I don't know if the Chapman stuff is anything more than rumours although it would be great to get control of an arm like that for almost a decade. I like the Lubanski pickup - people have written him off after a really tough year but he is still just the same age as Arencibia and you can't beat the cost.
I don't know if the Chapman stuff is anything more than rumours although it would be great to get control of an arm like that for almost a decade. I like the Lubanski pickup - people have written him off after a really tough year but he is still just the same age as Arencibia and you can't beat the cost.
I would really like to see if AA can pull of the Chapman deal, though I'm pessimestic simply because he'd feel more at home in Anaheim with a more Cuban population I'd think. Lubanski's one is a good stab in the dark. Hopefully he pans out.
Oh man I'd really get excited if Dustin could come back this year. The Jays have a ton of young arms with potential could be one of the best in the years to come.
The Indians have traded lefthander Zach Jackson to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later, according to a team press release. He's been assigned to their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.
Yeah, CLS, I take the competitive interest the Jays showed as a consolation to the season. When was the last time the Jays were ever involved with a high profile FA, not named AJ Burn-y'all-nett? Never since the days of Beeston and Gillick.
If anything, I am real excited about the intensity and aggressiveness that AA is showing. That type of Zeal is what we needed when undergoing the difficult process of re-building.
I still like our young rotation, the other assets we have accrued and the bonus draft slot money the jays were stocking going into this years draft. I am okay with 6million per at 5yrs for chapman and that leaves around an extra 12 million for this upcoming draft. 12 million is usually a lot more than even the richest teams spend on a draft class.
Is anyone else okay with matching the REd's alleged offer for Chapman? I am okay with 6 per. That is on par with most other top prospects in any draft. Look at what the bonus was for Boston's Iglesias 2 years ago: 6+million and he isn't even a super prospect.
I'm sure pleased that the Jays are almost making some moves to almost contend soon.
It's almost much different from the way things had been.
Almost...
I sense your sarcasm and sympathise. I want the team to be relevant again for their success not at the expense of trading our best player.
I just don't think we'll ever have the mandate to compete with the Yanks or Bo sox for FA talent. We have to develope our own, wouldn't you agree Goze?
I just don't think we'll ever have the mandate to compete with the Yanks or Bo sox for FA talent. We have to develope our own, wouldn't you agree Goze?
Not really, no. You had a very reasonable post so I'll try to keep this as non-crybaby as I can. (first budget, then player development)
We weren't bidding against Boston for Dice-K at $100M, we were bidding against Cincinatti. If markets decide winners then we were it.
I'm not meaning to make a big fuss about Chapman, mostly because I would've had some reservations if we had signed him, but I don't consider this to be a budget issue.
The Jays dumped Rolen, dumped Rios, haven't made a splash in free agency since ... Eckstien?, chose not to sign draft picks - even a frugal organization could have made the move if it was the right move to make. AA thought otherwise and I'm ok with that but I'm not going to celebrate the almost-move the way the blogosphere has.
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As for player development, my problem is the Jay's organizational management philosophy. Coming into last season JP had developed and had in the system at relative bargains;
Maybe two full starting pitching rotations (too many to list)
Bullpen (minus closer) (League, Tallet, Carlson, others)
2nd baseman (Hill)
Both corner outfielders / OF + DH (Lind/Snider)
Those guys were all bargains, add to them capable starters getting paid below sabermetric "value";
Doc
Rolen
Rios
Scoots
Barajas+Chavez
Downs
And overpaid mistakes
Thomas
Ryan
Wells
what I'm getting at is that JP had emptied his "farm system" into the pros and they were the backbone of the team. The time was last year to package some assets and move them to a team desperate to unload salary from a cash-strapped city.
I'm thinking the Boston Celtics when they moved ten prospects for two all-stars - not a fair parallel but that's what I'm getting at.
If it worked and the team contends and the city comes out in droves to watch then - success!
If it flops, THEN strip down salary and give away vets in a full re-build.
They skipped the part where the team has a chance.
If 'generational pitching talent + terrific infield defense + stable of young talent' isn't the Jays recipe to success....what is?
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It's funny how you use the Celts example since I was going to ask you about the Raps game in the last post but left it out.
I agree as well, but what years can we identify as the years where the jays had a chance to do that? 2007/8? Perhaps last year, but I feel that the only thing that would've helped the jays was better speed on the basepaths and better obp numbers from the table setters. We got Scoots to be the obp guy, but we had zero team speed and it prevented this team, in my mind, from fully blossoming. JP could sense it and was reluctant to deal. He basically sealed his fate by not trying to field a winner last year.
I personally think that a Marcum and Snider deal that was rumored to be there on the table for bay was a good move, but hindsight is 2020.
I think the forumla you had is only lacking one variable, speed. We need table setters with speed. Speed forces teams into moves they wouldn't necessarily make if it weren't a threat.
To me the biggest disappointment that JP authored was the style of team he had with Frank Thomas on board. Slow, base to base offense that hopes for a big double or homerun. I also feel that if we keep burnett with a deal with no player opt out clause then last year we fare better. Now we have to wait for a rotation to take shape.
