2015-2016 Blue Jays Off-Season Thread

[cross16]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Jays are on it as well, but he's apparently willing to move it to come north according to Ken Rosenthal.

Apparantly now they are not.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 17m17 minutes ago
Source: #BlueJays are NOT on Bruce’s most recent no-trade list. Can be sent to TOR without his approval.

I'm still not fully understandig this deal. While injury prone, I think Saunders is a better fit for what they need right now. Plus defence, better OBP and still LH bat. I agree that while a LH bat with power is a nice add, its not exactly great $ spent.

The upside is more long term. Its a replacement for Bautista, no a minor scale, that is potentially cheaper to acquire. If he bounces back, its potentially a steal.

[jschick88]

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman
deal on table has bruce to #jays, michael saunders to #angels, prospects to #reds

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by cross16

Apparantly now they are not.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 17m17 minutes ago
Source: #BlueJays are NOT on Bruce’s most recent no-trade list. Can be sent to TOR without his approval.

I'm still not fully understandig this deal. While injury prone, I think Saunders is a better fit for what they need right now. Plus defence, better OBP and still LH bat. I agree that while a LH bat with power is a nice add, its not exactly great $ spent.

The upside is more long term. Its a replacement for Bautista, no a minor scale, that is potentially cheaper to acquire. If he bounces back, its potentially a steal.

I'm not a big fan of Saunders, I think he is a major league depth player. Bruce is big improvement. That said, I'm with you on the the deal not making sense. Another power bat is not what the Jays need. This is a pure Bautista contingency plan, and a poor one at that.

[Jiggy_12]

Did I read that Bruce's contract includes a TEAM option in 2017?

If that's the case, I mind this less.
Will not effect Bautista negotiations at all if true.

[jschick88]

Not sure about this deal. Any money left I would've thought they would try and sign a backup catcher. Must be a plan in the works to acquire one?

[jschick88]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Did I read that Bruce's contract includes a TEAM option in 2017?

If that's the case, I mind this less.
Will not effect Bautista negotiations at all if true.

According to Baseball reference, yes.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...ruceja01.shtml

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Did I read that Bruce's contract includes a TEAM option in 2017?

If that's the case, I mind this less.
Will not effect Bautista negotiations at all if true.

Team option is for 2017.

Jay Bruce makes almost 13M this year, and the option is for 13M in 2017.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Not sure about this deal. Any money left I would've thought they would try and sign a backup catcher. Must be a plan in the works to acquire one?

Jays signed Tony Sanchez to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training a couple of days ago.

[TheAlpineOracle]

If the Jays were willing to add 10M more to the payroll, not sure why they weren't in on Gallardo or why Cliff Lee isn't one a plane to Dunedin with a 1 year 6-8 million deal as we speak.

[Jiggy_12]

Okay, I don't mind this so much.

Bruce vs Saunders on a 1 year basis?

More power obviously. Also more of a sure thing to stay healthy.

He has a good year? We pick up the option and lose Jose
He has a bad year? Decline the option and have that money freed up to work on an offer for Jose.

I can't see the negative as too bad here. If he's really bad, always Pompey waiting for his chance to play too.

[jschick88]

Where do you slot Bruce if the trade goes down?

1.Travis(when healthy)
2.Donaldson
3.Bautista
4.EE
5.Tulo
6.Bruce
7.Martin
8.Colabello/Smoak
9.Pillar

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Where do you slot Bruce if the trade goes down?

1.Travis(when healthy)
2.Donaldson
3.Bautista
4.EE
5.Tulo
6.Bruce
7.Martin
8.Colabello/Smoak
9.Pillar

I'd flip Bruce and Martin depending on Righty/Lefty but yeah more or less.

The best part about that lineup, is it possible to have 10 players hit 20+ homeruns in a 9 person lineup? because the potential is there for that which is just absurd.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Where do you slot Bruce if the trade goes down?

1.Travis(when healthy)
2.Donaldson
3.Bautista
4.EE
5.Tulo
6.Bruce
7.Martin
8.Colabello/Smoak
9.Pillar

That lineup is ridiculous. Could set records if everyone plays to their potential.

[browna]

Going back to JB, zero issue with his approach.

This is above the new President and GM. He's actually probably doing these guys a favour by laying out his demands personally to them, before the season starts. Removes those two from any blame if Rogers doesn't want to pony up and/or undo the purse strings after the profits last year, that JB directly had hand in creating. Obviously the Texas series, but without getting robbed by the Umps in Game 6, his two smash jobs would've won that game and who knows about Game 7...and then then onto the WS which wouldve doubled the Rogers pockets from the first two rounds...nevermind that KC won that WS pretty easily.

Instead, this is a direct request to Rogers. With the Rogers corporate double-speak that he's been front and center for year after year behind the scenes, he knows the lay of the land and how to best negotiate and prevent him and his words from getting twisted or them trying to drown him in guilt or whatever half empty promises they throw out there.

Will he move on whatever his price is? Maybe, but not much. I am sure EE will stick with his "no negotiation after the season starts" as well. Can Rogers afford to lose both of them PR wise?

[jschick88]

Looks to be a done deal. Now we wait to see if any Jays prospects are involved.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal
Source: Teams reviewing medicals in Bruce/Saunders trade. If completed, Bruce to #BlueJays, Saunders to #Angels, prospect(s) to #Reds.

[transplant99]

After todays "look at me" spectacle, I hope the Jays are shopping Bautista hard for starting pitching.

What would possess a guy who was a frickin hero just 4 months ago to show up 4 days early to training camp and go to those lengths to make sure he is the one in the spotlight? All the good feelings that could carry over from the playoff run and a chance to do it again...all trumped by a selfish prick.

" I don't believe in payrolls and budgets!" WTF does that even mean?

Stunningly poor decision by a guy who has been a me first guy for a long long time now and who clearly has little interest in trying to make the new season as drama free as possible.

What a complete putz.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

If the Jays were willing to add 10M more to the payroll, not sure why they weren't in on Gallardo or why Cliff Lee isn't one a plane to Dunedin with a 1 year 6-8 million deal as we speak.

Because Gallardo sucks and who knows if Lee can even pitch.

That being said I hate hate hate even the idea of this trade... let's trade a cheap Saunders for a player that's worse and costs 5x as much!!! Sounds like a winning idea to me.

[cross16]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

If the Jays were willing to add 10M more to the payroll, not sure why they weren't in on Gallardo or why Cliff Lee isn't one a plane to Dunedin with a 1 year 6-8 million deal as we speak.

Could maybe get behind a Cliff Lee deal but Gallardo? All that money AND a first round pick? No thanks.

i think the first round pick for signing Gallardo killed it for the Jays.

[bluejays]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I have my thoughts on the two big Jays news of the day.

1) Jose Bautista - little problem with what he said, but more with how he said it. I think there's more going on behind the scenes than we know. There was some frustration in his voice. While he did play for a cheap price these few years, it's because the Jays took a gamble on him, and he took a gamble that he may never be better, and it worked out for the Jays. Now he's in a position to cash in, and I'm sure he'll do it well. I agree it's calling ownership out, and I'm glad he's not a corporate shill. I wouldn't believe in this circumstance in taking the hometown discount either.

2) Jay Bruce - the proposed deal is fairly good for the Jays. Player for player, Bruce is still better than Saunders. The tough part is why add that contract when we could've used it earlier in the off-season to acquire a pitcher? Has Bautista's words sped up the process to get him out? Realistically, teams would pay up large to get Bautista or Encarnacion, so I'm really really excited what those guys could bring back.

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by transplant99

After todays "look at me" spectacle, I hope the Jays are shopping Bautista hard for starting pitching.

What would possess a guy who was a frickin hero just 4 months ago to show up 4 days early to training camp and go to those lengths to make sure he is the one in the spotlight? All the good feelings that could carry over from the playoff run and a chance to do it again...all trumped by a selfish prick.

" I don't believe in payrolls and budgets!" WTF does that even mean?

Stunningly poor decision by a guy who has been a me first guy for a long long time now and who clearly has little interest in trying to make the new season as drama free as possible.

What a complete putz.

He's honest. That's why I like him. And I'm sure that's why so many in the clubhouse seem to like him too.