JaysfaninFL

Be really nice to have a LHP in the rotation mix as Lauer looks to be used in a swingman role. Even if Tiedeman stays healthy and can contribute at the MLB level, he will be limited to a Yesavage type workload, probably less. For that reason, I thought Ranger Suarez would be a good fit for the Jays. Curious to see what else they have planned.

Wonder why the Jays won't announce when single game 2026 spring training tix go on sale for Dunedin. Annoying to have to check Ticketmaster daily to see if they have dropped. Most other teams in the Grapefruit league are available by now.

Absolutely criminal abuse of the bullpen. Schneider simply can't figure out who to use or when to deploy them. Its the one albatross that will never let him succeed at this level if he can't figure it out. I get that he's a good guy, but how the players have any faith in his leadership is beyond me.

I didn't criticize their salary commitment; if fact I highlighted it in my post. I freely admit they are not stingy with the pocketbook when building the roster with important complementary players (Berrios, Bassitt, et al). I said "they can't/won't sign the impact players needed to take this team to the next level" and I stand by that statement. They have struggled to land impact players time and again. Ohtani, Soto, Sasake, Burnes. For whatever reasons....taxes, Canada, playoff chances...FAs are simply reticent to ink with the Jays. We need an anchor...a Bryce Harper...a Bobby Witt. We know there is no help coming from Buffalo...not in 2026 or in 2027. The only way to extend this window is through extensions or free agency. And knowing that we have struggled to sign impact FAs, we needed to re-up with Vlad. Would it have been the best value? Likely not. But that's not the point. Its the commitment to winning that FAs other than Santander are not seeing. They see we won't pay our one signature superstar who stated he ardently wanted to stay here his entire career. They see we haven't even approached Bichette. And I suspect that's what they're not liking. Does it suck to have to overpay a player to a massive contract that you know they likely won't earn over 12 years? Yeah it does. But that is what it takes to compete in todays big market-dominated MLB.

And this is why I'll always 'care' more about my fantasy team that I will the Blue Jays. Hard to get and stay emotionally invested in a team when we can't count on the owners to consistently invest in a winning team. Yeah, I know they have the 8th or 9th highest payroll in MLB and they have the misfortune of playing in the AL East, but they can't/won't sign the impact players needed to take this team to the next level. They will perennially challenge for the last two WC spots at best and no more.

I'm somewhere in the middle on Vlad's 1B defense. I know the metrics don't love him, but I think he easily holds his own there. From pop-ups in foul ground, turning DPs and scooping poor throws. He may not be elite and will likely never win another GG, but I think he would be fine there defensively for another 5 years for a playoff-caliber team before needing to move to DH.

If being a Blue Jay fan has taught us anything, it's not to get our hopes up.

Assuming he exercises his option, he'll be 32 for his next contract. Even if he maintains his career norms in 2025-2026, he won't find anything like the offers he got this time around. Blew a golden opportunity IMO. But I agree its clear he wanted nothing to do with Toronto. Jays really need a huge bounceback year from Bo now as well as at least one either player to have a career year or hit a new level (Varsho?).

Full no trade clause....interesting. Doesn't mean we can't trade him, but he'll obviously have to give his blessing. Let's hope that becomes a consideration the Jays never have to contemplate this summer.

No difference to you, but probably pretty big difference to Scherzer. Pretty sure he doesn't want to get sent to whatever random contender the Jays might send him off to should the season go south. He doesn't *need* to pitch at all this year. He's obviously proved everything he ever needs to and he doesn't need the money. Pretty sure he wants to pick his own destination. And the fact that he picked Toronto leads me to believe he thinks they can seriously contend....and for that they need one more impact bat (or some miraculous leap forward by an existing player).

Would he have signed if he wasn't confident there was one more impact bat coming? Because everyone knows that's what the Jays sorely need in order to be a serious playoff contender. And Scherzer doesn't seem like the type to come back for another season just to mark time for a 4th place team.

Anyone: Jays fans have had their hearts broken and dreams dashed so many times, there's nothing you could do that would be worse while using their Front Office as leverage for a better deal. Pete: Multiple social media hints? Anyone: Done. Pete: Unconfirmed insider reporting an airplane tracker has me traveling to Toronto? Anyone: Been there. Pete: Confirmed industry source guaranteeing/predicting my imminent signing? Anyone: So cliche it's tired. Pete: ...............what if I went so far as to take an actual physical? Anyone: tell me more.

Embarrassing that this is the situation the Jays find themselves in, but yeah....that's the sensible approach. I swear a group of reasonably intelligent 7th graders could've run this process better as a school project.

That's really all that's left to shoot for in 2025...

We can only hope that the political turmoil and armageddon-type fires are casting southern CA in a bad light. Its not much to cling to I'll admit and I'm not holding my breath. But man, the potential that dude has to breathe life into an otherwise flailing organization is insane.

Toronto fans continue to be bewildered by the Jays lack of action as they view the Front Office actions through the lens of an organization trying to build a winning baseball team. But Rogers' approach belies their true intent, which is simply to run this team as a profitable business venture. As the second richest team in MLB, the excuses of not being able to entice players to come north of the border rings hollow if they were truly invested in building a World Series contender. Fans would best be advised to expect a league average team for the foreseeable future that is just another revenue producing asset in massive corporate conglomerate.