Blue Jays Discussion: 2024-25 Off-season: The free agent watch begins (and sometimes old baseball radio broadcasts)

[Gustave]

I just don't understand how you can tell fans you are willing to spend money, go in on Soto and Ohtani in back to back years, and then when the guy who actually wants to be Jay is scheduled for his pay day they start pinching pennies.

They are the WORST management team. Every thing they’ve done since inheriting AA’s team is just a letdown. This is going nowhere.

 

[BruinDust]

They are the WORST management team. Every thing they’ve done since inheriting AA’s team is just a letdown. This is going nowhere.

A group of loser managers and executives preaching analytic-driven loser baseball. You know one reason they de-value Vladdy is his fielding. It's the same reason they didn't value Teoscar, or Gurriel. Trying to put on the blandest, most boring product in baseball. Atkins and Shapiro have run this team into the ground.

 

[LaP]

At the end of the day, we don’t know the number ($$$) that will get the deal done. So how can we really judge? But this front office is so stubborn with their valuations. If they actually believed in Vladdy, the deal would get done a long time ago.

They were wrong last winter in arbitration so my guess is they are still wrong.

 

[Bjindaho]

A group of loser managers and executives preaching analytic-driven loser baseball. You know one reason they de-value Vladdy is his fielding. It's the same reason they didn't value Teoscar, or Gurriel. Trying to put on the blandest, most boring product in baseball. Atkins and Shapiro have run this team into the ground.

This is not true. Analytics have disagreed with most of the decisions that they have made.

 

[saska sault]

Not sure why you sign Santander if you're about to lose Vlad. No way you let Vlad walks for nothing so he'll be traded but no team will give the Jays an equivalent player they'll get quality prospects who are not ready.

Same reason they traded for Straw for international pool money, these clowns have zero game plan for the long term. They were given a huge pay roll but had zero idea how to turn that into a ball club with a contention window. They remind me of a 90 year old billionaire giving a blank cheque book to their 18 year old girl friend, just happy to get tugged around as long as they have something fancy to show for it (SkyDome renos and development complex) .

You would need to be Nostredamus to predict the line up for the Jays in 2 years.

 

[Woodman19]

This is the ramifications of winging it on the fly and backing yourself into a financial corner making shortsighted moves to save your job. You went in on Ohtani and Soto and let him know you had money while simultaneously back loading a ton of money to get players here to save your job for one more year.

 

[Amadeus]

can’t even trade him because what type of a message does that send ?

 

[Blitzkrug]

So we're rebuilding come winter. Great.

f*** yourselves, Shatkins.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Really curious about what Vladdy's number was. This just looks like sheer incompetence.

My feelings about this really do hinge on what Vladdys number is. If it’s an AAV between 40 and 50 million, then the deal should have been done. If he’s asking for Soto money, then Vladdy isn’t worth it.

For me, I don’t trust Atkins’ valuation because I think he might be the most moronic manager in the league. Similarly, if we have to give any rebuild to these boobs, we’re screwed for many years. If we have to trade Vladdy and Bo, be very afraid for the organization if Atkins is doing the trading.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Maybe I’m in minority but not sure why Vlad deserves such a massive contract. The positions he plays don’t typically get paid and his numbers have been up and down over the past few years.

Bigger issue is they didn’t make a decision either way on him a few years ago and grab trade value.

 

[tmlfan98]

 

[Bjindaho]

My feelings about this really do hinge on what Vladdys number is. If it’s an AAV between 40 and 50 million, then the deal should have been done. If he’s asking for Soto money, then Vladdy isn’t worth it.

For me, I don’t trust Atkins’ valuation because I think he might be the most moronic manager in the league. Similarly, if we have to give any rebuild to these boobs, we’re screwed for many years. If we have to trade Vladdy and Bo, be very afraid for the organization if Atkins is doing the trading.

Here's the hilarious part.

Ohtani's deal is only 46M per year in tax (because of deferrals) and Soto's is 51M. There are only 4 40 or more contracts in all of baseball currently (Wheeler and Judge).

 

[HuGort]

To be fair, at some point you probably called Vlad every name in the book and wanted him out of here as well.

But I don’t disagree, Atkins and Shapiro really botched this. Even if Vladdy wanted the moon, than at least trade the guy.

They can still trade him

 

[Zero1]

There’s no doubt that this front office sucks but maybe Vladdy is asking for a stupid number? I personally don’t think he’s worth more than $350 mill but I can see the Jays going to $400-450 mill to keep him here but if he wants $500+ mill then he’s out to lunch.

At the end of the day he’s a 1B with bad defence and his bat isn’t generational like Soto.

They need to trade him.

 

[al secord]

Remember me ripping management for the last few years.

Hate to say I told you guys.

Worst run organization in sports

f*** this team and f*** everyone involved with it.

Not one person should buy a ticket or any merchandise to support this shit hole

Credit where credit is due. You were the only one on this board critical of management.

 

[Blitzkrug]

There’s no doubt that this front office sucks but maybe Vladdy is asking for a stupid number? I personally don’t think he’s worth more than $350 mill but I can see the Jays going to $400-450 mill to keep him here but if he wants $500+ mill then he’s out to lunch.

At the end of the day he’s a 1B with bad defence and his bat isn’t generational like Soto.

They need to trade him.

The thing is he would have gotten 400-500 million on the open market just because he would be hitting free agency at a relatively young age.

If the Jays didn't give it to him, someone else will.

 

[Bjindaho]

There’s no doubt that this front office sucks but maybe Vladdy is asking for a stupid number? I personally don’t think he’s worth more than $350 mill but I can see the Jays going to $400-450 mill to keep him here but if he wants $500+ mill then he’s out to lunch.

At the end of the day he’s a 1B with bad defence and his bat isn’t generational like Soto.

They need to trade him.

12th best wRC+ since 2020. 32nd in fWAR despite playing through a bunch of things that clearly hurt his defense at 1st.

 

[Suntouchable13]

He better be asking for 700M, that's the only way we should give the front office any grace.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Congrats, Ross. You're now officially above Ricciardi on the shit list.

He sucked at his job too but he actually managed to a) sign his guys given he managed to get deals with both Rios and Wells done and b) he actually put together a couple solid teams that had the misfortune of playing in the late 2000s AL East.

If Vladdy walks, this team is cooked for a half decade. They have nothing in their farm, the lineup as is is mid. Fire this clown and get ready for another rebuild i guess.

 

[Dr.Funk]

There’s no doubt that this front office sucks but maybe Vladdy is asking for a stupid number? I personally don’t think he’s worth more than $350 mill but I can see the Jays going to $400-450 mill to keep him here but if he wants $500+ mill then he’s out to lunch.

At the end of the day he’s a 1B with bad defence and his bat isn’t generational like Soto.

They need to trade him.

His ask absolutely starts with a 5. It's not crazy either. 12-15 year deal was probably likely. So an aav between 33.3 and 41.6 considering he’s 28.5 now those numbers aren't hat crazy for a 26 year franchise player in this market

 

[MK78]

He better be asking for 700M, that's the only way we should give the front office any grace.

I dunno, i think if he's asking $500M+ is ridiculous for a 1B/DH. while he may dabble at 3B a few times a year, he will not be a 3B into his 30's. His body type just isn't built for it. He ain't gonna get slimmer is what I mean.

I think fair value would have been $450-475M for 12 years, that would be in the $37-40M/year range, and would take him into age 39. I would not negotiate any opt outs or deferrals. You want the commitment from the team for your security? fine, you commit too. For all we know he becomes Prince Fielder.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Saw someone say to trade him to Boston for Devers while the former is still pissed off about being bumped from 3B.

Wouldn't hate it but i'm not sure Boston goes for that unless they get a guarantee on an extension.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

How can you have a last place team with a bottom 10 farm system??!!

 

[LaP]

How can you have a last place team with a bottom 10 farm system??!!

And one of the biggest payroll.

I think lot of Jays fans underrate Vlad as a hitter. He has one of the worst middle of the lineup hitting behind him. Jays 4th and 5th batters are some of the worst in all baseball. He's not protected pitchers can easily throw around him.

 

[hockeywiz542]