General Blue Jays Discussion Thread (2023)

[L54]

To be fair, a $600M contract is going to be 2-4 times more than most teams have ever invested in 1 player...

 

True but double is a lot less than quadruple

[Brownie19]

True but double is a lot less than quadruple

 

That it is. I wonder how many teams have handed out $300M+ deals. Also hard to imagine teams who've already handed out $300M+ deals added Ohtani for $600M.

[John_Havok]

That it is. I wonder how many teams have handed out $300M+ deals. Also hard to imagine teams who've already handed out $300M+ deals added Ohtani for $600M.

 

Some teams haven't handed out 300 million total over the past 5 years for their entire teams. I would guess probably 5 teams or close to that

[Brownie19]

Betts is a future HOF who is 31 and singed long term plus Dodgers have a history of winning plus track record of player development. The Blue Jays haven't even won 1 division title under the current regime.

 

Almost every team goes through cycles man. Freeman and Kershaw will be old as f*** in 2026 and by that time, there's a much higher chance that Betts is declining and those guys are weighing down the organization a bit. Young position players on the Dodgers would seem to include Smith, Outman and Lux - which isn't this eye popping group. Cartaya, Vargas and Pages are their top prospects, we'll see what they turn out to be. Bobby Miller looks great, but Urias keeps beating people, so he's f***ed, Buehler and May are always hurt and while there are some more interesting arms there, the Dodgers are not nearly as strong as they once were IMO.

 

Again, picking teams with buckets of cash and a good FO obviously increases the likelihood that the team will be competitive - but only teams with buckets of cash are even going to consider Ohtani anyway.

[The Cats Ass]

He's also landed several big fish including Gausman, Springer and Ryu.

 

Exactly, Bluejays don't seem to have trouble landing free agents. Gausman was the #1 pitcher in his class. Springer was ranked #3 overall behind Realmuto and Bauer. We got Bassitt, Belt, and KK last offseason.

[The Cats Ass]

To be fair, a $600M contract is going to be 2-4 times more than most teams have ever invested in 1 player...

 

I wonder what the reaction would be if he signed with Vegas.

[Stangstag]

I wonder what the reaction would be if he signed with Vegas.

 

I feel like Fisher should be shot if he did that

[L54]

that it is. I wonder how many teams have handed out $300m+ deals. Also hard to imagine teams who've already handed out $300m+ deals added ohtani for $600m.

 

lad

[Spanky99]

I feel like Fisher should be shot if he did that

 

lol

[Terminator]

[Terminator]

Can someone post the part about the Jays?

[max silver]

Can someone post the part about the Jays?

 

It's just a short quip without anything we haven't already heard elsewhere.

 

At least one rival executive views the Blue Jays as a sleeper for Shohei Ohtani.

 

The exec’s rationale is this: Any plans the Jays had to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to massive extensions might now be on hold. George Springer’s six-year, $150 million contract expires after 2026. The team remains in need of left-handed power.

 

The Jays could sell Toronto as an international city with a growing Japanese population. But one problem for them, and for that matter the Red Sox and Yankees, is that if Ohtani’s priority is winning, he might prefer a club outside the highly competitive AL East. And though the Jays’ home is the Rogers Centre, a ballpark with a retractable roof, teams in the West play in more reliable conditions than teams that play large chunks of games in the East. Ohtani, as he recovers from his second major elbow surgery, might fear disruptions in his schedule because of inclement weather.

 

It’s all speculation, and it will continue all offseason until Ohtani picks his new team.

[Terminator]

It's just a short quip without anything we haven't already heard elsewhere.

 

Ok well I won't buy my jersey just yet

[max silver]

Ok well I won't buy my jersey just yet

 

The thing about that piece that made very little sense was the blurb about the AL East weather being a disadvantage even though the Blue Jays play all of their home games inside of a dome. The schedule is far more balanced than it was previously which greatly reduces divisional play, and Ray also play their games inside a domed stadium as well. This only leaves 39 outdoor divisional games in a 162 games schedule.

[John_Havok]

Agree with your assessment

 

The Yankees did not exactly position themselves to be the Ohtani favourites since they are kind of bogged down with long/massive contracts already.

The Mets, who f***ing knows. All their new owner spending flopped horribly so they might be gunshy.

 

The Dodgers have very clearly been maintaining roster and payroll flexibility for a year+ so they can sign this guy. They have to be like, 70% favourites.

 

So you have the Dodgers up top and then a glut of teams including Toronto that could swoop in and overpay him to steal him from LA. That would include NYM, NYY, TOR, SFG, HOU, SEA, BOS, TEX. I mean, really anybody. Some of the smaller market teams could even make a case to increase payroll and extend for him. Baltimore, lmao. Imagine. They could do it. Baltimore.

 

Never in 100 years would Baltimore shell out 500 million on a player

[John_Havok]

It's just a short quip without anything we haven't already heard elsewhere.

 

Every division with big spenders is competitive, though so…that kind of logic is pretty flawed.

[Marew]

To be fair, a $600M contract is going to be 2-4 times more than most teams have ever invested in 1 player...

 

Would bet a lot it won’t be more than 500m. The pitching can’t be relied on to pay that much more. If you are counting on pitching, it’s 3 good seasons max and probably not ace level for a whole 3 seasons.

[Grant77]

Every division with big spenders is competitive, though so…that kind of logic is pretty flawed.

 

I remember reading that this year's AL East was the best division in the history of baseball. That may or may not be true, but I believe it was close.

[G-Snarls]

Never in 100 years would Baltimore shell out 500 million on a player

 

They're the one team that didn't even make a pitch to him when he was first coming to MLB (so when he was cheap AF too)

[John_Havok]

They're the one team that didn't even make a pitch to him when he was first coming to MLB (so when he was cheap AF too)

 

 

Dude has already told his team his young guys are as good as gone as soon as it saves him money.

[G-Snarls]

Meanwhile they're still paying Chris Davis and Mychal Givens to not play

[Terminator]

 

Dude has already told his team his young guys are as good as gone as soon as it saves him money.

 

This is probably somewhat true as the Angelos' are relatively poor (for owner standards) and need the team to break close to even or better every year. There isn't a ton of money to be made in operating a team.

 

However, he's a complete doofus because this problem would be easily solved if he sold the team. His family bought it for 170 million in the early 90s and they could get a few bil for it now. That's how these owners get s*** rich off owning the team.

 

So no one wants to hear him crying about how poor he is. He is sitting on billions but he doesn't want to sell it because owning a baseball team is fun.

[Jimcanuck]

 

Dude has already told his team his young guys are as good as gone as soon as it saves him money.

 

And in true Orioles tradition most will walk for nothing

[mphenhef]

I remember reading that this year's AL East was the best division in the history of baseball. That may or may not be true, but I believe it was close.

 

And for all that, they didn't win a single playoff game.

[John_Havok]

Athletic article on the Jays non-tender situation condensed version:

 

Arbitration-eligible players with estimated 2024 salaries (via MLB Trade Rumors)

Adam Cimber: $3.2 million - they seem to feel he is likely non-tendered

Trevor Richards: $2.4 million - didnt even talk about him in the article, IMO he's tendered but a likely trade candidate

Danny Jansen: $5.2 million - obviously tendered

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: $20.4 million - obviously tendered

Tim Mayza: $3.3 million - obviously tendered

Cavan Biggio: $3.7 million - they waffle a bit here, but to me he's a lock to be tendered

Erik Swanson: $2.7 million - obviously tendered

Jordan Romano: $7.7 million - obviously tendered

Génesis Cabrera: $1.4 million - obviously tendered

Santiago Espinal: $2.5 million - some back and forth on him, I think he's Non-tendered

Daulton Varsho: $5.5 million - obviously tendered

Alejandro Kirk: $2.6 million - obviously tendered

Nate Pearson: $800K - obviously tendered

 

Pre Arb Bubble Boys: not much insight on these guys since league minimum guys don't "need" to be cut to save money but IMO;

RHP Wes Parsons - non-tendered

RHP Zach Pop - keep

C Tyler Heineman - dump and re-sign to minor league deal

UTIL Ernie Clement - keep, trade candidate

UTIL Otto Lopez - keep, trade candidate

OF Nathan Lukes - could go either way, probably leaning towards keep right now given he's their defacto LF right now. Could be DFA once a real player is acquired.

[wamco]

Groundbreaking stuff

[Laika]

I'd think Espinal is a trade candidate if Toronto doesn't want to tender him.

[John_Havok]

Groundbreaking stuff

 

Truly

[Spanky99]

I'd think Espinal is a trade candidate if Toronto doesn't want to tender him.

 

For sure with options.

[Ehjays]