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Offseason Outlook: Toronto Blue Jays

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While the Blue Jays have already addressed many of their offseason needs, they're probably not done making changes just yet.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (estimated salaries)

  • Cory Wade, RP: $700K (first time eligible, non-tender candidate)
  • Bobby Wilson, C: $600K (first time eligible, non-tender candidate)
  • Colby Rasmus, OF: $4.5MM (second time eligible)
  • J.A. Happ, SP: $3.8MM (second time eligible)

Free Agents

The Blue Jays made one of the biggest trades in franchise history this week, re-shaping their roster and restoring hope for a fan base that has grown tired of mediocre results. Two weeks into the offseason, this team looks much different — and much stronger — than the one that took the field under John Farrell for the final game of the season last month. Much of Alex Anthopoulos’ work is done, but he still has many needs to address before Spring Training.

Jose Reyes - Marlins (PW)

The 2012 season opened with no-so-cautious optimism only to unravel because of injuries and limited pitching depth, and end with the revelation that the manager wanted out. While the disappointment has faded, the shortcomings of the 2012 team will inform Anthopoulos’ decisions as the rest of the winter unfolds.

Now that the GM Meetings are over and the trade with Miami has been agreed upon, Blue Jays executives can resume their managerial search. They appear to have selected two finalists for the position, so a decision could come soon. Whenever they do select a manager, they must be certain their selection wants to be in Toronto. Farrell’s interest in Boston became a serious problem toward the end of his tenure in Toronto.

The Blue Jays had one of the worst starting rotations in baseball this past season. Pick a metric — innings, ERA, wins above replacement, strikeout rate, walk rate — and Blue Jays starters were among the worst in MLB. That should change in 2013, when Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson join the rotation. By acquiring the former Marlins starters, Anthopoulos addressed the team's most pressing need in a meaningful way.

Still, the Blue Jays shouldn’t stop adding pitching depth now. They don’t need to spend on a prominent free agent starter, especially after taking on so much payroll in their trade with the Marlins. Free agents such as Brandon McCarthy, Shaun Marcum and Scott Feldman would strengthen Toronto’s depth and prevent injuries from being so costly when they inevitably occur. Free agents might even be more inclined to sign with the Blue Jays now that they’ve made such a significant trade. If not, the Blue Jays could pursue trades for pitchers such as Trevor Bauer, Gavin Floyd and Jon Niese.

The Blue Jays have enviable catching depth at a time that many MLB teams figure to have interest in upgrading at the position. The club could trade either John Buck or J.P. Arencibia if the right deal emerges. In fact both catchers bat right-handed and hit left-handers better than right-handers, so to an extent they're redundant on the same roster. Anthopoulos could look to engage the Rangers, Yankees, White Sox, Mets, Mariners and Astros in trade talks for the catchers this winter.

The depth of the Blue Jays’ bullpen will depend on whether Darren Oliver returns for another season. The Blue Jays exercised their 2013 option for the veteran left-hander, but he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll play another year. He’d be an asset for the Blue Jays, even at age 42. He struck out 8.3 batters per nine innings pitching last year, lowering his ERA for the fifth consecutive season.

Though right-handers Jason Frasor and Brandon Lyon are hitting free agency, the Blue Jays did complete a trade for Esmil Rogers. Sergio Santos and Luis Perez both underwent surgery this past July, and could join the Blue Jays late in the 2013 season. It'd still make sense for the Blue Jays to pursue another reliever to be sure they have enough pitching depth for the first half of the season.

The Blue Jays' decision to sign Melky Cabrera makes lots of sense, since the team didn't have a clear answer in left field. Now Rajai Davis stays on the bench and Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra presumably return to the minor leagues, where they'll provide depth. Cabrera, the most expensive free agent addition the Blue Jays have made under Anthopoulos, costs $16MM over two years, a reasonable sum for an All-Star caliber player in his prime. There are lingering questions about Cabrera, who served a 50-game suspension for having elevated levels of testosterone. Still, he has considerable upside, so paying him at the same level as Jason Kubel and Coco Crisp seems reasonable.

Two new additions, Bonifacio and Izturis, can both handle second base. Though it's possible the Blue Jays will consider other options at the position, there's not much available in free agency and the trade market doesn't seem much more promising.

The Blue Jays' class of arbitration eligible players consists of just four players. Two of them, Cory Wade and Bobby Wilson, could lose their roster spots. Colby Rasmus and J.A. Happ will be tendered contracts, but neither players seems like an obvious extension candidate at this stage.

Since the season ended last month, the Blue Jays have already traded a manager, completed a franchise-changing blockbuster deal, signed two free agents to multiyear contracts and claimed six players on waivers. Some teams don’t do as much in an entire offseason. For Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays there’s still work to be done between now and Opening Day.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Kuroda, Pagan, Reyes, Buehrle

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Here's the latest from around baseball as we head into the weekend…

  • Hiroki Kuroda has told friends that his preference is to pitch in southern California to be near his daughters' grade school, reports Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles.  Saxon speculates this could make the Dodgers and Angels the favorites for Kuroda's services, with the Dodgers having the "presumptive edge" with Kuroda due to their past history.
  • Angel Pagan could sign before the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.  Pagan's suitors include "many of the same clubs" who are interested in fellow free agent B.J. Upton, a market that includes the Phillies, Braves and Nationals.  The Giants are also in the mix to bring Pagan back to San Francisco.
  • Also from Rosenthal, the Marlins made verbal promises to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle that neither would be traded when Miami was courting the two as free agents last winter.  The promises were made in place of formal no-trade clauses, which the Marlins don't hand out as a matter of club policy.  Reyes and Buehrle, of course, were traded to the Blue Jays on Tuesday as part of the big 12-player deal that has yet to be officially confirmed by the league.
  • Right-hander Ramon Ramirez will no longer be represented by the ACES agency, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Ramirez is the latest of several players to recently switch from ACES, which may be due to MLB's ongoing investigation of the agency for its alleged role in the Melky Cabrera fake website scandal, though the players' union cleared ACES earlier this month.
  • Dodgers president Stan Kasten discussed such topics as his plans for the club's minor league system, his career history and MLB labor issues with Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels talked with Michael Moye (Josh Hamilton's agent) earlier this week, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, though it seems as if both sides were just checking in on the other.
  • The Blue Jays have generated the most headlines of any team this offseason, but FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi notes some of the holes the Jays still have to fill.

NL East Notes: Stanton, Upton, Mets, Salcedo

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We've already had one collection of NL East Notes today, but there's no shortage of news coming out of the division.  Here's the latest…

  • Giancarlo Stanton is still upset about the Marlins' sudden rebuild, telling Peter Gammons of MLB.com that "former Marlins come back and they warn us" about the club's history of firesales and that it is a constant source of discussion amongst current players.  "This is the 'winning philosophy?' Then to say it's not about money? What is the motivation? There comes a breaking point. I know how I feel. I can't imagine how the city and the fans feel," Stanton said.
  • The Marlins and Blue Jays have officially filed the paperwork about their big 12-player trade with the league, reports Rogers Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (via Twitter).  Monday is the most likely date for the trade to be finalized, though it could happen over the weekend.
  • The Nationals have been in contact with free agent outfielder B.J. Upton, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, and are "expected to have increased communication" as the offseason progresses.  Upton visited the Braves and Phillies earlier this week.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson said his team will need "a little more clarity" on the contract situations of David Wright and R.A. Dickey by the time the Winter Meetings roll around, reports Newsday's Marc Carig.  "At some point we need resolution on these discussions to be able to move on. But that time is not now," Alderson said, aiming at the 10 days between Thanksgiving and the start of the Winter Meetings on December 3 as a prime negotiating period.
  • Edward Salcedo received a $1.6MM bonus from the Braves as an 18-year-old in 2010, though the 21-year-old hasn't yet lived up to his potential in the minors, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Quick Hits: Cabrera, Slowey, Cardinals, Marlins

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The Blue Jays continued adding to their roster today, agreeing to terms with free agent outfielder Melky Cabrera on a two-year contract worth $16MM. Here are some links from around MLB, starting with Cabrera…

  • The Indians had interest in Cabrera before he agreed to terms in Toronto, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
  • Not surprisingly, the Giants weren’t interested, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Instead, the Giants remain focused on re-signing Angel Pagan, Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com reports.
  • Right-hander Kevin Slowey, who spent this past season pitching for the Indians' Triple-A team, is generating some interest as a free agent, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old hit free agency earlier in the month.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he expects to tender contracts to all of the team’s remaining arbitration eligible players, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter). The Cardinals recently released Kyle McClellan, but their arbitration class doesn't include other non-tender candidates.
  • Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel explains how agent David Sloane worked around the Marlins' policy of not granting no-trade clauses to make sure that Carlos Delgado wouldn't pay higher taxes if moved. Former Marlins players such as Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle face different tax laws in Toronto than they did in Miami.

Minor Moves: Wagner, Angels, Rhymes, Wood

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Some minor league deals from around the baseball world…

  • The Blue Jays have signed right-hander Neil Wagner to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, MLBTR has learned.  Wagner has a 3.77 ERA, 2.95 K:BB ratio and 10.2 K/9 rate in 312 career minor league relief appearances in the Padres, A's, and Indians' systems, plus pitched five Major League innings with Oakland in 2011.
  • The Angels signed Billy Buckner, Luke Carlin, Brendan Harris, Trent Oeltjen, Jo-Jo Reyes and J.B. Shuck to minor league contracts with invites to the Major League Spring Training camp, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.
  • The Nationals have signed infielder Will Rhymes to a minor league contract with a Spring Training invite, reports the Beverly Hills Sports Council's Twitter page.  (Rhymes is represented by the BHSC.)  Rhymes was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay in September and has a .266/.328/.343 line in 449 career plate appearances over three seasons with the Tigers and Rays.
  • Matt Eddy of Baseball America recaps the week's minor league transactions, including news of Brandon Wood signing a minor league deal with the Royals.  Wood, the former Angels third baseman who was once considered one of the top prospects in the game, last appeared in the Majors with the Pirates in 2011 and posted a .722 OPS for the Rockies' Triple-A team in 2012.

Blue Jays Looking For Another Starting Pitcher

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Even after adding Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in Tuesday's massive trade with the Marlins, the Blue Jays "still need — and want — one more starter," reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  Assuming the trade with Miami is finalized in its current form, the Jays' rotation currently stands as Brandon Morrow, Johnson, Buehrle, Ricky Romero and J.A. Happ.

The Jays' top priority this offseason was finding starting pitching, and Toronto has been connected to several of the top pitchers on the market as well bounce-back candidates like Scott Baker (who has already signed with the Cubs).  Given the number of injuries suffered by Jays starters in 2012, it's no surprise that the club wants as much depth as possible for next year's rotation.  The Blue Jays have already greatly increased payroll so they could continue this willingness to spend by chasing a Zack Greinke or Anibal Sanchez, but it's also possible that the Jays have already done their major winter spending and will now look for depth amongst lower-priced free agent pitching options.

Matt Sosnick, Johnson's agent, raised the possibility during a recent radio interview that the Jays could deal Johnson or another of the newly-acquired players from the Marlins.  Rosenthal doesn't believe that the big right-hander will be leaving Toronto anytime soon: "Anything is possible, but team did not get Johnson to flip him." Of the players in the deal, John Buck seems like the most obvious trade candidate given the Jays' depth at catcher, though Buck has much less trade value than a younger backstop like J.P. Arencibia.

The Latest On The Marlins-Blue Jays Blockbuster

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The baseball world is still reeling from the Blue Jays–Marlins blockbuster, which still has yet to be made official. A total of 12 players will change hands once things are finalized. Here's the latest on the trade…

  • It has taken some time to collect all 12 players for their physicals, which is why Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) reports the trade won't be completed until Friday or Saturday.  Rosenthal notes that Jose Reyes was on vacation in Dubai at the time of the deal and is just returning to Miami tonight.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the trade is currently being reviewed (Twitter link). Selig said he is "not happy," but so far doesn't he see a reason to disallow the deal according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • Selig has heard a lot of grumbling from other owners about the trade, writes Ken Davidoff of The New York Post. Clubs from the AL East, NL West, and NL Central are not happy with the on-field ramifications of the swap.
  • "A couple of years from now we might look back on this as a warning sign," said an official to ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider required). There is concern within the game that the latest collective bargaining agreement hurt small market clubs and that similar blockbuster sell-offs may become more frequent.
  • The Marlins plan to start Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop with Yunel Escobar playing third base, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. However, the Marlins haven't ruled out flipping Escobar to a third team.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes (on Twitter) that the Marlins will receive a combined 32 years of team control over the players in the trade. The Blue Jays, however, will receive just 12 years of control.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.

Marlins Claim Scott Maine

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The Marlins claimed Scott Maine off of waivers from the Blue Jays, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. The Blue Jays had designated Maine for assignment six days ago.

Maine, 27, has bounced around quite a bit this year. The left-hander started the season with the Cubs, then was claimed by the Indians in August before the Blue Jays claimed him in October. The 27-year-old made 30 relief appearances this year, posting a 6.08 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings.

Trade Reaction: Marlins-Blue Jays Blockbuster

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As you’ve surely heard by now, a blockbuster trade took place last night. The Blue Jays and Marlins agreed to a franchise-altering deal that will send Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, John Buck, Emilio Bonifacio and $4MM to Toronto for Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis and prospects Anthony DeSclafani, Justin Nicolino and Jake Marisnick. The trade might not be official for a couple of days, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

Not only does the deal re-shape the teams’ rosters, it affects the way the Marlins and Blue Jays are viewed around baseball. To summarize, the Blue Jays are seen as legitimate contenders while top Marlins executives are seen as selfish people compromising the game's integrity. Here are some of the many reactions to the mega-deal. The initial post about the trade now has well over 1,000 comments so chime in here with more of your thoughts. Here are the reactions and updates, with the most recent items up top:

Afternoon Updates

  • MLB hasn't received official documentation for the trade, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). The cash headed to Toronto could be at least double the $4MM initially reported, according to Brown.
  • Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the trade was justified. "We finished in last place. Figure it out," he said. Loria added that he's "absolutely not" selling the Marlins. "We have to take a new course," the owner said.

Reaction To Marlins Ownership

  • Loria and president David Samson are destroying baseball in Miami, but commissioner Bud Selig shares blame with the pair of Miami executives in the view of Yahoo's Jeff Passan. Selig knew the Marlins were lying last year but let them continue, Passan writes.
  • After looking back at recent comments made by Loria, Samson and others, ESPN.com's Buster Olney finds it hard to view the Marlins' decision making "as anything other than a complete sham." There are calls for MLB to force Loria to sell the team, Olney writes. However, baseball executives think the deal was good for Miami from a pure baseball standpoint (considering talent and salary obligations).
  • The trade is "a despicable disgrace" for the Marlins, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com writes. The Marlins obtained a publicly funded ballpark only to trade their top players. Loria, Miller concludes, "must be stopped."
  • It's the same tired act in Miami, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Former Marlins reliever Randy Choate told Kepner Loria wants to win, but questioned this trade. "It’s just unexplainable,” Choate said. “I don’t think any of those guys would have signed there if they thought they’d get traded one year later."

Reaction To The New-Look Blue Jays

  • We just witnessed the defining move of Alex Anthopoulos' career in Toronto, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. Casey Janssen told Davidi he hopes the deal gets finalized soon. "I think we kind of told baseball that we’re going to be a factor next year," Janssen said.
  • The Blue Jays now seem like a serious threat in the AL East, but as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reminds us, you don't get prizes for winning the offseason. One NL executive told Sherman GM Alex Anthopoulos "was tired of asset collecting and finishing fourth."
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law likes the trade for the Blue Jays, who now look like contenders. As for the Marlins, Law writes he would offer "condolences to the Marlins' fans if only [he] could find them."

What The Trade Means For Toronto’s Manager Search

  • Before the trade took place, a person with Blue Jays reached out to longtime Braves manager and former Toronto manager Bobby Cox to determine his interest in returning to the Blue Jays, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
  • The Blue Jays called right after their opening emerged and heard that Cox wasn’t interested, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). Cox told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he plans to stay retired. “I really don’t know what else to say,” Cox said.

Quick Hits: Scutaro, Stanton, Hunter, Reyes, Tolleson

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The Marlins’ colossal deal with the Blue Jays has some wondering if Giancarlo Stanton will be the next big name shipped out of Miami, but that may not be the case.  Outside executives tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) that of all the players the Marlins floated at the GM meetings, Stanton was not among them.  Here’s more from around baseball..

  • Multiple sources tell Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that the Giants are confident that they’ll be able to re-sign Marco Scutaro.  The veteran would likely return on a two-year deal.
  • Torii Hunter left his meeting with the Tigers today without a deal or a formal offer, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter link).  Several officials still see Detroit as the frontrunner for him, however.  We kept track of the latest on Hunter in one handy post on Tuesday.
  • The Red Sox made a push for Josh Johnson and Jose Reyes, but the Blue Jays just blew the Marlins away, a source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • Infielder Steven Tolleson agreed to terms on a minor league deal with the White Sox, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).  Kubatko adds that the Orioles would have liked to retain him.
  • More than a dozen teams have checked in on free agent pitcher Jeremy Bonderman, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  Bonderman has an offer in hand from the Tigers and the Nationals are among the dozen teams with interest, Olney tweets.
  • The Red Sox are among the teams in contact with Jason Bay as he considers his options for 2013, tweets Olney.  Bay is looking for a solid opportunity as well as familiarity and Boston would obviously provide the latter.
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