Quote:
Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle
Ask yourself why AA had to raid the cupboards to get the team into the playoffs. He can't acquire the 2-3 players he needed through free agency because of budget restraints, he saw the window was fading for the team he built, and talking with Rogers about the situation is a moot point (see the broken promises from 2014). He went out there and got a bunch of rental players, and for the first time in 22 years broke the Jays out of their mediocre holding pattern. I 100% believe AA believed if that he showed Rogers what the Toronto market was capable of while fielding championship caliber team, he'd be given a lot more financial leeway to build the team going forward. he couldn't have been more wrong, and as soon as he realized that in the off season, he took his ball and went home.
I don't think AA was a great GM and I also don't think he was a poor GM either. I think he should have accomplished more even with the financial restrictions he had, but I will forever be grateful for what he did in 2015. With two trades, he shifted the expectations of the casual Blue Jay fan. If the Jays suck this year, Rogers is going to pay for it. Just fielding a team isn't going to be enough for them anymore. The expectations are higher than ever, and if they fall flat on their face this year due to refusing to spend any money, I personally believe there is going to be some serious fall back on the Rogers brand.
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For the last 3 seasons, and about to be 4, the Jays have had a top 10 MLB payroll and spent over 100 million. Not exactly hard budget constraints he's been given. I also think a real reason behind the trades was he had to correct the mistakes of acquiring Reyes and Dickey and having so much bloated money on his roster. I do give him a lot of creidt though for being brave enough to admit he made a msitake and fixing it. There were things I did admire about AA and at the end of the day I do wish he would have stayed, i'm jut not that broken up about him leaving and personally I like everything i've herad from Shapiro so far.
I understand that year in and year out making the playoffs is tough in MLB but at least contend for them. The Jays under AA weren't even close to making the playoffs in any other year either despite an increased payroll.