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

[HuGort]

I like to have it in print

Magazine?

If you are looking for Fantasy purposes, go to Fangraphs and you can navigate between multiple projection models

2025 Projections - ZiPS | FanGraphs Baseball

www.fangraphs.com

If you are looking for a season preview, every sports site will have one soon but the current Jays preview is that the rotation is good, but will likely need a 6th guy to make 10 or more starts, the back end of the pen is much improved but they need better than Little and Nance (unless Little takes a huge jump and Nance's outcomes match his stuff (top 20 pitcher in Stuff+), and the Jays will struggle with sequencing unless they sign another hitter because they will likely hit Springer leadoff).

 

[arthurcason]

 

[LeafsNet]

Knowing the history of trends, I say the Jays will land NONE of them.

 

[shaner8989]

Bregman
Bo
Vlad
Alonso
Santander

Oh my god

 

[al secord]

Bregman
Bo
Vlad
Alonso
Santander

Oh my god

You'd be calling them a f***ing disgrace by May.

 

[phillipmike]

If you can get both, just give Alonso a 4th year and bump up your AAV to Bregman. If you re-sign Bo and, that’s 6 position players locked up for at least 3 years;

C:
1B: Vlad
2B: Gimenez
SS: Bichette
3B: Bregman
LF: Santander
CF:
RF:
DH: Alonso

Still have Kirk and Varsho for 2 years. Springer too. Basically this lineup for 2 years and 6 solid bats for at least 3 years, maybe 4-5 if Santander and Alonso don’t opt out. If they do, then you have more money to spend and probably prospects ready to make an impact.

2025: That’s roughly $330M in payroll this year if there is no money deferred.

That’s 6 legit bats in; Vladdy, Bichette Bregman, Alonso, Santander and Kirk. Maybe Springer can give you a 110 wRC+ with this type of protection and you have 2 young lefty bats with speed in Varsho and Gimenez.

If it works, great you have a playoff team. If it doesn’t, you have mega assets to trade for very good prospects.

2026: Bo and Vladdy at $30M per year. And with Bassitt, Scherzer, Green, and Swanson coming off the books, you can get back down to $280-290M (could be a lot less with deferrals). Hoping one or 2 of Manoah, Tiedemann, Bloss, Yariel and Francis can be a legit #3/4 next year. Maybe spend $6-8M on a Heaney type. If you are willing to spend $300M this year, then why not next year too.

Lineup will be the same. Pen and rotation will need some reinforcements that you hope to get from the minors.

Rotation:
Gausman
Berrios
Manoah
Francis
Yariel/Bloss/Tieddemann

2027: Year after you have the same team but close to $90M coming off in Springer, Gausman, Green, Varsho and Kirk. Got Santander in LF, and hope 2 of Loperfido, Clase, Roden, Schneider, Barger etc. can give you something in the outfield. Back down to $210M

If you are willing to spend $270M again, then you have $60M to find an ace, maybe a back end starter, 2 pen arms and maybe a OF/catcher. More if you have deferrals.

And I’m pretty sure if you get Bregman, Alonso, Vladdy and Bo all signed, there will be heavy deferrals so these numbers will be a lot less and you can spend more.

Just go full video game mode for the next 3 years and make sure the next wave of prospects come in.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

If you can get both, just give Alonso a 4th year and bump up your AAV to Bregman. If you re-sign Bo and, that’s 6 position players locked up for at least 3 years;

C:
1B: Vlad
2B: Gimenez
SS: Bichette
3B: Bregman
LF: Santander
CF:
RF:
DH: Alonso

Still have Kirk and Varsho for 2 years. Springer too. Basically this lineup for 2 years and 6 solid bats for at least 3 years, maybe 4-5 if Santander and Alonso don’t opt out. If they do, then you have more money to spend and probably prospects ready to make an impact.

2025: That’s roughly $330M in payroll this year if there is no money deferred.

That’s 6 legit bats in; Vladdy, Bichette Bregman, Alonso, Santander and Kirk. Maybe Springer can give you a 110 wRC+ with this type of protection and you have 2 young lefty bats with speed in Varsho and Gimenez.

If it works, great you have a playoff team. If it doesn’t, you have mega assets to trade for very good prospects.

2026: Bo and Vladdy at $30M per year. And with Bassitt, Scherzer, Green, and Swanson coming off the books, you can get back down to $280-290M (could be a lot less with deferrals). Hoping one or 2 of Manoah, Tiedemann, Bloss, Yariel and Francis can be a legit #3/4 next year. Maybe spend $6-8M on a Heaney type. If you are willing to spend $300M this year, then why not next year too.

Lineup will be the same. Pen and rotation will need some reinforcements that you hope to get from the minors.

Rotation:
Gausman
Berrios
Manoah
Francis
Yariel/Bloss/Tieddemann

2027: Year after you have the same team but close to $90M coming off in Springer, Gausman, Green, Varsho and Kirk. Got Santander in LF, and hope 2 of Loperfido, Clase, Roden, Schneider, Barger etc. can give you something in the outfield. Back down to $210M

If you are willing to spend $270M again, then you have $60M to find an ace, maybe a back end starter, 2 pen arms and maybe a OF/catcher. More if you have deferrals.

And I’m pretty sure if you get Bregman, Alonso, Vladdy and Bo all signed, there will be heavy deferrals so these numbers will be a lot less and you can spend more.

Just go full video game mode for the next 3 years and make sure the next wave of prospects come in.

Any chance you can be the next GM? Well done.

 

[shaner8989]

You'd be calling them a f***ing disgrace by May.

Likely true if they suck.