.
Taxes in Toronto are not much different then los angeles/ New York/chicago . Major issues Toronto has horrible G.M. . They had Anthopoulos/Beeston players came to Toronto.. Most americans do not even want to visit other countries let alone live there part of year..
AA didn’t draw guys to Toronto either. Via trade, yes. Springer was the more surprising acquisition than any free agent Anthopoulos signed during his tenure.
Puzzling to say the least…. I am not sure what to make of this. How does this push the needle for a team that was desperate for scoring runs? Who gets pushed out of the infield now? Biggio, Espinal, Schneider, Clement? Is IKF really an upgrade over any of those names?
No, it is an awful waste of money and fills no needs.
The guy that posted the Clement comment above really wants to see the Jays place 4th or 5th. Clement is a solid glove man but he’s not a guy to play every day on a contender.
But to you point it’s interesting; is Biggio playing 2B, 3B or OF? Will they try to package a deal that includes Espinal. If 3 of the 5 names you mentioned start (Biggio, Schneider, IKF), the lineup will be very weak in 2024 even with a solid DH bat.
You’re mistaken – I want them to finish 6th.
Poor man’s Leury Garcia
This screams of making a deal just to make a deal. Just cause you can sign someone doesn’t mean you should. Would rather they give a young guy a shot. No one is watching the blue jays to see IKF or KK strike out.
IKF was a team player, a hard worker, and often a very clutch hitter. He was quite underrated on last year’s Yankees team and I wish him well in Toronto. His legacy here will always be tainted to the fanbase since he was part of the infamous Donaldson deal, but he’s still a solid player. Everyone can use a jack-of-all-trades
that’s a solid assessment from a Yankees fan. zero irrational anger and fair handed. thanks for classing the place up there @PinstripesPride.
Ernie Clement revamped his swing last year, had a fantastic season in AAA far beyond what he’d done before, then capped it off with a brief .380/.385/.500 in the majors to show it could translate. Now, he’ll either waste away in the minors or get his chance to help another team while we watch Kiner-Falefa take his spot.
Clement is no sure thing, no better than a coin flip. But IKF is a sure hole in the lineup. The best move is often no move at all. That money might’ve been nice for something that made the team better instead of worse.
Nice signing
Yikes, that’s tough, Jays fans!
Love,
Os fan
I’m a Jays fan through and through however I honestly did enjoy watching the O’s playoff run in 23! For so long they were almost a laughing stock but have absolutely turned it around which is nice to see. Will be interesting to see how they pivot in 2024.
Shady, you enjoyed the O’s Playoff run in 2023??? They were swept in 3 games!!!
It was simply the fact that they actually were in the playoffs is what I was getting at.
After reading everyone’s comments it does seem like this signing was out of desperation for missing out on bigger fish! Jays FO clearly needs to watch the very brief playoff appearances of the Jays in the last two years and remind themselves that they need thump in their lineup! Guys who can cash in runs with runners in scoring positions. I’m pretty sure the Jays have missed their window of opportunity for Bellinger so it might be best to save their money and spend at the trade deadline if they can get themselves in a playoff position. No point adding more utility players with little to no impact when hitting.
IKF was not signed to be Matt Chapman’s replacement. This is more like the Twins bringing in Kyle Farmer—who, by the way, is projected to make more than $6 million in 2024, and offers great insurance around the infield for Minnesota.
The Jays are likely either still seeking a full-time third baseman, or they might have IKF keep the seat warm in hopes that Addison Barger gets back on track and is able to take over the hot corner before long.
Regardless, both IKF and Kiermaier were both signed as role players, not as middle-of-the-order boppers. If they don’t sign Bellinger, JD Martinez, Soler, Hoskins, Justin Turner, or even Teoscar, then they’ve failed. Regardless, defense and depth are major considerations in roster construction, and so you need the complementary players as well as the big run producers.
“ IKF was not signed to be Matt Chapman’s replacement.”
You better hope that’s true. Otherwise that’s a whole lot of yikes.
IKF was not signed to be Matt Chapman’s replacement.
===========================
Then who is Chapman’s replacement?
Chapman?
Oddly enough, my Chapman pick is still TO.
Well, it’s still December…
Chapman is still available. And it’s possible Addison Barger could prove his worth at the major league level.
But beyond an internal or familiar option, the Cardinals and Reds still have excess infielders. And Jorge Polanco is getting squeezed out of a starting gig in Minnesota, where he started transitioning to 3B at the end of the season.
Justin Turner probably shouldn’t be a full-time fielder, but he still swings a solid stick.
15MM must feel so cheap after chasing a 700MM player.
“Whit Merrifield…was deployed as a second base.” I wonder how the change in base size effected his ability to be second base?
“Look at me…I can be….second base.”
It seems like a lot of money for production you should have in your minor league system.
It’s one thing to have a utility guy that can hit a little bit IFK cannot hit at all. The Jays don’t have a minor leaguer who plays plus defense that cannot hit?
And it’s not so much they signed IFK, it’s giving him 7 million dollars. 3 million or so you can think, it’s okay, decent enough depth piece but 7? That’s enough to land you a high leverage reliever. Just seems like money poorly spent
They are signing him to play 3B this year. His glove is great there. He will lack power but will be fine as a bottom of the order hitter.
Next year he will move into the Super Utility role & Martinez will move into 3B.
Other than trading for a 1 year stop gap this was Toronto’s best option. His glove alone @ 3B makes him a better option than any of the mentioned options.
If he plays a great 3B hits .275 10 HRs & 50-60 RBI he will have value next off season to trade if Martinez is ready.
Not a bad deal at all as long as Toronto brings in another bay. My money is on Bellinger who I see being the FA bust of the year.
If he was posting the numbers you put in your comment, he wouldn’t have lost the SS job. He’ll hit 3 home runs, hit .248 and drive in 40 rbi if you’re lucky. Starting him at 3b instead of Chapman loses them 4.5 wins.
Happy to collect those 48 outs this year rather than cough them up.
He’s also not a great fielder; his GG was won at 3B in the pandemic season. With the Yankees he was very much a jack of all trades, master of none.
Well, that all sounds much better. I agree.
Falafel is the best defensive 3B available next to Crappy. But also who I am sure glad they will not overpay his empty offense. which only seems to getting worse. Also, If this team can find their bats in 2024, they likely will not need his offensive services much either. I also like the fact that he does have some speed as well at least as defense.
More likely Cavan moves to 3B and Martinez plays second.
I’d like to thank the Blue Jays front office for signing this guy for 7 million dollars more than he is worth so that I don’t have to watch him swing at the first pitch and ground out to short stop every game, and then listen to people talk about how clutch he is with 40 RBIs.
Wish you well, goodbye, and thank you again Toronto.
Not a huge downgrade, but Merrifield is better.
This is a huge overpay… Toronto always gets smacked in the free agent market. As I said earlier, they’re better off building homegrown talent like the Orioles and Rays.
Question for Jays’ fans. According to Cots, IKF puts the Jays at $235,470,953.
Since it wouldn’t make sense to bust the cap by adding someone cheap, and since they don’t need any of the remaining big name SPs, does this mean the Jays are done spending?
If your philosophy is to duck under every three years for reset purposes, then ducking under one year early is not that big a deal. My gut tells me that TO is finished spending this year.
they dont have a 3B they dont have a DH. If IKF is your everyday 3B they should be trading everyone and tanking. Their OF offense is also horrendous and they only have 3 OF on the roster…+ Biggio and IKF. The team is currently ass.
Because of mismanagement in previous years plus a renovation to fill with fans, they have no choice but to spend. They should be landing a big OF bat. Orelvis Martinez gets called to ply 2B come April/May if something goes south with Cavan/Schneider/IKF.
AL East is too competitive to have a mid-market AL Central approach.
Three years ago the Jays had 5 catchers (Jansen, McGuire, Kirk, Adams, Moreno). The return of McGuire, Adams and Moreno plus Gurriel landed Brad Hand and Daulton Varsho. This is partly the reason the Jays are where they are.
The main reason Jays signed IKF is because he can also pitch. He has 4.0IP last season with ERA of 2.25. He’s the Ohtani that the Jays could afford!
Every day I wake up more and more mad at this deal.
Now send Biggio to Houston just, if anything, for a simple heartwarming trade
Maybe he is required as a part of a trade to come? Not sure what part is all., and who else would be willing to pay all his now $15mm?
The (Very) Poor Man’s Ohtani joke became very old very fast guys, unless the joke is on us for the next 2 seasons!
If they could………. I would like to see them try to trade for J Ram from the Tribe to fill 3B, and his bat for the middle of the order with bonus base stealing. He is under contract until 2028 for $20mm per year and always produces. Then sign a power Bat for DH (like Martinez), and another SP for depth and insurance for Manoah and injury. We know they have tried to get him a couple of times already . He is 31….so his time is also ticking to win a WS., and Cleveland would likely like to trade for $ savings and a package of a least one player to replace him at 3rd, and a couple of other top prospects. Thoughts? Win Now? Well, this always comes at a cost.
Jays aren’t getting jram. Jays don’t have the farm for him.
Overpay in years and dollars
Did I mention J Ram also hits from the left? He signed in ’22 so only 4 years at $20, and should continue to show value until 35., and his consistency so far make is reasonable to think his current contract will as well. Yes, the return to CLE would be great, and the Jays have a weak farm (ranks 26th in the league), but to win now?
Although not deep, they do have a few good and intriguing prospects to offer as well as a whack of infielders.. The Jays are apparently (or were) willing to go big this off season anyways, to win now? They cannot make the farm any better either without trading away from the already not much without including some larger names. I recall the rumor was CLE wanted Manoah the last round of trade rumors. Maybe? If yes, sign 2 SP.s or try to swing one in a J Ram deal, and add a Big Bat. No? I would be fine with balance of IF’s fight it out in ST,, or platoon w/ Beej at 2nd for another season? I hope they do something
Cleveland thinks they are contending in the Central. Given the strength of that division and the Twins shedding payroll they might be correct. They won’t deal J-Ram.
The BJs are a mess. They’ve got a starting catcher and a putative number one SP who, between them weigh 700 lbs. They have a 1B who can hit…but cannot move…because he’s also about 3 bills. Traded for M. Chapman and now, apparently, going to let him walk in favor of…IKF??? Their best player, B. Bichette is a year from FA. Apart from all this, everything is great.