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If true, I just lost a ton of respect for Oliver.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2013/01/03/darren_oliver_contract_blue_jays/

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi, Oliver is only interested in returning to Toronto if the Blue Jays increase his salary from $3 million.

The 42-year-old reliever is reportedly seeking a deal closer to market value if he is to spend the year away from his family, who live in the Dallas area. According to the report, Oliver would welcome a trade to the Texas Rangers, where he spent the bulk of his career.

Oliver agreed to a one-year, $4.5-million deal with the Blue Jays last year with a $3-million club option. In 62 appearances with the Blue Jays last season, Oliver finished with a career-best 2.06 ERA along with a 1.06 WHIP, 8.26 strikeouts per nine innings.

Clubhouse presence?

Didn't seem to have many of those last season.

You signed the contract and asked for it to be front loaded, and now you're complaining that you are getting paid too little?

Too bad.

"I see the Jays opening the vaults this off-season."

Conclusion?

"FEED ME MORE!"

torontoaces04 wrote:If true, I just lost a ton of respect for Oliver.

You lost respect for him because he wants to be paid according to his value?

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:

torontoaces04 wrote:If true, I just lost a ton of respect for Oliver.

You lost respect for him because he wants to be paid according to his value?

More that he signed a contract and won't come back to us because he doesn't like it anymore; and will only come back if we give him more than he agreed to last year.

You can look at it this way. You tell someone in a year that you'll give them x to do y and they agree i.e a contract, then when your ready to give x they say they'll do z instead, unless you give them x+more. Not exactly a classy move.

Pick up his club option and see if he retires.

JMH wrote:

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:

torontoaces04 wrote:If true, I just lost a ton of respect for Oliver.

You lost respect for him because he wants to be paid according to his value?

More that he signed a contract and won't come back to us because he doesn't like it anymore; and will only come back if we give him more than he agreed to last year.

You can look at it this way. You tell someone in a year that you'll give them x to do y and they agree i.e a contract, then when your ready to give x they say they'll do z instead, unless you give them x+more. Not exactly a classy move.

Pick up his club option and see if he retires.

Precisely. It's like when players (mainly football players) outplay their contracts, and ask for them to be renegotiated.

Would you lose respect for Joey Bats if he sat out, demanding the Jays re-up him for 25 mill/per?

Funny how you never hear about guys like Wells having their contracts renegotiated when they play below their salary. Oliver needs to understand there's risks for both sides when a baseball contract is agreed upon.

torontoaces04 wrote:Would you lose respect for Joey Bats if he sat out, demanding the Jays re-up him for 25 mill/per?

Two completely different situations that aren't comparable. Oliver made it completely clear from day one that 2012 would likely be his last season, and now he's willing to play another season if he's compensated accordingly.
Why would a 42 year old want to keep pitching when he'd be making a fraction of what his market value is? I don't blame him in the slightest.

torontoaces04 wrote:

JMH wrote:

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:
You lost respect for him because he wants to be paid according to his value?

More that he signed a contract and won't come back to us because he doesn't like it anymore; and will only come back if we give him more than he agreed to last year.

You can look at it this way. You tell someone in a year that you'll give them x to do y and they agree i.e a contract, then when your ready to give x they say they'll do z instead, unless you give them x+more. Not exactly a classy move.

Pick up his club option and see if he retires.

Precisely. It's like when players (mainly football players) outplay their contracts, and ask for them to be renegotiated.

Would you lose respect for Joey Bats if he sat out, demanding the Jays re-up him for 25 mill/per?

Not sure if something got lost in translation by me here but I was agreeing with you and I think you may be agreeing with me but if not, to answer the question about JB.

I would be extremely disappointed in Bautista if did that. He can ask for 25mil/year extension to his current contract like Dickey (Although a far more reasonable 10mil/year) did but to refuse to play because he doesn't like what he agreed too is wrong.

Now go ahead Oliver, retire, but the most we should pay him is close to that 3mil mark. Texas isn't going to give us anything for him, so its either get paid what you agreed to be paid, or retire and lose one of the best chances you have of winning your only WS. (What happened to love of the game... kidding he loves his family its understandable.)

Here's another example albeit in the future and possibly made up . We have Dickey guaranteed 2013/14/15. We have a team option in 2016/17. Lets say he plays well in the next 3 seasons and comes to 2016 and his market value puts him at 15mil instead of the 12mil team option we have. How would you all respond to him than if he said I refuse to play for you unless you pay me more. I hope you would all be disappointed.

He agreed to the club options and he damn well better play or retire. If he wanted an opt out clause or more of a guarantee, he would have said no to the CO or demanded a PO.

Its a contract, thats how things work. Now from Olivers view: I get wanting to be paid according to your EV/MV, but to try and undermine a contract you signed with a threat (retirement) is not classy and potentially unlawful, and to say he made it clear from day 1 that he wasn't coming back in 2013 is not true. He may have been saying things, but actions speak louder than words and that CO is saying a lot.

Kapono wrote:You signed the contract and asked for it to be front loaded, and now you're complaining that you are getting paid too little?

Too bad.

This. If he didn't want to play he should have told us definitively told the front office in private and got something for him in a trade otherwise pay us back the money owed in breach of contract and let us get someone else. You could be in worse places.

If you dont agree with the terms of the contract why the hell did you sign it? Don't see Janssen doing this crap.

B-bye Oliver.

Total me-first move from a millionaire. You're not the only one who loves your family. (So lemme get this straight, you won't leave them for 3M, but would for 4.5M... not that you'd ever put a price on your bargaining chips, err, I mean 'family', right buddy?)

If the Jays value him higher than the $3M he’s under contract for, give him more and bring him back. If they don’t, just get somebody else. I’d prefer the former as his return would help the team’s chances in 2013 (the main priority right now), but it’s not like there aren’t other good relievers left.

Don’t see any reason to get upset at Oliver for trying to maximize his earning potential in this situation. Most MLB players (and for that matter, people) would.

Randle McMurphy wrote:If the Jays value him higher than the $3M he’s under contract for, give him more and bring him back. If they don’t, just get somebody else. I’d prefer the former as his return would help the team’s chances in 2013 (the main priority right now), but it’s not like there aren’t other good relievers left.

Don’t see any reason to get upset at Oliver for trying to maximize his earning potential in this situation. Most MLB players (and for that matter, people) would.

How much to buy you, Randle?

I don't blame him. He's gotta make enough to feed his family. Latrell Sprewell approves.

tiger7 wrote:If you dont agree with the terms of the contract why the hell did you sign it? Don't see Janssen doing this crap.

It was front-loaded so that he could retire after one season. He agrees perfectly with the contract, and will probably be happy to retire and spend time with his family. I don't see anything wrong with saying he'd come back if they give him more money. You're kidding yourselves if you think athletes don't stick around as long as they do for the money. There are very, very few Gil Meche type players out there.

Not such a good PR move, but I can see what he's trying to do: maximizing earning potential in your last hurrah, IMO if the Jays are going to give him this so-called raise, it better be in the form of performance bonuses.

I don't blame him. It's more than likely his last season in baseball, why not get what you can?

How many 42 year olds playing baseball can have more than 1 team after him, and have the luxury of asking for more money or a trade to the team that's close to his home.

It's win-win for the Jays too, so long as he doesn't retire.
The Jays either get Oliver, for fair market value, or they trade a 42 year old ball player to Texas for much younger players.

This can't end well. He's trying to punk AA.