Blue Jays to Teams: "We can't take on any extra money."

[BigCecil]

If Reyes continues to bat the way he has over the past month, I would think his overall season numbers should be good enough to trade in the off season. Still have to eat some salary mind you...

 

As much as Reyes pitch selection at the plate and his D makes me crazy his numbers are strong overall last 30 gms. I didn't think AA could move Wells and he did so I feel some hope but I do think we will eat some $.

 

Reyes future is at 2nd base and not SS - and its not with us I hope. He could be a + 2nd basemen IMO.

 

He has tantalizing ability...still...and I would like to have him, but his D @ SS and his cost just don't add up to value when it costs us other options.

 

Having said that we need a f***ing SS and it cant be Goins.

[mitchf]

Alex thinking he's buying low on Kendrick during his 6 win campaign makes way too much sense. Then you have the other side of it where Amaro thinks he's getting a much better prospect than what we're really prepared to give up.

 

Kyle Kendrick will be our 5th starter during the August/September stretch run.

[BlueJaysGirl]

What would you have considered a proper bid? What did the Jays bid?

 

I don't blame the Jays for not giving Tanaka $175 million.

 

A bid that wins is a proper bid. That blows away the opposition.

 

Tanaka? Maybe not. But they should have been balls in with Darvish. Yu can't say something diff.

[BTS]

Anthopoulos has payroll flexibility in 2015

 

JEFF BLAIR

 

JULY 21, 2014, 9:38 AM

 

It was before the Toronto Blue Jays’ home opener on April 4 and Alex Anthopoulos had just tap-danced around a report that several members of the team had agreed to defer salary in an abortive effort to sign free agent Ervin Santana. The Blue Jays general manager was pulled aside and asked whether that meant he wouldn’t be able to sign Colby Rasmus or Melky Cabrera to contracts before they became free agents at the end of the season.

 

"Two different things," Anthopoulos responded. "Those contracts would be extensions. They wouldn’t come into effect this season. It wouldn’t have an impact on our 2015 payroll."

 

As things have materialized, signing either player is, at this time, not a priority for the Blue Jays. But in light of concern about whether Anthopoulos’ hands are tied approaching the trade deadline, the answer was telling. Anthopoulos is in a position to add a player or pitcher with a sizable contract for next year – providing he’s prepared to adjust should he not get an increase in payroll.

 

More to the point, he has flexibility in 2015: refusing club options held on Brandon Morrow, J.A. Happ, Adam Lind and Sergio Santos would save $28.5 million (Lind and Morrow have a $1-million buyout on a $7.5 million contract; Happ has a $200,000 buyout) while Rasmus and Cabrera make $15 million this season and another eligible free agent, Casey Janssen, makes $4 million. Of that group, you’d think the Blue Jays would want to bring back Janssen and Cabrera but both can be expected to test free agency. The rest are hardly core players. Of the remaining core, Mark Buehrle is due a $1 million bump to $19 million while Jose Reyes gets a $6 million increase to $22 million. Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are earning roughly the same. So, there’s room – even without an increase in the Blue Jays $132 million payroll.

 

Payroll became an issue this weekend when*Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweeted*that the Blue Jays had told teams they can’t add payroll at the trade deadline. A Rogers executive, asked to comment on the report, issued a three word, e-mail response: "News to me."

 

Meanwhile, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi say the*Blue Jays are continuing to talk to the San Diego Padres about Chase Headley, who is still owed about $5 million this season. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says they’re in on Chase Utley.

 

Anthopoulos, for his part, did another tap dance Sunday when pressed about whether he can add money to the 2014 payroll. It’s not as draconian as it seems, since any player added would only be owed a pro-rated portion of his salary for 2014. It was going to take $14 million to add Santana in spring training as a free agent; it could take at most a third of that to make a significant addition at the deadline.

 

Perhaps Anthopoulos is in the same situation his predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi, found himself in: Ricciardi used to say he could ask for more money in-season. Once.

 

I know that’s not going to assuage the concern of Blue Jays fans, but that’s all I have for you.

 

More evasion and half-truths. If the team can't go beyond $132 this year in a pennant race, there's no reason to expect them to next year.

 

And as things stand they're at $95-100 million committed, but with no 2B, CF, LF, bench or bullpen and only 4 starting pitchers. So they have "flexibility", but a lot of holes to fill with ~$30 million.

[Frenchsoup]

More evasion and half-truths. If the team can't go beyond $132 this year in a pennant race, there's no reason to expect them to next year.

 

And as things stand they're at $95-100 million committed, but with no 2B, CF, LF, bench or bullpen and only 4 starting pitchers. So they have "flexibility", but a lot of holes to fill with ~$30 million.

 

Some shrewd trades are going to be necessary. It's really to bad they couldn't get anything for Santos,Delabar, and Rasmus in the offseason.

[BTS]

Yep

 

They need a 2B NOW no matter what.

 

Then depending on how the season goes they need to either commit more $ in hopes of making it next year, or starting the selloff.

 

Just fielding 2015 team on par with the 2013 and 2014 versions on a $130 million payroll is going to take incredibly shrewd management. It will be very interesting to see what happens to guys like Santos, Happ, Morrow, and McGowan. They all have options, but fitting them under a $130 million payroll will be very difficult. And then there's Janssen, who they certainly shouldn't retain, but probably will.

[TheHurl]

More evasion and half-truths. If the team can't go beyond $132 this year in a pennant race, there's no reason to expect them to next year.

 

And as things stand they're at $95-100 million committed, but with no 2B, CF, LF, bench or bullpen and only 4 starting pitchers. So they have "flexibility", but a lot of holes to fill with ~$30 million.

 

And the attendance average is just 2K above what it was in 2012 (down 3.4K from last year)...there is no guarantee the budget would be $130M. Overall Ratings are still up but it still has dropped below the CFL since it's return

[Atothe]

Just fielding 2015 team on par with the 2013 and 2014 versions on a $130 million payroll is going to take incredibly shrewd management. It will be very interesting to see what happens to guys like Santos, Happ, Morrow, and McGowan. They all have options, but fitting them under a $130 million payroll will be very difficult. And then there's Janssen, who they certainly shouldn't retain, but probably will.

 

Santos, Happ, Morrow, and McGowan. I doubt those 4 return.

[Chappy]

Santos, Happ, Morrow, and McGowan. I doubt those 4 return.

 

Nor should they.

[burlingtonbandit]

Just fielding 2015 team on par with the 2013 and 2014 versions on a $130 million payroll is going to take incredibly shrewd management. It will be very interesting to see what happens to guys like Santos, Happ, Morrow, and McGowan. They all have options, but fitting them under a $130 million payroll will be very difficult. And then there's Janssen, who they certainly shouldn't retain, but probably will.

 

All depends what money its going to cost Janssen. If its something like 2/16 I think they could fit that in pretty easily. I'm a firm believer you trade Buerhle in the offseason to free up around 20 million.

[CJ-Freeway]

And the attendance average is just 2K above what it was in 2012 (down 3.4K from last year)...there is no guarantee the budget would be $130M. Overall Ratings are still up but it still has dropped below the CFL since it's return

 

f*** the f***ing CFL. I hate that league soooo f***ing much. Sorry, had to vent.

[CJ-Freeway]

Just fielding 2015 team on par with the 2013 and 2014 versions on a $130 million payroll is going to take incredibly shrewd management. It will be very interesting to see what happens to guys like Santos, Happ, Morrow, and McGowan. They all have options, but fitting them under a $130 million payroll will be very difficult. And then there's Janssen, who they certainly shouldn't retain, but probably will.

 

Nah we need to keep Janssen, the others you mentioned could go.

[GNick49]

I would try Reyes on waivers? He will make 22 million next 4 years. Or 3 years at 22 plus a 4 million buyout. He's only a 1.8 WAR.