2015-2016 Blue Jays Off-Season Thread

[KootenayFlamesFan]

The Blue Jays have carried interest in right-hander Yovani Gallardo throughout free agency, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), and the team has been in contact with Gallardo’s camp this week, he adds. As Nicholson-Smith further tweets, club president Mark Shapiro said just yesterday that Gallardo is “the kind of guy” that could help Toronto, although as Nicholson-Smith also notes, questions remain about the Jays’ willingness to spend and to part with the necessary draft pick to sign Gallardo.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/0...-gallardo.html

[Hockey Fan #751]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb...jays-rotation/

“This is the beautiful thing about our team. To be a starting pitcher, you don’t have to be a stud to go out there and get wins,” Donaldson said in an interview with MLB Network Radio. “You just have to be good. Just be average. Be the average guy. If you go out there and produce more than that, great.”

[bluejays]

Ironically, Jays are on the way to arbitration over, get this, $450,000. I know it's bargaining and all, but you can't let that much get in the way of your MVP player. Moreover, he's asking for the $11M ballpark figure. He's worth 3 times as much on the Free Agent market. There are times to be cheap, and this isn't one of them.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by fleury

Ironically, Jays are on the way to arbitration over, get this, $450,000. I know it's bargaining and all, but you can't let that much get in the way of your MVP player. Moreover, he's asking for the $11M ballpark figure. He's worth 3 times as much on the Free Agent market. There are times to be cheap, and this isn't one of them.

It doesn't matter what he's worth on the open market. He's under team control. That said, 450K, give me a break. If that is true and that is what Donadlson is willing to accept, it's unreal what a clown show this organization is off the field. It's no wonder most agents don't want anything to do with them.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/blueja...bitration.html

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/0...-gallardo.html

I'll believe that when I see it. As Fleury pointed out below, they are on their way to arbitration over half a million with baseball's MVP.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by fleury

Ironically, Jays are on the way to arbitration over, get this, $450,000. I know it's bargaining and all, but you can't let that much get in the way of your MVP player. Moreover, he's asking for the $11M ballpark figure. He's worth 3 times as much on the Free Agent market. There are times to be cheap, and this isn't one of them.

Those are just the arbitration figures that were submitted, does not necessarily shed any bearing on how much they were actually apart. Both sides likely played it conservative when submitting those figures

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Those are just the arbitration figures that were submitted, does not necessarily shed any bearing on how much they were actually apart. Both sides likely played it conservative when submitting those figures

Why would an agent put an a "conservative" amount for arbitration? That makes absolutely no sense.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Why would an agent put an a "conservative" amount for arbitration? That makes absolutely no sense.

Do you know how arbitration cases work?

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Do you know how arbitration cases work?

Not so much in baseball, but very much so in the real word. You don't go in there with a low number because that essentially sets the ceiling for what you are going to get.

[Jiggy_12]

Its sort of a game of chicken.

Lets say just for fun (these figures are completely made up), Donaldson was asking for 15 million and the Jays were countering at 8 million. Neither side can come to a deal and they submit their arbitration figures.

The arbitrator has to pick one of the two submissions (and nothing in between), based on players at similar ages and similar contract status and talent level.

If Donaldson holds firm at 15 mil with his submission, and the Jays come up to 11, Donaldson is running the risk of the arbitrator awarding 11, so its smarter to be conservative and lower his submission to a more reasonable amount in hopes it gets picked. Just as if the Jays were to stick to 8 million, no chance that gets picked and they run the risk of the arbitrator picking an outrageously high amount.. if Donadlson rolls the dice and submits one. dicey process and usually the two sides don't differ by much on their submisisons because of this.

[REDVAN]

Nothing crazy here: http://www.tsn.ca/blue-jays-sign-sto...thers-1.423423

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Its sort of a game of chicken.

Lets say just for fun (these figures are completely made up), Donaldson was asking for 15 million and the Jays were countering at 8 million. Neither side can come to a deal and they submit their arbitration figures.

The arbitrator has to pick one of the two submissions (and nothing in between), based on players at similar ages and similar contract status and talent level.

If Donaldson holds firm at 15 mil with his submission, and the Jays come up to 11, Donaldson is running the risk of the arbitrator awarding 11, so its smarter to be conservative and lower his submission to a more reasonable amount in hopes it gets picked. Just as if the Jays were to stick to 8 million, no chance that gets picked and they run the risk of the arbitrator picking an outrageously high amount.. if Donadlson rolls the dice and submits one. dicey process and usually the two sides don't differ by much on their submisisons because of this.

I was unaware it was one or the other, and that the arbitrator couldn't pick a number in between. Makes more sense to me with that consideration. That said, this isn't a guy I would want to be going in front of a panel each of the next 3 years to play a game of chicken and spend an hour saying why he doesn't deserve to be making what he requested, especially given the short term nature of the contract. Give him 13M and move on and avoid arbitration. We aren't talking about Steve Delabar here.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Nothing crazy here: http://www.tsn.ca/blue-jays-sign-sto...thers-1.423423

I'm surprised Cecil didn't command more.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Looking at the roster for training camp Pallalex posted, they really need to add a lefty in the bullpen. Only having Loup outside of Cecil really isn't going to cut it.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

That said, this isn't a guy I would want to be going in front of a panel each of the next 3 years to play a game of chicken and spend an hour saying why he doesn't deserve to be making what he requested, especially given the short term nature of the contract.

MLB arbitration hearings aren't that contentious. It's mostly just comparisons to past players and their salaries. And they're better served keeping his cost in arbitration low because it affects his subsequent turns through arbitration. They went through this last year and they'ĺl likely do it every year until he's traded or hits free agency. Jays are a file and trial team and that's just how it goes.For what it's worth I expect Donaldson to win this year (he lost last year) I figure the Jays probably win against Chavez who also filed.

[Parallex]

U

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Looking at the roster for training camp Pallalex posted, they really need to add a lefty in the bullpen. Only having Loup outside of Cecil really isn't going to cut it.

Two lefties is fine. Just need a full inning guy and a loogy.

Also...5 years 70m for Ian Kennedy!? That guy stinks. Glad the Jays didn't do that.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Parallex

U

Two lefties is fine. Just need a full inning guy and a loogy.

Also...5 years 70m for Ian Kennedy!? That guy stinks. Glad the Jays didn't do that.

I think two lefties is fine if one of them is t named Aaron Loup.

[lifetime_flamesfan]

Ken Rosenthal posted this on the Donaldson Arb case.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/k...rm-450k-011816

Seems kinda silly to argue over $450,000 with the reigning MVP, but with the way it looks like the Jays are going to be run now, it shouldn't be too surprising.

I think both Bautista and Encarnacion will be gone by trade deadline this year and maybe tulo or Donaldson by deadline next year.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

I think two lefties is fine if one of them is t named Aaron Loup.

Don't be silly. If you make a Loup a loogy then he's more then perfectly fine. Aaron Loup was great at getting lefties out last year and has been great against lefties his entire career.

Originally Posted by lifetime_flamesfan

Ken Rosenthal posted this on the Donaldson Arb case.

Does Rosenthal get paid per word? Because he used a whole lot of words to say not much at all. Really the Jays submitted a number that would effectively tie Donaldson for the highest arbitration award ever for a 2nd time eligible player that's not a number that should get anyone's hackles up.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by lifetime_flamesfan

Ken Rosenthal posted this on the Donaldson Arb case.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/k...rm-450k-011816

Seems kinda silly to argue over $450,000 with the reigning MVP, but with the way it looks like the Jays are going to be run now, it shouldn't be too surprising.

Seems like click bait actually. Like was said, the Jays are offering the highest arbitration award ever. This will have no impact on future relations with Donaldson and is just the usual national sportswriters trying to stir the Blue Jays large online presence into a frenzy and get some page views. Happens every off-season.

I think both Bautista and Encarnacion will be gone by trade deadline this year and maybe tulo or Donaldson by deadline next year.

Right - the Jays are going to trade off two star hitters in a year when they have a championship caliber line-up. It's possible they trade off one of them if things implode early and the Jays don't feel they can sign both guys next off-season, but I don't foresee any scenario where they trade both. It's absolutely hilarious to suggest they are going to trade Tulo/Donaldson on top of that too. Where is all this extra money going then?

Stop drinking the kool aid. Just because Shapiro is here doesn't mean the payroll is dropping down to $90 million. Fools were already claiming that would happen this off-season and the Jays have actually raised payroll (and significantly if you factor in the brutal Canadian dollar).