Blue Jays have begun contract talks with Melky Cabrera.

[Angrioter]

Heyman hears Toronto is "willing to offer at least a three-year deal" to the impending free agent outfielder, who batted .301/.351/.458 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI over 139 games this season. If an agreement isn't reached before the deadline for free agent filing, the Jays will make Cabrera a one-year, $15.3 million qualifying offer so they can get draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. Melky turned 30 years old in August.

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/489/melky-cabrera?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

http://i.imgur.com/8CbPdDS.jpg

[Angrioter]

I am one of the few who actually agrees with the 5 year policy, but even I find this embarrassing.

 

Melky is full of roids brotha... QO is the best offer for the team.

[Frenchsoup]

Why even bother with a 3 year deal? You know hes going to get at least 4 on the open market.

[Governator]

Why even bother with a 3 year deal? You know hes going to get at least 4 on the open market.

 

hence the "at least 3 year deal"...

[KingKat]

QO = Draft pick, which won't help us immediately (within our window).

 

Yes but it's not like the Jays have to spend their money on him. At least theoretically, they can pocket the pick and spend money somewhere else.

[glory]

Melky is not going to be worth more than three years, so if they hold firm to that, then they are being smart.

[shortstop]

well, you offer him something since you gotta atleast try from a public perception standpoint...knowing full well Melky will test the waters to get the best package/team...and it works both ways since Melky's gotta show he's trying & amenable to coming back even if he really isn't...

[Angrioter]

3 years for Melky is a huge risk.

[KingKat]

We are talking about the Jays??

 

Yes and that's EXACTLY why I used the word "theoretically".

[Laika]

Not sure what to think about the Melky situation.

 

On one hand, let's say "in a nutshell", I would never advocate for signing a free agent with Melky's profile. You can spend 30 or 40 million much more efficiently.

 

On the other hand, you get the sense that if the Blue Jays don't sign Melky then they won't do f*** all this offseason, and they'll be happy to roll into 2015 with Pompey+Pillar/Gose as their two outfield positions (puke).

 

I mean, I guess I kind of hope they manage to get him on a responsible deal like 3/$30 and he can somehow remain a league average LF for most of that term.

 

Letting him walk and making no additions would probably crush team morale too, for whatever that's worth.

[Laika]

Man, I feel like some team could make a huge profit out of a Colby Rasmus / Chris Young platoon in LF.

[nmrch]

i don't even want Melky on a one year QO, spend that money on a short term deal for McCarthy or Headley

[Deadpool]

Three years is about as long a deal as I'd be comfortable with for Melky, I just don't see him aging well at all...

[G-Snarls]

Not sure what to think about the Melky situation.

 

On one hand, let's say "in a nutshell", I would never advocate for signing a free agent with Melky's profile. You can spend 30 or 40 million much more efficiently.

 

On the other hand, you get the sense that if the Blue Jays don't sign Melky then they won't do f*** all this offseason, and they'll be happy to roll into 2015 with Pompey+Pillar/Gose as their two outfield positions (puke).

 

I mean, I guess I kind of hope they manage to get him on a responsible deal like 3/$30 and he can somehow remain a league average LF for most of that term.

 

Letting him walk and making no additions would probably crush team morale too, for whatever that's worth.

 

Agree with every line of this

[jaysblue]

The max I would go on Melky would be three years. 4 or 5 years is a lot more riskier.

[LongTimeReader]

Why even bother with a 3 year deal? You know hes going to get at least 4 on the open market.

 

Just because a player gets a longer term doesn't mean he'll take it, especially if the shorter term is better per year.

[LongTimeReader]

3 years for Melky is a huge risk.

 

Yeah, I'd go max 2 years but I guess it's a gamble, 3 might make sense.

 

He's getting older, he's likely not going to have as good of a season as he did this year.

 

But who exactly is Melky? He's had many bipolar years.

 

Is he masking his roids now or has he just magically become a good player?

[jaysblue]

Just find a Catalanotto/Johnson platoon which could likely offer similar or better production than Melky alone at a fraction of the cost.

[BTS]

Just walk away and re-invest the money

[jaysblue]

Just walk away and re-invest the money

 

Is there something out there that could provide similar value to a Cat/Johnson platoon like in 2005 and 2006?

[GD]

just walk away and re-invest the money

 

lol bts

[Jimcanuck]

I might be overoptimistic but can see Pompey out-WAR'ing Melky in 2015..... hell, Melky could beat Pompey OPS by 100 points and Pompey still wins through defence

 

Invest the money elsewhere.... SP or 2B please

[GD]

Is there something out there that could provide similar value to a Cat/Johnson platoon like in 2005 and 2006?

 

Gomes, Denorfia, Aoki, Young, Hart, Ramsus, Hairston, Stubbs, Jennings, Joyce, Rios are some potential value plays in the OF for cheap-o's

[TDotttt2005]

Well looks like the 2014-15 Offseason Blue Jays Front Office spin has begun. They probably leaked to Heyman or whomever that they have begun talks, so the fans can get all excited and think the team is actually making a valiant effort to re-sign him. They'll offer 3-years with 15mil AAV. Wont budge. Then when he signs for 5years 15mil AAV, Beeston and AA can say NO NO NO it wasn't the money at all, we have all the financial resources in the world at our disposal, we just werent prepared to match the term that he was given.

 

And so it goes, this playoffless streak of ours.

[jaysblue]

Gomes, Denorfia, Aoki, Young, Hart, Ramsus, Hairston, Stubbs, Jennings, Joyce, Rios are some potential value plays in the OF for cheap-o's

 

Great list - I'm sure you can add two of those names to form a very solid platoon at a very reasonable cost. Joyce would be a nice bat against RHP! For that other half of the platoon, I'd go with someone like a Drew Stubbs or Chris Denorfia - at least they'd be able to play some CF if needed as well.

[Laika]

Money being = would you want Melky or Markakis?

[Atothe]

Money being = would you want Melky or Markakis?

 

Neither

[KingKat]

Money being = would you want Melky or Markakis?

 

If the commitment is short, probably Melky.

[kgm1]

Melky is soon going to have to be a DH if he isn't already. If they do sign him for 3 years then I can see them dealing Lind . Signing Melky means the budget is going up or someone like Buehrle is getting moved.

 

If the Jays exercise options on Happ and Lind , buy out Morrow ,Santos, and McGowan, offer arbitration to everyone except Francisco then they are at 116.55 US with only 14 players. Fill the rest of the roster with League Min guys and they are around 123 mil US. Adding Melky alone on a QO puts the team at 138 with no 2nd baseman or BP additions above league min.

 

If even half the budget is hedged or in US and the other half at 90 cents that adds another aprox 7 million

 

I think we better hope Melky gets a great offer and we get a good draft pick

 

I would be surprised if he gets lowballed and takes a QO as some team will anti up 4 years.

[LongTimeReader]

I might be overoptimistic but can see Pompey out-WAR'ing Melky in 2015..... hell, Melky could beat Pompey OPS by 100 points and Pompey still wins through defence

 

Invest the money elsewhere.... SP or 2B please

 

That would be fun but highly unlikely