Bob McCowan on Rios move and the future

[Raptorsrock]

Like him or hate him he does work for Rogers and is pretty well connected with things going on there. Anyway on tonight's program he was talking with douchebag Richard Griffin and he said these things. He's heard from what he says are solid sources that...

- JP will be fired the day after the season ends

- Next season payroll will be 100-120M

- Rogers wants Beeston to stay but its 50/50 if he will


Griffin chimed in and says if Rogers want to increase the payroll that much then they have to fire JP as tons of players and agent HATE him and no one would sign here.

Anyway I thought I would just pass this info on for those who didn't hear it. Maybe all hope isn't lost for this franchise after all

[youngLion]

Like him or hate him he does work for Rogers and is pretty well connected with things going on there. Anyway on tonight's program he was talking with douchebag Richard Griffin and he said these things. He's heard from what he says are solid sources that...

- JP will be fired the day after the season ends

- Next season payroll will be 100-120M

- Rogers wants Beeston to stay but its 50/50 if he will


Griffin chimed in and says if Rogers want to increase the payroll that much then they have to fire JP as tons of players and agent HATE him and no one would sign here.

Anyway I thought I would just pass this info on for those who didn't hear it. Maybe all hope isn't lost for this franchise after all

I have a lot of trouble believing this. Even if McCown did hear this from an inside source I still call BS. With all of the talk of bringing costs in line with revenue and now the Rios dump I just cant' believe this until I see it.

[RapsFanInVA]

Like him or hate him he does work for Rogers and is pretty well connected with things going on there. Anyway on tonight's program he was talking with douchebag Richard Griffin and he said these things. He's heard from what he says are solid sources that...

- JP will be fired the day after the season ends

- Next season payroll will be 100-120M

- Rogers wants Beeston to stay but its 50/50 if he will


Griffin chimed in and says if Rogers want to increase the payroll that much then they have to fire JP as tons of players and agent HATE him and no one would sign here.

Anyway I thought I would just pass this info on for those who didn't hear it. Maybe all hope isn't lost for this franchise after all

wow that would be a total shock. I'll believe it when I see it.

EDIT: didn't realize the person above me said the exact same thing

[J-Roc]

Well no one has really talked about getting costs in line with revenue.

And McCown's stand with respect to Rios is that a trade of Rios for nothing is a positive step for the team. Rids them of a high salary for a player who is a stiff.

[xAIRNESSx]

I'll believe it when I see it

[James_Raptors]

Yup, I find this hard to believe (increased team payroll, not the axing of JP, which i fully expect to happen to him).

I've followed they Jays since they joined MLB, but the past few years have been very disheartening. Sometimes the AL East almost feels like the English Premier League (soccer/football) where you have the tiered system. In the late 80's and early 90's we were a Manu,Liverpool,Chelsea, etc and the past number of years it's felt like we got relegated.

It probably won't happen in my lifetime but I would trade my soul away for a salary cap in MLB. I have no problem with the Jays staying in the same division as the Sox/Yankees if there was a salary cap. But watching them pay-off their mistakes, or go into bidding wars over hidden gem players (or even draft picks for that matter) has gradually worn away at my desire to watch MLB.
It's almost like the have's are playing baseball with a GAME GENIE on, a cheat mode to give them an extra boost over others.

Obviously there are exceptions to the rule: teams that rise up out of the ashes and succeed with a low payroll, but the reality is, especially in our division, that those who spend usually make the post-season (and once you're in the dance, it's often a crapshoot to see who will win). At this point I'd be happy to just have my dancing shoes on again!

[youngLion]

Well no one has really talked about getting costs in line with revenue.

Sure they have. It's the only thing Rogers has said about the team recently.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4361549

We think that we can bring costs reasonably under control and more in line with revenues.

[silverhill27]

Remember when we traded Jalen Rose and a first for Antonio Davis expiring contract before BC came to the Raptors. Maybe this is the same type of thing, giving the incoming GM enough finacial flexibility to put his own stamp on the team.

[why22]

Remember when we traded Jalen Rose and a first for Antonio Davis expiring contract before BC came to the Raptors. Maybe this is the same type of thing, giving the incoming GM enough finacial flexibility to put his own stamp on the team.

good analgy that was one of the best deals in raptors history

[tsherkin]

A payroll of 100-120M would be extremely surprising, but well-received (duh). I'll believe it when I see it, but if that is what is being tossed around, then that'd be a step in the right direction for competitive ability.

I like the notion floating around that the team is cutting costs to make it a more attractive sell, perhaps to Beeston's group, and so then they can come in and raise the payroll while Rogers gets out of ownership.

[beefman]

- Rogers wants Beeston to stay but its 50/50 if he will

they've already found the next president. i read it in the sun awhile ago. but it didn't say who it was

[Schad]

A payroll of 100-120M would be extremely surprising, but well-received (duh). I'll believe it when I see it, but if that is what is being tossed around, then that'd be a step in the right direction for competitive ability.

The only question: how do we reach that figure? The free agent market this year isn't all that pretty and features a lot of about-to-be-overpaid guys 33 and older. And even if we're taking on loads of salary in trades, that means parting with prospects, a resource with which we can't afford to part in another abortive attempt to compete.

[youngLion]

A payroll of 100-120M would be extremely surprising, but well-received (duh). I'll believe it when I see it, but if that is what is being tossed around, then that'd be a step in the right direction for competitive ability.

The only question: how do we reach that figure? The free agent market this year isn't all that pretty and features a lot of about-to-be-overpaid guys 33 and older. And even if we're taking on loads of salary in trades, that means parting with prospects, a resource with which we can't afford to part in another abortive attempt to compete.

Figgins & Tejada would be nice pickups on short term deals. I know what you mean though. None of these guys could be called anything close to franchise changing players. The most intriguing players outside of FIggins are outfielders, and that's hardly the team's position of greatest need, although it is a possibility if you want to move Lind to 1st or DH.

Frankly I think it's a moot point. I just don't believe that the payroll is going to be raised significantly.

[-MetA4-]

A payroll of 100-120M would be extremely surprising, but well-received (duh). I'll believe it when I see it, but if that is what is being tossed around, then that'd be a step in the right direction for competitive ability.

The only question: how do we reach that figure? The free agent market this year isn't all that pretty and features a lot of about-to-be-overpaid guys 33 and older. And even if we're taking on loads of salary in trades, that means parting with prospects, a resource with which we can't afford to part in another abortive attempt to compete.

Aroldis Chapman?

I dont buy that either.

[tsherkin]

The only question: how do we reach that figure? The free agent market this year isn't all that pretty and features a lot of about-to-be-overpaid guys 33 and older. And even if we're taking on loads of salary in trades, that means parting with prospects, a resource with which we can't afford to part in another abortive attempt to compete.

I don't think we have to do it all in one season; most of the intriguing guys on the market this off-season will be pitchers, but there are a few guys (IIRC) like Jason Bay who could be of use and if we at least start spending (we don't have to go all the way up to $100M next year if the players we want aren't there) a little more, then as fans, we can at least see progress and remain interested in a forward-moving team.

[Schad]

Aroldis Chapman?

I dont buy that either.

Heh, that'd be my kind of spending binge, but I can't see it either. That's the one area where Rogers gets a definite thumbs-up from me right now, though...they haven't been going for ultra-cheap signs in the draft, and this year they committed extra money to the process (assuming they get Paxton and Barrett under contract). And I'd gladly take a $5-10m haircut on the payroll if that money went to the draft and signing international prospects, even guys nowhere near Chapman's level.

[-MetA4-]

Aroldis Chapman?

I dont buy that either.

Heh, that'd be my kind of spending binge, but I can't see it either. That's the one area where Rogers gets a definite thumbs-up from me right now, though...they haven't been going for ultra-cheap signs in the draft, and this year they committed extra money to the process (assuming they get Paxton and Barrett under contract). And I'd gladly take a $5-10m haircut on the payroll if that money went to the draft and signing international prospects, even guys nowhere near Chapman's level.

The real key is following the approach of the Royals and now Pirates with regards to focusing your money on the draft and international free agency. I criticized the Pirates for cheaping out on their top pick this year because I really didn't think they'd follow up with their plan of signing all of the kids they ended up taking afterward who were going to need way above slot bonuses but they have kept their word and their draft is going to be one of the strongest. So far they've signed:

RHP Zach Von Rosenburg for $1.2 million (6th round)
LHP Colton Cain for $1.125 million (8th round)
LHP Zach Dodson for $600k (4th round)
RHP Trent Stevenson for $350k (7th round)

Thats a major talent infusion as Von Rosenburg and Cain are both front 1st/2nd round type talents, getting them along with Sanchez is almost like getting 3 first round picks.

[Schad]

Yeah, absolutely...as you noted during the draft, there were a number of really good prospects who tumbled on signability issues (Max Stassi, von Rosenburg, Sam Dyson, Wil Myers), and there's no better way to build a farm system in a hurry than to open the wallet and go above-slot for a year or two; Oakland did a pretty good job in that regard too, nabbing Stassi, Dyson and Krol with second-day picks.

And really, besides a nasty phone call or two, what's MLB going to do? Withhold the All-Star game from the Rogers Centre?

[youngLion]

This is somewhat OT, but where do you two get your information about MLB prospects? The MLB draft has so many rounds I don't even really make an effort to follow it until after the picks are made, but that's largely because I don't know where to find information.

[-MetA4-]

This is somewhat OT, but where do you two get your information about MLB prospects? The MLB draft has so many rounds I don't even really make an effort to follow it until after the picks are made, but that's largely because I don't know where to find information.

I waste hours away on the computer

When it comes to the draft I'll get into it about a month or so before it starts and get progressively more and more into it as it gets closer. That means basically following every draft source you can find, and finding hookups for as much pay content as you can. MLB.com has decent coverage including a pretty strong database of top prospect profiles (with scouting reports). Baseball America is the top source but its a pay site, although they'll have free hot-boards and such which will give you a sense of player movement in terms of status. ESPN has their own premium coverage but its not as good as BA's, although this year I found a site (baseballrumormill.com) that basically takes ESPN's pay stuff and summarizes it so you can an idea of what they're talking about. PerfectGame CrossCheckers is like BA, they'll have some free stuff every once in a while...the biggest thing they have is pretty good scouting reports for all picks made in the Top 10 rounds which they release for free after the draft.