kgm1

I,m envious Spats , can't wait for the wife to finally retire so i can do spring training in Florida. I have been to AZ. The AFL sounds good though. All the top prospects and really nice ball parks . problem is it is hunting season

Such a huge talent killed just when he was about to shine. I drafted him 4 years ago and had watched him grow into the top talent he was. It is always sad to hear of great talents dying so young.

Yea this is just Caffardo speculating what the Jays will do.

The strike and Loria combined managed to destroy baseball in Montreal not that the city had supported the team. Montreal would probably give more support than Tampa does but I really don't believe Montreal is a true baseball city. Still a new stadium with the amt of revenue sharing that exists plus being in the AL east would to me be a lot more successful a franchise than Tampa.

I have been using the 1.1 # in my estimates but only on 50 % of the payroll as some earning are in US dollars and some hedging probably occurred at a better rate . Still the falling canadian dollar has added 6 to 8 mil to the costs and that is significant.

Well if they resign Melky that is the bull pen your likely to get unless he deals someone . There will be no money left unless Rogers is going to the 150/160 range

Yep , makes perfect sense to me to have a CF in right a CF in left and Bautista in center. How much Rum have you had tonite

So you add Melky at say 4/14, now your at about 144 mil even with hedging and only 15 players with the other 10 at league minimum. What do you do with 2nd base and the bull pen. Do you think Rogers will add another 10 mil to fix the pen.

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.

Man inflation hitting a guy right in the nuts

Rogers reports earnings TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian telecom and media company Rogers Communications Inc posted a 28 percent decline in third-quarter net income on Thursday, but reaffirmed its profit targets for the year as it heralded the end of a corporate shuffle.

That is the format BA should use . I just copy and paste

Baseball America,s Draft report Position Players BEST PURE HITTER: C Max Pentecost (1) has the tools to hit at an above-average clip and has a sustained track record of hitting, though his debut was limited because of nagging wrist injuries. The righthanded hitter has an easy, quick and short stroke conducive to line drives to all fields. » BEST POWER HITTER: Pentecost has plus raw power, though his swing path is unlikely to produce plus power production, with at least average more likely. 1B Ryan McBroom (15) has a strong, physical body and plus power potential from the left side. » FASTEST RUNNER: Both Pentecost and OF/3B Lane Thomas (5) have at least 55-grade speed that plays up because of instincts. Thomas is a plus runner underway who ran the 60 as low as 6.48 last summer. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Pentecost’s defense improved significantly over the last year, offering above-average athleticism, flexibility and better receiving to go with a plus arm that has a quick release. Pitchers BEST FASTBALL: RHP Jeff Hoffman (1) is a premier talent with an elite arm who likely would not have lasted until the ninth pick if not for his Tommy John surgery. Hoffman has a loose, easy arm action and sits 93-95 at his best, touching 98 mph. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: Sean Reid-Foley (2) has a plus slider when he is on top of the pitch. Hoffman showed two secondary offerings with at least plus potential in his curveball and changeup. LHP Nick Wells (3) has a big, projectable body and a plus curveball that was one of the best among prep lefthanders. Odds And Ends BEST PRO DEBUT: Thomas, a high school draftee, was an above-average producer across to levels, finishing in the Rookie level Appalachian League while hitting .281/.369/.398. LHP Grayson Huffman (6) had a 0.95 ERA in 38 innings at two Rookie-ball stops despite 20 walks in 38 innings; he gave up just 18 hits. » BEST ATHLETE: Pentecost is a rare athlete for a catcher with a broad skill set. Hoffman was one of the most athletic pitchers in the draft and made exceptional defensive plays on the mound and highlight reel dunks on the basketball court. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: Shafer led his county in passing as a high school quarterback and was a two-way player at Florida. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: Pentecost could move quickly as a college catcher with two-way ability. RHP Chase Mallard (14) could move quickly as a strike-thrower with pitchability and an 89-92 mph fastball and solid slider. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: 2B Gunnar Heidt (13) had the tools to go in the top 10 rounds, but broke his hand in late April. He is a high-makeup grinder with some tools. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: Two Illinois prep arms heading to the SEC could become good draft picks in three years, LHP Jake Latz (11; Louisiana State) and RHP Tanner Houck (12; Missouri).

For you jay I can do it . Nothing new in it thou. TORONTO—Outfielder Dalton Pompey may have thrust his name into consideration for the big league club’s plans for 2015 during the final 10 games of 2014. Dalton Pompey (Photo by Mike Janes). Dalton Pompey (Photo by Mike Janes). His most impressive performance during that stretch came on Sept. 26 against the Orioles, when he hit two triples and a double off righthander Chris Tillman and made two fine catches in left field. Three days before that, Pompey hit his first major league homer against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. The switch-hitting 21-year-old batted .250/.325/.472 in those 10 games, starting in either left or center field. It completed a breakout season for Pompey, who hit .317/.392/.469 in the minors as he trekked from high Class A Dunedin to Double-A New Hampshire to Triple-A Buffalo before receiving a September callup. He’s beginning his offseason with a stint in the Arizona Fall League, which general manager Alex Anthopoulos said “is going to be important.” “I told him that, too,” the GM said. “Unless we do something else (in the offseason)*—trade or add somebody—I would expect him to come in and compete.” Pompey sees the offseason competition as a time to refine his game. “(I’m) pretty much going to (the AFL) to get extra reps,” said Pompey, a 16th-round pick in 2010 out of high school in Mississauga, Ont. “I have things I feel I need to work on, like my routes in the outfield I feel I can improve on. I’ll work on my steal jumps when I’m down there. I need to work on my bunting and my overall approach. “This last week (in Toronto) will help me going into next year and is going to give me more of a focus when I go to the Fall League.” Pompey said his goal this season was to improve his hitting, and he he did just that while totaling nine homers, 51 RBIs and 43 stolen bases. JAYS CHATTER • The Blue Jays announced their minor league MVP award winners: outfielder Kevin Pillar (Buffalo), second baseman Jon Berti (New Hampshire), outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. (Dunedin), third baseman Mitch Nay (low Class A Lansing), shortstop Franklin Barreto (short-season Vancouver), shortstop Richard Urena (Rookie-level Bluefield) and catcher/first baseman Juan Kelly (Rookie-level Gulf Coast League). • Other award winners for overall excellence included Nate Murrie (amateur scouting), Matt Anderson (pro scouting), Stubby Clapp (player development) and righthander Taylor Cole (community service).

I agree with chappy , I have resigned myself to seeing Izturis and Goins

Even if Lawrie stayed healthy all year an infield of EE at 1b KJ/RW 2nd, Reyes SS and Lawrie might be the worst defensively in baseball.

So what would dollar figure do you think they hedged at and what does it cost ?

Brutal news. Can only hope it is fixed and he can catch at some point next year

I doubt any team hedges their whole budget a year in advance and hedging costs money.

Most of the Jays revenue is generated in Canadian dollars while their expenses (Players salaries )are paid in US dollars. example last Years budget of 139 million US in players salaries would cost around 157 million today in Canadian dollars

This team can be tweaked to be competitive. The Dollar is expected to be in the 88 to 90 cent range. AA needs to get creative and fill the holes in LF, 2ND, and the Bull Pen.

I believe it will go up in canadian dollars but I,m not sure that will be enough to raise the budget in US dollars and in fact might mean going down from the 139 US they spent last year. Still the Jays will be in the top half of payroll and with proper moves should be able to compete. November brings many decisions that will give an indication of where they are going starting with options being exercised and a QO to Melky. Add to that is whether Beeston is extended.

Draft talented hard throwing arms, develop them as starters, and when they can't command their off speed stuff move them to the BP before their options run out. OR Throw lots of f***ing money at it. Andrew Miller will probably get a 3 year deal in the 7 to 8 mil range. Since the Jays have little money Sanchez will be in the BP

Falling Canadian dollar now at around 88 cents . Now i know the jays have hedged some funds but that costs money too. AA 139 mil budget last year now costs aprox 157 million. The Beest if you believe him says the budget is going up but will be eaten up by the exchange rate.

Some PCL s*** 5. Noah Syndergaard, rhp, Las Vegas (Mets) Age: 22. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 240. Drafted: HS—Mansfield, Texas, 2010 (1s/Blue Jays). Managers and scouts held mixed opinions on the physical Syndergaard, based on his performance at Las Vegas’ notoriously hitter-friendly Cashman Field. He led the PCL in strikeouts but took his lumps as well. One rival manager called Syndergaard a “good prospect, but not an accomplished pitcher right now,” while a scout from a rival organization called him “probably the best pitcher in the PCL, prospect-wise.” Acquired by the Mets in the deal that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays, Syndergaard touched 100 mph this season and pitched at 95-97 with heavy run and sinking action on his fastball. He adds to that a deceptive changeup for which he has feel and a curveball that flashes average. He was slowed in 2014 by injuries to his right forearm and left shoulder. “His deception’s not great, especially on his breaking ball,” said a second scout, “but the action on it is good. He’s a horse.”