Off-season madness the 2nd: Jays get Reyes, Johnson, Buehrle, Bonifacio
carry on
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Let's hope this thread starts off better than the last one ended.
Did anybody see that Sanchez is asking for 6 years and $90 million? Hard to see us for him but hopefully I am wrong.
Comes down to budget - does Anthopolous have $95m? $100m? Also, what opportunities does he have via trade? We don't know, so we'll have to wait and see.
6 years is one more year than what ownership is comfortable doing
But they can definitely add term
Now comes a balancing act...do we wait it out, and see if we can get better value, or do we pull the trigger? Previously, AA has said he regretted being a tad indecisive, or, not aggressive enough. I am hoping he nabs his guy this time, whoever that may be. Seeing Sanchez pitch in the playoffs was impressive...but how will he play in the AL east?
6 years is one more year than what ownership is comfortable doing
But they can definitely add term
Now comes a balancing act...do we wait it out, and see if we can get better value, or do we pull the trigger? Previously, AA has said he regretted being a tad indecisive, or, not aggressive enough. I am hoping he nabs his guy this time, whoever that may be. Seeing Sanchez pitch in the playoffs was impressive...but how will he play in the AL east?
Can some of the stat geeks predict this?
Impossible to "predict". What we can do is look at trends, and the fact remains there simply isn't enough data to reach a reasonable conclusion. He's pitched against the Rays 3 times, Yankees twice, Boston once, Baltimore once. Going by his career body of work against the AL would be more logical. Like most pitchers who shift from the NL to the AL, there's some growing pains, but he has shown vast improvement towards the end of the season.
My apologies, I didn't see it. This one was continuing to have posts put into it, and I didn't see anything when I glanced at the first few non-stickied threads.
Really, if someone's going to start a fresh discussion thread, the best thing to do is make one, then PM one of the Leaf mods (or me)and tell them to lock the old one and make the sticking/unsicking switch. That makes sure this sort of thing doesn't happen.
Per Shi Davidi,
AA on priorities: "It's a bit more of a wait and see approach with LF right now and being a little aggressive in terms of the rotation."
Sounds like some offers have been sent (in regards to LF) and the players are sitting on them until the winter meetings.
stopped reading after this. What? Toronto isn't attractive to FA's? Since when. It's the summer months when they're in toronto and Toronto is a huge, beautiful, multi cultural city full of activities. Maybe in the NBA cause it's winter time, but not baseball.
Not how I meant it. Jays play on turf and that's unattractive to some (not all players), the team is mediocre playing in the toughest division in baseball. Hasn't made the playoffs in a long time and if players can get the same money, why wouldn't they go elsewhere? If Jays start winning, its an attractive market.
Not how I meant it. Jays play on turf and that's unattractive to some (not all players), the team is mediocre playing in the toughest division in baseball. Hasn't made the playoffs in a long time and if players can get the same money, why wouldn't they go elsewhere? If Jays start winning, its an attractive market.
There's also the added hassle of playing in another country. All else being equal that's something most players would prefer to avoid, partly for tax reasons, but also for the added customs checks on every road trip, challenges relocating family, and just general unfamiliarity with Canada. Most players, once they play here, love the place - but most are at best uncertain when they first consider coming.
As McCown (who would know a thing or two about it) opined yesterday, most Americans are taught a little bit about their own country, and next to nothing about anywhere else, so coming to Canada might as well be coming to the moon.
If the money and situation's right, that's all rushed aside of course. But if the player is on the fence, that's the sort of thing that can away a decision away from signing here.
stopped reading after this. What? Toronto isn't attractive to FA's? Since when. It's the summer months when they're in toronto and Toronto is a huge, beautiful, multi cultural city full of activities. Maybe in the NBA cause it's winter time, but not baseball.
As dumb as it is, the spectre of living in another country, even one as near-identical to the US as Canada is, scares off some players. Multiple players and ex-players, including Zaun & Dirk Hayhurst, have said that they known lots of guys who have had this weird irrational resistance to the idea of playing in Canada because "it's another country" even though they don't know a thing about the place. We can sell the idea of any Canadian city being beautiful and multi-cultural and jam-packed with stuff to do, but the fact that there's a border to cross freaks some people right the **** out. Vancouver had the same problem with the NBA (and not always because of the weather. Lots of guys were brought in during summer FA period and pre-draft workouts), as do the Raptors now. It also doesn't help that you have people like Chris Bosh talking about how different it is and whining about not having ESPN up here, or Chipper Jones, who said of Toronto (during the WBC games that were held there):
Quote:
"We stayed in Toronto for a week and played three games. I don't know if you ever stayed in Toronto, but it's not exactly Las Vegas," the Braves star told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "To say that we were plucking our eyebrows out one at a time would be an understatement."
Which is an absolutely asinine statement to make.
It may be stupid and backward and wrong-headed, but it appears to be how things work. Now if you can get guys here, they often end up loving it (though not always. I'm looking at you, Antonio Davis), but it's that initial resistance that is the biggest hurdle.
I wonder if he'd bite on a 5 year plus mutual option for the 6th year. AA seems fine to pay the annual salary but this could be a way to get the term
I think he'd take a 5 year deal. Free agents are "asking" for all kinds of numbers; doesn't mean they can't be negotiated down. I still have a feeling that he'll be a blue jay.
The guy is 38, which doesn't fit with our needs. Knuckleballers have shown some decent success in the LA East (Wakefield) but he didn't tear it up or anything, he just ate a lot of average innings.
Ferguson points out: "Yes, Dickey is only 61-56 over his career - pretty pedestrian for someone commanding big bucks - and he is 38-years -old. However, over the last three seasons with the Mets he's 49-28"
He went 20-6 last year, which means that in the two seasons prior he was a combined 29-22, not exactly ace material considering what his price will likely be.
This whole article makes me so mad I don't even know why I linked it lol.
AA: (Improving left field) is on the radar, but it's more of a sit-back, wait-and-see, let it come to us approach right now.
Would AA be open to moving a young player currently in the majors to add starting pitching? "Absolutely."
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So atleast for now LF seems to be at the bottom of the priority list, which is the correct approach.
Absolutely. Still, in my mind, the easiest position to fill. One of the outfield free agents may be sitting without a contract come January, and could be had for a discount. And if not, there's always the trade avenue.
The guy is 38, which doesn't fit with our needs. Knuckleballers have shown some decent success in the LA East (Wakefield) but he didn't tear it up or anything, he just ate a lot of average innings.
Ferguson points out: "Yes, Dickey is only 61-56 over his career - pretty pedestrian for someone commanding big bucks - and he is 38-years -old. However, over the last three seasons with the Mets he's 49-28"
He went 20-6 last year, which means that in the two seasons prior he was a combined 29-22, not exactly ace material considering what his price will likely be.
This whole article makes me so mad I don't even know why I linked it lol.
The guy is 38, which doesn't fit with our needs. Knuckleballers have shown some decent success in the LA East (Wakefield) but he didn't tear it up or anything, he just ate a lot of average innings.
Ferguson points out: "Yes, Dickey is only 61-56 over his career - pretty pedestrian for someone commanding big bucks - and he is 38-years -old. However, over the last three seasons with the Mets he's 49-28"
He went 20-6 last year, which means that in the two seasons prior he was a combined 29-22, not exactly ace material considering what his price will likely be.
This whole article makes me so mad I don't even know why I linked it lol.
His career numbers aren't all that relevant since he only discovered the knuckled late. That pitch may save wear and tear on his arm so that he could have a few more effective years, but yeah - Niese is the Met to be targeting for this club.
