Sure hope we didn't burn that Bo bridge.

Is it a bridge or Bo asking for crazy money now?

Think FA prices just went up. I'd try for Bo but like Tucker, would be fine not going in if it's crazy. Jays have a great team right now.

Someone in the other thread called this a wild overpay but I honestly don’t think it is. Tucker is primed to have a few very good years in the short term. It’s only a four-year contract. Yes, it’s a lot of money but it’s also going to make the Dodgers a lot of money by helping ensure their dominance in the coming seasons. Let’s say Tucker averages 4 or 4.5 WAR per year over the next four years. How much are the marginal wins he’ll provide worth to LA? A lot, I would think.

Pretty decent chance Tucker comes away with a WS ring during the four years.

Now watch LAD trade for Skubal at the deadline.

Agreed uglyone - Bo will now be asking for more I'm sure though than he would've a couple months ago as he has serious suitors and knows he is the last big name out there (Bellinger is lesser imo but the Jays could sign both if they wanted). I'm expecting Bo to get $30 mil per for 5+ years. I thought $26 per over 8 was likely before ($208 mil) but now $30 over 8 is possible ($240 mil). If he'll take some as deferred (I don't think he has to) then you can cut that AAV down, or if he'll add years that are write offs for minimal extra cost then they might push it up to $250 mil for 10 or something like that. Hard to see them going to $300 over any time frame though.

Bellinger has to be feeling more confident in his demand for a 7-year contract at around $36m per year.

Hard to say.
That's a lot of left bats.
That could backfire easily.

Get Bo and Bellinger and blast baseballs

Or just a bigger 4 year contract.
It looks like neither Mets or Yankees want to go long.

I would be happy with Bo or Bellinger being added. Tucker is the superior talent but the other two are very good players.

Am still curious to see if the Blue Jays work the trade route for someone like Donovan, Marte or Kwan.

I’d honestly be fine with standing reasonably pat and taking my chances. Lineup feels one bat short but there’s depth there. Obviously if a reunion with Bo is possible then go for it but it’s also possible his price just went up as well.

Who’s to say Bo won’t join the Dodgers next?

Bellinger wasn't great outside of Yankees Stadium.

Common sense?

Looking at the Dodgers on FanGraphs and clicking on projections their 2B Tommy Edman doesn't look that good - sub 2 WAR projected (1.7 ZiPS mixed with Hyeseong Kim and his 0.3) so they might chase Bo as well. Insanity.

Still, no matter how one cuts it, the Jays are in good shape depending on where Bo, Bellinger, and Valdez go. If they go to the Red Sox, Yankees, and/or O's then it is an 'uh oh'. If Bo comes here and the other 2 go to the NL then it is smooth sailing. Those 3 are the last free agents projected to get 3+ WAR with Eugenio Suárez next at 2.6, Zac Gallen 2.4, and Chris Bassitt at 2.1 all others sub 2 (so not a solid regular, not an upgrade for the Jays). Once Valdez and Bassitt sign then the trade market for Berrios could open up a bit (those 2 are likely better and Bassitt cheaper than Berrios). Gallen will have trouble due to his having a QO attached coming off a meh season (1.1 fWAR) - he really should've taken that QO. Bellinger could fit here still, but no way I'd pay $30+ mil for 7 years for him. IMO it is Bo or a trade.

I believe Dan S on Fangraphs said the Blue Jays and Red Sox were about tied for in the ZIPS projections for the best team in the AL East (with the Yankees slightly behind). That was before Boston added a front-rotation SP in Suarez. So the Red Sox arguably now have the best team in the division (and they will likely add a third baseman or second baseman this off-season).

The competition will be fierce. Toronto is right there, but the goal should be to field the best team in the division.

Only $30M deferred. I like Tucker a lot but that's crazy money for him.

Oh agreed greenfrog. Still, the Jays could be even better than they already are on paper - Springer at 2.2 WAR seems low after last year (high after '24), Barger at 1.9 seems low too. If Santander is at a 107 OPS+ all year he won't be a regular I'd hope (1.3 WAR).

The big questions are - will Yesavage live up to the hype he earned last year? Will Ponce be solid or flop? Barger ready for prime time after his WOW playoff? Okamoto - will he adjust well to the majors? Lots to watch for once the season gets going. Any of those questions going negative could push the Jays down, any going positive could shoot them over the top. Plus will some kid/kids come up and wow us this year? Just over a month until pitchers/catchers report and about 6 weeks until spring games begin.

I’m seeing a lot of “bring on the lockout” sentiment on social media right now, and for the first time, I think I’m on that side as well. I love baseball and love that the current system is perfect for the Jays, but it sucks for baseball. Something has to be done about this, even if it hurts the Jays a bit. You can’t replace half the owners who don’t spend so they have to figure out another way to make the sport more exciting and engaging for all the fanbases.

It's not the fans who lock players out.
They could just boosts the luxury tax some more.
That money goes to the players and the small market teams.

Dodgers have a $413M payroll which is $100M more than the next team. With the luxury tax, Dodgers will be paying for Tucker more than like ten teams' entire payrolls.

Signing Bo would still make for a tremendous off-season for the Blue Jays.

Trading for Kwan would also be a nice plan B move, if the front office can pull it off.

Bo makes sense but I don't see another big move unless it's for a 2B/SS trade (that position gives them most flexibility to move guys around). I think Kwan is overrated as is but he'd be replacing Santander in OF which isn't a big enough upgrade to justify trading big prospects for him. Really hope they don't do a stupid massive pitch for Bellinger because they missed out on Tucker. Team is still best in AL. Try to get Bo but no need to panic.

Id be shocked if the new agreement doesn't have a new level of CBT for the Dodgers. Much like the first CBT was for just the Yankees, last for the Mets. The biggest spender does shift. I suspect the new level will be 200% or more plus more loss of draft picks and/or IFA money around $350 mil - beyond where anyone but the Dodgers go.

I also think deferred money needs to be addressed. Without the ridiculous deferrals, especially Ohtani's, none of this happens. Make a maximum % that can be deferred or a maximum number of years. It isn't hard and wouldn't matter to 99% of players.

That's just an insane deal, pretty sure whatever Jays offered is not better than that. I am a free market guy and dislike salary caps in general because that is just so bad for players but yea... I understand where the salary cap people are coming from especially now. With luxury tax, spending 120M a year on a player is just insane, paying 25M/WAR like it is NBD.

Not that unhappy about it, got beat fair and square. Now just gotta hope for some karmic bad luck on the Dodgers' part next couple years for spending like money grows on trees.

I must be the only one to not be all that enamored with Kwan. Whether or not the sign Bo (yes please) I'm open to the idea of adding someone to pair with Barger if they're not going to just throw him out there and let him develop his ability to hit lefties. But the short side of a platoon can be less expensive than Kwan (not a direct comp since Kwan himself is a lefty and would re-create the "where does Santander play, then?" problem). But there are so few really interesting options for that kind of role that Rob Refsnyder got a $6mm deal. Well, there's Miguel Andujar. Last three years he's pounded lefties.

That aside, if you miss on Bo, I'd expect them to be busy trying to swing a trade Donovan is the main one everyone talks about (assuming you believe them about Marte) but I'd be asking about CJ Abrams. Three years of control, 24 years old, 20 homer power and quite good splits vs. RHP so fits well in a platoon with Clement - and he is rated poorly as a defensive SS so the Nats won't miss his glove.

Fairly expensive? Given the available options are thin very likely so, but unless the price is like "Yesavage and Parker and someone else" then it might be a heckuuva pivot.

As for Tucker - it always felt kinda like a fantasy baseball move to me. I could objectively observe the ways he'd help the team and be happy had he signed but I had no emotional investment in it. Missing doesn't really hurt much. Bo, if they make an honest effort and lose will sting some because even while seeing his limitation, like most Jays fans I'm invested in the guy.

Absent re-signing him, everything else is just unemotional calculation.

early really to be talking about the next CBA, but maybe the way to think about a cap is as a proportional relationship to the median. Like, no more than 200% of last year's median payroll (for example) and then the tax penalties scaled similarly.

Austin Hayes is out there and he destroys lefties. (WRC+ of 155 and 166 against them last 2 years). He's a LF though so would force Santander to RF vs LHP.

There are two areas I think Jays can really improve on offense. One is athleticism. It's very easy to steal now. Jay are just a pretty slow team. Hard to improve this without major personnel changes though. The other is much better platoon usage. WRC+ is great but take for example, Lukes 103 vs Hays' 105. That's essentially the same but Hays is WAY more useful as a hitter if you use him right because of his massive splits. Lukes not having splits means he's way more useful as a flexible option but also, he'll never be a very good option to start. With lots of relievers, this is more valuable than it used to be I guess but still not enough IMO. Or take Schneider. Jays almost only played him against lefties even if he hit righties much better. Why? I don't know. Clement and Gimenez were both basically useless against same-sided pitchers but neither ever really sat (only when Gimenez was hurt). It just feels like is some extra offensive value than can be squeezed out both by getting a player or two with big platoon splits and secondly by deploying your players with splits properly.