Toronto Blue Jays - Offseason Thread

[Alberta_Beef]

No updates in a week eh? Things must be slow.

[calculoso]

I bet most teams are waiting to see what changes with the new CBA

[GirlySports]

Its not NHL. MLB free agency is a slow process. Lots of negotiating.

[calculoso]

Rosenthal: Cespedes to Mets, 4 year $110MM ($27.5M/yr)

Thames to Brewers for 3 year $16MM as 1st baseman

[IceMan]

Love the signing of Yo back to the Mets. Glad they didn't give him that 5th year.

This allows the Mets to trade Jay Bruce now. Blue Jays seem to be the team most interested in his services. When he was acquired at the trade deadline, he led the NL in RBI. After that, he didn't really do much.

[alan21]

Edwin's agent is saying the Jays are showing him the most love.

Sounds like he's trying to drive the price up from another team and start a bigger bidding war. Too bad the new CBA is holding things up.

[Jason14h]

Bruce and Upton in the OF, Smoak at 1B! I love it! We should set the strikeout record by the all-star game!

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by alan21

Edwin's agent is saying the Jays are showing him the most love.

Sounds like he's trying to drive the price up from another team and start a bigger bidding war. Too bad the new CBA is holding things up.

It's reported he'll sign late this week or early next, so either way we'll have closure soon.

I'm still holding out hope that there's some sober second guessing by the other couple of teams involved and the $18mil/yr or whatever it was starts to look good to Edwin to stay in the city he already knows.

[alan21]

Isn't the offer on the table for 4 years 80 mil?

[bluejays]

I don't think his agent would say the Jays are showing the most love if he wasn't just trying to squeeze the last bits from the Jays. Again, I do think it's all but done that he'll sign. As for Bruce, his contract is awful. Could they dump the Smoak contract and then some for him?

[KootenayFlamesFan]

The Toronto Blue Jays, knowing they may end up losing right fielder Jose Bautista this winter, are showing a strong interest in free agent center fielder Dexter Fowler, sources tell FanRag Sports.

Fowler became a free agent this winter after, like Bautista, turning down a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer. With his former team, the Chicago Cubs, announcing the signing of outfielder Jon Jay on Tuesday night, a return to the World Series champions appears unlikely.

Fowler would provide the Blue Jays with exactly what they need: a top-of-the-order, left-handed bat that will get on base, set the table for the still-formidable middle of the order, and play average defense; at the very least, he’d likely be a defensive upgrade over Bautista.

http://www.fanragsports.com/mlb/heym...ler-jay-bruce/

[Senator Clay Davis]

Sounds like the Edwin market is down to the Jays, Astros and maybe the Yankees.

[Roof-Daddy]

I don't know what the Jays will be allowed to start their payroll at, but both EE and Fowler would be fricken amazing.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by fleury

I don't think his agent would say the Jays are showing the most love if he wasn't just trying to squeeze the last bits from the Jays. Again, I do think it's all but done that he'll sign. As for Bruce, his contract is awful. Could they dump the Smoak contract and then some for him?

He's got 1 year left on his deal at 13 mil.

Could be a similar situation to Upton (whose deal is the same). Could get him cheaper.

[Alberta_Beef]

Apparently an Andrew McCutcheon (sp?) trade is becoming more likely. Sounds like speculation is thea thte Jays are in on it.

Jays also apparently are link to Curtis Granderson now too.

[Jiggy_12]

Would be ecstatic if the Jays got McCutchen. Coming off a down year but he is a very talented baseball player. Only 30.

If they can get him in a buy-low situation, what a steal that could end up being.

I don't believe it will happen. But that would be ideal.

[InBurkeWeTrust]

I have a feeling that McCutchen would cost way too much and they don't even have the assets

[Alberta_Beef]

MLB and their Players association have agreed upon a new CBA.

• Sounds like Oakland has been cut out of revenue sharing for making no attempt to improve their team.
• The luxury tax will rise up to 210 million over the next few seasons and will be 195 million in 2017. The penalties for exceeding the limit are much more significant and in an absolute worst case scenario could result in a 90% tax.
• $6 million bonus cap for international free agents, there will be no international draft.
• Teams will no longer forfeit a 1st round pick when signing a FA that received a qualifying offer, if the team is under the luxury tax limit they forfeit a 3rd round pick; if the team is above they will forfeit a 2nd round pick, 5th round pick and $1 million in international bonus money. (these changes take place next winter)

[Roof-Daddy]

Apparently the all star game won't determine home field advantage in the WS anymore either. Good.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

[*]Sounds like Oakland has been cut out of revenue sharing for making no attempt to improve their team.

I highly doubt that. They've finished 1st or 2nd in their division 12 times in the last 20 years and their last trip to the post-season was in 2013.

More likely it's because Oakland is not part of a small metro area and their ownership hasn't made any progress towards alleviating the circumstances that got them an exemption into rev sharing the last go around.