TODAY: The Toronto front office evidently isn’t giving up its hopes of working something out. GM Ross Atkins tells Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links) that he believes the team has simply not “realized a deal yet” with Donaldson — suggesting the emphasis falls on the word “yet.”
Whether an agreement can ultimately be struck may depend upon whether the sides can agree to a way of “sharing risk,” says Atkins. It seems the organization will also need to find a way to draw Donaldson and his reps to the bargaining table while respecting his stated desire to turn his focus to preparing for the season.
YESTERDAY: Blue Jays fans have long hoped that 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson would ink a long-term deal to remain with the club beyond the 2018 campaign, but the third baseman acknowledged to reporters today that he expects to reach free agency after initial extension talks didn’t prove fruitful (link via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith).
“We’re not quite there,” said Donaldson. “…not at the same type of area, the same ballpark.” Donaldson added that an extension is not a “major focus” for him at this time and said he’s “turning the page” on the matter and shifting his focus to the 2018 season. The Athletic’s John Lott tweets that Donaldson did suggest talks could “ramp back up” if things change, but it sounds like the Jays and Donaldson’s representatives at MVP Sports aren’t especially close at the moment.
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins spoke two weeks ago about the possibility of signing Donaldson to a long-term contract, revealing that while the two sides hadn’t conversed at the time, the team had done its homework in determining a valuation for Donaldson that they’d take to negotiations. Said Atkins at the time: “…We have come up with a clear walkaway that we would be willing to commit to him to extend (the contract) for him to remain a Blue Jay probably for the rest of his career.” Evidently, that (still-unknown) offer level was not sufficient to interest the star.
Donaldson, 32, rebounded from a pedestrian start to his 2017 season to post a ludicrous .302/.410/.698 slash and 22 homers through his final 227 plate appearances last season. That brilliant stretch brought him to a final batting line of .270/.385/.559 and 33 home runs on the year overall. Donaldson, unsurprisingly, expressed to Nicholson-Smith, Lott and others that he feels he can maintain an elite level of play for years to come (Twitter links). “I truly believe that where I’m at today, I have longevity in this game performing at a high level,” said Donaldson.
Donaldson will play out his final season of team control on a $23MM salary that is a record for a player on a one-year deal in the arbitration process. Barring a revival of negotiations, he’s in line to hit free agency in advance of his age-33 season. Donaldson was, of course, something of a late bloomer, as he didn’t cement himself as a big league regular until his age-27 season. The fact that he’ll reach free agency a couple of years later than many of his peers only stands to present further hurdles for the two sides to clear in determining contract length and annual value.
uncle buck is on AMC
I just ordered The Old 96er for dinner.
What’s your record for consecutive questions asked?
38!
great movie!
Your not a nat are you bug?
Whats yer last name, Spray?
That’s the best comment I’ve read online in a long time hahaha awesome
Great movie
Have it on now
Future Brave
Future bum..with oversized contract
Nope. They’re going with Riley
Literally every player in their 30s thinks they “can keep it going for a long time” and then 2 years later they’re trash.
I’m pretty sure Jose Bautista had the exact same quote 3 years ago.
But hey, for every 50 guys who think that, you’ll get a Bartolo/Ichiro/Beltre who continue to perform in their late 30s and early 40s
Every 50 or every 250?
Bartolo Colon, Nelson Cruz, David Ortiz, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens all have one thing in common that helped them defy aging curves.
Cruz, Bonds, Clemens all connected to PEDs. Charlie Hough babysat his grandkids on off days.
Ortiz should not be lumped in with them. You can say it all you want, doesn’t make it true.
you think Nelson Cruz is still juicing? He’s arguably been better since he got busted. Don’t think doing juice when you’re 32 helps you any when you’re off of it at age 37.
IIRC the guy who use to run WADA was in favor of lifetime bans because he said research shows that the benefits of PEDs can stay with some athletes for many years.
Just sayin’…
Sorry but Colon shouldn’t be in the same category as the others in that list. Just because he’s still playing doesn’t mean he’s still really good.
No kidding. I’m sure there are plenty of 40 year olds who could waddle out to the mound and get hit around.
Randy Johnson
He was still on the list! TWICE!
Referring to Ortiz!
Ortiz and Beltan can be added to that list. Nelson Cruz also comes to mind.
The list of 30’s players who thought they could still do it or the players who used PED’s?
Yep. Jose also “bet on himself”. Turned down $150 million.
He lost.
He lost bigly.
It wasn’t that much
You can’t turn down what wasn’t offered. Just because he (supposedly) asked for something close to that doesn’t mean the Jays ever had any intention of handing it to him.
But who needs facts?
The $150 million was fake news created by a reporter. One of Simmons, Buffery or McCown, I can’t remember which now.
That was Shi Dividi. A mouthpiece for Rogers to spread false rumours and turn the fans against Bautista. As I remember it worked, everybody hated him from that day forward and immediately let Shapiehole off the hook.
Sorry, who offered him that?
He was never offered that. That is what he wanted if he was going to extend in the off-season before his free agent off-season.
Baustista produced 11.2 rWAR between his age 33 and age 34 seasons (which will be the first two seasons of Donaldson’s free agency.) Sure it looks like he didn’t exactly live up to the long time thing but he was worth $88m for a pair of mid-thirties seasons (by the $8m per WAR thing) and that’s not really something to scoff at.
Robinson Cano has been worth $86m for his 33/34 seasons; that’s not too bad, either. Adrian Beltre’s 33/34 would be worth $103m (to say nothing of what he did in subsequent years.
So yeah plenty of guys play like superstars past their primes, including the example you brought up.
This idea that people have the 1 WAR is worth a certain dollar value is wholly misleading because there’s not even agreement over at Fangraphs on the correct method to calculate $/WAR – Cameron and Schwartz use different methods. Also, there is a difference as to what teams will pay for WAR based on position. From Fangraphs “Since 2006, the cost of a win for starting pitchers is $4.2 million and $5.7 million for position players, but for relief pitchers, the price is $10.9 million.”
Here’s the link: fangraphs.com/community/on-war-its-linearity-and-e…
That said, what you’re saying cxcx is that a 100 win team should and would be willing to pay $8MM for every win above 52 wins – because a win is “worth it” – which is what a projected team of replacement level payers would produce.
Well 48 x 8 = 384. I’m pretty sure every MLB team cannot afford to carry that kind of payroll. Well, maybe a couple could.
Point: just because teams may be willing to pay $8MM/WAR for incremental wins in the free agent market, doesn’t make wins above replacement worth that in totality, and that’s where I think the thinking gets skewed.
I once read an interview with Scott Boras years ago where he “dreamed” of a market that was like MLB was before the draft in the mid ’60s, where every player was a free agent. In reality, if that actually happened tomorrow, players would find out pretty quickly that what teams will pay for FA WAR on average would change dramatically.
And that, IMO, is really what a win – or 1 WAR if you want to discuss it that way – is worth. Bautista may have put up 11.2 WAR in two years, but I’m not sure you can say it was “worth” 88MM. Toronto and every other team sure didn’t seem willing to pay him that when he became an FA, did they?
Great post.
But in reality, Boras wouldn’t want that because the supply would lessen the demand and overall, salaries would drop 🙂
A win is worth the $8M in terms of free agent acquisitions only. Arb controlled guys don’t count, and it varies based on position, market, demand, and teams that are competitive enough to justify marginal improvements.
You can’t take a 30 WAR (so 78 wins) team with a $100M payroll and expect to buy your way to 90 wins (so basically double your payroll to get to 90 wins)
But if you are a 40 WAR team, spending $16M on two more WAR might make perfect sense.
I think we agree one most things. Where we disagree is that salaries would “drop” if that were implemented. If by that you mean the top paid guys would not make as much, that’s probably correct, but the bottom paid guys would make more.
If all players magically became FA’s tomorrow, I don’t think total compensation would go down, but the money would shift a lot from overpaid, aging FA’s to the younger studs who are performing. Guys like Machado, Harper, Altuve and many others would be getting paid very well, probably from their second year onward, That would mean less money and lower salaries for the older FAs, so you’re right about that, but I’m pretty sure overall compensation would stay pretty much the same.
What that would do, however, is allow the big revenue teams to buy the best players regardless of their ages, and that would lead to permanent competitive imbalance.
Good stuff, so the way to win is to under pay for at least 5 young players, and add a couple of high WAR players. Seems like that is what the good teams have done.
Isn’t WAR up to $9 mill now?
Yeah if he were a FA then, he’d be one of the worst contracts in baseball rn.
I mean, they do think that. But they’ve been betting on their ability to play baseball against long odds of success since they were teenagers, and anyone who has become an MLB star has won every single time.
Of course time will always win eventually, but it’s a pretty understandable mindset from a player even though statistically they’re probably wrong.
Nationals?
Playing where?
He’s done.
based on what, the torrid second half?
Donaldson needs to shut up and dribble. Never mind, wrong sport!
My guess is Atkins offered 3/33M. Something to say they tried and little enough that JD would be insulted enough to not bring this up again. JD look, we need the money to extend Morales, hope you understand.
This is what Shapiro did with every player in Cleveland in their walk year (Belle, Ramirez, Thome, Lofton, etc). He’d make them a below market offer he knew the players wouldn’t accept just to have the appearance that he was attempting to retain them.
In JD’s case, I agree with Shapiro and Atkins for a short term deal. He is injury prone and only has afew good years left. Trade him at the deadline.
This isn’t Cleveland. Toronto has money, alot of money. No elite player should be walking in their prime. Shapiro wasn’t a popular hire when he was brought in & if he simply let’s JD walk he’ll be torn to shreds. Sign him or trade him.
I can see him in a Cards jersey now.
An Aging former mvp player who wants a HUGE contract??? That’s got NEW YORK YANKEES written ALL OVER IT!!
This is not your Father’s Yankees team.
So if he puts up similar numbers to last season, maybe like 4/90?
Way more
Donaldson will be the JD Martinez of next offseason. He’ll be looking for an AAV and length that few, if any, will be willing to meet.
Exactly. Feel kind of bad for they guy, as he is going to be too old to really max out. But then again I can’t feel that bad for a guy making 23 million dollars this year. 4 years would be the tops a smart team would offer. How many 36 year old infielders can you think of that are still playing at an elite level?
Donaldson is nothing like JD! He’s one of the top guys at his position ! Offense AND Defense! Plus much more!
I’d say that is in the ballpark based on the relative youth of other market options and what older players have settled for in recent years
Trade him while there is still value to be had. Jays need to be in full rebuild mode. This off seasons signings appear to suggest that is the way they are leaning.
The actions of the front office speak louder than words. None of their acquisitions are real difference-makers. Shapiro & Atkins will never admit it, but they have to be hoping the team is out of by late June so they can deal Donaldson, Martin, and maybe Happ for prospects.
I wish the Jays had gone into open rebuild mode last year.
The Yankees
… suck.
Hehehehe
That really adds a bunch to the discussion. Got lost on your way to Yahoo?
hahahahahah
Actually, I believe Jays would have offered 4 yrs-$120, with an option for a 5th year based on production in year 4 that would bring contract up to 5/$150. Anything less offered would be an insult to him and ensure he doesnt consider coming back.
But JD and hos camp are going to try to maximize this contract, seeing its going to be his last. They will be hoping for something like 6/$200, or 7/225. Cant see it happening from Toronto’s standpoint.
After all, can you imagine if the Jays had given Bautista what he wanted last winter? 6-150? Wow.
That would have been the Mother of all albatrosses. To have that contract and Morales’ contract on the books would have been catastrophic.
I don’t get all the Morales contract hate. Tulo’s and Martin’s contract are the albatrosses.
Morales only has two years left and he produces at the plate. He is what he is and they knew that when they signed him. I`ll take his 25+hr 85+ Rbi Ba .250 anyday from a DH type.
I’d go 4/100 .
I think he has 2-3 good years in him but I doubt he has 5-6 years good left.
Bautista would have been an albatross for sure.
JD would not even consider 4/100, because that woyld take him to age 37-38 when that contract ends, making him likely useless. So while I agree with you that from the team perspective thats what they should offer, the reality is there are at least 10 teams who would give him 6-150 right now. And he will try to find 1 team to give him $200 mil. Good luck to him. But it wont be the Jays.
That team didnt exist this off-season. Do you really think teams are going to return to what was? Moose is not JD, but theres no market for him. At all.
Ok, I’ll bite. Name me 10 teams… no make that five teams… that will pay a 33-year old third baseman 6 years and $150 million.
6-years, $150MM to retire a Blue Jay. He has to understand that he’ll likely deteriorate somewhat by year 4 and may end up a DH as the farm system has depth at 3rd they could bring up. He won’t have the defensive numbers by age 36. I want me some JD for the rest of his career, but unless he is top 2 MVP this year, he needs to think about the team!
As much as I love JD on the Jays, 6 years will take him to age 39. Sorry, but that’s too much and too many years.
Gotta have some of that as a vesting option at least. 4/$100MM with a 2-year vesting option for another $35MM if he makes 1000 PA in years three+four. $10MM buyout.
It’s still an overpay, but elite players are worth an overpay while they’re still elite because they’re irreplaceable on the open market.
Sinking team
Any guesses on contract? Currently 32 years old, down year but still had a 4.8 WAR last season. I’m guessing he gets 5 years, around $125-130M not knowing how he does in 2018. I think he’s worth more than Martinez. What does everyone else think?
Maybe he gets 6 at a lower AAV, but with such a strong FA class, I doubt it. Non-zero chance though
I’d say 5/$125 makes sense.
His age isn’t helping him.
Another strong season would likely net him that 6th year.
Seems like a prime candidate for the front-loaded opt out deals we’re starting to see. A guaranteed 3/80 followed by a player option for another 2/35? Something like that?
I could see him in Cleveland in a possible platoon situation.
Platoon? Lol
What? Platoon? WHY?
FYI…..The Yankees don’t need anything. At all.
Who actually needs a high priced third baseman next year? And he’ll be completing against Machado. Donaldson is an amazing player, but I think he’s taking a riskier gamble than he thinks based purely on demand.
Machado is planning on hitting the market as a shortstop, which means he’ll be competing with Elvis Andrus for a job instead of Josh Donaldson.
They aren’t competing for the same roster spot, but they are competing for payroll just like all players are. There are only so many dollars out there
Regardless of free agent class next year, Yankees, Cards, Braves, Phillies, & White Sox will all be in on JD, and someone will blink on a crazy contract. Remember, a smaller market team like Atlanta understands that they have to blow away the competition on money, and will do so.
JD is way better than Martinez. And Martinez got 2 opt-outs today, after Yr 2, or after Yr 3. If he opts out after yr 3, he will have recd 3/70 mil, and is still just 33 to negotiate another contract. Donaldson doesnt have that luxury since he is already 33 yrs old.
Donaldson will get paid. Worst-case is $140mil, best case is $200+mil
ATL won’t be near $200M. They’ll work that hometown discount angle like a pro and recruit his mom to get involved. Not nearly the need with Riley, who could shift to corner OF if JD is signed. Another option could also be Charlie Blackmon (former Yellow Jacket) whose lefty bat could be a better fit of righties Acuña and Riley continue to develop power. This year will determine the need. Scary though Donaldson is 13 years older than Acuña.
I see JD getting 5/$125 or so. His age really really hurts him.
Even with another MVP season.
“Remember, a smaller market team like Atlanta understands that they have to blow away the competition on money, and will do so.”
It that a joke? The braves are the only team between Texas and Baltimore-Washington. The Braves radio network broadcasts games in 7 states. Every southerner roots for the Braves. Speaking of which, Donaldson grew up in the Florida panhandle and played college ball at Auburn. It’s guaranteed that he grew up rooting for the Braves. They wouldn’t need to bury him in money as long as they matched the next best contract.
The only money issues that the Braves have is they’re stuck in a bad tv contract negotiated when the tv stations and the team were owned by the same company. The team only gets like $15 mil per season. They could easily get 10 times that if it were renegotiated today, but their total payroll is already $110mil this year so they’d only need another $65mil to be in the top 5 in payroll.
Here is that map again of the geographic size of teams’ markets:
nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/24/upshot/facebook…
donaldson should have learned something this offseason. doesn’t look like he did.
Never was a smart one…
I think this offseason was a mix of 3 things: one, teams getting salaries under control for next year’s free agents; two, this year’s free agents are not really 6-figure worthy; three, teams are more concerned about longer term contracts.
That said, JD Martinez is a virtual unknown who suddenly developed power what, three years ago? He doesnt really draw walks, he doesnt run, he cant field. And he is always the 2nd or 3rd best player on his teams. Meanwhile, you have Donaldson who is an MVP candidate every year for the last 4, draws 100 walks, fields well, and has been to go-to guy on his teams. Make no mistake, if JD was a free agent this winter, he would have gotten paid.
Sad to say but best case scenario for Jays is that they be out of it come the July trade deadline so that they can land a nice return trading JD. Cause he is as good as gone come next winter.
Trade deadline deal in contract year not gonna net you what jays would’ve received had they done it this offseason. Should’ve traded to cards depending what they were offering. Still might be a card this year and cards go for a re-sign.
Good luck
Big Bear. Big Bear
I still feel the Cardinals will land him at the deadline.
But I dunno if he’ll re-sign very easily.
Cards and JD at 5/$125 next off-season (after deadline trade)
Front loaded with an opt-out
19 – $30
20 – $30
22 – $25
Opt out
23 – $20
24 – $20
????
pays him until he’s 38? seems a bit much for a generally prudent Cards FO
What happens in 2021?
But why give up all the players in a trade for him when they can just wait
and sign him as a free agent?
He’ll play for the Cardinals next year
I agree.. he will be in a STL uniform next yr. And he won’t be in Tor after the deadline..
Typical open negotiation statements. Means nothing at this point.
One thing that stands out to me is that none of the highest paid players were on the Astros. and only Lester over the last 2 years. Adding a top players doesn’t get you to the championships. Donaldson will wait to see what Machado gets first , next year. The new young GMs aren’t going to pay for past performance. This year we see more teams trading for what they need more. Players are getting opt outs, and only the top players will get the term they want. Next year that’s Harper and Machado. Donaldson might get 4 years with a decreasing term after 2 years with an opt out. I wouldn’t expect him to get 5 year.
I can’t fault Shapiro and Atkins for a low offer. This Jays mgmt is smart wrt term of contracts.
I scout JD as three elite bat years left and two 3B defensive years left before DH or 1st. Year 4 of the bat will likely be poor and year 5 will be awful.
Teams with good scouting and projection analytics know this stuff. So these contract ideas longer than 4 years will only come through a team that doesn’t have a clue.
As you know, I called for the Jays to fully rebuild at last years deadline and I am calling for it this deadline as well because they are going no where in 2018 playoffs.
If the Jays are smart, JD will be traded at the 2018 deadline.
I’d say 4 then decline, but I agree with him moving around once his defense declines.
I agree that his age is certainly not ideal to be hitting FA and all the arguments about aging players getting big contracts is mostly true. But it also depends on your versatility and position you play. There are going to be outliers for every argument made.
Here is mine: He is going into his age 32 season. BUT, he also started his career late and didn’t play his first full season until age 26. Assuming that his career lasts 10 years, he would be productive until his age 36 season, and then start to decline. if we get 4 years of MVP type numbers, and then 2 years of sub MVP production, I’d be ok with it.
I don’t think he stopped aging or playing baseball between ages 22 and 26.
Any chance TOR reverses course and trades him before they fall out of it, instead of after, for a better return?
If a team could have him for the full season instead of just the last half he might be worth more to the right club who is in a position to take a run at it from the start, has budget room, and has a vacancy at 3rd base.
The Jays are Canada’s team but they are not a big market club. Attendance is very good because the team has done well the last few years and good teams like the Yankees and Red Sox come to town a lot. All of their revenue is in Canadian dollars which is now valued at 79 cents. If they offer Donaldson 3/75 it is really 3/96 in Canadian dollars. Donaldson is a great player and could really help the Jays stay in it this year.
The Jays have the 4th biggest market in North America. Also all contracts are paid in US dollars.
Sorry I should have said Toronto is the 4th biggest market in North America. The Jays just happen to play in Toronto.
Jeez I hate the Canadian dollar excuse that fans throw out there to let Jays management off the hook. Only about 40% of their revenue is in Canadian dollars.
Donaldson machado harper oh my all in same year. Kershaw? Wow
My feeling is Donaldson signs an extension, Machado gets traded at the deadline to the Yankees for a playoff push and is extended there. Kershaw will also get extended to Dave the inevitable opt-out, either way he won’t leave LA. My prediction is Harper will be the crown jewel and will go to the Phillies. Predicting a slow market again next year.
Yankees won’t trade for Macado at the deadline because of CBT issues, and because Angelos would never give them a 72 hour window to negotiate for an extension.
They could most definitely fit his salary under “with some moves” and not pay a tax. With that being said you’re right about Angelos not doing them any favors.
Harper will unfortunately be a cub i think. Already mentioned playing with fellow vegas boy bryant.
Whether an agreement can ultimately be struck may depend upon whether the sides can agree to a way of “sharing risk,” says Atkins.
————————-
Sure. The sides can agree that the employer takes on 100% of the risk, and the employee gets a guaranteed contract.
Because that’s how it fuc#ing works: the employer takes on all the risks and gets all the revenues, and the employee gets a guaranteed paycheck that has nothing to do with how the business is doing.
Otherwise, it’s not an employer-employee relationship, it’s a partnership. If MLB owners want to offload some of the risk, they should be looking for partners, not employees. I’m sure Donaldson would be happy to commit his services for the next decade, in exchange for a 20% stake in the Blue Jays. Not a cent guaranteed. He’d be more than happy to sink or swim with this supposed “risk” the owners are claiming to want to share.
Hmm. As an employee, I don’t have a guarantee, and you probably don’t either. They could fire me tomorrow for any reason (not covered by nondiscrimination laws).
They couldn’t fire me, but they could lay me off, with a severance package. Which isn’t all that different from baseball. The severance package in baseball is the remainder of the contract. The Red Sox let Sandoval go just last year. He now works for SF.
I’m not as valuable an employee as Josh Donaldson (because there aren’t thousands of people paying $100 a pop to come see me play baseball for three hours) so my severance package is lower. But it’s more than enough to sustain my usual lifestyle while I look for a new job,
In other words, I am not sharing any of the risks the company I’m working for faces. They could lose money, and it wouldn’t affect me financially. The worst they could do is pay me while I get another job. It would be an inconvenience, but not financially.
By the way, the contracts are mostly for the owners’ benefit. The players would love to be allowed to quit on two weeks notice at any time, and seek employment for a rival team.
But that a. wouldn’t work very well, and b. cause the owners to be in a constant bidding war, thus driving prices through the roof.
The current system in baseball is a compromise between that total free movement of labor that the rest of us enjoy, and players signing themselves into indentured servitude for 15-20 years, when they join a major league team at 18.
Similarly, my severance package comes at a cost: I signed a short term non-compete, that prevents me from switching jobs at will (the way you probably can, if you just have a basic contract).
What it sounds like they’re talking about is opt-outs. Opt outs share the risk and reward between the player and the team. The team commits to a lower guaranteed amount than they otherwise would, and the player can choose to go get a new contract for more if they’re still awesome in their mid 30s.
There’s no incentive for an aging player to accept a team opt out. Right now, Donaldson is a 7 WAR/year player. It would cost a team $56M to buy 7 WAR on the open market. When he’s 37, he’s gonna be a 2 WAR player.
So, obviously, a team giving him $200M would love to opt out of the second half of it. But that’s ridiculously unfair. If the Blue Jays gave him 3 years $150M, then a mutual opt out, and then 3 years $50M, I’m sure he’d take it just as fast as he’ll take 6 years $200M.
But it’s not in the Blue Jays’ best interest to “share the risks” that way. The way they would like to “share the risks” is to keep under-paying him, and then dump him when he’s no longer as good. That’s unacceptable. You either give him $50M/year now, or you give him a longer contract at a lower AAV, and take the good with the bad.
The opt out only favors the player
His career numbers match up with Machado
Opt outs are player friendly not team friendly. It does not share anything. Its all unilateral. Team only has downside no upside
Donaldson just won the offseason Captain Obvious award.
Despite my comment from earlier, I’m really loving our new mgmt. They were the group that put together the Indians team that went deep into the playoffs last couple years. And, despite much of the farm system being depleted by AA, they’re not sitting around waiting for the next big thing to mature.
JD will get resigned. There is a long time between now and even the AS break/trade deadline. The Jays need to evaluate his production and ensure the injury from last spring was merely a fluke. If he starts this season where he left off Last year, the Jays will come to the table with what he both wants and can settle with.
And should we lose him, keep in mind what this Mgmt regime did this offseason:
– Traded little to get players like Diaz, Solarte and Grichuk.
– Inked minor deals for relief pitching rather than going FA route.
– got some needed OF help for little $$ in Granderson.
– picked up Garcia for just a year to shore up the rotation and get Biagini out of the rotation (for now).
Garcia will be FAR better than what’s his name from Pittsburgh the year before. And if the rotation stays healthy, Guys like JD, Grichuk and Granderson should put up decent or better numbers for a post season birth.
If JD is 2015 producing and the Jays are in the playoff pic come mid season, he’ll be a Jay forever!
I’m O’s fan who has no love for Donaldson or the Jays. That being said, he belongs in Toronto. He fits. He’s been the heart of that team since he got there. They should keep him. I wish the O’s had a few “Donaldson’s”.
So say Donaldson ( say we give him age 36 at high level) gets a 4 year deal. Meaning TOR believes his next 4 years will be as good as his last… DH helps SOME. What does he get? 4-80? If there’s bidding 4-88?
Also, Billy Beane had made several good trades. Excluding trading Cespedes out of the middle of that lineup. And then, he traded Donaldson for prospects and he should have kept him. It’s been downhill ever since in OAK.
Donaldson can carry a team when he is going. He is a core guy.