For Blue Jays, all roads lead to Votto

[LittleOzzy]

One more year, two at the most.

Unless that pesky Mayan calendar is correct, and the Earth drifts into a black hole or is attacked by a higher species we never knew existed, Joey Votto will be with the Toronto Blue Jays in the very near future. When that inevitable acquisition is finalized, they will have the full attention of the American League for the first time since the early 1990s.

Votto, the 2010 National League MVP, is the perfect piece to complete Alex Anthopoulos’s upgrading of a team that had averaged 80 victories during the eight seasons J.P. Ricciardi was in the general manager's office. Ricciardi took over for Gord Ash, who had the misfortune of taking over for Hall of Famer Pat Gillick.

Anthopoulos, with a scout-heavy approach that is in sharp contrast to Ricciardi's streamlined operation, has created more excitement in his two-plus years on the job than there has been at Rogers Centre since Joe Carter stepped in to face Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series.

He has benefited heavily from Ricciardi's most inspired move — trading catcher Robinzon Diaz to the Pirates for Jose Bautista — but showed an ability to make a tough call in trading Roy Halladay and Shaun Marcum for badly needed flexibility and four prospects, including third baseman Brett Lawrie, catcher Travis d'Arnaud (.914 OPS last year in Double-A) and pitcher Kyle Drabek. The Blue Jays need to hit on all those players — potentially creating a great bargaining chip when d'Arnaud starts pushing J.P. Arencibia, who as a rookie started 118 games and hit 23 home runs last year — to close the gap between themselves and the three powers in the AL East.

Anthopoulos has created a glut of top pitching prospects in the Blue Jays' system, the best of which are lefties Daniel Norris and Justin Nicolino and right-handers Aaron Sanchez, Noah Syndergaard, Deck McGuire, Drew Hutchison and Asher Wojciechowski, according to Baseball America. The inventory is so deep Baseball America had rated control freak right-hander Nestor Molina, sent to the White Sox even up for 30-save closer Sergio Santos, as the Blue Jays' 18th best minor-leaguer.

And all roads lead to Votto.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Blue ... story.html

[Wo1verine]

Votto will not be a Blue Jay, you'd have to be crazy if you think Rogers would pony up the necessary loot.

[gei]

I think the fan base has exactly 0 faith in Rogers actually shelling out money for any decent player. Any 'excitement' this article is referring to is long gone. Unless the Jays get off to some sort of fantastic start next season, I can see attendance dwindling pretty quickly - and rightfully so.

[Parataxis]

Did they mean 'All roads lead to talking about Votto so Rogers can avoid spending money on actual FAs'? 'Cause I think that's what they must have meant.

[jrsmith]

Cute, but to be a little more realistic in 2-3 years all roads point to another 5 year rebuilding plan.

[BobbyBoy]

Uhh, they made the Latos deal because they think they can re-sign Votto. They really are going to go hard for him. I wonder if Miguel Cabrera hates playing 3rd and he request a trade. You think they jays can get a deal without involving Lawrie, alvarez or any of our top 3 prospects? Maybe like Jp arencibia, Gose, Drabek to start talks?

[Randle McMurphy]

I think the fan base has exactly 0 faith in Rogers actually shelling out money for any decent player. Any 'excitement' this article is referring to is long gone. Unless the Jays get off to some sort of fantastic start next season, I can see attendance dwindling pretty quickly - and rightfully so.

You can't say Rogers wouldn't deserve it. I would agree as well, though, that much of the optimism surrounding this team has been destroyed with their offseason.

[CapeCrusader]

Even though Fielders deal was too big. Their lack of trying to pursue him or at least stay in the race makes me think that Votto won't happen either. Especially when the Reds could lock him up from now and when he could turn FA.

[dagger]

Why Votto? Heck of a player, but why would Rogers behave differently in this case? Last year, with just a bit of Bautista and Lawrie to boost ratings, the TV audience increased 17% year over year. That tells me that Rogers doesn't need Votto to boost ratings. Fielder would have boosted TV ratings by a further 10%. Maybe even a pair of slightly lesser signings, say, Beltran and a pitcher, would have done the same. Trading a couple more pitching prospects for a starting first baseman would have generated the same kind of enthusiasm.

So why wait two years to shell out a huge long-term deal - which Beeston supposedly won't do? Think of the lost opportunity in not signing a big name now.

[UN-Owen]

Remember, you heard it here first:

viewtopic.php?f=123&t=1140778

[OldNo7]

Basket, meet eggs. Eggs, meet basket. Now all of you get in there. ALL of you. Uh oh, who threw out my basket?

= 4th place. Forever.

[Michael Bradley]

Votto is going to want more than five years and a huge amount of dollars. He will be 30 when he is a free agent. I highly doubt AA is going to shell out the amount of money and years it will take to get Votto.

I think it is clearly obvious that the Jays are being built like the Rays. A higher budget version of the Rays who will get to keep their existing stars, but won't be buying them via free agency. Once that becomes accepted, the pipe dreams (whether Votto or otherwise) will stop. I doubt the media will get the picture though.

[tiger7]

Would love Votto here but with Rogers yeah....probably not going to happen.

[Parataxis]

Votto is going to want more than five years and a huge amount of dollars. He will be 30 when he is a free agent. I highly doubt AA is going to shell out the amount of money and years it will take to get Votto.

With the inflationary aspect of player salaries, I can imagine it being in the $300million range.

[darth_federer]

If hes available then the Jays are going to shell out big money for him

[ahollz]

Honest to pastafaraian, fans who expect Rogers to dole at big bucks when the jays sit at 25th in league attendance are hypocritical. I hope mr. Anthopolous runs his course and not let these wanna be fans get their instrant gratification to see them in the same spot as of 2 years ago.

[Parataxis]

If the Jays expect fans to start packing the Dome when they're not likely to play meaningful games in September and are below the league average in team salary... Well, I have a bridge in Lake Havasu City to sell them.

[Raps in 4]

Im sure he'd even be willing to negotiate a discount to play back home, but Rogers will have none of that.

[spykelee]

I don't know if it's so far fetched... This is one of those moves that makes a lot of sense economically for Rogers. There's a lot of revenue to be gained off a Canadian superstar playing here, especially if we where on the brink so to speak...

Having said that, history certainly would not be promising, but I don't think it's entirely laughable to suggest we'd at the very least, be in on the bidding.

[Raps in 4]

Honest to pastafaraian, fans who expect Rogers to dole at big bucks when the jays sit at 25th in league attendance are hypocritical.

Ownership needs to spend first, then fans will start packing the stadium, not the other way around.

When you buy a new consumer good do you pay up front for something that hasn't been built yet, our do you go to the store and exchange your money for a finished product?