The Shapiro & Rogers Megathread

[Black Watch]

Looks like Shapiro wants to stay :—)

Read on Twitter

[Tanner]

Here is an interesting story form the Globe on Rogers Media that includes some nuggets on the sports teams. Worst news? Cutting salary at the Jays was part of the reason for significant improvement in Rogers' earnings.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-hockey-baseball-and-buzzwords-can-rogers-medias-new-boss-solve-some/

The media group’s top line sales are expected to grow at a 2-per-cent to 3-per-cent annual clip, according to Mr. Staffieri, an improvement over revenues that were flat over the past 12 months. At the same time, Rogers is taking the axe to costs, including saying goodbye to high-priced athletes and TV and radio hosts. That is expected to boost profit margins.

The Blue Jays, for example, lost 95 games this year and finished near the bottom of the league. The Jays traded several of their top-paid players, including fielder Kevin Pillar, who made US$5.8-million, and pitcher Marcus Stroman, who earned US$7.4-million.

Financially, the season was a success. Rogers Media’s all-important earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose by $12-million to $72-million in the most recent quarter. The group’s EBITDA margin increased to 12.2 per cent from 9.9 per cent, a jump that analyst Drew McReynolds at RBC Dominion Securities Inc. said was “primarily due to lower Blue Jays salaries.”

Mr. Banks says he believes Rogers Media is protected in these down periods by a fan base that is loyal.

“What I love about this business is, you have this core group ... that good times and bad, will listen to the FAN, will watch Leafs games, will go watch the Blue Jays,” he says.

When you look at it like that, Shapiro is perfect for Rogers. He will keep the payroll low during down times, and build in such a way that even when the team is good again it will be on the backs of minimum earning and/or arb eligible young players. Rogers has no incentive to change the front office.

[Schad]

Which, IMO, is a good thing. If we can make money while rebuilding, and make money while competing, there's no reason to short-change either the peak or the valley.

[BigLeagueChew]

Mark Shapiro on what’s next for both the Jays and him

Oct 18, 2019 - At the letters

https://podcast.sportsnet.ca/at-the-letters/oct-18-mark-shapiro-on-whats-next-for-both-the-jays-and-him/

[raptorsfan2018]

Here is an interesting story form the Globe on Rogers Media that includes some nuggets on the sports teams. Worst news? Cutting salary at the Jays was part of the reason for significant improvement in Rogers' earnings.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-hockey-baseball-and-buzzwords-can-rogers-medias-new-boss-solve-some/

The media group’s top line sales are expected to grow at a 2-per-cent to 3-per-cent annual clip, according to Mr. Staffieri, an improvement over revenues that were flat over the past 12 months. At the same time, Rogers is taking the axe to costs, including saying goodbye to high-priced athletes and TV and radio hosts. That is expected to boost profit margins.

The Blue Jays, for example, lost 95 games this year and finished near the bottom of the league. The Jays traded several of their top-paid players, including fielder Kevin Pillar, who made US$5.8-million, and pitcher Marcus Stroman, who earned US$7.4-million.

Financially, the season was a success. Rogers Media’s all-important earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose by $12-million to $72-million in the most recent quarter. The group’s EBITDA margin increased to 12.2 per cent from 9.9 per cent, a jump that analyst Drew McReynolds at RBC Dominion Securities Inc. said was “primarily due to lower Blue Jays salaries.”

Mr. Banks says he believes Rogers Media is protected in these down periods by a fan base that is loyal.

“What I love about this business is, you have this core group ... that good times and bad, will listen to the FAN, will watch Leafs games, will go watch the Blue Jays,” he says.

When you look at it like that, Shapiro is perfect for Rogers. He will keep the payroll low during down times, and build in such a way that even when the team is good again it will be on the backs of minimum earning and/or arb eligible young players. Rogers has no incentive to change the front office.

I've long been of a belief that Shapiro and by extension, Atkins are following a directive given to them by their superiors. That directive is to make money.

That's why I find this front office really tough to grade. It's one thing to look at it from a fan's point of view, where all we want to do is win. But it's another to look at it from a business perspective where making a profit is the main goal. If Rogers has given them this directive, then Rogers' grade on the front office will be much different from the grade the fans give them.

[Black Watch]

Here is an interesting story form the Globe on Rogers Media that includes some nuggets on the sports teams. Worst news? Cutting salary at the Jays was part of the reason for significant improvement in Rogers' earnings.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-hockey-baseball-and-buzzwords-can-rogers-medias-new-boss-solve-some/

When you look at it like that, Shapiro is perfect for Rogers. He will keep the payroll low during down times, and build in such a way that even when the team is good again it will be on the backs of minimum earning and/or arb eligible young players. Rogers has no incentive to change the front office.

I've long been of a belief that Shapiro and by extension, Atkins are following a directive given to them by their superiors. That directive is to make money.

That's why I find this front office really tough to grade. It's one thing to look at it from a fan's point of view, where all we want to do is win. But it's another to look at it from a business perspective where making a profit is the main goal. If Rogers has given them this directive, then Rogers' grade on the front office will be much different from the grade the fans give them.

They lost money for the third year in a row: https://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/#header:operatingIncome

[Fairview4Life]

Then maybe they should charge more for media rights?

[I_Like_Dirt]

Then maybe they should charge more for media rights?

But then they'd have to pay more in revenue sharing.

The Jays were at the front of the line as a broadcasting corporation that bought a baseball team (though the Braves did it, before). Now we're starting to see a bunch of teams buying their broadcast rights and effectively taking them out of the financial equation for the team itself while profiting just as much and avoiding revenue sharing payments.

[ratul]

At least we didn't trade the guy who closed out the world series for a guy we could control for longer. Oh wait - Shapiro did!

Thanks Mark - you are great at building contenders for other teams.

[Fairview4Life]

At least we didn't trade the guy who closed out the world series for a guy we could control for longer. Oh wait - Shapiro did!

Thanks Mark - you are great at building contenders for other teams.

"If we had kept Daniel Hudson we would have won the world series". - Ratul.

[mini]

At least we didn't trade the guy who closed out the world series for a guy we could control for longer. Oh wait - Shapiro did!

Thanks Mark - you are great at building contenders for other teams.

"If we had kept Daniel Hudson we would have won the world series". - Ratul.

Our window is officially closed.

[Skin Blues]

At least we didn't trade the guy who closed out the world series for a guy we could control for longer. Oh wait - Shapiro did!

Thanks Mark - you are great at building contenders for other teams.

"If we had kept Daniel Hudson we would have won the world series". - Ratul.

Our window is officially closed.

We have lots of money off the books. Maybe we have enough to re-sign Hudson??? Not sure what it would take.

[mini]

"If we had kept Daniel Hudson we would have won the world series". - Ratul.

Our window is officially closed.

We have lots of money off the books. Maybe we have enough to re-sign Hudson??? Not sure what it would take.

He literally won the World Series with a pitch. We don't have the money.

[Schad]

Mike Montgomery won the Cubs their first World Series in a century, and there's a good chance he's available. Montgomery for Pearson?

[raptorsfan2018]

When you look at it like that, Shapiro is perfect for Rogers. He will keep the payroll low during down times, and build in such a way that even when the team is good again it will be on the backs of minimum earning and/or arb eligible young players. Rogers has no incentive to change the front office.

I've long been of a belief that Shapiro and by extension, Atkins are following a directive given to them by their superiors. That directive is to make money.

That's why I find this front office really tough to grade. It's one thing to look at it from a fan's point of view, where all we want to do is win. But it's another to look at it from a business perspective where making a profit is the main goal. If Rogers has given them this directive, then Rogers' grade on the front office will be much different from the grade the fans give them.

They lost money for the third year in a row: https://www.forbes.com/mlb-valuations/list/#header:operatingIncome

I don't have a link, but they are on record saying that they are making money this year. I'll bet it has to do with ownership's hold on the tv rights and building and the ways they can manipulate the money. But they're not losing money.

[Black Watch]

At least we didn't trade the guy who closed out the world series for a guy we could control for longer. Oh wait - Shapiro did!

Thanks Mark - you are great at building contenders for other teams.

Read on Twitter

[polo007]

Mark Shapiro on free agency: Dollars not an issue, alignment and fit will be the challenge

November 07, 2019

The Blue Jays president and CEO discusses the renovations in Dunedin, the relationship between the league and players, the pursuit of Gerrit Cole and other major free agents, how Vlad Jr.'s off-season workouts are going, the development of position players vs. pitchers, and his future in Toronto.

[phillipmike]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-talks-agent-scott-boras-show-real-off-season-test-execution/

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A year after suggesting a "Blue Flu" had struck the Toronto Blue Jays and caused a sharp decline in their attendance, influential superagent Scott Boras struck a much more conciliatory tone about the club Wednesday as he exited the General Managers Meetings.

"I think the spirit with which they want to return the franchise to where I think it should be, (it) is more likely we have a common thought about that today," Boras replied when asked for his impression of how the club is operating this off-season. "When you have the fans kind of speaking out – how do they speak out? They don’t come – they have every reason to return to getting back that fanbase."

Boras and the Blue Jays brass met Tuesday at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa and while the Blue Jays aren’t going to be shopping in his Gerrit Cole/Stephen Strasburg aisle, they have some degree of interest in several other of his clients, including starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel, plus slugger Mike Moustakas.

[Brinbe]

reminds me of the jp era right now.

[Schad]

Curious why. The big problem with the JP era is that, while his signings and trades worked out pretty well, our draft and development side was awful and consequently we couldn't get over the hump (though the 2008 team makes the playoffs in many other divisions). With Atkins, the questions are mostly about the signings and trades, while the draft and development stuff has been pretty damned good.