Glad he's gone. I don't mind rolling the dice with him as a No. 5 starter with additional depth behind him, though it was frustrating how the Jays were relying on Morrow to a top arm in their rotation.
Rios was worth 3.1 WAR in 2013 and 4.2 WAR in 2012. I don't think he's as bad as his 2014 season again - I'd rather take a chance on Rios with a one year deal vs. Melky on that 3 year deal he signed with the White Sox.
The DBacks have made stupid trades over the last two years. AA has been a true ninja this offseason, so if this is like the AA who went out and got guys like Morrow, Rasmus, Escobar when they were undervalued, then Delgado fits the bill.
When looking at mechanics, Mark Prior is an interesting case to study. Didn't scouts before say he had "perfect" mechanics? The Inverted W arm action has caused some debate. I've always loved Mark Prior - its unfortunate that his career was cut short. Some of the best stuff I've ever seen.
http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Mark-Prior.jpg
Some cool articles from this guy Chris O'Leary who studies pitching mechanics:
http://clients.chrisoleary.com/Pitching/Inverted-W/The-Science-Behind-the-Inverted-W
http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/pitchingmechanics101/Essays/MarkPriorPitchingMechanics.html
http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Pitchers/BJRyan/BJRyan_2008_002.jpg
http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/baseball/2009/07/08/blue_jays_release_former_closer_bj_ryan/jays_bj_ryan_helps_nail_downvictory.jpeg
Thought on BJ Ryan's mechanics?
I know, though he'll bitch and complain if you ever moved him out of the rotation. Plus, it's not the most viable move anyways. He's still a very good starter who provides quality innings out of the rotation. Moving him to the bullpen and having him pitch every second day like you're suggesting doesn't make any sense.
I'd rather throw that kind of money at a starter agreed - not sure the Jays have enough payroll space for Shields, though I'd definitely offer Masterson a similar deal to what Phil Hughes got last offseason.
I'd like to see Gregerson brought over here - the guy has been one of the most consistent late inning relievers in baseball. Whether they make him the closer or setup man, he'll be valuable. Likely will require a 3 year deal I'd say.
As for Robertson, I'm not sure I'd sign him for 4-5 years over $40 million. I mean the thought of him having a season like BJ Ryan's 2006 season definitely is tempting; however he could also blowout his elbow in the next year or two and barely pitch. Handing out big deals to relievers is risky. I'd rather let Brett Cecil have a shot in the closers role - though that means if he has success, he'll be way more expensive in 2016.
Masterson could be a good buy low - wouldn't mind rolling the dice on him as the No. 5 guy, since he could provide top-of-the-rotation value if everything goes right. I'd definitely sign him to a 2-3 year deal, similar to what Phil Hughes got from the Twins last offseason - could end up being a bargain.