Between Series Again

Wednesday, October 05 2016 @ 04:52 PM EDT

Contributed by: John Northey

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.

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