General Offseason Discussion Thread

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Dickey and his pet Thole and Tulo, for Walker, smith,zuinno, Hultzen and yarbourgh!

 

That gives us Payroll space, provided Tulo agree's give him a 2-5 mill bonus if he does we're still ahead what 28 mil

[DerangedIdoit]

If the payroll is 140 M. There is no way that they have Jesse Chavez at 4.7 slotted as the 6 starter. If they add starters it will be flyers who can slot in at 6 or 7 behind Chavez at 5. Brandon Morrow types.

 

IF the number is 140, they have about 5 million to spend. But that can be increased by tendering Thole and I expect they will either non tender Saunders or trade Revere.

 

I would have thought about non tendering Smoak too (he did nothing to increase his value from what it was a year ago at 1 million), but letting Hague go makes me think the team is not considering that.

 

Perfect amount to spend on Cashner after we trade for him.

[HERPDERP]

Not a serious article but since it's a boring offseason..

 

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2015/12/did_yankees_security_threaten_to_jail_the_toronto.html

 

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2015/12/15/will-david-price-bring-scooter-gang-to-boston/

[Cyborg]

Least thread worthy thread ever.

[CJ-Freeway]

Least thread worthy thread ever.

 

#Shotsfired

[GD]

Awful

[crazy47larry]

Not a serious article but since it's a boring offseason..

 

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2015/12/did_yankees_security_threaten_to_jail_the_toronto.html

 

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2015/12/15/will-david-price-bring-scooter-gang-to-boston/

 

1) Yankees are a bunch of grandpas

 

2) This ad...

 

http://ecorecoscooter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ecoreco-hoponoff-2014.jpg

[Boxcar]

Not a serious article but since it's a boring offseason..

 

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2015/12/did_yankees_security_threaten_to_jail_the_toronto.html

 

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2015/12/15/will-david-price-bring-scooter-gang-to-boston/

 

I could just post gifs of King Kong Bundy and be more productive than you.

[KingKat]

i just post gifs of king kong bundy.

 

ftfy

[King]

"He just got a bunch of them and we were like kids in a candy store," Donaldson said. "They all showed up when we were playing the Yankees in New York. Then the Yankees security tried to tell us they were going to take us to jail if we rode them at the stadium. We were like, "We don't need to go jail so let's put them away.' I'm not going to jail.'

 

My kind of logic

[Boxcar]

ftfy

 

Fair enough

[HERPDERP]

John Lott ‏@LottOnBaseball 1m1 minute ago

#BlueJays CEO Mark Shapiro says real-grass playing surface for RC not a top priority. One of many stadium upgrades being considered. 1/3

 

motherf***er

[Laika]

Man I miss Beeston already.

 

There was a guy with VISION. The vision to guarantee real grass at some unspecified time in the future after he'd be retired.

[Nafro]

Man I miss Beeston already.

 

There was a guy with VISION. The vision to guarantee real grass at some unspecified time in the future after he'd be retired.

 

"You told me if I slept with you I'd get the job!"

 

"Duff Man Says a lot of things!'

[burlingtonbandit]

Shapiro definitely has a different MO than Beeston and I like it. Sure RC not having grass sucks but I'd rather the president be straight forward and honest than constantly lying to appease fans. This won't be popular with the majority of fans especially considering the air around the team right now but it is what it is. At least Shapiro is honest and I'll take that over the garbage that Beeston would say year after year.

[BTS]

Shapiro doesn't insult the intelligence of the fanbase. I like that.

[Terminator]

The current fanbase has such a short memory, perhaps bc they are bandwaggoners and just joined. But there were multiple offseasons and trade deadlines where we were begging AA to make some moves and would have been rejoicing had he acquired a couple of starting pitchers prior to the holidays.

[burlingtonbandit]

In terms of positive news they accounced the Winter Tour. Toronto, Ottawa and Fredericton

 

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/fan_forum/winter_tour.jsp

[DuckDuckGose]

Sure RC not having grass sucks but I'd rather the president be straight forward and honest than constantly lying to appease fans

.

 

When did Beeston ever outright lie to fans? Honestly, I can't remember that ever happening and when it comes to a grass field he was more than open about where they were in the process (far away and no-guarantees) every time it came up.

 

At least Shapiro is honest and I'll take that over the garbage that Beeston would say year after year.

 

Shapiro is a master of the corporate non-answer runaround. He talks but there is no substance in his words. It's intentionally vague (as it should be).

[43211234]

Well this is the guy running the grass feasibility study ->

 

 

I'd imagine it's not going well.

[King]

https://www.change.org/p/rogers-communications-inc-fire-mark-shapiro-and-resign-alex-anthopoulos?recruiter=446354270&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive

 

lol @ this. The "Fire Shapiro" crowd is so stupid.

 

Fans were chanting "Thank you Alex!" in Camden Yards just before the Toronto Bluejays clinched the American League East only weeks ago. Alex knows our team, our city and our culture. We also knew that this was the end of the great Paul Beeston's career was coming to an end and that a clumsy signing of Cleveland's Mark Shapiro was going to happen.

 

Mark is a hands on baseball guy who will disrupt this teams chemistry.

 

It is widely known that Alex will receive MLB's GM of the year award! And fans all believe in what Alex is doing and trying to do.

 

Here is what the Toronto Star Wrote: and I quote

 

First came the news Anthopoulos had traded for all-world shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and managed to pawn the ever-stiffening glove of Jose Reyes onto the Rockies. Less than 24 hours later came news that David Price, the most desirable starting pitcher on the deadline trade market, was making his way through the tunnel from Detroit for a meeting with the men on the other side. The Jays suddenly had an ace. The result was a re-energized clubhouse teeming with consummate pros and an eventual berth in the post-season snapping a 22-year drought.

Of course, Rogers ownership surely did not see that one coming, because through the first two months, Anthopoulos was ranked anywhere from 29th to last among effective MLB GMs. But the die was already cast with incoming president Mark Shapiro, who will be taking over Nov. 1.

It was Aug. 7 at Rogers Centre when Jays fans realized the horsehide magic that was happening and started to attend games in numbers not seen in 22 years of mediocrity. The Jays ended the season with 30 straight crowds of 40,000-plus, with replica jerseys and Jays hats flying off the shelves for the new guys like Tulowitzki, Price and for the old guys like Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.

Then one day in late August against the Yankees, the Jays’ TV audience was 1.6 million viewers on a Friday night compared to the YES Network’s measly 600,000.

Of course, Rogers ownership did not see that coming when they negotiated with Shapiro to migrate from a similar role in Cleveland, apparently promising him final say on player personnel matters. The Jays landscape has changed drastically since last Dec. 9, with Anthopoulos now a heroic figure in the GTA and across the country. Tough to inform him now there’s a new sheriff in town. Anthopoulos’ contract ends on Halloween and Shapiro starts the next day. Trick or treat?

 

“I can say that it has been my decision not to have any discussions with respect to that, because of the post-season, out of respect for what we were trying to do,” Anthopoulos said. “I can’t speak highly enough of Mark Shapiro, Rogers Communications. They’ve given me that respect and they’ve given me that time. That will be addressed at the appropriate time. But I can’t stress that enough, that was my desire to let the post-season go on, let everyone enjoy what we were doing and certainly to not distract from what we were trying to do. It will be addressed in time.”

Could it be Rogers may have to backtrack on promises made to Shapiro regarding his Putin-like influence on player personnel decisions? Or maybe he’ll do it on his own. Before he went into seclusion on anything Blue Jays, Shapiro reportedly told a national media type how excited he was to be getting back into player moves after years of allowing Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti trade autonomy.

If Shapiro has been promised he is going to be a Theo Epstein (Cubs), Dave Dombrowski (Red Sox) or Andrew Friedman (Dodgers) type president/CEO, with a far higher profile then his GM, that will not work with the Jays. Maybe last Dec. 9 that could have been the plan, but the landscape changed.

“I continue to do the job the way I always have,” Anthopoulos shrugged. “I think I’ve been very adamant. I love Toronto, kids, school and all that stuff. (The job status) will get addressed.”

It will never be about the money with Anthopoulos. His car and his house are paid for and anyone who has seen his news conferences on TV know he’s not spending his money on the latest in the David Beckham line of suits. But what should already have been a contract slam dunk with a multi-year extension is coming down to perhaps a tussle over the player personnel thing.

It’s not the way MLB works. Nobody waits this late to confirm a GM. Other clubs have already filled front-office needs for 2016. If Rogers does not side with the Canadian kid when it comes to personnel moves, he’s on the street. If that happens, his MLB brotherhood will be dumbstruck and Rogers will just be dumb. Luckily for all of Anthopoulos’ lieutenants, their boss earlier in the summer locked them up to deals through 2016 — maybe seeing potential darkness on the edge of town.

The post-season was a magical ride for this city and the country, but it could possibly end badly for Anthopoulos, the magician who pulled an ace from his sleeve and a rabbit out of his hat.

He deserves more respect from Rogers but maybe this time they will actually see what’s coming.

 

So what do we as fans want?

 

1. Resign Alex Anthopoulos for what he is worth!

 

2. Allow Alex to Run the baseball side of things as he deems fit to do so.

 

3. If Mark Shapiro can't handle only running Operations send him packing!

[GD]

I am in favor of Alex resigning. Not so much re-signing though

[BTS]

The current fanbase has such a short memory, perhaps bc they are bandwaggoners and just joined. But there were multiple offseasons and trade deadlines where we were begging AA to make some moves and would have been rejoicing had he acquired a couple of starting pitchers prior to the holidays.

 

Yup. There was one offseason where the only move of substance was trading for Sergio Santos.

[glory]

Yup. There was one offseason where the only move of substance was trading for Sergio Santos.

 

Don't forget the "Dioner Navarro + minor league signings" off-season two winters ago.

Edited December 17, 2015 by glory

[burlingtonbandit]

This is interesting http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/shapiro-blue-jays-feel-like-team-capable-of-winning-world-series/

 

He added the club is considering adding a leadership position in player development and LaCava said that three minor-league free agent signings are likely to be finalized soon.

 

I wonder if Hurl has the scoop on who it might be?

Edited December 17, 2015 by burlingtonbandit

[leaffie]

Brad Penny and Wade LeBlanc.

[saskjayfan]

I am in favor of Alex resigning. Not so much re-signing though

 

who is this alex guy you speak of

[o2cui2i]

The current fanbase has such a short memory, perhaps bc they are bandwaggoners and just joined. But there were multiple offseasons and trade deadlines where we were begging AA to make some moves and would have been rejoicing had he acquired a couple of starting pitchers prior to the holidays.

 

fickle

[TheHurl]

The current fanbase has such a short memory, perhaps bc they are bandwaggoners and just joined. But there were multiple offseasons and trade deadlines where we were begging AA to make some moves and would have been rejoicing had he acquired a couple of starting pitchers prior to the holidays.

 

One of the big differences is that someone in the Rogers family would report that signing a starting pitcher before the Winter Meetings was reading the market perfectly "Ninja Move"... in exchange for never appearing on any other media outlet.

[TheHurl]

This is interesting http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/shapiro-blue-jays-feel-like-team-capable-of-winning-world-series/

 

 

 

I wonder if Hurl has the scoop on who it might be?

 

While it wouldn't be surprising if Shapiro goes back to IMG for this (and I nailed the Angus Mugford hire about 4 months before it happened https://www.linkedin.com/in/angusmugford), I wouldn't have a clue. Mike Lewis was my mentor for my week there...he'd be amazing for a position like this. I wonder if Shapiro will take my calls.