glory

Damn why didn't the Jays trade crap to the Pirates for Cutch?

When did the Pirates go derpy?

Yep, about $5m this year in arb and I think another year of control in 2019. Makes a ton of sense as long as he’s healthy.

I wonder if the Jays try to trade for one of Houston’s excess starters. Buy low on McHugh.

Seriously, time to get Cutch for nothing.

The issue is teams are starting to realize that the most valuable years of a player's career are their first six years. After that it becomes diminishing returns because they will start to be paid based on past performance and their future performance will likely dip, so there's not as much surplus value. That's why there are so many free agents left who are in their 30's. Teams, except for those run by Dombrowski, are not going to pay top dollar for a player's declining years anymore. Most players (unless they get called up very early) are free agents in the late 20's or 30's, so the first time they hit free agency will be when their prime is closer to being over (or already over) than it is to getting started. The time to get paid is during your prime because teams will be more likely to hand out bigger deals if they know they are getting more of the player's peak seasons. It won't hurt players like Machado and Harper next year, but it will hurt Donaldson. I don't mind rookie contracts and things like that, but there has to be adjustments made. Starting arb sooner and increasing the minimum salary might be the safest compromise as it will still give teams six years of control but will give the player more money during that time. Best of both worlds.

If Donaldson finishes the year with a typical great season (5-7 WAR), then what it will come down to is whether another team is willing to offer him more than four years. I think Shatkins will go four years (age 33-36), even factoring some decline in there. But anything beyond that and I doubt it. A Five year deal for a 33 year old is a huge risk. That one extra year makes a difference.

Three years of JD felt like a blur, while three years of Morales will feel like a damn eternity.

The CBA is definitely going to have to change next time. Maybe start arb sooner, or five years of team control instead of six, or higher minimum based salaries, etc. The players are getting screwed big time in MLB.

Dombrowski will give him a 6 or 7 year deal. Just a matter of when.

Whose price is going to drop enough for the Jays to sign him? Cain seems like a long shot, even though he’s probably looking at a four year deal now. JDM will get paid because Boras and because Dumbrowski. Not sure who else is worth it that’s out there. Lots of platoon bats and non difference makers.

Bruce will still be rumored to go to the Jays in a trade at least once a year for the next three years.

Teoscar struck out a metric ton amount of times last season. I don't mind giving him a spot but he has to get back to around 25% K% to be a decent outfielder. The Jays have to decide between Morales and Pearce. Can't keep both on the team. We all know who the better player is, but being better means he's an asset, while Kendrys has no value at all.

I couldn't stand watching Dickey pitch and would rather find someone else to fill the last rotation spot, but if he comes cheap and doesn't require a below replacement man servant as his back up catcher, then the Jays can do a lot worse.

I think frequent role changes can have a negative impact on a pitcher. They are human after all. If they want him to be a starter and he doesn't win the #5 spot, then I say keep him in Buffalo until a need arises. He has options so they can get away with it. The difference between him in the pen and whoever they use in his place for how ever long he's in the minors will be marginal at best. Kinda wish the Jays were the team that signed Koehler for $2m instead of the Dodgers. He'd fit right in as the swing man and that cost is more appropriate for the type of pitcher he is.

I’d use him as a starter. Could be a decent #5 or swing man.

The pitching market is ass. It wouldn't surprise me if Shatkins just goes back to someone like Brett Anderson at the end of the day. Who the Jays get to fill one of the outfield spots will be critical. Whoever they sign can't be worse than 2017 Jose, but it needs to be a pretty decent player.

What hurt the team last season, in addition to injuries and underperforming, was lack of depth. Diaz and Solarte are now the back up infielders instead of Goins and Barney. Hernandez (if he doesn't win a spot) and Alford will be in AAA for outfield depth instead of Coghlan, DSJ, etc. Jansen and McGuire both on the 40 man and could serve as depth instead of Maile and the platter of crap the Jays rolled out at back up catcher last year. The Jays appear to be covered to where they won't be rolling out below replacement dog s*** if someone gets hurt, and that's going to be a big step forward. Of course the rotation could still use some work. Starting Biagini in AAA would be a good move to keep him stretched out and ready. The Buffalo rotation could be Biagini, Borucki, Upper Deck, Guerrieri, and maybe Pannone. I mean it's not great, but the Jays had Latos, Tepesch, Lawrence, Rowley, and Valdez start games for them last year. That's about as bad as you can get. I think they are a 2nd wild card possibility. Not on the level of the top 4 teams in the AL, but could realistically fight with the Angels, M's, Rangers, O's, Twins, etc, for the 2nd wild card.

I agree but I don't see them benching the vetrin Morales, and Pearce has no where else to play. They pretty much have to trade Pearce or start him in one of the corner outfield spots. No room on the bench with Solarte, Diaz, and Zeke there. Of course they could trade Morales, but that's a pipe dream.

No way Zeke starts on this team unless there are injuries. Atkins probably adds another outfielder, Pearce starts in left field, and then they allocate the rest of the money to the pitching side.

Turning $23m (Morales) of deadweight into $49m (Kennedy) or $44m (Gordon) of deadweight doesn't make a lot of sense. Might as well just keep Morales and hope he bounces back if those are the alternatives. If Alonso got 2/16, then no way any team trades for Morales except the derpy Royals who might have some sentimental attachment to him if they lose Hosmer, and even that's a reach (or a prayer).

Prospect porn is a powerful thing.

Who knows, if the Padres get Hosmer and the Royals want a DH/1B to kill time during their rebuilding, they might find Kendrys at 2/23 doable. They have to spend money on something. That’s a long shot though. The front office likes Pearce and with good reason but he loses a lot of value in LF. Maybe the Jays add someone like Dyson and stick him in RF. That would mitigate some of Pearce’s s*** D.

I guess this means Pearce is starting in the outfield again. The bench looks set with Solarte, Diaz, Zeke, and backup catcher. Pearce obviously won’t start over Smoak or Morales. I guess they will add a RF and that will be it for the position players.

Yep. Good asset management. They won’t (can’t) rebuild so just stockpile as many assets as possible and improvise. I like that strategy, .