Blue Jays Off-Season 2006 Thread

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

"Jays won't pay Wells 'Beltran Money'." -- everybody, everywhere.

Way to go, Ricciardi. Way to negotiate through the media. Wells is the best center fielder in the American League. He has a chance to become the true face of the franchise & team's history, which I guess is currently Roberto Alomar for Christ's sake. And this clown is firing his opening salvo to the net. How long has he been a GM?

Am I overthinking this?

[pinback]

Am I overthinking this?

Most definitely.

[Bugs]

Alright, so... If an 83-win team with one good pitcher and one good hitter can win it all, then Toronto should have no problem. First things first, raid the free agent scrap heap for next year's Kenny Rogers and Jeff Weaver.

(Side note: I love watching Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen go out of their way to avoid each other on the field during celebrations.)

Colin Cowherd said it best the other day... Good hitters are consistent and predictable, good pitching is lucky and sporadic. Fill your team with good consistent hitting and just hope the pitching works out. It's a damn shame Dee-Troyt couldn't pull it off after such a great turnaround.

So, anway.... The offseason has begun. What will 2007 bring us, RobB?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

(Side note: I love watching Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen go out of their way to avoid each other on the field during celebrations.)

Ha ha ha.

Colin Cowherd said it best the other day... Good hitters are consistent and predictable, good pitching is lucky and sporadic. Fill your team with good consistent hitting and just hope the pitching works out. It's a damn shame Dee-Troyt couldn't pull it off after such a great turnaround.

Yes, but great pitching defeats great hitting. But I understand that great pitching is not predictable. It's like, go for the more-sure thing and take your chances that you'll randomly hit a spot of excellent pitching? Hell, people can just pine tar up the baseball anyway, so.

So, anway.... The offseason has begun. What will 2007 bring us, RobB?

My prediction is that the following teams make the post-season:

New York
Toronto
Minnesota
California

Philadelphia
New York
Milwaukee
Colorado

This will cause everyone to say, "See! All these new teams in the playoffs! No salary cap needed!" This will make me boil over in rage. But that's this whole other thing.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I hate Blue Jay fans.

I know I'm in the very distinct minority on this, but I think the Jays absolutely need to make every effort to trade Wells immediately, as soon as possible.

If they can get a young number 3 starter and a young catcher that can play today, why would they not do it? The money you would save would more than make up for Wells' loss of offence and defence, and you could retain Lilly AND still have money to add another bat or arm.

He is the BEST CENTER FIELDER IN THE AL. Why would you not trade him for a #3 starter and a catcher? That's what Willie Mays went for in his prime. That's what Mickey Mantle went for when he was the best centerfielder in the AL. WHY ARE THEY NOT DOING THIS?!!?!? They could be getting someone like Chacin back. This is a NUMBER THREE STARTER, people! A guy with an ERA in the mid-fours!

FUCK! Every day Vernon is on the team with his 5.6 million dollar salary my heart cells burn out further. You have to trade him and you have to trade him fucking now. I said "young catcher" here, people. Young catcher.

Blue Jay fans will trick you. They don't type all in caps and they don't say "LOL" and "ROFLMAO" because of their superior Canadian schooling, but they can be just as fucking retarded as fans of any other team.

[Bugs]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2663691

Frank Thomas is close to signing a two-year deal with the Jays.

Wait... Wuh?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Two years, $23 million? What the FUCKING FUCK?

This year, who gives a shit. Wells is in for $5.6 million and it's not going to increase.

If we don't get Wells signed long term because J.P. went after the Sabremetrician Party's wet dream in Frank Thomas then there's going to be fucking hell to pay. How many Hall of Famers in their prime does J.P. plan on jettisoning?

If he tells us that Wells is signed then I don't care all that much, and can even enjoy the signing, though I do wonder who is going to be pitching. I guess he throws Towers out there in Lilly's spot. But I bet Wells hasn't even had a phone call this off-season about an extension.

(Reed - Rios - Wells - Glaus - Thomas - Overbay - Zaun* - Hill - New 2nd Baseman as a lineup? Assuming *Zaun signs and everything. Hmm.)

[AArdvark]

Hey, who was that Japanese pitcher that some team hadda put up 51 million dollars just to negotiate with his agent?

That's crap.


THE
ON TOAST!
AARDVARK

[Bugs]

For what it's worth, and I'm not saying it's worth anything, they get the money back if they don't come to terms with him. And it's payment to his current Japanese team, who he would be leaving. And there's probably something in there about saving face.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Daisuke Matsuzaka.

That was sort of reported in a shitty way. Matsuzaka was not going to get that money just for the hell of it -- if the Red Sox couldn't work out a deal, then the money was coming back. Additionally, while some of that is going to the guy's Japanese team ... it has to be figured in as what the salary is, ultimately.

That being said, seeing a team have to pay the equivalent of a personal seat license to talk to a guy is kind of funny. Reap whatcha sow.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Beaten by Bugs!

[AArdvark]

So the Sox have to put up a bond just to negotiate with this guy? Wow, he must be quite the player.




THE
DEAL OR NO DEAL
AARDVARK

[Bugs]

Yeah, that's the thing. He may not be. This could just be a ploy by the Sox to keep the Yankees away from getting this guy.

So, they may intentionally tank the negotiations, get their 51 mill back, and this kid stays on the other side of the ocean, not helping them, but not hurting them either.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

On the other hand, the $51 million they are paying to kick off negotiations doesn't count towards the salary cap. Any right-thinking commish would immediately say, "Hold on," and fix it, but Selig is the worst and most craven, cowardly and commissioner in the history of pro sports. He wants nothing more than to see a Red Sox - Yankees ALDS each year so of course he won't do anything about it.

The luxury tax is a joke, anyway, as the teams that pay it don't give a shit and many owners that receive money from it won't use it on salary. But nice to know that it took two seconds for a loophole to be found. Why doesn't Barry Bonds say the same thing? It's $15 million to talk to me. Not salary! Oh no, ha ha! Thus basically making him a more attractive option to the teams who would be paying into the tax. Rich getting richer and all that. Baseball is a fucking joke.

[Bugs]

Well, it's official. 2 years, $18 mill with an option for a 3rd year. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2665836

I guess I'm pleased about this. Good hitting is more predictable than good pitching, so it's safe to say the Jays will still have a potent offense in 2007. I wonder what pitching moves will be made.

One school of thought is that JP will be quiet on the free-agent market this winter, but then next season, he'll look towards all the 2008 free agents. Many of them will probably be on cash-strapped teams that will be out of contention by the Break, so perhaps they could be had cheaply before the trade deadline, assuming the Jays can keep themselves somewhere near the top of the East.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

What angers me is that the Yankees have no business winning the division this year. I mean come on, their chemistry is only going to get worse and they still can't pitch. (Oh, right, I forgot: Wang was the second best pitcher in the AL this year. Jesus Fuck. I don't think you could trade him and anyone else on the Yanks short of A-Rod for Halladay, Liriano or Verlander straight up. But what do I know, I only watch baseball games, I do not write about them and therefore get a vote.)

Er.

Er, it angers me because, yeah, as long as this doesn't affect the Wells extension that had better be coming, this is a nice signing. Thomas has never had a shitty year when he was healthy and the Rogers CentFUCKIT Skydome is a bandbox.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

On the other hand, the $51 million they are paying to kick off negotiations doesn't count towards the salary cap.

Sorry. I meant "luxury tax."

[Bugs]

It's a testament to a thin free agent pool when your team doesn't acquire freaking Gil Meche and Ted Lilly, and the bitches on http://mb8.scout.com/ftorontobluejaysfrm1 are already throwing in the towel for '07.

There's talk of the Jays going after Zito. Though I doubt it would happen, it's something I've been hoping for for a few years. I think he'd be a great fit.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

It's a testament to a thin free agent pool when your team doesn't acquire freaking Gil Meche and Ted Lilly, and the bitches on http://mb8.scout.com/ftorontobluejaysfrm1 are already throwing in the towel for '07.

There's talk of the Jays going after Zito. Though I doubt it would happen, it's something I've been hoping for for a few years. I think he'd be a great fit.

Seriously. Thanks for the memories, Ted. You were perfectly average while you were with us, which I guess is all you can hope for in the AL East. Somehow I don't see your new manager being less likely to punch you in the face than the old one.

Of course, he instantly becomes like the 6th best pitcher in the National League. He might win the Cy Young thanks to that dogshit division.

I have only scanned that forum, Bugs, but anyone crying... CRYING about Gil Meche not playing for them is a goddamned idiot. He had an ERA above 5.00 recently. And not by just a little, either. It wasn't 5.01, 5.02 or even 5.04. You don't recover from an ERA like that unless you're Curt Schilling. I look at putting together a five-plus ERA when you're older than 25 like I would someone acquiring the clap when you're above 25: dead to me and not someone I want in my regular rotation, ever, no matter how they claim to have turned things around later.

Gil also gets into the Blair Thomas Memorial "Don't Draft High or Expensively Sign a Guy With a Broad's Name" ... er, Memorial. If we just lost out on Ringo Meche, Dirk Meche or RobB Meche I'd... well, I wouldn't feel worse, but I'd feel something.

Instead, I'm empty inside.

Fuck it, no way does Towers put up back to back 8.00+ seasons and he's still under 25. We can take him down to the free clinic, get him a shot of penicillin and some johnny bags and he'll be okay. You want to stare down Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett and Gustavo Chacin? No you don't, not literally and not on the last one. We're gonna be fine, especially if the Red Sox laughingly dump Manny.

They're kidding about actually starting Drew out there, much less him being a replacement for Manny, right? I presume they are just fucking with Jays, Rays and Os fans. Because seriously, you wouldn't make that move on whatifsports.com. Maybe whatthechristsports.com.

[Bugs]

Somehow I don't see your new manager being less likely to punch you in the face than the old one.

Of course, he instantly becomes like the 6th best pitcher in the National League. He might win the Cy Young thanks to that dogshit division.

Aces. I hope you don't mind that I quoted you and posted that right in the forum. You should become a regular there. The board is full of humorless schmucks that need a little RobBo-rooting.

They're kidding about actually starting Drew out there, much less him being a replacement for Manny, right? I presume they are just fucking with Jays, Rays and Os fans. Because seriously, you wouldn't make that move on whatifsports.com. Maybe whatthechristsports.com.

Well, DL Drew will give you a better 100 game season than anyone.