Toronto Blue Jays - Offseason Thread

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by ClubFlames

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MLB source close to the negotiation tells our Steve Phillips the #BlueJays are OUT on Edwin Encarnacion.

Well damn

[ClubFlames]

They better be going after Dexter Fowler with all that money saved now.

[Jason14h]

The Jays were never signing EE. Not because of the money but because of the draft pick attached/ that they want

They are not signing Fowler for the same reason.

This shouldn't be a surprise, it's was evident this was the plan before last season.

All that's left is for a big splash by trading Donaldson to NY !! ( I kid. That won't happen till next offseason!)

[Senator Clay Davis]

Donaldson is trade deadline fodder if anything. I'm guessing TAO is giving himself a nice pat on the back right now.

[Roof-Daddy]

A pat on the back for what?

The off season has barely begun and as fun as it would be the Jays dont need to have a $200 million payroll to have a competitive team.

[Roof-Daddy]

I like the Pearce signing. Versatile player with an under rated bat and if he stays healthy he should be a massive bargain.

[Jason14h]

I'm guessing TAO is giving himself a nice pat on the back right now.

As someone who also figured this was always the plan, I will say I'm not totally against what they are doing/see the plan.

The Yanks and Sox are loaded with young talent. The Jays have none.

We could have went for it for 1 or 2 more years, and has a painful crash a burn like the Yankees but without the $$ to keep signin FA's, or we could take the painful plunge early, hope our pitching can get us into playoffs, and re-tool on the fly.

I'm just worried this signals to Donaldson we aren't serious in the next 2-3 years, and he asks to be moved. I secretly wonder if management actually wants that to happen so they can move Tulo and Martin as well before they have no value.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Donaldson is trade deadline fodder if anything. I'm guessing TAO is giving himself a nice pat on the back right now.

I doubt it,

Jay's have only begun the off season..

[Roof-Daddy]

Man you gotta wonder if EE and his agent didnt totally misjudge the market and the rumored 4/ $80 million deal offered by the Jays was the best they were going to get.

Going to feel bad for him if ends up with less than that and like salt in the wound doesnt get to stay in a city / organization he loved. Kind of looking that way now though.

Bautista probably not getting the type of offers hed hoped for either.

[dino7c]

these guys don't love the team/city as much as they say...If they did they would be coming back

If the Jays field a worse team than the team that couldn't get it done last season then whats the point? Teams around them are only getting better

[cross16]

While I get the emotions that it's too bad EE won't be back I don't have any problem with how this played out. I think the Jays made him a very fair offer that he turned down to see what else was out there, which was absolutely his right. Jays have waited it out to see if he wanted to come back and sign the deal and he hasn't and you can't wait forever. I'm probably pretty alone on this but I never viewed EE as a must sign especially at the dollar amounts and term he was asking for and personally prefer the more versatile/balanced lineup approach the Jays are going for rather thant he centralized power 3-5 approach they have in the past.

I also don't see any reason why people like to assume that its December and the Jays are done and won't field as good a team becuase EE and Bautista will be gone. Plenty of time left to make this as good as or even better a team than they had last year. IMO, more balance alone will make this a better team even though they are losing some power.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The Jays were never signing EE. Not because of the money but because of the draft pick attached/ that they want

They are not signing Fowler for the same reason.

This shouldn't be a surprise, it's was evident this was the plan before last season.

All that's left is for a big splash by trading Donaldson to NY !! ( I kid. That won't happen till next offseason!)

Shi Davidi has already said that he thinks the Jays are willing to lose the draft pick to sign Fowler. The major US media types are all reporting that the Jays are definitely pursuing Fowler so clearly the Jays are willing to give up the pick if they are that interested.

That doesn't mean the Jays will land Fowler though. Unless they are willing to trade Pillar, I think the Jays are going to have to vastly outbid everyone to convince Fowler to play a corner outfield position.

[Jason14h]

Well if Shi Davidi says !!!

It was reported his morning the Jays and Fowler are far away ! Ie: Jays not really offering a real deal

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Well if Shi Davidi says !!!

It was reported his morning the Jays and Fowler are far away ! Ie: Jays not really offering a real deal

OR you could look at that as the Jays are interested enough in Fowler to be talking financials, which is a good sign because he'd be a great fit here.

No reason to speculate the Jays are not offering a real deal. Talks being apart could be as much to do with term as they are with AAV.

[ClubFlames]

I don't buy the whole "Jays never wanted to sign EE in the first place and that was the plan in place from last season"

Jays offered him a fair contract, EE wanted to get paid and hit that 9 figure contract. Jays moved on to replace him just the same as the other teams who moved on from him as well. People complained last year how we didn't just back up the Brinks truck for David Price and said we will be crap because our rotation besides Stroman and Estrada would be horrible. Well.. no, we still made it to the ALCS, again.

MLB offseason's are long and all the activity does not happen within a span of a week like the NHL. Be patient.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Well if Shi Davidi says !!!

It was reported his morning the Jays and Fowler are far away ! Ie: Jays not really offering a real deal

Using the old TAO approach - disregard anything from Sportsnet media just because it doesn't fit your narrative.

Can you explain why are the Jays even talking to Fowler if they allegedly aren't willing to give up the comp. pick? Why waste their time?

[Jason14h]

I don't disregard because it's SN media. I disregard because its Shi Davidi.

Oh course they are going to kick the tires on everyone/should. If the discount/price was worth it + the pick they would sign. However, he wants at least 4 X 60-70 million.

That + pick ? No chance Jays are doing that.

When was the last 'big' FA the Jays were in on they actually signed? I guess Martin but not sure what the overall demand was for him.

The team wants to restock their farm. Unless they get Fowler at a major discount (The opposite of his stock right now) he isn't coming.

As a personal opinion, I wouldn't even want Fowler at 18 mil a season with no draft pick. So none of this is even a shot at Rogers. But the chances of Fowler being a Jay are probably less the EE right now, and EE looks to be zero.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I don't disregard because it's SN media. I disregard because its Shi Davidi.

Oh course they are going to kick the tires on everyone/should. If the discount/price was worth it + the pick they would sign. However, he wants at least 4 X 60-70 million.

That + pick ? No chance Jays are doing that.

When was the last 'big' FA the Jays were in on they actually signed? I guess Martin but not sure what the overall demand was for him.

The team wants to restock their farm. Unless they get Fowler at a major discount (The opposite of his stock right now) he isn't coming.

As a personal opinion, I wouldn't even want Fowler at 18 mil a season with no draft pick. So none of this is even a shot at Rogers. But the chances of Fowler being a Jay are probably less the EE right now, and EE looks to be zero.

May I ask why on Davidi? He's generally not a spewer of Rogers propaganda, and does a pretty bang up job of covering the Jays IMO. He's also very plugged in, so if he's reporting on something there is often merit there.

Also, scuttlebutt around the industry is the Jays and Cardinals are the major suitors for Fowler. Shi continues to bring up the Jays interest in him, so I do believe there's something there.

As for pick compensation, getting picks on EE and Bautista (theoretically) offsets losing one for Fowler, so even if the new FO is keen on this they're still ahead at the end of the day.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Oh course they are going to kick the tires on everyone/should. If the discount/price was worth it + the pick they would sign. However, he wants at least 4 X 60-70 million.

That + pick ? No chance Jays are doing that.

I think they'd do something around there. I think they'd probably be waiting on Jose or Edwin to sign beforehand... giving up that first is a whole lot more palatable when you know you have at least one coming back. More so for the higher bonus pool then anything else, Let's you be more flexible with your draft strategy.

Originally Posted by Jason14h

When was the last 'big' FA the Jays were in on they actually signed? I guess Martin but not sure what the overall demand was for him.

Yup, Martin. Worth every penny.

[Otto-matic]

Latest MLB rumours: #BlueJays make four-year offer to Dexter Fowler http://sprtsnt.ca/2gHXePW

Dexter Fowler checks a number of boxes on the Blue Jays’ wish list, and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that they have offered him a four-year contract in the range of $60 million. According to Heyman, the two sides remain ‘a decent ways apart’, as Fowler’s camp is looking for $18 million annually.