National Post: Jays aren

[polo007]

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/12/ ... e-jays-gm/

TORONTO — The ever-secretive Alex Anthopoulos undoubtedly has a few tricks up his sleeve as he prepares for baseball’s winter meetings next week. But if he does make a splash, it is not likely to involve signing a big-name free agent, he says.

And despite the probable addition of another wild-card team next season, the Toronto Blue Jays general manager says he feels no extra pressure — nor even a greater opportunity — to craft a contender in 2012. Unlike J.P. Ricciardi, his predecessor, Anthopoulos says he has never set a timetable for the Jays to reach the playoffs.

“I never said one year, two years, three years. The goal is always to do it as fast as we can and not take any shortcuts,” he said Thursday during a luncheon scrum with Toronto baseball writers.

At the moment, pursuing high-priced free agents would represent an imprudent shortcut, he said. That might change come July if his pending offseason moves bear fruit and his team is winning, he said.

Meanwhile, he will focus on trades when he arrives in Dallas for the winter meetings, which begin Monday. The Jays need a starting pitcher, a closer and a second baseman as well as a backup catcher and a bullpen upgrade. Among the first three on that list, Anthopoulos says there is no particular priority.

[dagger]

I'm more concerned that AA told the same group of reporters that he was taken by surprise by the CBA changes.

Who represents ownership at the MLB level? Beeston? Did he fight that lousy CBA? Why did he not keep AA in the loop?

And the question no one is asking: If the money that was going into acquiring Latin talent and signing a lot of extra draft picks can't all be used for that, will the money be diverted to the major league roster, or back into the Rogers vault?

Sorry to harp on this, but if we're not going the major free agent route (ever?), and if the developmental budget shrinks, how is this team going to compete on a sustainable basis?

[JunkYardSubs]

Sorry to harp on this, but if we're not going the major free agent route (ever?), and if the developmental budget shrinks, how is this team going to compete on a sustainable basis?

My thoughts exactly

[flatjacket1]

I'd rather milk the draft another year anyways.

I would of liked to see a gamble on Bell though.

[dballislife]

the team is ready, we have a near legit ace, an excess of solid bottom of rotation starters, which will help our pen which has solid arms already, best bat in league, great leadoff in escob, 20-30 hrs in lind and jpa, u know lawrie is ready, and potential in rasmus/snider/thames...we're just missing a few key additions in which an extra 40-60mill is more than enough to get done...now with an extra playoff spot too omg what are that jays waiting for, if there is ever a time in recent memory to spend and add talent its now

[Duffman100]

the team is ready, we have a near legit ace, an excess of solid bottom of rotation starters, which will help our pen which has solid arms already, best bat in league, great leadoff in escob, 20-30 hrs in lind and jpa, u know lawrie is ready, and potential in rasmus/snider/thames...we're just missing a few key additions in which an extra 40-60mill is more than enough to get done...now with an extra playoff spot too omg what are that jays waiting for, if there is ever a time in recent memory to spend and add talent its now

I'm under no illusions anymore. The Jays, Raptors and Leafs can spout the same garbage about wanting to win, but they haven't shown the moves to make it happen. They're happy as a pig in **** to make the money they're currently making.

This is just a brutal sports town, brutal.

[flatjacket1]

I'm under no illusions anymore. The Jays, Raptors and Leafs can spout the same garbage about wanting to win, but they haven't shown the moves to make it happen. They're happy as a pig in **** to make the money they're currently making.

This is just a brutal sports town, brutal.

The Mets win less games and kill our attendance. Its not like were selling out every game and they can't put together a winner. Our attendance is terrible, and thus our payroll is low.

[Rhettmatic]

the team is ready, we have a near legit ace, an excess of solid bottom of rotation starters, which will help our pen which has solid arms already, best bat in league, great leadoff in escob, 20-30 hrs in lind and jpa, u know lawrie is ready, and potential in rasmus/snider/thames...we're just missing a few key additions in which an extra 40-60mill is more than enough to get done...now with an extra playoff spot too omg what are that jays waiting for, if there is ever a time in recent memory to spend and add talent its now

I'm under no illusions anymore. The Jays, Raptors and Leafs can spout the same garbage about wanting to win, but they haven't shown the moves to make it happen. They're happy as a pig in **** to make the money they're currently making.

This is just a brutal sports town, brutal.

I'm still holding out some hope that AA has a major move up his sleeve and is trying to keep expectations in check for some reason, but I'm beginning to agree with you.

The Jays are the closest thing this city has had to a contender in years and years, but it sounds as though they're too cheap to take the next step.

The Mets win less games and kill our attendance. Its not like were selling out every game and they can't put together a winner. Our attendance is terrible, and thus our payroll is low.

Blaming the fans is pathetic. Businesses don't work that way, where it's acceptable to deliver a crappy product and tell the world, "If you would just give us more money, maybe then we'd give you something worth buying."

Once Rogers puts a relevant Jays team on the field, fans will come.

[dagger]

Not only that, but Rogers controls the Jays' TV rights, and viewership has increased. So what's their excuse?

I thought the stronger Canadian dollar would lead to more spending. NOT!

From various Tweets, I ascertain today that we haven't made an offer to Fielder, and we aren't in the finals of the Jose Reyes sweepstakes.

It sounds as if AA is nimbling around the better free agents, gets their reps to mention us (so we look busy, "hey, we're in the Heath Bell sweeps, hey, Albert Pujols' posse is checking us out, shazzam!)

I'd like to know how Miami - with its notoriously cheap owner - has decided to go all in now that it has a new stadium but we the taxpayers gave Rogers a stadium practically for free, and yet those tight-ass beancounters could actually end up fielding a cheaper team next season AND not have to put as much money into the development stream because of the new constrictive CBA.

Worse still, no one in the media calls Rogers on this because half of the sports reporters in this town work for Rogers and the other half wish they could.

[Mattd97]

the team is ready, we have a near legit ace, an excess of solid bottom of rotation starters, which will help our pen which has solid arms already, best bat in league, great leadoff in escob, 20-30 hrs in lind and jpa, u know lawrie is ready, and potential in rasmus/snider/thames...we're just missing a few key additions in which an extra 40-60mill is more than enough to get done...now with an extra playoff spot too omg what are that jays waiting for, if there is ever a time in recent memory to spend and add talent its now

I'm under no illusions anymore. The Jays, Raptors and Leafs can spout the same garbage about wanting to win, but they haven't shown the moves to make it happen. They're happy as a pig in **** to make the money they're currently making.

This is just a brutal sports town, brutal.

to be fair the leafs have never cheaped out on anything.


but this is just getting sad about the jays. i know i wasnt expecting a fielder or reyes -- but jeez every indication is that theyre simply refusing to invest in teh club despite constantly saying otherwise. there wasnt even a mention in us today on SI's teams to watch at the winter meetings.

[flatjacket1]

Blaming the fans is pathetic. Businesses don't work that way, where it's acceptable to deliver a crappy product and tell the world, "If you would just give us more money, maybe then we'd give you something worth buying."

Once Rogers puts a relevant Jays team on the field, fans will come.

I'm sorry but it looks like you misread my post. The Mets have more fans with less wins.

So they are putting out a worse product and getting much more money. The Jays finished at .500. That is a product.

You guys are all asking for the Jays to resign Wells. Wells had two seasons of 5+ WAR (Well 1 year was 4.9) prior to age 28, and we payed him less than what Fielder is asking.

Fielder will go down as one of the most overpaid FA's in recent memory. If he get the 25Mish he's asking, he needs to do better to deserve that according to $$/WAR. He had 4 seasons of under 2.7 WAR and 2 seasons with more than 5 WAR. Which is more likely to play like?

[rarefind]

so i assume this is how beeston's meeting with aa went for how to get the jays 10 more wins next year.

new logo and jerseys = 10 wins.

[dagger]

Blaming the fans is pathetic. Businesses don't work that way, where it's acceptable to deliver a crappy product and tell the world, "If you would just give us more money, maybe then we'd give you something worth buying."

Once Rogers puts a relevant Jays team on the field, fans will come.

I'm sorry but it looks like you misread my post. The Mets have more fans with less wins.

So they are putting out a worse product and getting much more money. The Jays finished at .500. That is a product.

You guys are all asking for the Jays to resign Wells. Wells had two seasons of 5+ WAR (Well 1 year was 4.9) prior to age 28, and we payed him less than what Fielder is asking.

Fielder will go down as one of the most overpaid FA's in recent memory. If he get the 25Mish he's asking, he needs to do better to deserve that according to $$/WAR. He had 4 seasons of under 2.7 WAR and 2 seasons with more than 5 WAR. Which is more likely to play like?

Rogers must love sucker fans who buy the cost crap. They must love it when someone brings up Vernon Wells, or better yet, BJ Ryan. It means you have bought into Goldilocks and the three bears hook line and sinker - "This one is too expensive, this one is too old, this one is too ...."

Get it through your head.

1) If you haven't been in the free agent game, you might have to overpay to get the attention of the current or next class of free agents.

2) If you are starting from a low payroll base, overpaying so-and-so by $5-10 million shouldn't be a major setback

3) Even if Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols end up being overpaid, it is still likely they will be impact starters.

4) If the money can no longer go into signing extra Latins and extra draft picks, where is it going to go?

5) IT'S NOT YOUR MONEY!

[flatjacket1]

1) If you haven't been in the free agent game, you might have to overpay to get the attention of the current or next class of free agents.

Not if you win 90 games without the help of FA's. They won't say "If I join this team will win less games"

2) If you are starting from a low payroll base, overpaying so-and-so by $5-10 million shouldn't be a major setback

It'd be overpaying by about 30M if you want value.

3) Even if Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols end up being overpaid, it is still likely they will be impact starters.

It might impact your good friend Lawrie in a few years.

4) If the money can no longer go into signing extra Latins and extra draft picks, where is it going to go?

It's going to go into this years draft, which still moreless is capless (Because we have so many picks)

5) IT'S NOT YOUR MONEY!

There is a time and place for everything.

I want rogers to try and sign people next offseason. When Lawrie and Alvarez have a full year under their belts and our minor leaguers are closer to the Majors. I personally think signing Pujols on the decline will not benefit our playoff run in a few years.

Next year we might be able to get Howie Kendrick.

[Michael Bradley]

I think AA, Beeston, and Rogers all want the Jays to operate like the Rays, only difference being the Jays will be able to re-sign their stars. If the Jays with a $80M payroll can have the same type of success as the Rays, then Rogers pockets even more money, and I am positive that is the sales pitch AA/Beeston have given them (hence why Rogers has no issues with spending on amateur talent as those players will be controllable for many years at a cheap rate in the future).

I agree with AA's philosophy on free agents for the most part, they are very rarely worth what they get, but if there is an Albert Pujols out there, I'm sorry, you have to go for it until Albert spits in your face and tells you no. That type of talent can change the whole dynamic of a club even if he is only one player. But Heath Bell and those types should NOT be signed, and I'm glad we have guys in the front office smart enough to realize it.

[Raps in 4]

Lol at anyone who thought Rogers would spend this offseason, or any offseason.

[Randle McMurphy]

Same old stuff from Rogers that we've seen for a decade. It's really too bad, though, because this offseason would have been the perfect time to spend. It's a simple choice to contend and they're simply not doing it.

I'm still not sure why they bothered handing out that long-term deal to Bautista if they weren't going to accelerate the process at all. Time for a third straight year of potentially wasting his elite production, I guess.

[Randle McMurphy]

Sorry to harp on this, but if we're not going the major free agent route (ever?), and if the developmental budget shrinks, how is this team going to compete on a sustainable basis?

Similar to the Rays, we have to get lucky and hope the prospects turn into stars. It comes down to scouting and player evaluation. We're a small-market team with small-market goals in Toronto...at least as long as Rogers is running the show.

[jrsmith]

AA sounding like the other scrubs that have preceded him. Its ok though, they got ridiculously lucky with Bautista and he is essentially playing for free, so the treadmill will run a little faster this time.

Let me save everyone following this pathetic franchise some trouble.

Next 1-2 years - It's better to spend next off-season!
Next 2-3 years - moving from decent mediocrity to bad mediocrity
Next 1-2 years - bottomfeeder change coming.

Then a brand new 5 year plan that will ensure definite spending in acouple of years!!!!!

2-3 years into the 5 year plan the timeline is lost, spending will happen when the time is right. Start at the top.

Oh yea you might get couple of 10mil/year signings on a couple of scrubs here and there that have no effect on winning, but it will convince enough morons that the team actually did spend. When it inevitably doesn't work our these morons will buy into the we need more prospects and must rebuild in turtle like fashion. Again, rinse and repeat.

[Randle McMurphy]

"We should be able to support a $140 - $150 million payroll and that's the direction we're headed." -Paul Beeston, 1.27.11

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=angi1vwUkQc[/youtube]