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Yup, between beating Baltimore and going to Texas with an overflowing thread threatening to take over the world.

Lots are talking about the Future, heck between series what else is there to talk about other than which Jay pitcher should hit which Texas Ranger when they hit Bautista?

Via Cot's Contracts I see $110 mil committed to next year (assuming Grilli's option is picked up). Plus arbitration for Stroman (1st), Barney (3rd), Loup (2nd), and Carrera (1st). Free agents Saunders, Dickey, Bautista, Encarnacion, Cecil, Benoit, Feldman, Navarro, Floyd. Others are getting the ML minimum or close to it (Osuna, Sanchez, Pillar, Goins, Travis, Biagini, etc. $57 mil for 2018, $40 for 2019, $14 for 2020 (Tulo), $4 for 2021 (Tulo buyout or $15 mil for season). I see a TON of payroll room and hope they don't blow it all on Bautista & EE as much as we all love them by 2020 they'd be albatrosses on the team most likely. Given the current management team I doubt they'd be crazy enough to go past 3 years for either (maybe a 4th for EE if the dollars are good).

For a look at free agents to be : MLB Trade Rumors Tracker.
Many we know the Jays will have zero interest in (cost, already have good guys, etc.) such as Stephen Strasburg, Kenley Jansen, Wilson Ramos (CA), Aroldis Chapman, etc. Good targets if they want to blow the wad would be Yoenis Cespedes (entering age 31 season, 124 lifetime OPS+, can play CF so probably solid in LF), Justin Turner is a heck of a player but at 3B we have an MVP, Mark Trumbo is entering his age 31 season and it'd be fun to steal him from the O's but his poor OBP would scare me off, Josh Reddick is a RF entering his age 30 season so sounds tempting but slumped horribly once in LA - a guy the scouts would have to love before the Jays should even think about him.

This winter will be a 'goodbye' to many and probably trades to get overpriced guys from other teams. This is a good place to go nuts with speculation.
Between Series Again | 25 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
dan gordon - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 06:08 PM EDT (#333324) #
So the pitching order for the Texas series has been announced: Estrada, Happ, Sanchez, Stroman. Makes sense, they're just keeping everybody in the same order they're currently in. Minimizes disruption to regular schedules - nobody gets a crazy long rest period they have to deal with.
James W - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 06:15 PM EDT (#333325) #
Stephen Strasburg signed a $175,000,000 extension in May.
AWeb - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 07:23 PM EDT (#333329) #
I'd like to see the Bluejays try to sign EE and Bautista to huge 1 year deals. With the mostly terrible free agent class, offer them 35 million each next year. This team has, apparently, the pitching to compete, so try to do it without longterm problem contracts. Or maybe the David Ortiz model...1+1 contracts until they retire?
Jimbag - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 07:41 PM EDT (#333330) #
From the Washington Post : https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2016/10/05/rangers-luck-is-about-to-run-out/

Seems to me I've heard this discussion before.

bpoz - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 07:48 PM EDT (#333331) #
Thanks John. We need a thread for those Bauxites that want to discuss the future.

I like our future.
StephenT - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 08:14 PM EDT (#333332) #
Annoyed that Sportsnet is running their ticker on the bottom on the screen during the NL WC game.  Anyone know if ESPN is doing that?  (I could excuse Sportsnet if they are just covering the ESPN ticker.)
StephenT - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 08:18 PM EDT (#333333) #
Found a solution -- switched to the TVA broadcast (French) for the video and turned on the radio.
scottt - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 08:35 PM EDT (#333336) #
That's a weird article that bring up PED for no apparent reason.

I'm always amused when someone brings in FIP and fWAR as if they were different things.
It's pretty common to bring in defensive replacements when the closer is on the mount, so why look at fielding independent metric to project the outcome of a game? It's not like trying to figure out how much a team should offer the guy on his next contract.

An underdog with a 45% change of winning isn't much of an underdog. That's basically a coin flip.

uglyone - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 09:13 PM EDT (#333339) #
fip and fwar are different in the same way batting average and hits are different. do you laugh when people bring up both of those?
uglyone - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 09:18 PM EDT (#333340) #
i might have rejigged the rotation but can't complain about them keeping all four in their regular spot, and i'm sure that whoever mentioned it in the last thread is right that road (vets) / home (kids) factors played into the decision too.

the rotation is sort of a nice no brainer this year - just keep all four going and don't try anything fancy.
uglyone - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 09:38 PM EDT (#333341) #
3 jays make BA's FSL Top 20, but surprisingly (imo wrongly) Urena ain't one of them.

The tally so far:

FSL (A+): #7 Alford, #8 Reid-Foley, #17 Greene
MWL (A): #9 Reid-Foley, #13 Harris
NWL (A-): #6 Woodman, #9 Maese, #12 Murphy
APP (Rk+): #1 Guerrero, #17 Diaz
GCL (Rk): #4 Bichette

not bad for a sold farm.
uglyone - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 09:40 PM EDT (#333342) #
Comment from the chat re: Urena:


John Manuel: He was in the 21-25 range of guys I left out, and I probably could have put him as high as No. 18. He certainly performed better than Dunedin teammate Conner Greene, but I went for upside on Greene. I like Urena; I don’t see him as a future all-star but can see him as a potential regular at shortstop. The scouts I talked to that saw him didn’t go plus on any tool, and he seemed more likely to move to 2B or even 3B than any of high higher-ranked peers due to average range and a 55 arm, rather than a true plus. But he can hit some, he makes contact, has some juice … might be a 2nd division regular shortstop but again, if he winds up better than Adams, or Nido, that wouldn’t shock me. He was a tough one to leave out.

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/florida-state-league-top-20-prospects-chat-2/#eSkglM0Zp0jfIdVm.99
jjdynomite - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 10:02 PM EDT (#333344) #
Slightly off topic, but witnessing Thor scoff at the Giants' puny lineup makes me somewhat less nostalgic for the Anthopolous regime. Not to take away from the good times of the second half of last season or anything.
Magpie - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 10:05 PM EDT (#333347) #
We need a thread for those Bauxites that want to discuss the future.

What, the present isn't interesting enough? Sheesh.
StephenT - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 10:54 PM EDT (#333349) #
For the record, Sportsnet finally dropped the ticker part way through the top of the 4th (as per a quick rewind of the PVR).
uglyone - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 11:20 PM EDT (#333350) #
I think the NL is truly terrible. These lineups are flat out weak.
Magpie - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 11:23 PM EDT (#333351) #
Bochy didn't exactly need those 11 pitchers, did he.

Is there a pitcher you'd want more than Mad Bum in a winner-take-all game? I don't mean now. I mean ever.
greenfrog - Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 11:26 PM EDT (#333352) #
Apparently inserting your closer in a tie ballgame in the playoffs doesn't always work out.
ISLAND BOY - Thursday, October 06 2016 @ 06:27 AM EDT (#333355) #
At least they used him.
ayjackson - Thursday, October 06 2016 @ 07:42 AM EDT (#333359) #
Interesting that SRF made both the FSL and MWL Top 20 list and the scouting reports on his breaking balls were about as different as you could expect.
Jevant - Thursday, October 06 2016 @ 07:56 AM EDT (#333360) #
Reddick, if you can get him for a reasonable price and think the bat will get back to the 118 OPS+ he put up in 14-15, seems like a logical complement to the Jays RH lineup.

Bringing Eric Thames back from Korea also would seem like a decent thing to try.

jerjapan - Thursday, October 06 2016 @ 11:35 AM EDT (#333378) #
Thames has been a monster in Korea and it would be a great story, but without looking it up, I recall him being a Saunders-calibre defender - unless he comes cheap, that's a problem given our corner D and glut of DHs.
Jevant - Thursday, October 06 2016 @ 11:52 AM EDT (#333382) #
Yeah, it seems he may be playing more 1B now too, so definitely less of a fit, unless of course there is complete overhaul of the current UFAs.
SK in NJ - Thursday, October 06 2016 @ 02:24 PM EDT (#333413) #
If they have faith in Carlos Gomez being able to return to form over a full season in 2017, then he might be the ideal FA to go after. I doubt any team is going to lock him up long-term, and the Jays can afford to go with a high AAV over a short amount of years. The upside is there as a buy low candidate. He was awful in Houston but has bounced back for the Rangers.
bpoz - Sunday, October 09 2016 @ 10:23 AM EDT (#333676) #
I was reading the other thread. About J Bradley Jr.
For me, I am going to compare the moves that the Red Sox make vs the Jays in the off season.

If the Sox are awarded the division by the media because they are so young and powerful, so what. I still like the Jays, because IMO our pitching is very strong overall. Talent and maybe/hopefully depth.

But now is the time for me to enjoy our great ride.
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