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

[Discoverer]

I never said he shouldn't of been tendered I actually said I hope he returns to his old self from 2 seasons ago, but I'm not going to find stats to act like he had a good year last year.

But I will come out and say Pop shouldn't of been tendered.

Literally no one is saying Swanson had a good season. He had an encouraging second half.

 

[Nineteen67]

Is this going to be like last year where the bank it all on Soto signing and then go to a crappy plan C afterwards because they have no plan B?

And no one is buying the Soto talk either.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Killer Orcas]

I would agree however they better add two legit arms one for closer and another set up guy. Truthfully I hope they add at least three guys that are all high leverage and ones a lefty at least.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Jordan Romano might be “cooked”. He is not even throwing yet.

 

[Canada4Gold]

I read somewhere that if they don't settle and instead go to the arbitrators decision and then end up cutting a player during Spring Training then only a fraction of the award is guaranteed. I guess that's why they were ok with tendering Pop? If he gets like 20% of 1 million when they cut him in the Spring oh well I guess? Still feels like a waste of 200k but once it gets that small who cares I guess. It's then just a 200k gamble that Pop somehow becomes so good in the Spring he makes the team

 

[hockeywiz542]

Olney: Juan Soto to make decision ‘within next 10 days or so’, Blue Jays ‘distant third’ in race | TSN

As the pursuit of free agent superstar Juan Soto heats up, the Toronto Blue Jays appear to be firmly in the mix for his services and ESPN’s Buster Olney expects Soto to make a decision relatively quickly, allowing the rest of the free agent market to take shape.

www.tsn.ca

As the pursuit of free agent superstar Juan Soto heats up, the Toronto Blue Jays appear to be firmly in the mix for his services.

According to New York Yankees beat writer Randy Miller, the Blue Jays are one of five teams, along with the Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox, to have submitted a contract offer to Soto.

Unlike last year’s free-agent market, where multiple players like Blake Snell and Matt Chapman did not sign contracts until well into Spring Training, ESPN’s Buster Olney expects Soto to make a decision relatively quickly, allowing the rest of the free agent market to take shape.

"Unlike last winter, when it felt like we were waiting for so many guys, I do think Soto is going to make a decision within the next 10 days or so,” Olney said on TSN’s First Up. "One executive said to me before the off-season began: 'There's not a lot of talent available, there will be a lot of teams going after the same guy.’ If you're Alex Bregman, if you're Pete Alonso, you need this Soto situation to be resolved.”

The Blue Jays have been heavily involved in the Soto sweepstakes and are willing to hand out large contracts, as last year’s pursuit of Shohei Ohtani demonstrated. However, Olney adds that while the Jays do have the funds and financial flexibility to offer Soto the largest contract, Toronto remains a distant third in the race for the five-time Silver Slugger.

“They demonstrated last winter in the Ohtani thing that they're willing to go to crazy numbers. They have so much payroll flexibility after 2025, only $65 million in obligations after next year,” said Olney. “When I talk to people who are involved in these negotiations, there is a respectful acknowledgement of the Blue Jays potential in this situation. What you get is ‘Oh the Yankees and the Mets.’ And then the Blue Jays.

“Maybe the best way to describe them would be to think of them as Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson. They have a puncher’s chance because they can write a big cheque. Do I think Juan Soto is going to walk away from New York to sign with Toronto? I don't. I think the Blue Jays are running a strong third, which isn't a great place to be, but at the same time, you have to respect the fact that they're running out the ground ball, so to speak.”