Jays, Donaldson Avoid Arb - 2yrs/$29 million

[Xaos]

2 year deal is okay. Would have been better if it was a longer deal. I wanna see him play the rest of his career and retire as a Blue Jay.

Is he here for 2 or 3 years? I thought the contract he signed with Oakland was for 4 years.

[Santoki]

2 year deal is okay. Would have been better if it was a longer deal. I wanna see him play the rest of his career and retire as a Blue Jay.

Is he here for 2 or 3 years? I thought the contract he signed with Oakland was for 4 years.

There's tons of information in the replies above but he's not a UFA until 2019.

[satyr9]

I'm really surprised how people are okay with this. Of all the potential deals for JD, I hate two years. I hate it a lot. There's no value left in a longer deal after this now, it'll basically be a one year window to exclusively buy a full UFA contract, something I simply cannot imagine being a healthy option for this team if he's any good the next two years, or trade, which is quite frankly exactly what's going to happen. I'd be much happier just having the one-year arbitration and doing this all again next year. Yes, there's still not nearly as much value buying out 2 15-20ish arb years compared to this one at 12, but it's some leverage compared to just the last year, where the potential arb will be pretty damn close to UFA value anyway. With his age he'll always be a bit under the gun to sign for longer, but IMO this 2 year deal means it is far far more likely he's here for 3 years or less, not more.

[Santoki]

I'm really surprised how people are okay with this. Of all the potential deals for JD, I hate two years. I hate it a lot. There's no value left in a longer deal after this now, it'll basically be a one year window to exclusively buy a full UFA contract, something I simply cannot imagine being a healthy option for this team if he's any good the next two years, or trade, which is quite frankly exactly what's going to happen. I'd be much happier just having the one-year arbitration and doing this all again next year. Yes, there's still not nearly as much value buying out 2 15-20ish arb years compared to this one at 12, but it's some leverage compared to just the last year, where the potential arb will be pretty damn close to UFA value anyway. With his age he'll always be a bit under the gun to sign for longer, but IMO this 2 year deal means it is far far more likely he's here for 3 years or less, not more.

There's two sides to this negotiation. Perhaps JD turned down an extension that would have been more team friendly. Maybe he's betting on himself and wants to see the direction the team is going to take in the next year or two before committing long-term.

I think we all would have liked to see a multi-year extension, but knowing we have Donaldson until he is 33 is at least comforting. I still think there is more than enough time to get an extension done next offseason that wouldn't be far off in terms of cost compared to if it was done today.

[Lateral Quicks]

I'm really surprised how people are okay with this. Of all the potential deals for JD, I hate two years. I hate it a lot. There's no value left in a longer deal after this now, it'll basically be a one year window to exclusively buy a full UFA contract, something I simply cannot imagine being a healthy option for this team if he's any good the next two years, or trade, which is quite frankly exactly what's going to happen. I'd be much happier just having the one-year arbitration and doing this all again next year. Yes, there's still not nearly as much value buying out 2 15-20ish arb years compared to this one at 12, but it's some leverage compared to just the last year, where the potential arb will be pretty damn close to UFA value anyway. With his age he'll always be a bit under the gun to sign for longer, but IMO this 2 year deal means it is far far more likely he's here for 3 years or less, not more.

Yeah, I would have much preferred to see a four or five year deal that added another year or two of control. But I can certainly understand why Donaldson wouldn't want to go that route. A five-year deal would expire when he's 35, making another mega deal unlikely. This way he has the option of signing a big deal while he's at the tail end of his prime at 33.

This deal doesn't really do much for the Jays since they had control already, but it's not something to get worked up over, either.

[Skin Blues]

Well yeah, this doesn't benefit Toronto at all. Since they backed themselves into a corner by not agreeing to a one year deal before the deadline, they were forced to guarantee JD a second year with the same $7M raise for 2017 in order to loophole around the File & Trial policy. Kinda removes the teeth from that policy if the consequences of going to trial are the team caving to your demands for 2 years rather the 1, doesn't it? It's just goofy all around.

[Randle McMurphy]

I'm really surprised how people are okay with this. Of all the potential deals for JD, I hate two years. I hate it a lot. There's no value left in a longer deal after this now, it'll basically be a one year window to exclusively buy a full UFA contract, something I simply cannot imagine being a healthy option for this team if he's any good the next two years, or trade, which is quite frankly exactly what's going to happen. I'd be much happier just having the one-year arbitration and doing this all again next year. Yes, there's still not nearly as much value buying out 2 15-20ish arb years compared to this one at 12, but it's some leverage compared to just the last year, where the potential arb will be pretty damn close to UFA value anyway. With his age he'll always be a bit under the gun to sign for longer, but IMO this 2 year deal means it is far far more likely he's here for 3 years or less, not more.

Donaldson held all the leverage here. With the way he's playing, he certainly has no reason to sell off one of his FA years at this point. And as far as his long-term future, it was never likely that he'd be in Toronto any longer than the 4 seasons anyway (but I don't think this deal makes it any less likely that he won't).

[Randle McMurphy]

https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkradio/mark-shapiro-on-blue-jays-not-signing-price-donaldson-contract-and-resign-bautista-encarnacion

Here Shapiro talks about how they looked into one to four year deals with Donaldson before coming to this two year arrangement. He's also more direct about the **** spot that AA left this organization pitching-wise than I've heard him before (while somehow still being questioned on why the Jays didn't sign Price).

[C Court]

Can't see how its a bad thing having a happy Donaldson on board for another three years, with no arb hearing next season and an opportunity to sign a long term deal or trade him for a solid package down the road.

[Santoki]

https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkradio/mark-shapiro-on-blue-jays-not-signing-price-donaldson-contract-and-resign-bautista-encarnacion

Here Shapiro talks about how they looked into one to four year deals with Donaldson before coming to this two year arrangement. He's also more direct about the **** spot that AA left this organization pitching-wise than I've heard him before (while somehow still being questioned on why the Jays didn't sign Price).

At least he's honest. Sounds like everything that's been said on this board. Refreshing to hear it instead of the political non-answers of AA.

The only thing that worried me about that is it sounds like if the Jays don't have a good year that both Jose and EE won't be back. Depending on how things shape up during the season that doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing either one of them especially if you're in a playoff race in Late July.

Hopefully I'm reading too much into that, but if they have a decent year and just fall short of the playoffs, you'd hope there would have been enough revenue to at least bring Jose back.

[Randle McMurphy]

https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkradio/mark-shapiro-on-blue-jays-not-signing-price-donaldson-contract-and-resign-bautista-encarnacion

Here Shapiro talks about how they looked into one to four year deals with Donaldson before coming to this two year arrangement. He's also more direct about the **** spot that AA left this organization pitching-wise than I've heard him before (while somehow still being questioned on why the Jays didn't sign Price).

At least he's honest. Sounds like everything that's been said on this board. Refreshing to hear it instead of the political non-answers of AA.

The only thing that worried me about that is it sounds like if the Jays don't have a good year that both Jose and EE won't be back. Depending on how things shape up during the season that doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing either one of them especially if you're in a playoff race in Late July.

Hopefully I'm reading too much into that, but if they have a decent year and just fall short of the playoffs, you'd hope there would have been enough revenue to at least bring Jose back.

I doubt either one will be back unless they raise the payroll. He basically says as much in that radio spot, but I've thought that since AA left/Shapiro arrived. This current management team is definitely not one that will make an emotional decision (and giving a late 30s slugger 100M because of what he's done/meant in the past to the Jays would qualify) at the expense of the future success of the team.

[Santoki]

https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkradio/mark-shapiro-on-blue-jays-not-signing-price-donaldson-contract-and-resign-bautista-encarnacion

Here Shapiro talks about how they looked into one to four year deals with Donaldson before coming to this two year arrangement. He's also more direct about the **** spot that AA left this organization pitching-wise than I've heard him before (while somehow still being questioned on why the Jays didn't sign Price).

At least he's honest. Sounds like everything that's been said on this board. Refreshing to hear it instead of the political non-answers of AA.

The only thing that worried me about that is it sounds like if the Jays don't have a good year that both Jose and EE won't be back. Depending on how things shape up during the season that doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing either one of them especially if you're in a playoff race in Late July.

Hopefully I'm reading too much into that, but if they have a decent year and just fall short of the playoffs, you'd hope there would have been enough revenue to at least bring Jose back.

I doubt either one will be back unless they raise the payroll. He basically says as much in that radio spot, but I've thought that since AA left/Shapiro arrived. This current management team is definitely not one that will make an emotional decision (and giving a late 30s slugger 100M because of what he's done/meant in the past to the Jays would qualify) at the expense of the future success of the team.

I know contracts are silly right now but is Jose really in like to make $100 million at 35?

I guess we just don't know that number or what's going to happen with the other large contracts in Martin and Tulo. I understand EE is gone, but they've got to make some room for Jose for another couple of years. A short term rise in payroll can be offset by a lower payroll the following years if they're retooling.

I suppose that's Shapiro's job though...to get creative with payroll.

[Randle McMurphy]

I know contracts are silly right now but is Jose really in like to make $100 million at 35?

If a much worse hitter who can't play a position in Victor Martinez can get a 4 year/68M deal at the same age (36-39 age seasons), then yeah, I'd say Bautista could certainly pull that off. He'll need to have a similar season to what he just had, but if he does, I bet he'll likely ask for at least 4/100. And as he'll certainly be the best hitter available, he may actually get it (just not from the Jays).

As far as whether they need to keep him, I think there's a pretty fair argument to be made that are better ways to spend 100M than on an aging Bautista.