Ben Nicholoson Smith: Jays in mix for Stephen Drew

[Atothe]

I would find it hilarious to have a potential GG SS playing second because of Jose Reyes's ego.

 

None the less, he'd obviously be a 2-3 win upgrade on Goins or whoever the f*** is currently slotted to play 2B.

 

100% in agreement. Sign drew and move Reyes to second permanently. It would be embarrassing if the jays don't use advanced defensive metrics for these things.

[G-Snarls]

Drew would be an amazing addition. Instant 2-win upgrade.

 

How much for Drew and Jiminez?

 

Probably better value than Tanaka alone, yes? (Draft picks notwithstanding)

[G-Snarls]

Heyman On Free Agents: Drew, Morales, Jimenez

 

By Jeff Todd [January 28, 2014 at 3:16pm CST]

 

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman covered a series of free agent topics in an MLB Network appearance last night (hat tip to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca). Among them:

 

The Blue Jays are "in the mix" for shortstop Stephen Drew, presumably viewing him as a second base option. Nevertheless, the Red Sox remain the favorites to land him, as they prefer to play Xander Bogaerts at third and appear willing to give Drew multiple years. Boston could dangle an opt-out clause of some kind to sweeten things for Drew, Heyman adds. There was a competing report last night on the Yankees' interest, but Heyman says that the club "seem more interested in Drew than ever" after landing Masahiro Tanaka.

 

Toronto, says Heyman, figures to be a major threat to land any of the prominent remaining free agents. As he explained further today, the Jays -- armed with two protected first-round draft picks -- may have made the strategic decision to wait out the market for players that are burdened with draft pick compensation. Likewise, as Heyman wrote today, the Mariners could still figure in on the top of the remaining free agent crop.

[Dylan]

 

Toronto, says Heyman, figures to be a major threat to land any of the prominent remaining free agents. As he explained further today, the Jays -- armed with two protected first-round draft picks -- may have made the strategic decision to wait out the market for players that are burdened with draft pick compensation. Likewise, as Heyman wrote today, the Mariners could still figure in on the top of the remaining free agent crop.

 

If this is true and was the strategy.. then well played. But until then all we are doing is winning the waiting game.

[Brenner]

If this is true and was the strategy.. then well played. But until then all we are doing is winning the waiting game.

 

Yes I will believe it when I see. If true and it works then cool beans.

[G-Snarls]

If this is true and was the strategy.. then well played. But until then all we are doing is winning the waiting game.

 

Exactly. No good if he gets outbid 1M by the Yankees.

[Terminator]

100% in agreement. Sign drew and move Reyes to second permanently. It would be embarrassing if the jays don't use advanced defensive metrics for these things.

 

How many runs, if any, would we save by doing that?

[G-Snarls]

Yes I will believe it when I see. If true and it works then cool beans.

 

I'd LOVE to see AA make a boss move like that - sign Jiminez for 13.5M and Drew for 9.5 per year and announce both at the same time while hiding a smirk.

[G-Snarls]

Well look what we have here! How apropos!

 

[G-Snarls]

Good, good:

 

[TwistedLogic]

Why do we want Drew?...... for the inevitable Reyes injury?

 

To keep Reyes company in rehab after the inevitable Reyes injury.

 

On a more serious note, I really like this signing in theory because if you sign Drew, that move enables two more moves: signing Ubaldo will only cost you your third round pick at that point, where I like him a lot more, and it also engages you in talks with Boras, making Baker a possibility as well. If you hammer out all three signings in the same aav it cost the Yankees to sign Tanaka (possible - 2M Baker, 9M Drew, 13M Jimenez), you actually end the offseason with a win.

 

If all you're doing is signing Drew though, I'm not sure how much it helps the team. Yes you likely get a few more wins and you hopefully cast Izturis into purgatory, but you take another decent AAV hit and lose your 2nd rounder just to fall short of the playoffs once again.

[TwistedLogic]

This is true. Boras was recently quoted saying that there isn't a feud or firewall, just that none of the free agents or players have made sense for the Jays at the price tags. Maybe he wasn't lying.

 

It would be nice if this were true, but it would only confirm what I've always felt; I never really believed that an organization can refuse to negotiate with an agent simply because they feel like it, especially not one that holds one of the biggest client bases in the game. Though that was part me thinking that it would be highly illogical for a team to ever hamstring themselves like that, and part refusing to believe that Beeston could actually be that stupid.

[Abomination]

It would be nice if this were true, but it would only confirm what I've always felt; I never really believed that an organization can refuse to negotiate with an agent simply because they feel like it, especially not one that holds one of the biggest client bases in the game. Though that was part me thinking that it would be highly illogical for a team to ever hamstring themselves like that, and part refusing to believe that Beeston could actually be that stupid.

 

I'm not sure Boras has one of the biggest client bases, just some of the biggest names.

[G-Snarls]

I'm not sure Boras has one of the biggest client bases, just some of the biggest names.

 

And fewer of those thanks to Jay Z

[Stangstag]

You guys are too optimistic, AA won't do anything else this offseason.

[jays4life19]

Drew would be sweet.

I'm kind of leaning that this is just Boras trying to leak names like the Yankees and Bluejays to drive the price up for the Sox.

[LunchBox]

Well look what we have here! How apropos!

 

 

Read this yesterday, was going to post it in response but you beat me to it. With only ten (nine) comparable instances, none of which are actually particularly pertinent to Stephen Drew, I was left unconvinced that he would suffer from a positional change to second. It should be totally irrelevant however, as there's little doubt it should be Reyes making the transition.

[ElNik2013]

It would be nice, but until something is final, it's just a tease.

[theblujay]

No thanks. Not worth giving up a pick and spending more money for 2-3 wins in a non-contending year.

[awsomest]

No thanks. Not worth giving up a pick and spending more money for 2-3 wins in a non-contending year.

 

This team with Jimenez and drew projects to 90 wins so I mean if your not planning on contending then why keep any of the players..

[LunchBox]

Anyone care to explain the significance of the "cap filler" and "rinse and repeat" memes? Also there should be a sticky thread with all this information lol

[Jimcanuck]

East will be a Beast if jays get drew and ubaldo...

[theblujay]

This team with Jimenez and drew projects to 90 wins so I mean if your not planning on contending then why keep any of the players..

 

I don't want to. I want to rebuild starting now

[theblujay]

I don't want to. I want to rebuild starting now

 

I would much watch prospect play the entire season and finish 5th than watch these old guys fight for 3rd. We have too many injury prone players, a weak front of the rotation and too many holes to fill with the money/assets we have.

[theblujay]

Perhaps you should be the fan of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, they are all about prospects and not contending.

 

By July of last year I was more excited for Stroman's starts in NH than any Jays game

[theblujay]

Perhaps you should be the fan of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, they are all about prospects and not contending.

 

All I know is that I much more fun watching and following the Jays in 2011 and 2012 when they had a top farm system than last year.

[G-Snarls]

East will be a Beast if jays get drew and ubaldo...

 

Yep

 

We do that and we really only need one other starter among the rookie/recovering group to step up and we could be in the thick of it.

[Jimcanuck]

All I know is that I much more fun watching and following the Jays in 2011 and 2012 when they had a top farm system than last year.

 

Last year was the worst year ever to be a non-casual Jays fan... with each loss, each injury, each weakness becoming apparent, you knew it would be a long time before they are contenders again.

[GD]

I HAVE BEEN PUSHING THIS FOR LIKE 5 MONTHS this makes me so happy. /off to read the rest of the thread

[GD]

Prepare to be underwhelmed

 

Pleasantly surprised that no one has said anything stupid.

 

/gets to "why bother spending a draft pick" post/

 

Let's ignore that.

 

Ubaldo + Drew at less than 90M would be so sexy.