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Given the way the free agent market is stumbling along to this stage, Anthopoulos’ fastidious commitment to the long-term could hurt the franchise and may well test their fan base’s patience to the breaking point.

Are the Jays poised to contend for a division title? Are there still pieces to fall into place? No and yes.

But it’s easier to time yourself right out of contention than it is to time the market just right.

It’s easier to say you made a rich offer to a great player and he took less money to play at home in Los Angeles than it is to say: "Meh, we took a pass."

When, exactly, will the Jays have a chance – however slim – to sign a 27-year-old star with ties to the franchise without having to bid against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox or Philadelphia Phillies who already have (cough) $459-million tied up in their respective (and older) first basemen?

And to have that shot when Fielder – who has finished in the top-five in MVP balloting three times in the past five years – isn’t even the best free agent first basemen on the market thanks to Albert Pujols?

Fielder will no doubt be expensive, but he’ll never be cheaper than he will be this winter.

A plan is great, everyone should have one, if only to know when the time is right to change it. But the Jays’ resistance to signing Fielder – or any other star free agent to contracts past six years – well, that’s too clever by half.

LBJSeizedMyID wrote:I agree. You add Prince and you quite possibly have the deadliest lineup in baseball.

tempests_dawn wrote:Someone should create a website to get current Rogers customers, who are also Jays fans, to pledge that if the Jays do not sign Fielder, they are taking their business to a competitor.

If there are 30K fans who pledge, with 2 services cancelled from Rogers (avg 120$/month), that's 43.2M per year.

Someone set it up

rarefind wrote:

tempests_dawn wrote:Someone should create a website to get current Rogers customers, who are also Jays fans, to pledge that if the Jays do not sign Fielder, they are taking their business to a competitor.

If there are 30K fans who pledge, with 2 services cancelled from Rogers (avg 120$/month), that's 43.2M per year.

Someone set it up

that'll show em!

torontoaces04 wrote:

rarefind wrote:

tempests_dawn wrote:Someone should create a website to get current Rogers customers, who are also Jays fans, to pledge that if the Jays do not sign Fielder, they are taking their business to a competitor.

If there are 30K fans who pledge, with 2 services cancelled from Rogers (avg 120$/month), that's 43.2M per year.

Someone set it up

that'll show em!

i'll get on it. give me a couple weeks.

torontoaces04 wrote:

rarefind wrote:

tempests_dawn wrote:Someone should create a website to get current Rogers customers, who are also Jays fans, to pledge that if the Jays do not sign Fielder, they are taking their business to a competitor.

If there are 30K fans who pledge, with 2 services cancelled from Rogers (avg 120$/month), that's 43.2M per year.

Someone set it up

that'll show em!

i'll get on it. give me a couple weeks.

Double Helix wrote:Like I said, AA reminds me of that young, tight poker player that knows all the pre-flop odds and is folding constantly, waiting for the perfect two cards to start with.

Double Helix wrote:


I wouldn't suggest threats. Nobody wants to negotiate or spend on payroll based on threats. If you honestly want to build a site, and I would encourage you to do so and also send out some press releases to that media members can perhaps write about it, I'd suggest going more the positive route, similar to those expansion/bring the team back campaigns. Keep it positive and have a clear objective and convincing argument on why the time is now to spend money on a player like Fielder. Make the drive more about new fans agreeing to purchase tickets (more if they're pre-existing owners) IF the Jays spend on a player like Fielder.

That kind of approach would at least help spur on the whole... "If you build it... they will come" debate.