First off, I need to premise this article with the reminder that I believe this organization is, and should be, taking incremental steps toward continuous contention and my opinions below will reflect that. I won’t suggest that the Jays simply sign Bauer or trade all their prospects for all the great young pitchers fans are wishing for. This is not the year the Blue Jays go ‘all in’, rather it is likely a blend of finally determining which of the young core is a long term solution and being a PLAYOFF contender at the same time. This time next year we will be talking about contending for the WORLD SERIES!!
Liriano Signing
I think the Francisco Liriano signing was a great move. With a $1,500,000 minor league deal there is no risk at all and if he faulters in spring training and is released its no big deal. Big market teams don’t fret over that kind of money. That being said, there is a very good chance that Liriano makes the team and provides quality relief out of the pen. He can give the team some length as well as come in for three batters, or just to get the last out of an inning. Lefties last forever in baseball and within that context he may still have a few quality years left in the Bigs.
Rumors
The Jays are rumored to be ‘in on’ Yadier Molina. Many fans on social media seem to question why they would be interested in Yadier given his age and the number of quality catchers on the Jays 40 man roster. Well, quite simply, big market teams looking to make the playoffs should be willing to pay for veteran leadership and that is just what the Jays would be doing. Molina is a winner’s winner and his sage advice and leadership is just what this young Jays team needs. Real baseball is not played on a computer, and a young core absolutely needs his kind of leadership skills to ‘learn to win’. Another factor is before the season is over there will be a lot of young Jays pitchers pitching in their first full big league season and he would be the best catcher to guide them through that process. I hope Jays management is serious about this signing, but my take is he will return to St. Louis.
Jake Odorizzi is another name often linked to the Jays. I would say the front office definitely has interest here - they did last year - but unless they can get him on their terms and salary I think they will pass. I say this because he will want a multi-year deal and the Jays will not want to commit future payroll to him if it means reducing options to improve next year and beyond. This brings me to Paxton and Walker and the rest of the free agent starters the Jays have been linked to. I think that their preference is to sign one of them to a one year deal to retain maximum payroll flexibility next year. I think Paxton has the higher up side and Walker is the fall back. My take is that they sign Paxton to a one year deal with an option for a second with a fairly large buyout. On the reliever side of things, I think given the talent that is left on the market the Jays will only add a prominent reliever if they can do it on a one year deal.
Trades
My guess here is that the Jays have irons in the fire for the free agent starting pitchers mentioned above, as well as some significant trades for young, established, controllable pitchers. I won’t name them all here, the usual suspects apply. Plus I am sure the Jays are considering trading for starting pitchers that we haven’t even considered. My take is that if they can acquire a young stud without depleting the farm they may do so. They will not force a trade they do not like because they fail to sign another starter. There are other opportunities for these types of trades.
Fun Idea
On Twitter @dayvancowboy18 asked, “If the Jays acquired Jose Ramirez, would you sing the Jose Bautista chant when he came up to bat?”. Now I love the idea of Jose Ramirez playing third base for the Jays, and I would definitely sing the chant, but I doubt it will happen. But just for sh@ts and giggles, lets ponder that idea for a moment. If the Jays were seriously talking about trading for Lindor then they would have almost certainly asked about Ramirez so we can surmise that the idea was at least ‘discussed’. Lets IMAGINE what that trade would look like…. Jose Ramirez is a perennial MVP candidate signed at very affordable rates for the next three years. He would be one of the most highly valued players in baseball. Trading him would signal a total rebuild in Cleveland (which I don’t think they are planning) so the return would have to be immense. I think Cleveland would demand Austin Martin and their preference at catcher (Kirk or Moreno) on the position side. They would need pitching and would demand both Alec Manoah and Simeon Woods-Richardson. That is four of the Jays very best prospects. A couple of additional top 20 prospects would also be demanded. Given that the Jays are still a year away from serious World Series contention, and the fact that they still do not have enough starters, I think this is a deal that just doesn’t get done.
Any way you look at it, its a fun time to be a Blue Jays fan.
I like the Molina addition if it happens. Russell Martin brought an edge and some leadership to the Blue Jays when he arrived. Molina comes with that and more.