TORONTO – Given the circumstances, the underwhelming course this Toronto Blue Jays low season has so far taken in all probability shouldn’t be a shock.
They had been by no means going to be a first-rate vacation spot totally free brokers, not after an 88-loss season, with franchise cornerstones Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette pending free brokers, a lacklustre farm system unable to replenish an expiring core and 4 American League East rivals that look like on significantly better trajectories.
The one strategy to compensate for these points is to overpay, and even that wasn’t going to work with the 2 free brokers they went all out for, as no workforce was topping the New York Mets for Juan Soto, whereas Corbin Burnes appeared set on, at minimal, a workforce with spring coaching in Arizona earlier than ending up at dwelling with the Diamondbacks.
Regardless, the Blue Jays took their photographs there, fell brief, and outdoors of that duo, have remained disciplined to their valuations, not even making a suggestion on Max Fried when the price-point soared previous their consolation zone, remaining concerned on Teoscar Hernandez, however by no means to the purpose that they’d elbow out the competitors.
In different phrases, they’ve remained rational in a aggressive market that’s required a point of irrationality. And with a number of strikes towards them, properly, that simply isn’t very conducive to touchdown gamers.
It’s, nonetheless, conducive to creating them this low season’s most handy and efficient stalking horse, as with some cash to spend, roster holes to fill and jobs within the stability, they, in idea, ought to have each the motivation and wherewithal to be in on everybody and all the pieces.
Consequently, the {industry} appears to have handled the Blue Jays just like the get together visitor who’s a two at 10 p.m. simply ready to turn into somebody’s 10 at 2 a.m.
“They act like they’re a bottom-feeder,” lamented one agent.
“The Michael Phelps of silver medals,” stated one other.
“They’re just like the Giants the previous couple of winters,” added a 3rd.
Harsh as all which may be, honest or not, it’s the Blue Jays’ notion to put on and to persevere by way of, since there’s a lot extra low season enterprise nonetheless to occur, for them and others.
We’ll see whether or not their fortunes available in the market change, however their strategy of managed and selective aggression will little doubt stay, even with Andres Gimenez, Yimi Garcia and Nick Sandlin the one roster provides so far.
To wit, they’re staying within the sport on Anthony Santander, though they’re in all probability not the favorite to land the switch-hitting outfielder proper now. They continue to be engaged on Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, however are believed to be on the periphery on these fronts, and the identical could maintain true on Tanner Scott. The Blue Jays are additionally stated to be actively working the commerce market, which is the place the centre-piece of their winter work so far – Gimenez – got here from.
For the best mixture of gamers, they’ll nonetheless exceed the primary Aggressive Stability Tax threshold of $241 million, which might have occurred had they landed Soto or Burnes, and FanGraphs’ RosterResource at the moment initiatives their 2025 payroll at $228.5 million.
But when they don’t land whoever their remaining prime targets are, the Blue Jays are more likely to find yourself below the $241-million cutoff, which would appear to depart them extra within the bounce-back/worth play market. One potential title there’s Jorge Polanco, the switch-hitting infielder coming off a down 12 months in Seattle.
Looming within the background is the ticking clock on extension talks with Guerrero, who stated he gained’t talk about a long-term deal after spring coaching’s first full-squad exercise.
That provide is believed to have come earlier than Soto’s $765-million, 15-year contract with the Mets. A complicating issue now’s how a lot affect that deal can have on future free-agent markets, simply as Fernando Tatis’ $340-million, 14-year early profession extension with the San Diego Padres within the spring of 2021 modified the dynamic and muddled earlier makes an attempt at a deal between the Blue Jays and Guerrero.
Greater than the rest, a Guerrero extension is the Blue Jays’ greatest – arguably solely – likelihood at extending their present aggressive window given how the remainder of the low season has transpired. There’s a debate available about their order of operations heading into this winter, and if a few of their outcomes might need been completely different had Guerrero been locked up earlier than free company.
A fuller reckoning, as soon as all the approaching strikes industry-wide have settled, is coming.
Till then, maybe they’ll get inventive and discover methods to rescue a painfully mild low season, one which eases them from a bind that shouldn’t have been surprising.
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