The point is, just because you believe that it would take 200M doesn't mean that it actually would. Unless you test the waters you don't know.
If we would have thrown 150M to his agent, he likely would have said it's not enough which is fine.
But then when Red Sox came with a 200M+ his agent would at least call the Blue Jays and tell them we have this much money on the table, are you in the same ball park? And we may have said we can do 160M but that's it, then it would have been up to Price to decide what to do.
Again, just because 8 out of 10 is about money, doesn't mean that the other 2 out of 10 wouldn't give you any kind of discount if you can convince them that this is where they suppose to be regardless of money. Chances are it wouldn't work but you just don't know cause you didn't try.
Same thing with Donaldson, you don't know he's available unless you try, that's why AA got him and none else did.