Alex Anthopoulos Departing

[ElNik2013]

So....did AA leave the organization in worse or better shape than when he took over the GM job after the 2009 season?

[thatoneguy]

such is the life of someone with a wife, kids and a business. I know we all wish we could spend 80 hours a week on baseball, but I do have family and clients to think of. I'm not suggesting Shapiro can't and won't have success. Like many executives who have been in baseball for some time they have both success and failures. I'm just saying if it ain't broke don't fix it. AA should still be with the Jays.

 

...but as many others have said, it might be shaping up to be broke after the 2016 season...

[Stangstag]

The Yankees aren't as strong because they had a whole bunch of aging players signed to monster contracts, and had little to no players coming out of the farm.

 

Which is exactly where the Blue Jays sre headed thanks to AA. I mean yeah, the playoffs were nice but I don't want to sit through another half decade of mediocrity. Hopefully Shapiro can right the ship.

[Stangstag]

Pft. He'll get EE for Quintana and Dickey + Revere for Ross from Padres. #ibelieveinShapro... And may have played Mlb 14 too many times today.

 

I can fap to this

[GD]

Plus free health care. Don't forget that sweet sweet Canadian health care.

 

Joking aside, I think most people would also leave Cleveland to Toronto for the city alone.

 

We The Not Cleveland

[BTS]

So....did AA leave the organization in worse or better shape than when he took over the GM job after the 2009 season?

 

Better. But I doubt this would be the case if he was subjected to the draft and payroll limitations that handcuffed the team in the years before his arrival. Rogers really stepped up.

[Frenchsoup]

...but as many others have said, it might be shaping up to be broke after the 2016 season...

 

Only people who don't believe in the farm say that. I think they are developing pretty well right now.

[Harvey_Specter]

I won't be surprised to see some big FA Pitching signing(s) this off season. Rogers and Shapiro will need to make a statement like this to keep the fan confidence.

[BTS]

I won't be surprised to see some big FA Pitching signing(s) this off season. Rogers and Shapiro will need to make a statement like this to keep the fan confidence.

 

I hope fans don't get their hopes up for a FA pitching contract longer than a year or two.

[Stangstag]

I hope fans don't get their hopes up for a FA pitching contract longer than a year or two.

 

Anderson and Chen

[Abomination]

I won't be surprised to see some big FA Pitching signing(s) this off season. Rogers and Shapiro will need to make a statement like this to keep the fan confidence.

 

There's also the possibility he partially tears things down (not sure Rogers would agree to that though). Bautista and Edwin would fetch a pretty nice return even in the final seasons of their contracts. Might be able to completely fix the pitching that way, and get a promising young bat or too on top of it.

[Swervin81]

I hope fans don't get their hopes up for a FA pitching contract longer than a year or two.

 

Samardzija, Kennedy, Fister.

[baubau]

I won't be surprised to see some big FA Pitching signing(s) this off season. Rogers and Shapiro will need to make a statement like this to keep the fan confidence.

 

The challenge in free agency is you're often paying for that in the first year of a contract, and in the out years of a contract the players WAR usually goes down because he's usually past his prime. So it becomes a less efficient contract over time. That's why free agency is never the best way to build. It's a good way to supplement but not build.

 

This from the Interview here http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/a-conversation-with-the-indians-mark-shapiro-102512 (which BTS linked earlier).

 

You should be absolutely shocked if he goes out and gets someone like Price or Greinke. Shapiro knows those are bad contracts waiting to happen. I think he'll target someone like Iwakuma or Lackey who you could identify as "supplement" pieces. Not someone you are going to pay multiple years over yet able to come in and provide you wins. I am hoping for Iwakuma! I could also be completely off. But a man can dream dammit.

 

Samardzija, Kennedy, Fister.

 

I understand Samardzija, you can argue/make a case for Kennedy too, but why Fister?

[glory]

I won't be surprised to see some big FA Pitching signing(s) this off season. Rogers and Shapiro will need to make a statement like this to keep the fan confidence.

 

I doubt it. He seems very much against using free agency due to the unpredictable/poor ROI, so expecting any deals longer than 2-3 years as BTS said is probably setting yourself up for disappointment. I think if he makes any type of cosmetic change to create a buzz it will be Francona over Gibbons (or something along those lines). From a player acquisition standpoint, I don't think we'll see a big splash. Maybe a few minor pitching moves (Samardzija would be good on a short-term deal if he's willing), but nothing drastic beyond that.

[saskjayfan]

...but as many others have said, it might be shaping up to be broke after the 2016 season...

 

 

 

yeah the team will have a 32 year old Tulo costing them 20 and Martin costing 20. They will also have one of the best players in Donaldson costing less than market value. They will have stroman, Revere, Collabella, Osuna, Travis, Pompey, Hutch, Pillar, Goins under control in 2017 costing chump change. That leaves them plenty of money to fill out the team. The team has greene, alford, harris, foley, urena, maese, smoral, nay, pentecost, tellez, hollon. By 2017 a couple of these will players will likely be ready knocking at the door. Bautista and EE if unsigned will add additional draft picks.

 

So many of you follow the game far more than myself. I admit that, but with all that baseball knowledge there's no way those baseball minds can find a way in which the 2017 Jays could compete? That's pretty sad.

 

Those people saying it's broke after 2016 simple have not liked Alex Anthopolous for a long time. I don't think AA leaving right now is the right choice, but I reserve the right change my mind if the new regime does a bunch of wonderful things. I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong. The problem with being 20 years old is that you're never wrong about anything. When you're 40 you've been wrong so many times, it's just a lot easier to come to grips with the fact that you actually don't know everything there is to know about everything.

[mitchf]

I just remembered the Brandon Lyon trade. Alex should have been gone two years ago guys.

[Slugger]

Which is exactly where the Blue Jays sre headed thanks to AA. I mean yeah, the playoffs were nice but I don't want to sit through another half decade of mediocrity. Hopefully Shapiro can right the ship.

 

Flags fly forever, bro.

[Trouba95]

So it was one and done? We won't be in the mix next yr? Is that the message BTS is sending out?

[Orgfiller]

So it was one and done? We won't be in the mix next yr? Is that the message BTS is sending out?

 

Huh? The message BTS is trying to send out is that the Jays won't be crippling themselves financially by signing guys like Price or Greinke, instead choosing to opt for cheap and effective guys.

[Spanky99]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img853/698/rvcl.gif

 

lol... Bye Bye Alex!

[Swervin81]

I understand Samardzija, you can argue/make a case for Kennedy too, but why Fister?

 

Just naming a bunch of buy low targets. Fister, I feel his drop off has something to do with relying on that 2 seamer too much and practically eliminating the slider from his repertoire since he was traded to Walgreens. I feel if he can bring back that slider and throw less 2 seamers, we'll see him return to form.

 

Either way, I'd preferably like to acquire a decent underrated #2 guy (Iwakuma, like you mentioned, is a nice example), and then bring in those 3 to run a starting staff that's 6 deep and just relegate the worst of Shark/Kennedy/Hutch/Fister to the pen for long man duties (Ideally, I'd prefer a pen of Osuna/Cecil/Lowe/Sanchez//Hendriks/long man).

[A0FF]

lol... Bye Bye Alex!

 

http://www.breakingblue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/T6X6y.gif

[A0FF]

Just naming a bunch of buy low targets. Fister, I feel his drop off has something to do with relying on that 2 seamer too much and practically eliminating the slider from his repertoire since he was traded to Walgreens. I feel if he can bring back that slider and throw less 2 seamers, we'll see him return to form.

 

No faith in Martin bringing that back into the fold. Martin >>> Navarro, but eye test tells me that Martin calls an average to below average game.

[Swervin81]

No faith in Martin bringing that back into the fold. Martin >>> Navarro, but eye test tells me that Martin calls an average to below average game.

 

That's more of a pitching coach issue IMO (pitch usage over a long period of time).

[THANOS]

Just naming a bunch of buy low targets. Fister, I feel his drop off has something to do with relying on that 2 seamer too much and practically eliminating the slider from his repertoire since he was traded to Walgreens. I feel if he can bring back that slider and throw less 2 seamers, we'll see him return to form.

 

Either way, I'd preferably like to acquire a decent underrated #2 guy (Iwakuma, like you mentioned, is a nice example), and then bring in those 3 to run a starting staff that's 6 deep and just relegate the worst of Shark/Kennedy/Hutch/Fister to the pen for long man duties (Ideally, I'd prefer a pen of Osuna/Cecil/Lowe/Sanchez//Hendriks/long man).

 

I think Osuna is definitely in the starting rotation next year, especially with Shapiro's philosophy, and if Hendriks comes into camp with the same fastball, he probably gets a shot as well. Shapiro will want to see if their K/9 and low FIP's play as starters and I'm just as intrigued.

[Trouba95]

Huh? The message BTS is trying to send out is that the Jays won't be crippling themselves financially by signing guys like Price or Greinke, instead choosing to opt for cheap and effective guys.

 

So were gonna eternally operate like a low-market team as what's been done in Cleveland. I'm skeptical, but hope it works out.

[burlingtonbandit]

Better. But I doubt this would be the case if he was subjected to the draft and payroll limitations that handcuffed the team in the years before his arrival. Rogers really stepped up.

 

Sorry but I really can't agree with this assessment. Rogers still is one of the worst owners in Baseball. They have a higher than average payroll because of their market size and theyre making a s*** ton of money so lets not give them credit for that.

 

Its been proven how terrible Ed Rogers and his group are on the baseball side in their dealings last year with DD and KW. Also to spit in the face of AA and offer him a 2 year deal then realize how stupid you look to then only offer a 5 year deal is embarrassing. To then send out a statement saying you offered 5 years for PR reasons is just ridiculous.

 

Lets hope Shapiro can get the Blue Jays to where we all want them to get to but it certainly won't be because of Rogers. What a terrible company.

[Stangstag]

So were gonna eternally operate like a low-market team as what's been done in Cleveland. I'm skeptical, but hope it works out.

 

Osuna probably begins the year in AAA as a starter. First in line as a depth option. I think Sanchez gets another shot at the 5th spot in the rotation if we only pick up 1 starter in the offseason. If we sign 2 starters, then Sanchez and Osuna both pitch in AAA as starters.

[Stangstag]

So were gonna eternally operate like a low-market team as what's been done in Cleveland. I'm skeptical, but hope it works out.

 

You must be able to see that payroll is ballooning and that we can't afford another huge contract. We probably have the payroll room for Price in 2016, but 2017 and beyond would be ugly. Locking up 4/5 guys in their 30s for 20 million a year is a terrible idea.

 

Use your head dude

[Stangstag]

Sorry but I really can't agree with this assessment. Rogers still is one of the worst owners in Baseball. They have a higher than average payroll because of their market size and theyre making a s*** ton of money so lets not give them credit for that.

 

Its been proven how terrible Ed Rogers and his group are on the baseball side in their dealings last year with DD and KW. Also to spit in the face of AA and offer him a 2 year deal then realize how stupid you look to then only offer a 5 year deal is embarrassing. To then send out a statement saying you offered 5 years for PR reasons is just ridiculous.

 

Lets hope Shapiro can get the Blue Jays to where we all want them to get to but it certainly won't be because of Rogers. What a terrible company.

 

When Shapiro was brought in, it was looking like AA would be fired at the end of the season. You seem to conveniently forget that