What a boring offseason!

[LookinUp]

10 minutes ago, TommyPickles said:

Well the Blue Jays just signed George Springer for 6 years, $150 million...

Undersold on this board is the fact that Toronto is a VERY large market with VERY rich ownership. At least that's my recollection. We're really going against 3 financial juggernauts and the most efficient franchise in the sport. Tough division.

[TommyPickles]

2 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Undersold on this board is the fact that Toronto is a VERY large market with VERY rich ownership. At least that's my recollection. We're really going against 3 financial juggernauts and the most efficient franchise in the sport. Tough division.

Yea I know what you mean. For the last few years I've been thinking/hoping that the O's would be competitive again by 2022, maybe 2023. The Blue Jays' ascent could really throw a wrench in that.

 

[LookinUp]

Just now, TommyPickles said:

Yea I know what you mean. For the last few years I've been thinking/hoping that the O's would be competitive again by 2022, maybe 2023. The Blue Jays' ascent could really throw a wrench in that.

 

The most important things in sports are 1) not to have to go against a true dynasty and 2) how good you are. Outside of #1, which is pretty rare, the most important thing is still internal, in my opinion. Toronto being better means our games against them are harder, but it also means the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox all have harder games too. So there's that. 

[Frobby]

9 hours ago, LookinUp said:

Undersold on this board is the fact that Toronto is a VERY large market with VERY rich ownership. At least that's my recollection. We're really going against 3 financial juggernauts and the most efficient franchise in the sport. Tough division.

The Jays had a payroll as high as $182 mm as recently as 2016, but they’d cut it all the way to $64 mm in 2019.    They were projected at $76 mm last year before the pandemic.    

Obviously, they have a lot of room to increase payroll.    Like the O’s, they’ve been clipping coupons for a couple of years.    But they are a little ahead of us on the development curve with the ascendance of their second generation major leaguers (Biggio, Bichette and Guerrero).    It’s a logical time for them to add some free agents.   
 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The Jays had a payroll as high as $182 mm as recently as 2016, but they’d cut it all the way to $64 mm in 2019.    They were projected at $76 mm last year before the pandemic.    

Obviously, they have a lot of room to increase payroll.    Like the O’s, they’ve been clipping coupons for a couple of years.    But they are a little ahead of us on the development curve with the ascendance of their second generation major leaguers (Biggio, Bichette and Guerrero).    It’s a logical time for them to add some free agents.   
 

You never know when the Jays will just stop spending.  Remember when they had a team in contention and their corporate ownership just flatly refused to add any payroll for the stretch run?

[jabba72]

10 hours ago, TommyPickles said:

Yea I know what you mean. For the last few years I've been thinking/hoping that the O's would be competitive again by 2022, maybe 2023. The Blue Jays' ascent could really throw a wrench in that.

 

Makes the games interesting at least. I think O's ownership could throw the fans a bone and try and add a few good players. Top draft picks are nice but I really hope this is the last "burn it to the ground" season. 

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Makes the games interesting at least. I think O's ownership could throw the fans a bone and try and add a few good players. Top draft picks are nice but I really hope this is the last "burn it to the ground" season. 

You'll get Eshelman and you'll like it.

[Camden_yardbird]

15 hours ago, jabba72 said:

Makes the games interesting at least. I think O's ownership could throw the fans a bone and try and add a few good players. Top draft picks are nice but I really hope this is the last "burn it to the ground" season. 

It isn't.  They will claim financial martyrdom until CD is gone and maybe beyond.  There is something really rotten going on at an ownership level that we aren't privy to.  I hope its an effort to sell the team, but I fear its maximizing profits in the wake of the financial instability of PGA being in bad health, MASN, and the scornful eye of Rob Manfred.

[jabba72]

34 minutes ago, Camden_yardbird said:

It isn't.  They will claim financial martyrdom until CD is gone and maybe beyond.  There is something really rotten going on at an ownership level that we aren't privy to.  I hope its an effort to sell the team, but I fear its maximizing profits in the wake of the financial instability of PGA being in bad health, MASN, and the scornful eye of Rob Manfred.

When attendance matters again they'll need to do something to bring the fans back to show they are committed. Right now they have the excuse of the pandemic not to do anything.  

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

When attendance matters again they'll need to do something to bring the fans back to show they are committed. Right now they have the excuse of the pandemic not to do anything.  

I don't think it is the pandemic.  I think Elias just doesn't care about making a show for the fans.  He certainly doesn't appear to be under any pressure from ownership.

[jabba72]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't think it is the pandemic.  I think Elias just doesn't care about making a show for the fans.  He certainly doesn't appear to be under any pressure from ownership.

We'll see. Expectations are going to change with the fanbase in 2022 when AR is ready. Lets hope theres a plan. 

[Frobby]

9 hours ago, jabba72 said:

We'll see. Expectations are going to change with the fanbase in 2022 when AR is ready. Lets hope theres a plan. 

My expectations will change.   But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll think it’s time to spend a ton of money.   We’ll see about that.    It depends where our holes are then.  

[Sports Guy]

Everyone’s expectation should be that the team is contending for a WC and that they are spending money next year.  

 

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Everyone’s expectation should be that the team is contending for a WC and that they are spending money next year.  

 

My expectations for 2022 do not include a significant increase in payroll. 

[TommyPickles]

Yankees signed Wojo.

 

"[Nightengale] Pitcher Asher Wojciechowski, 32, has been invited to the #Yankees major-league camp this spring on a minor-league deal that pays him $750,000 if he makes it to the big leagues. He pitched last year for the #Orioles, and has a career 9-15 record and 5.95 ERA in 57 games, 34 starts"