2015-2016 Blue Jays Off-Season Thread

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by fleury

I'm highly sceptical of Price's agents words. Maybe he wants to drive home a point to the Jays, but I'm not fully buying it. There's dialogue before offers are made. How do we not know that there wasn't talk about what the player and agent thought their client was worth? I find it hard to believe it took them as a surprise. If Price and co were sincere they'd say this was the price he'd be willing to sign for as a discount. The fact that hasn't come out kinda raises an alarm. Jays are cheap, no doubt. But there's more to the story than the agent saying the Jays didn't make an offer. If he was willing to take a discount for $31M, I'm glad the Jays didn't make an offer. He's simply not worth it.

What incentive is there for Price's agent to lie?

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by fleury

I'm highly sceptical of Price's agents words. Maybe he wants to drive home a point to the Jays, but I'm not fully buying it. There's dialogue before offers are made. How do we not know that there wasn't talk about what the player and agent thought their client was worth? I find it hard to believe it took them as a surprise. If Price and co were sincere they'd say this was the price he'd be willing to sign for as a discount. The fact that hasn't come out kinda raises an alarm. Jays are cheap, no doubt. But there's more to the story than the agent saying the Jays didn't make an offer. If he was willing to take a discount for $31M, I'm glad the Jays didn't make an offer. He's simply not worth it.

I really can't follow your logic on why you are sceptical of Price's agent. Since the start of the free-agent season the Rogers controlled media has reported to Jay's were in on Grenke, Davis, Price and looking to bolster the bullpen significantly. Since day 1 ESPN has been reporting the Jays are not in on anyone and looking to cheap out on their bullpen, and Price's agents comments only go to further support ESPN's position.

How do you get to sceptical? I'm not sure what Price's agent has to gain from that comment. Toronto clearly won't be having any other of his clients on their roster after those comments.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by fleury

I'm highly sceptical of Price's agents words. Maybe he wants to drive home a point to the Jays, but I'm not fully buying it. There's dialogue before offers are made. How do we not know that there wasn't talk about what the player and agent thought their client was worth? I find it hard to believe it took them as a surprise. If Price and co were sincere they'd say this was the price he'd be willing to sign for as a discount. The fact that hasn't come out kinda raises an alarm. Jays are cheap, no doubt. But there's more to the story than the agent saying the Jays didn't make an offer. If he was willing to take a discount for $31M, I'm glad the Jays didn't make an offer. He's simply not worth it.

I'm willing to take his words at face value considering he just got his client signed to a long term deal, there's nothing left to gain by putting out false information. It also fits with what most people figured....

whether it was $28mil, 6 years or $31mil, 7 years, the Blue Jays simply weren't interested in paying big money for an Ace, and despite Girlysports saying there's no budget restraints (not sure how she could possibly think that) this was simply a budget decision, and with the winning suitor being Boston, likely a budget decision that separates a playoff team from a non playoff team.

[bluejays]

There simply has to be two sides to the story. It'd be more interesting if he came out and gave the dollar figure Price would have been willing to take a hometown discount for. Maybe Price did in fact want to come here, and maybe he was disappointed that the Jays didn't offer anything to him (which is perhaps why is agent is speaking out), but what was his asking price? Because as we all know, he went for a crazy high price, so I'm not so much skeptical, but I question what dollar value and term they were asking from the Jays. Personally though, I don't see how the Jays could offer anything near the Sox per year and that duration.

As for the Jays, I'm a little more upset that they didn't go after Madson after he just signed for $7M for 3 years. Seems like a perfectly reasonable contract.

[JiriHrdina]

The statement from the agent is incomplete.
"Price would have signed with the Jays".
OK. For what?
As long as they were the top offer? At a discount?
Without that information it is hard to assess it.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Mark Lowe to leave the Jays? http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb...ys-for-tigers/

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

Mark Lowe to leave the Jays? http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb...ys-for-tigers/

Makes sense, Jays being cheapskates would rather not have a good pen than spend 4-5 million on a good reliever to round it out.

[jayswin]

Crap, I was rally counting on him to solidify the bullpen. The Jays are going to be in tough to put together a strong bullpen if they're going to cheap out there, too. Man, what a frustrating off season so far.

At least that half season, plus playoff run was out of this world. So much fun.

[ClubFlames]

What a disaster this has been. Way to fill the holes on the team, great way to pay back the fans.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by ClubFlames

What a disaster this has been. Way to fill the holes on the team, great way to pay back the fans.

Haha, they get $100mil in additional revenue from the fans and then go to the dollar store to patch up the team for next season. I'm trying to stay positive, and I know some fans in here don't want to hear the negativity but this is going pretty exactly how the skeptics of Rogers thought it would.

[Scornfire]

No words. As a recently converted baseball fan this has been incredibly dissapointing. I don't know how you lifers have survived thus far if this is par for the course with rogers

[howard_the_duck]

Quite honestly I don't get the hand-wringing. This is Rogers - we know what they've afforded the Jays over the course of their ownership.

The Jays are working under a budget, and Price was going to bust it. My theory is that's why their was quarrel between AA and Shapiro before AA's departure, and why I'm sure there is some truth to the rumor that Shapiro 'scolded' AA in September when they met. Not only was it prospect capital that AA gave up, but it was never a realistic dream to re-sign Price in Toronto without constructing a roster filled with gaping holes elsewhere.

Let's not forget that this is a hell of a team as it currently stands. They're much better than the one that started last season, and a couple of bullpen arms from being the odds on best in the division IMO. Things could be much worse, and have been over the course of our tenures as Jays fans over the past 20+ years.

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by Scornfire

No words. As a recently converted baseball fan this has been incredibly dissapointing. I don't know how you lifers have survived thus far if this is par for the course with rogers

Well, for me, this is the first time they've really crushed my hope...because its the first time I've had hope. I wasn't old enough to remember our WS wins, so its just been basement dwelling as long as I can remember.

I've been remaining positive so far throughout this off-season, but I'm going to be p'd off if we don't even attempt to address the bullpen. We desperately need a couple of good arms in there, and so far it looks like we're going to be even worse than last season.

[SuperMatt18]

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if Shapiro didn't chastise AA for using those assets on Price, instead of using them on a pitcher who maybe still had some team control left.

That was the nice thing about the Donaldson, and Tulo trades. Both were still assets that were in the Jays control at season end.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

Well, for me, this is the first time they've really crushed my hope...because its the first time I've had hope. I wasn't old enough to remember our WS wins, so its just been basement dwelling as long as I can remember.

I've been remaining positive so far throughout this off-season, but I'm going to be p'd off if we don't even attempt to address the bullpen. We desperately need a couple of good arms in there, and so far it looks like we're going to be even worse than last season.

They won't be worse than last season - not even close.

Going into last year, we had a starting rotation of:

Hutchison
Dickey
Buerhle
Sanchez
Norris

The bullpen was lacking anything resembling stability. Castro was the number one high leverage arm out of the pen, and he ended up in AAA a few weeks later. Now, theoretically we have Sanchez and Osuna anchoring the pen from day 1, with more bullpen upgrades still to come.

Last year's opening day lineup featured a rookie starting CF in Pompey, an unproven Pillar in left, and the defensively inept Reyes at SS. This year, we get a full year of Tulo who is a rock at SS, Travis/Goins at 2B bring a ton of upside (especially Travis), and the team overall is much improved defensively.

[Senator Clay Davis]

You would have thought coming within 2 games of the World Series would have bought the Jays a full season of complete fan support. If they're in rough shape by the end of April the fans could turn on them completely that fast. It doesn't help that Rogers is one of the most despised companies in Canada, so the view that they got cheap with a near championship team (even as their services are overpriced and awful) only fuels hatred towards them. Jays won't ever be consistent winners with a corporate owner. Priority will never be winning.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Makes sense, Jays being cheapskates would rather not have a good pen than spend 4-5 million on a good reliever to round it out.

Why couldn't that 3.9m Smoak got have been directed toward Lowe?

Lowe would've cost more than 3.9 but having a terrible bat like Smoak just seems dumb when the bullpen needs a guy like Lowe.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Quite honestly I don't get the hand-wringing. This is Rogers - we know what they've afforded the Jays over the course of their ownership.

The Jays are working under a budget, and Price was going to bust it. My theory is that's why their was quarrel between AA and Shapiro before AA's departure, and why I'm sure there is some truth to the rumor that Shapiro 'scolded' AA in September when they met. Not only was it prospect capital that AA gave up, but it was never a realistic dream to re-sign Price in Toronto without constructing a roster filled with gaping holes elsewhere.

Let's not forget that this is a hell of a team as it currently stands. They're much better than the one that started last season, and a couple of bullpen arms from being the odds on best in the division IMO. Things could be much worse, and have been over the course of our tenures as Jays fans over the past 20+ years.

Fear not, I'm sure the hand-wringing will turn to apathy soon enough.

[ClubFlames]

I never expected them to sign Price or any top pitcher in the first place which is fine by me but to read all these reports that they didn't even make an attempt to even re-sign Price and looking for bargain prices for relievers is just embarrassing.

[ClubFlames]

EE has set a deadline of end of spring training to sign an extension. I don't expect them to make an offer with the way things have been this off season so far.