2024 Toronto Blue Jays Season Thread

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

soto’s camp knows that the jays need the deal done early and will use it to their advantage. The jays will give their bafo earliest and it will be leveraged with the new york teams.

100%

[bluejays]

I’d have to think that kicking their tires is simple due diligence, but what if they make a $600M+ offer? What does that say to Vlad if he was the franchise player but only gets half to a third of that? I just think the culture as a whole has to be looked at when trying to make this type of offer. I personally don’t believe any player is worth the crazy numbers being thrown around, but in a contract year you have to particularly be careful of what this money says directly to your main guy. It just doesn’t help set a good tone by doing such a thing.

[Roof-Daddy]

Lol if vlad doesn't like the jays offering that much because they don't offer him that much, he should go to free agency and see how many teams offer him 600 million plus....spoiler, there will be zero teams offering him that much.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Lol if vlad doesn't like the jays offering that much because they don't offer him that much, he should go to free agency and see how many teams offer him 600 million plus....spoiler, there will be zero teams offering him that much.

Fully agree. I just don’t think in a free agent year if we think vlad is a franchise player that it’s healthy to offer a crazy deal to Soto that is 50% higher. Is Soto 50% better? I don’t think so. Maybe 20% better at best.

All in all I’ll be a bit happy when the shift changes from Soto to plan B. The bottom line on a team with questions around the lineup is to upgrade numerous positions and not just one that Soto’s contract would allow for.

[jayswin]

But imagine not making your team the best you're able to make it because you're afraid a free agent contract will offend another player?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by bluejays

All in all I’ll be a bit happy when the shift changes from Soto to plan B. The bottom line on a team with questions around the lineup is to upgrade numerous positions and not just one that Soto’s contract would allow for.

I don't agree with this. I'd rather have Soto in OF and Clement at 3B than Santander and Bregman. Soto+Clement will cost less per year, probably delivers more WAR, and is more flexible for more years (Soto is younger than the other FAs, so would be tradeable for longer if they need to rebuild).

The worst $/win is mid-quality free agents. Guys like Justin Turner at $13MM and KK at $10.5MM add up on the payroll side but aren't difference makers.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I don't agree with this. I'd rather have Soto in OF and Clement at 3B than Santander and Bregman. Soto+Clement will cost less per year, probably delivers more WAR, and is more flexible for more years (Soto is younger than the other FAs, so would be tradeable for longer if they need to rebuild).

The worst $/win is mid-quality free agents. Guys like Justin Turner at $13MM and KK at $10.5MM add up on the payroll side but aren't difference makers.

For sure, problem is the Jays require more than 1 player to be upgraded to be a contender (no DH, issues in the field, 3rd base etc.)

Signing Soto would address lots of issues.

Problem is he never going to sign,

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by flambers

For sure, problem is the Jays require more than 1 player to be upgraded to be a contender (no DH, issues in the field, 3rd base etc.)

Signing Soto would address lots of issues.

Problem is he never going to sign,

Sure, I agree that he's probably signing with one of the NY teams. Whether he's likely to sign is a different question than whether we'd prefer him though.

Anyway, I do think thr Jays should try and push that to get done early - give him the best offer with a deadline. If he doesn't take it move on to the next.

[jayswin]

Dodgers set to enter Soto sweepstakes with a massive offer soon. Great stuff. If they get him why even play the games?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Dodgers set to enter Soto sweepstakes with a massive offer soon. Great stuff. If they get him why even play the games?

Lol. Yeah. If they re-sign Teoscar and added Soto that'd be unreal. Move Betts back to the infield (2B) and that's stacked.

I'd have to think their priority will be adding starting pitching more than extra offense, but they might not be able to resist Soto.

The owners at the bottom end will be happy with their revenue sharing cheque's if that happens.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Dodgers set to enter Soto sweepstakes with a massive offer soon. Great stuff. If they get him why even play the games?

Not you, but HOW? How are they affording to spend so much? If they win, which I hope they do, I wish nothing but the worst for that organization. Finger blisters for Ohtani and Soto for the full duration of their contracts would suffice.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I'd have to think their priority will be adding starting pitching more than extra offense, but they might not be able to resist Soto.

... why would they need starting Pitching? They get pitcher Ohtani this year no?

[flambers]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I'd have to think their priority will be adding starting pitching more than extra offense, but they might not be able to resist Soto.

.

I doubt it, 2 key areas is the bull pen and its definitely adding offense.

Without those area's addressed, they have no chance at a wild card.

Soto thing is misleading, I can't imagine the Jays actually think they can sign the player...

My opinion agent is using Jays among others to drive up the contract from the big 3 (Mets, Yankee's and Dodgers)

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by flambers

I doubt it, 2 key areas is the bull pen and its definitely adding offense.

Without those area's addressed, they have no chance at a wild card.

Soto thing is misleading, I can't imagine the Jays actually think they can sign the player...

My opinion agent is using Jays among others to drive up the contract from the big 3 (Mets, Yankee's and Dodgers)

That post was about the Dodgers adding Soto, not the Jays. I agree the Jays need bullpen/offense.

The Dodgers have bullpen and offense as strengths already, even with Ohtani pitching next year I think they'll try and add a starter.

[bluejays]

Ohtani IMO should be a short starter or a reliever. There's way too much on the line with his contract to put that much of a strain on him doing too much. Especially after he ages. Just my opinion.

Jays frankly, can go so many ways with what they do or don't do. There is a lot to adjust, so I bet they're eying some big fish with contingent deals to follow stemming from whomever they bring in.

As for Soto, I read today he's favouring the Mets now. Which to me says he's likely going to re-sign with the Yankees. You know Boras is leaking this info to get the other to pay up. In recent years the "younger" Steinbrenner has been pretty stingy with just giving out money. I can't see the Yankees being goaded to doing anything too crazy, but they did give up a lot of prospect capital which to me indicates they may make exceptions.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Ohtani IMO should be a short starter or a reliever. There's way too much on the line with his contract to put that much of a strain on him doing too much. Especially after he ages. Just my opinion.

Jays frankly, can go so many ways with what they do or don't do. There is a lot to adjust, so I bet they're eying some big fish with contingent deals to follow stemming from whomever they bring in.

As for Soto, I read today he's favouring the Mets now. Which to me says he's likely going to re-sign with the Yankees. You know Boras is leaking this info to get the other to pay up. In recent years the "younger" Steinbrenner has been pretty stingy with just giving out money. I can't see the Yankees being goaded to doing anything too crazy, but they did give up a lot of prospect capital which to me indicates they may make exceptions.

Yeah. I would probably pitch limit Ohtani to like 75 pitches or something. His value as a hitter is so high that letting him get injured pitching makes no sense.

In home games I'd use an opener for him. Let someone else pitch the top of the order, he can still bat leadoff in the bottom of the 1st. That way even if he doesn't go 5 every time he can still get the win.

[browna]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Ohtani IMO should be a short starter or a reliever. There's way too much on the line with his contract to put that much of a strain on him doing too much. Especially after he ages. Just my opinion.

Jays frankly, can go so many ways with what they do or don't do. There is a lot to adjust, so I bet they're eying some big fish with contingent deals to follow stemming from whomever they bring in.

As for Soto, I read today he's favouring the Mets now. Which to me says he's likely going to re-sign with the Yankees. You know Boras is leaking this info to get the other to pay up. In recent years the "younger" Steinbrenner has been pretty stingy with just giving out money. I can't see the Yankees being goaded to doing anything too crazy, but they did give up a lot of prospect capital which to me indicates they may make exceptions.

Not sure you’re going to pay Soto more than Judge (1 year into his deal) if you are the Yanks. So that’s a soft cap which Boras expects his client to fly past. The Jays can outspend the Yanks, but will they.

Whatever the Jays do, when the ink starts hitting some FA contracts, they better be ready to move quick and often before all the dominoes fall.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Ohtani IMO should be a short starter or a reliever. There's way too much on the line with his contract to put that much of a strain on him doing too much. Especially after he ages. Just my opinion.

Nah, he's way to good of a Pitcher to do that. I mean you give him the the contract he got because he's a threat to win a Silver Slugger and the Cy Young award. I think you have him pitch normally for the next two or three years then you maybe move to a 6 man rotation so he get's an extra day of rest.

[Jason14h]

Its really not horrible if the Jays drive up Soto's price for the Yankees as long as they know that is a likely scenario after their offer and have solid plan B,C,D

[KelVarnsen]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Its really not horrible if the Jays drive up Soto's price for the Yankees as long as they know that is a likely scenario after their offer and have solid plan B,C,D

Lol