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Originally Posted by browna
I'll admit, I've been following the MLB/Jays this offseason moreso, now that I've found HBT and DJF.
I realize that the Jays have a decent talent pool, that AA is a smart guy and has a lot of things in the hopper that balance contracts, ceilings and cap/contract flexibility and building peice by peice through the farm and throgh draft picks. I also know there are some glaring needs that the Jays need in the pitching department.
That all said, as a casual fan and I suppose many other casual fans ,that expect the Jays at some point to make that Roger Clemens-type splash with Rogers money that is supposedly available, and that people will feel a bit put off if the Jays don't go after Fielder significantly. There would be marketing opportunities, an instant tie-in and recognition for those extra casual fans who once remember his dad on the team 25 years ago (no matter the relationship now), and that bump up in the team's profile that they areserious for a playoff push, for those casual fans.
Of course, as all GM's you have to manage a number more moving parts and a big signing has to make sense from a team building, roster, and cap perspective, but with the media teasing that the Jays may be in on Fielder and AA saying he'd ony go 5 years, there is certainly strong strong interest in the player himself. Thus, it would disappoint some that the Jays can't won't spend the money to get that big splash player in, and assume that its going to be more of the same .500 Jays for 2012, if they can't land him after all this, and clearly the biggest, most recognizable name as a free agent when it comes to Toronto this year.
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A couple of DJF articles that were incredibly well written today and it dives into the money that Rogers has put into this team through the draft and international signings.
It's bothering me a ton the last few days the amount of people putting this much stock into one free agent and that if the Jays don't land him, that it will simply be another average year at best. Especially when we are having this discussion on December 7th when the offseason has just begun. Even now the Jays have a much better shot at contending and improving over last season, and AA has talked a lot this offseason about how it's a different mood around the team from last year at this time and that the Jays will have a very active offseason.
Reading everything AA has had to say this offseason, it's obvious in his tone that moves are going to be made to help this team compete for the playoffs next season. I think the comments made about the payroll, simply are him showing signs of frustration about the Blue Jay's being tied to every single Free Agent and the idea that they should go Miami Marlins on this free agency class. I still feel very confident that if AA said to ownership that Fielder is the one missing link this team needs and they should do everything they can to get him, he would get the money and Fielder would become a Jay.