Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos met with the media (including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca and Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post) for 30 minutes today before Toronto’s game with Texas. Here are the highlights:
- Anthopoulos addressed recent reports he isn’t allowed to add payroll at the Trade Deadline. “I don’t think it’s about being ’allowed’ or anything like that at all. We’re having dialogue with teams.” Anthopoulos added the club has always kept payroll projections in house.
- Anthopoulos says he has the freedom to make the necessary moves to keep the Blue Jays in the playoff hunt. “I don’t have any doubt that we have the ability to add players. How that gets done, we can always be creative, but I’ll say this: we have a very healthy payroll, we have a very strong payroll.“
- Anthopoulos denied ownership will stand in the way of a possible deal because of money. “Ownership’s been outstanding with us from that standpoint. If a baseball trade lines up for us, I don’t see any reason we’re not going to be able to add players at the trade deadline if we can line up in terms of talent.“
- No trades are pending with discussions still in the “conceptual stage,” but Anthopoulos is willing to deal prospects. “It’s really as much about what you get back, as much as what you give up. The more talent you give up, the more years of control, the more talent you get back. It’s a sliding scale.“
- Optimistic injured starters Adam Lind, Brett Lawrie and Edwin Encarnacion “will have a chance to come back sooner than we all think,” Anthopoulos will still look to bolster the Blue Jays’ offense before the Trade Deadline.
Maybe the Padres could send cash with Chase Headley and actually get a decent prospect.
Headley’s been horrible for 2 years now, anything more then a mid level prospect without San Diego eating his salary would be considered a ripoff.
Headley has been plummeting offensively this year, but he still has tons of value in his defense (last year he had a 3.8 WAR, if going off of WAR is your thing). Now whether or not AA wants to role the dice that he can get back to his career norms in offense (.260 / 10-15 / 50-60) is another question.
You only get him for part of a single season at a very high price. Regardless of his defense, Headley is hardly worth anything on the trade market.
Exactly, does anyone expect the Padres to qualify him? Getting anything for Headley should be considered a victory at this point, the guy is legitimately damaged goods at the moment.
If he is qualified, he accepts. Which is to say, he won’t be qualified.
He has a back in need of surgery, how much do you think a guy who’s going to be playing on AstroTurf with a back like that is worth? I’m sure his defense is going to take a huge steep drop when he’s trying to take it easy on a hard playing surface.
I suggested San Diego send cash because he’s lost so much value. He was hardly horrible last year.
I’ll continue to say he was horrible last year just because producing a .750OPS doesn’t make someone worth $8.5M.
If you look at a park adjusted stat, like his 115 OPS+, you’ll see that he was far from horrible offensively and he’s a fantastic defensive 3B.
Sounds like an evasive way of saying that they’ll likely not add payroll.
All depends on what player and at what price. I personally just don’t see any reasonable deals for the Jays to make in which you would actually want to add payroll. This obviously excludes dream scenarios. Jays are more than likely stuck with the ship they have for the remainder of the year.
The dream scenario should be a realistic one named Martin Prado, legitimate good utility man could platoon with Lind/Fransisco/Lawrie(horrible vs LHP last 2 seasons) and could easily replace Melky Cabrera next season if Cabrera decides to play elsewhere.
D-Backs should also be looking to eat most his salary if they wanted anything in return for him, so the longer the Jays holdout on acquiring him, the longer I and a few other Jay fans lose patience with AA.
As with Prado or anyone, it all depends on the acquisition cost. Prado fits the Jays needs nicely, but I wouldn’t be keen on moving any top prospects for him. Unless of course I can dream for a second and the D-Backs eat an incredibly sizable chunk of his remaining contract. I don’t see the D-Backs selling themselves short on a Prado trade, either.
If the D-Backs were going to want to maximize Prado’s value in a trade they might as well throw in Trumbo to entice the Jays to part with either Sanchez or Norris. Getting Prado at say $3M-$5M a year should be considered a victory if he produces anywhere close to career norms (.291/.340/.425)
Plus Trumbo in the AL East would be cool/scary thing to consider if he DH’d with Lind in a platoon situation and had himself moving all over the field while guys are on the DL. He’d surely help the Jays produce well against lefties since I think he qualifies as a LHP killer. (.257/.302/.512)
Both guys could easily help the Jays over the next few years since adding impact Free Agents hasn’t been the Jays strong suit in nearly 2 decades, Trumbo could play LF/DH/RF/1B (giving guys like Bautista/Encarnacion a day off) while Prado could play 3B/2B/LF/ and the Jays would finally have a team that doesn’t suffer vs LHP. Not to mention they wouldn’t be throwing Bautista, Encarnacion, Lind out there every day because their replacements were so utterly useless with the bat.
I personally don’t see the D-Backs kicking in 10+M into a Prado deal, which is about what it would take for me to give up Sanchez or Norris for Prado (edit: probs wouldn’t give up Norris for Prado under any circumstances). And Trumbo is a pretty expensive ‘platoon’ option I don’t see the Jays adding, especially in a down year, and especially with Reimold now under the Jays fold.
Well you have to think Rasmus and Cabrera are both leaving next year, Gose replaces Rasmus in centre leaving a massive hole in LF. Prado could play 3B every day if the Jays wanted to go that route while Trumbo takes over in LF as a cheaper alternative to Melky Cabrera, he could also DH vs LHP if the Jays wanted to throw Nolan Reimold(if he’s still on the team next year) out into LF.
I’m not just thinking this year, Trumbo’s not going to get more then 8M in arbitration next year and his power numbers should thrive while playing in the AL East. Also these injuries that have been happening to these 30+ year olds over the last few years needs to stop, the only way to remain competitive while giving guys like Bautista, Encarnacion and Lind a day off is to acquire guys who could step into that role as a cleanup hitter like a Mark Trumbo or Martin Prado.
This isn’t the first year the Jays have been hurt by injuries, it won’t be the last if they think they can get away with these guys playing the full 162 games either.
So you are suggesting Prado + Trumbo + Something for what from the Jays?
I’m suggesting a Prado + Trumbo + Salary Relief for Prado’s 33M owed for a Aaron Sanchez + a few mid to high level A Ball prospects.
Bautista/Encarnacion/Lind were on pace to provide 10-15WAR as group this season, they’ve proven(throughout the last few years) they’re incapable of staying healthy for the entire season. Getting rid of a Aaron Sanchez who might one day provide 5-6WAR a season is a must if it means keeping those 3 guys healthy for an entire season.
One could even argue Brett Lawrie’s injury prone and could use a few days off here and there. That’s another 2-4WAR that could be provided if he’s able to stay healthy the entire season.
I’m suggesting a Prado + Trumbo + Salary Relief for Prado’s 33M owed for a Aaron Sanchez + a few mid to high level A Ball prospects.
Bautista/Encarnacion/Lind were on pace to provide 10-15WAR as group this season, they’ve proven(throughout the last few years) they’re incapable of staying healthy for the entire season. Getting rid of a Aaron Sanchez who might one day provide 5-6WAR a season is a must if it means keeping those 3 guys healthy for an entire season.
One could even argue Brett Lawrie’s injury prone and could use a few days off here and there. That’s another 2-4WAR that could be provided if he’s able to stay healthy the entire season.
As usual, Anthopoulous, speaks much, says little.
Indeed, that usually, happens, when anyone is speaking, to the media, regarding rumours, or internal business, processes.
It’s obvious they cannot add payroll or they would of took Brandon McCarthy when he was on waivers. Only salary neutral moves will be made which means nothing will get done as that severely ties AA’s hands
That is not obvious at all. Brandon McCarthy is not a clear upgrade over the Jays current SP. Brandon McCarthy would have started off in the Jays Bullpen, as a pretty expensive reliever.
Yeah, I don’t see McCarthy as being an upgrade over what they already have, so I’m thankful AA didn’t trade for him.
The Jays’ biggest problem is that the Rays probably want too many of Stroman, Hutchinson, Sanchez, Pompey or Norris for Price. All of those guys have seen their stock rise and I’d be hesitant to make that trade too.
It’s impossible to find good young starting pitching in today’s free agency market, so I don’t blame Jays for not parting with Stroman or Hutchinson at this point, especially when both pitchers are succeeding at the MLB level inside the AL East.
I agree. I’d probably give up Sanchez, but I think the Rays probably want Stroman or Hutchinson plus other pieces.
Well the Rays would obviously want a “little extra” if they were to deal with someone within the division.
AA talks in circles. Does anyone even listen to him anymore?
He has spoken the same way since day 1 on the job: Deliver standard mgmt cliche to media without revealing info you don’t want the media to have. Why do anything else?
He can take that approach right on down to the unemployment line this winter.
Very doubtful. Only way that was happening is if the Jays lost 90 games this year. He has done everything Rogers has asked of him and more.
He has spoken the same way since day 1 on the job: Deliver standard mgmt cliche to media without revealing info you don’t want the media to have. Why do anything else?