Are The BlueJays the New Philadelphis Eagles?

[Elbren]

So yeah, the Blue Jays are owned by a rich conglomerate, but rich conglomerates don't waste a lot of money investing in operations that aren't profitable. They'll invest the amount that they think will bring a return on their investment, and no more.

While I definitely believe in this statement, it's looking like this year will be an exception to the rule. I really think our best hope will be for the Blue Jays to have a sub-par/mediocre season, making ownership think twice about making splashy/pricey moves like they've done so far this year.

The idea of Rogers Communications putting it's full weight behind the Blue Jays is truly terrifying.

[Fla_O'sfan]

I've already gotten my popcorn ready for the "2013 Super Fun Last Minute Trade Deadline Toronto Sell Off Hour".

To recap - they got an aging SS who, while still good, is not nearly as good as he's been in the past. They got a pretty good starter (Johnson) and a slightly mediocre starter (Beuhrle). They then traded for the reigning Cy Young winner who also is also 38. And they got a pretty bad manager to coach all those guys.

They'll be decent enough, and might make the playoffs. But they could also hilariously implode too.

I have a feeling that if the Orioles had gone out and acquired these same players, this place would be giddy with excitement and the words "mediocre" and "aging" would be nowehere to be seen.

[Brendan25]

I have a feeling that if the Orioles had gone out and acquired these same players' date=' this place would be giddy with excitement and the words "mediocre" and "aging" would be nowehere to be seen.[/quote']

If we traded Bundy, Machado, Schoop, and others for Dickey, Johnson, Buehrle, and Reyes, I'm not sure I'd be too giddy to be honest.

[Nigel Tufnel]

They don't count. Even thought they fit the criteria of what he was asking to a tee the fact that since the 2009 title they have only made the playoffs and not won the World Series means they don't count.

I would explain it better if I could figure it out myself.

FYI - someone asked Joe Posnanski this very question in his chat today - what's the last team to spend huge in the offseason and win the WS. His answer: the 2009 Yankees.

[Can_of_corn]

FYI - someone asked Joe Posnanski this very question in his chat today - what's the last team to spend huge in the offseason and win the WS. His answer: the 2009 Yankees.

That confirms something I have long suspected. Joe Posnanski is not posting at the OH as brianod.

[Araqnid]

If we traded Bundy, Machado, Schoop, and others for Dickey, Johnson, Buehrle, and Reyes, I'm not sure I'd be too giddy to be honest.

This. Aside from blocking Machado with an aging player and adding a pitcher who isn't noticeably better than our starting rotation (Buehrle). Johnson and Dickey would have been nice acquisitions, but would have cost too much.

[MikeAD]

The Angels and Jays both look somewhat otherworldly at this point. Great rotations and great offenses, LAA having a much more potent offense.

Heres the deal though. The Angels drafted (or signed as Amateur FAs) Trumbo, Trout, Kendrick, Aybar, Morales, Weaver, Santana, etc. They added to a great core. The Jays haven't developed at that level but they did take reclamation projects to some degree with Bautista and Rasmus. They drafted Romero and brought in players year after year by moving decent to good prospects for players. The Nationals have one helluva rotation as well, much cheaper too, mostly developed and reclaimed.

Our core is strong. Wieters, Markakis, A great deal of the pitching, Jones (we got him as a prospect), Manny, etc. Add to that Reimold and some other guys who MIGHT put it together as well as our great prospects like Schoop. We just need to add to it, you can't just develop. You have to move people when its smart. The Jays took a lot of people from bargain barrels and when the market made a player acquireable for less than they would normally be worth. You also have to add with Free Agents. We have added a tremendous amount of depth under DD and the team is in such a different world than we were 5 years ago. A lot of that is AM as well but we definitely have the base to build a very strong team that contends over a long period of time.

[OFFNY]

Depends on how you define success. If you're suggesting that the team with the highest payroll doesn't win the World Series every year, well, that's obviously not the case. But that's a silly argument to make in the first place.

Generally speaking, the more spending a team does, the more successful it will be in terms of competing for the playoffs. I'm not sure what's difficult to grasp about that concept. The Yankees have the biggest payroll in the league and they'll compete for the playoffs. As will the Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, Tigers, and Giants.

Yes. The Yankees have had 20 consecutive winning seasons. The fact that they essentially have had a blank check to pay their players and/or incoming free agents whatever their asking price was, and those signings were all-reward/no-risk moves was a large factor in their success. If the Yankees pissed money away on free agents that didn't work out like Carl Pavano and A.J. Burnett, it was no big deal. It didn't deter them in the slightest from continuing to throw money at players like Alex Rodriguez when he opted out for a raise of $25 Million per year to $33 Million per year, Mark Teixiera, C.C. Sabathia, Randy Johnson, etc. It doesn't guarantee winning the pennant and going to the World Series every year, but it sure as hell makes it unlikely that they would have a period of sustained losing, which hasn't happened to the Yankees since 1989-1992, at which time George Steinbrenner was booted from baseball, and Gene Michael (and eventually Buck Showalter) was able to rebuild the franchise back into the winning team that they have been ever since.

[Orange_Crush]

2012 Miami Heat say "HELLO AND SIT DOWN...go back to watching Flacco stink up the joint!"

[Orange_Crush]

While I definitely believe in this statement, it's looking like this year will be an exception to the rule. I really think our best hope will be for the Blue Jays to have a sub-par/mediocre season, making ownership think twice about making splashy/pricey moves like they've done so far this year.

The idea of Rogers Communications putting it's full weight behind the Blue Jays is truly terrifying.

They have nothing else to put it behind? Rogers wanted the Buffalo Bills but died unexpectedly a few years back.

[Orange_Crush]

That last sentence isn't true, atleast anymore. The owner of the Blue Jays is worth several billions. They have as much if not more money than the Yankees.

Rumor has it Ebeneezer Scrooge Angeloes has similiar cash but doesn't spend(Had to get my X-Mas fix in there! )

[Orange_Crush]

Blue Jays still don't scare me to be honest. They are good, but the Rays are probably worse next year, and the Yankees could be also.

And so could the Orioles, they could all be worse, while TOR and BOS improve some...

[SilentJames]

Rumor has it Ebeneezer Scrooge Angeloes has similiar cash but doesn't spend(Had to get my X-Mas fix in there! )

Peter Angelos does not have the type of money that those media empires (Rogers and YES) generate. He is rich, and probably could spend more on the Orioles, but if you think Angelos is anything close to a billionaire you are wrong.

Back to the topic: One only has to look at the recent history of baseball to see moves like the Jays' failing - tremendously. The Dodgers last year, The Red Sox the last two years, The Marlins all come to mind. Hell the Tigers only barely made the playoffs last year with the eighth best record in the American League with a team that was supposed to walk away with the AL Central by July. The Jays have mortgaged their future to win in the short-term, it could work it could blow up in their face, we shall see.

This belief that the Orioles are getting passed by confuses me: Yes the Jays should be better but the Yankees and Rays are arguably worse than they were last year and the Sox have been handing out dumb contracts to stop-gap players.

[Frobby]

Peter Angelos does not have the type of money that those media empires (Rogers and YES) generate. He is rich, and probably could spend more on the Orioles, but if you think Angelos is anything close to a billionaire you are wrong.

Measured by net worth, Angelos may very well be a billionaire. But Rogers Communications had $12.4 billion in revenue and $4.7 bb in profits last year alone. They're in a whole different universe.

[brianod]

That confirms something I have long suspected. Joe Posnanski is not posting at the OH as brianod.

You are such a smug asshole. And, whatever this costs me it is worth it to say the truth.