TDotttt2005

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/josh-donaldson-toronto-blue-jays-salary-arbitration-hearing-2015/ Excellent for this year, and coming years.

Considering its not only the minor league deal aspect that the Jays want, but the major league pay portion to be very low as well (sub $1.5 that Belisario was going to get), I don't see the Jays being able to get any of these remaining guys unless they move from that stance. AA seems to think that they can improve the bullpen from within and with luck and chance that Delabar et al. can recover from bad years, and return to dominance. While they certainly could, and if you're going to leave things to luck and chance, the bullpen is probably the only position where you can get away with that, BUT... the issue here is depth. If theyre going to go on the cheap depending on hope and chance, in a season which they NEED to make the playoffs, they NEED better depth at the position in case that Delabar cant come back, in the case the Cecil's and Loup's have down years (luck and chance can swing the other way too), and in the case of injuries. Right now, to contend, theyre counting on 1. No down seasons from those who had good seasons last year. 2. Bounceback seasons from those who had down seasons last year. 3. the establishment into full time productive major leaguers by Drabek, Jenkins, and Sanchez, and 4. No injuries. Luck has to be on our side at some point...but risking the season on it...not a good plan AA.

AHAH predicting Stro getting CY votes and Tommy John for Norris. No predictions on how many times Dickey cuts himself while trimming his beard?

o wow...offseason is set then. Mike Wilner ‏ @Wilnerness590 Exactly. Very clearly, Saunders is a better baseball player than Melky. Melky is a better hitter for average.

James Shields. Please?

I believe as part of Rogers' and the CRTC's contract for carriage of MLB Network in Canada, they were able to get the rest of Canada removed as being officially deemed Blue Jays local market, thus dropping blackouts in other Canadian cities.

"None" - Mike Wilner

This has been addressed in general in the Beeston/Duquette thread...but I think this year's budget is this year's budget. Specifically to Shields, If you are an owner and have tried to replace your president, bringing in a baseball guy who will come in above your top baseball guy...it shows that you really really wanted to get rid of your president, and at the very least, wanted to get an opinion from another baseball mind about the bona fides of your GM. At the very worst (for AA), they wanted to bring in a new top baseball guy, effectively demoting and potentially down the road, replacing your GM. Now if that President that you tried to replace, and that GM that you have shown not to have the utmost confidence in come to you ask for $20 million in addition to the very generous, top 10, payroll in the majors youve already budgeted, saying yeah trust us trust us, this will put us over the top...will you say yeah sure, here we go, heres 20mil???? Good one.

Dude, looks like its 14 pages for Ramon Santiago only now.

When travis is hitting .181 in June because he's not ready, then Santiago becomes the everyday 2B?

Guess its a minor league deal, and thus, not very thread worthy...but given the halt this offseason has grinded to in Bluejayland, at least its something. Listening to the PTS interview last night, and how AA talked about the remaining relievers, i think they've spent all they will spend. Could be a smart thing in terms of relief arms. Belisario at the minimum COULD give us what a Janssen would give at 3.5m. Or not. Cecil, Sanchez, Loup, Belisario, Redmond, Jenkins, Delabar?

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 28m28 minutes ago #BlueJays "very close" to signing Ronald Belisario, source says

He's a liar. Like the psycho gf who tells you shes going to change to keep you hanging on, yet keeps being psycho. "And you know [payroll's] going up!"

Maybe you're right. Interesting that he's just now been added to the website though.

Are you sure about this? I don't believe we ever heard that he was Chairman of the Toronto Blue Jays. He has never been mentioned in relation to the team before the Reinsdorf news broke. I wonder if the media is missing something big here. What if they are missing the fact that Rogers Communications has agreed to bring back Beeston as CEO and President, but has effectively demoted him, but putting someone (Ed Rogers) in a newly-created role as Chairman, in between him and Rogers Communications Management (Pelley)? Its interesting. So instead of AA going to Beeston who goes to Pelley et al., AA has to go to Beeston, who goes has to go to Ed Rogers...who then decides if the request is worthy of the Pelley's time? This diminishes Beestons role substantially.

Interesting that this was revised yesterday. http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=tor Looks like after this whole debacle, Edward Rogers was added to the website as Chairman, Toronto Blue Jays. Was he always the Chairman? Was he just added because his name was out there, seemingly out of nowhere, as the point man on the Duquette? Is it Chairman in Name Only, or has the reporting structure changed? Have they brought him in over Beeston (effectively demoting Beeston), and does Beeston Report up to him as opposed to Pelley/Viner as he has before? If you look at the Cached version of the website to last week, and he was not listed. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=tor EXECUTIVE OFFICE Vice Chairman, Rogers Communications Inc. Phil Lind President, Rogers Media Keith Pelley President and CEO, Toronto Blue Jays & Rogers Centre Paul Beeston Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos Senior Vice President, Business Operations Stephen R. Brooks Consultant Howard Starkman Special Assistant to the Organization Roberto Alomar Special Assistant to the Organization Pat Hentgen

Yep from ESPN Message boards. Whats up man...I started posting here about a year ago or so when ESPN shut theirs down.

RIP Nestor Molina's Baseball Career.

Do we throw our Jays jerseys on the ice at the ACC as well, if this 'trade' actually happens?

Not saying he was pushed TOO fast, or faster than he was actually ready. Nor was I saying anything about his UCL injury. My point was, in terms of prospect hype, he was pushed faster than others who did spend more time in the minors, allowing the prospect lists to recognize and hype them. I believe, injury or not, If Hutch spent 2012 in AA, 2013 post-TJ and 2014 in AAA, and was a 24 year old prospect on the cusp...he'd be a top 10 or 20 guy on many of these lists going into 2015.

I dont think Jays fans are high enough on Hutchison. You hear Stro, Sanchez, Norris...and further off Osuna and Hoffman, but I feel that Hutchison didn't have a chance to become a top prospect and be recognized by the Baseball America's and BP and Keith Law prospect lists of the world. The Jays were so confident in his makeup and composure, on top of his stuff, that the called him up when he only had 6 starts above A-ball (and only 16 above low A). Had he not been pushed so aggressively through the organization, and had time to continue to put up high k rates in AA and eventually AAA, he wouldve started shooting up the prospect lists, the Jays fanbase wouldve "pined" for his callup. You dont hear it often, but he can be an #1 guy or 1A, and I look for him to breakout this year.

Ah s*** sorry...wasn't clear it was only LHP. Think they consider Sanchez as having graduated?

Interesting to see these lists with some very high on Norris with no mention of Sanchez, and some high on Sanchez, with no mention of Norris. Either way, good to see both of these guys listed...lets hope they both can make it as top of the rotation guys. Also, Urias is a beast, saw some clips of a couple games of his on mlb.com last year...a lot of movement on his pitches. That said, Roberto Osuna was on his similar path before he had to get Tommy John Surgery...with the way things have gone with pitchers, Urias will probably have to get that at some point soon (Crazy its become so common). Also, Holy Crap Dodgers. I know money has a lot to do with it, but on top of their current roster they have Pederson, Seager, and Urias waiting to hit The Show this year or next.

If only this were the case.

It has been overblown. In '91 the Jays acquired Candiotti, and there wasn't any drama over who would catch him. Borders and Myers were our catchers, and so they caught Candiotti's knuckleball. Done and Done. I hate that we have to waste a roster spot just to have someone to catch what amounts to our 3rd starter. I still hope Dickey is traded.