The Blue Jays Thread: 08/09 Off-Season Thread

[moon]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

The Jays have over 30 million dollars coming off the books through various contracts, like Thomas, Koskie, AJ etc.

Now, if they sign someone like Brad Penny or Andy Pettite, that'll take 10-15 million off and would allow for us to add one big bat, or another pitcher or two.

If Rogers would allow for an increase of 10 million dollars, you could sign 2 Starting pitchers and Manny or Teixera.

I think the main problem with signing two of those guys plus Manny or Tex is that the Yankees (and other big spenders) are going after those same guys and will make it more than the 30 million that the Jays would be willing to spend.

I can't see Tex coming to TO because if it is all about money he will go with the Yanks, if it is about winning he will stay with the Angels and if it is about personal life (and money) he will go to Baltimore. I just don't see any situation in which the Blue Jays will beat those other teams.

The one main guy I think they could get if they want would be Manny because boras will be all about the cash and if they are willing to give him a ridiculous contract for 5 or 6 years then they could get him, but I would say that would be a pretty bad move for them (or anyone to make.)

30 million looks good now on paper but when you throw in the Yankees and their needs I think that would likely look more like 40 mill or even more depending on the market.

[Gozer]

Scuttlebutt that the Yanks offer CC Sabathia $150M/6

[Jason14h]

Jays should go after Furcal and Penny

[Gozer]

I don't oppose a Scutaro/McDonald SS tandem as long as we add a top-tier bat.

[Gozer]

SI.com's Jon Heyman recently said [the Dodger's] offer was in the two-year, $25-30MM range. His agent is looking for four years

[burn_baby_burn]

I don't think the Yankees will go after Manny or Tex very hard. Yankees brass has made it very clear that their primary need is starting pitchers and they are willing to spend to get it. Joba Chamberlain and Chen-Ming Wang are the only definite starters for the Yankees rotation for next season. So they have some work ahead of them. By the time the Yankees fill their pitching needs Manny and Tex will probably allready be signed by other clubs.

[Gozer]

I figured Tex to be a Yankee a few months ago, its a solid fit and the Yankees don't have to wait until they sign pitchers to determine their budget. They can afford him.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Gozer

I figured Tex to be a Yankee a few months ago, its a solid fit and the Yankees don't have to wait until they sign pitchers to determine their budget. They can afford him.

They could afford him. Yet the glaring need is starting pitching in the Bronx. The fact that the Yankees were 7th in the AL in runs last season is being blamed on underproduction rather than personal. Still the Yankees are shedding alot of salary, Giambi $23.5, Petite and Abreu at $16, Pavano and Mussina at $11, Pudge at $12. So maybe they will go after Tex. Sounds like they will have to overpay for Sabathia since his first choice is an NL team on the West Coast.

[transplant99]

Cliff Lee wins the Cy Young (no-brainer) Doc finishes 2nd.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Gozer]

Yankees trade for Swisher

[flambers]

Interesting article on sportsnet....

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/200...yankees-offer/

"According to a report in the New York Post the Yankees are close to setting the A.J. Burnett free-agent bar at five-years, $80 million."

If that is true... I would guess Mr Burnett will be a Yankee in the very near future....

Will be interesting to hear the Jays Brass response if Burnett formally leaves as the Jays starting pitching is a mess (i.e. with two of their starters having major surgery does not help the situation)....

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by flambers

Interesting article on sportsnet....

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/200...yankees-offer/

"According to a report in the New York Post the Yankees are close to setting the A.J. Burnett free-agent bar at five-years, $80 million."

If that is true... I would guess Mr Burnett will be a Yankee in the very near future....

Will be interesting to hear the Jays Brass response if Burnett formally leaves as the Jays starting pitching is a mess (i.e. with two of their starters having major surgery does not help the situation)....

I was half ways wondering if the Jays should look at a guy like John Garland who I think has like 7 straight years of 190 innings pitched and is only 29. His numbers have never been great, but he's always been in the AL which inflates your stats a bit, and he's got a pretty solid track record of being able to throw innings. Which is something the Jays will lack next year after Halladay.

[JiriHrdina]

Apparently JP has said the Jays will not try to sign Manny.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

"He's a great hitter, so it's tempting. But being tempted and being realistic are two separate things," Ricciardi told ESPN columnist Jayson Stark. "We won't be involved with Manny. That keeps coming up, but it's not true. I think one reason is that Manny has always liked it in Toronto. He's hit more home runs here than anybody. And he likes the city, because he can fly under the radar here."

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/200...ramirez_manny/

[flambers]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Apparently JP has said the Jays will not try to sign Manny.

Yah, I was suprirised this rumour was still out there.... There is no way the Jays can afford that guy.

[Gozer]

Must read for Jays fan.

http://www.ghostrunneronfirst.com/20...-halladay.html

[Antithesis]

Scott Carson had an interesting article up on sportsnet.ca this week where he seemed to advocate dropping everyone from the Jays save for Halladay and Snider. He also made a great point about the frustration of seeing the Jays pick up bozos like Tomo Okha from the scrap heap instead of letting the young guys they have in the system join the big club.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Scott Carson had an interesting article up on sportsnet.ca this week where he seemed to advocate dropping everyone from the Jays save for Halladay and Snider. He also made a great point about the frustration of seeing the Jays pick up bozos like Tomo Okha from the scrap heap instead of letting the young guys they have in the system join the big club.

I thought that article was pretty terrible.

Best pitching in the league for the last two years with a number of veterans and talented prospects is not the recipe for a team that is not competitive. Giving up on the team like that would betray their investors, veterans (Doc) and their fans (me).

Who else matters?

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Gozer

I thought that article was pretty terrible.

Best pitching in the league for the last two years with a number of veterans and talented prospects is not the recipe for a team that is not competitive. Giving up on the team like that would betray their investors, veterans (Doc) and their fans (me).

Who else matters?

I agree, however I sure get the sense that the Jays are going to take a step back this season (i.e. I doubt they will finish with a .500 record).

They will lose AJ and I doubt they will use any salary to sign another top pitcher. Most likely use a prospect like Cecil to take his place.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by flambers

I agree, however I sure get the sense that the Jays are going to take a step back this season (i.e. I doubt they will finish with a .500 record).

They will lose AJ and I doubt they will use any salary to sign another top pitcher. Most likely use a prospect like Cecil to take his place.

That seems to be a consensus, but I think they've got the same odds of making the playoffs as they've had the last couple years. We need a career year out of two or three big name guys, unexpectedly terrific performances from a few prospects, solid contributions from a couple unheralded veterans, and some luck - the same thing Boston and Tampa has been getting the last couple years.

We have the personnel that such a season isn't impossible, but I admit the odds are stacked against the Jays.