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

[Woodman19]

Because 2M in IFA space means that if we don't get Sasaki, we can sign 2M more worth of players.

It's still a lot of dead money for a team up against the tax to play in the deep end of the pool. I'm hardly optimistic of this FO but it is not their usual method of operation to do things unless they know the Domino's have fallen a certain way.

 

[Vector]

Certainly feels like a decision will be made today, at least.

 

[Woodman19]

I'm putting it to 70% Toronto, 30% LA

 

[EpochLink]

I’m ready to be disappointed again.

Just waiting for that Alex Bregman retirement contract singing.

 

[aingefan]

So, it’s the straw that stirs the dominoes.
Backup OF. Defensive replacement for Santander, and bonus pool money for Sasaki.
Edit to add: may have killed my dream of Steward Berroa making the team as a backup .

 

[Puckstuff]

I was about to rage post after I saw the Jays acquired a negative asset in Myles Straw, and then I saw the international bonus money in the deal.

Something is up here, either there's a verbal agreement with Sasaki or the Jays are taking a huge risk.

 

[cyris]

2M in bonus pool money huh?
I’m ready to be hurt again lol. Come on Sasaki come here and be an ace. Dont go to the Dodgers where you will be the 4th or 5th best pitcher.

Also it’s hilarious that we pick up another elite defender that can’t hit. Shatkins certainly have a type.

 

[Jozay]

A young talent, with ceiling of Sakaik’s, will be cheap and under team control for years, a premium Japanese FA seriously considering the Jays. Very rare situation the Jays are in right now, you have to do everything you can to make yourself as appealing as possible, so if that means taking on 12 mill or whatever it is in dead money, you gotta do it and hope it moves the needle in your direction.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Honestly i'm more confident in Sasaki succeeding at this level than i was Yamamoto, and the latter ended up balling out so i'm all about this.

Sasaki's stuff is absolutely filthy. Nasty fastball that routinely hits 100 MPH combined with a low 90s splitter and slider? forget about it lmao. He can even learn a bit from a guy like Gausman.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[Killer Orcas]

I really hope the decision is today this is worse then waiting to open presents on xmas morning !

 

[aingefan]

2M in bonus pool money huh?
I’m ready to be hurt again lol. Come on Sasaki come here and be an ace. Dont go to the Dodgers where you will be the 4th or 5th best pitcher.

Also it’s hilarious that we pick up another elite defender that can’t hit. Shatkins certainly have a type.

Just a domino.
He’ll fit like a glove in the 8th and 9th innings after Santander jacks another one to take the lead.

 

[Vector]

f*** it. Bring everyone in. Sign Bregman and Alonso to massive retirement contracts. Go all out for a season. Nothing else has worked and maybe this would be entertaining for a season.

 

[Canada4Gold]

I'm putting it to 70% Toronto, 30% LA

Now that they’ve finally gotten Woodman to believe again it’s time to rip our hearts out

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Ironic because this may end up being the last straw for Jays fans.

 

[saska sault]

If they don't get Sasaki and a big bat... it's got to be confirmed they are sleeper agents for the Cleveland franchise. Assuming 100+ million and not getting the big guns would be the all time sabotage job.

 

[Puckstuff]

If they don't get Sasaki and a big bat... it's got to be confirmed they are sleeper agents for the Cleveland franchise. Assuming 100+ million and not getting the big guns would be the all time sabotage job.

Wild.

Straw isn't just a negative asset, he's an ultra negative asset. .651 ops in AAA last season and owed 13.8 m over the next 2 years + 1.75 buyout in 2027

Atkins has balls to take this guy on just for a shot at Sasaki

 

[cyris]

100+M for Giménez and Straw….
450 for Vladdy really doesn’t look that bad

 

[tmlfan98]

If the Jays don't end up landing Sasaki, taking on Shaw is going to be spun narrative wise as an act of desperation by lame duck Shatkins (Shapiro being lame duck basically makes Atkins pseudo-lame duck) that failed.

The timing of this coming right after the Padres were reported as being out of the Sasaki sweepstakes, making the Dodgers the clear favourite in the media, is going to make it even easier to spin this narrative against Shatkins.

I've already seen some Shatkins apologists spin this narratives themselves, and say they wouldn't even be able to defend it. Which means you just know every other Jays fan is going to jump all over this if they fail.

 

[Suntouchable13]

No way Straw starts in CF for the Jays. It'll be Lukes or Classe.

 

[Discoverer]

Wild.

Straw isn't just a negative asset, he's an ultra negative asset. .651 ops in AAA last season and owed 13.8 m over the next 2 years + 1.75 buyout in 2027

Atkins has balls to take this guy on just for a shot at Sasaki

For the right team, Straw could have some value. Like a team with a poor defender in the OF who could use use a late-game defensive replacement - like, I don't know, say Anthony Santander or something like that. Or who has a couple poor runners that they might like to pinch-run for late, like Vladdy or Kirk or the aforementioned Santander, or maybe Pete Alonso as another random example.

Just... you know... make sure your team never needs him to come to the plate.

 

[saska sault]

No way Straw starts in CF for the Jays. It'll be Lukes or Classe.

Varsho?

 

[Vector]

Varsho?

Starting the season injured.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[WeThreeKings]

lmfao they'll get 0.