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OT: The Toronto Blue Jays

I know lots of people here aren't big on 'intangibles' and the like... but there has been much discussion about the locker room culture and lack of accountability the past couple seasons, and a part of me wonders how much a part of that Bautista is. Love what he's capable of with the bat, but not sure he's the guy I want to be the leader in the clubhouse.

Of course, if he returns to form, hard to pass up the value in his contract. But unless he returns to being one of the best hitters in baseball (which is unlikely IMO), I'd be okay trading him.
 
JackBurton said:
It is frustrating that they pull this move after giving up so much futures a year ago to "Go For It".
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It is, but it flopped, so now it's got to be about a longer term competing strategy. There is a group of players in house that with some tweaking can be an 85-90+ win team. But we simply can't pretend that last year never happened and move on like this core can be expected to win a world series within the next 1-2 years.
 
ORLANDO - A Japanese journalist approached Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos on Tuesday and asked what he was looking for in terms of new starting pitchers.

"More," said the Jays' fourth-year GM. "And guys that are good."

Anthopoulos got a good laugh with that rather flippant response, but it's no secret that the GM's priority this off-season is to acquire at least one new quality starting pitcher - and preferably two. But it's also becoming clearer by the day that Anthopoulos is banking on Brandon Morrow to rebound in a big way in 2014.

Yes, the Jays have two dependable workhorses in the rotation in Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey, and are hoping to sign or trade for a couple more this off-season. But for the Jays to make some noise in the AL East in 2014, Morrow will have to round back into the form he showed between 2010 and 2012 when he won 31 games. Last season, Morrow was penned in as the club's No. 2 starter behind Dickey, but because of forearm problems, he was able to pitch only 54 1/3 innings and won only two games in 10 starts.

But Anthopoulos is confident that Morrow will stay relatively healthy in 2014 and help the Jays get back on track after a deeply disappointing 2013 campaign. The feeling is, even if Anthopoulos can trade for a quality starter or two, or sign a free agent like Ubaldo Jimenez, Matt Garza, Scott Kazmir or Bronson Arroyo, the Jays need a healthy Morrow back in the rotation to contend. They're certainly aren't giving up on him.

"He threw a bullpen (Tuesday), he felt very good, no issues at all, so obviously it's a great step for him," said Anthopoulos. "Right now, everything's pointing in the right direction, but he still has a lot of other steps to go through, but so far it's gone really well for him. We didn't go into the (2013) season expecting Brandon Morrow to have two wins for us. We all know he's capable of a lot more than that. He had 10 in 120 innings the year prior and it looked like he was his way to the all-star game."

Anthopoulos confirmed on Monday that he'll be able to spend more than last year's payroll of $119 million (reports had the Jays' budget at $150 million for 2014, though the GM wouldn't confirm a number), which means that he'll have flexibility in terms of improving the rotation, and perhaps can add depth at second and catcher. But though Anthopoulos is confident that he'll be able to swing some deals or splash out on a free agent or two, he said the organization will likely not stray from its policy of five-year limits on contracts, which can sometimes throw a roadblock in the Jays' pursuit of big-name free agents.

"But we feel good about (that)," said Anthopoulos. "That's where our policy sits today, though I don't think we'll ever rule anything out in the right context, right circumstances. If you're prepared to pay someone at five years at X, and a sixth year comes out (with) almost the same total dollars, sure you can (justify) that. But for the most part, it's the basic framework. It's just being adverse to incredibly long-term deals, like we're seeing with some of these seven- and eight-year deals."

Anthopoulos described this year's free agent starting pitching class as "solid" though he wouldn't tip his hand at whom specifically he might be after, saying that discussions with agents and other teams are still largely in the preliminary stages.

"I think until some of them (free agents) start signing, then we'll have a sense where the market's going and if there's value there and if there isn't," he said.

Poor starting pitching and injuries (Jose Reyes, Brett Lawrie, Jose Bautista) were major factors in Toronto being one of the most disappointing teams in baseball last season, but Anthopoulos still believes that the Jays have a solid enough foundation of talent where, if they add a starter or two, they can contend.

"I really do," he said. "You're not going to win too many games ranking 29 out of 30 in starters' ERA. Offensively I think you can look around the diamond and see some pretty exciting players, guys we have under control for a while. And the bullpen's certainly a strength. It comes down to the rotation."

Anthopoulos addressed a number of other topics on Tuesday, including:

Finding a way to remain healthy

The Jays were one of the most injury-plagued teams in baseball last season.

"We've talked a lot internally about health and how we stay more healthy," he said. "If you look from 2009 through 2011, our DL days actually went down every single year and all of a sudden in 2012 they skyrocketed."

Retirement

Anthopoulos announced that utility player Mark DeRosa has decided to retire. DeRosa, 38, played one season with the Jays but provided stability and leadership in the clubhouse for the struggling Jays all season.

"He knows he can still play and we certainly know he can still play, but family considerations were important for him," said Anthopoulos. "He was only here a year, but he had a tremendous impact on some of the players." The rumour is the 16-year Major Leaguer may became a broadcaster with the Chicago Cubs.

POSITION BREAKDOWN

Anthopoulos reiterated that he will try to upgrade at catcher and second base via trade or free agency, but may bring in a full-time catching coach to help J.P. Arencibia, if necessary, and possibly platoon Ryan Goins and Maicer Izturis.

"Ryan's definitely not going to be given anything, he's going to come in and compete. Maicer the same way, I think ideally he would serve the super-utility role and play all over the place," said Anthopoulos.

ROMERO REPORT

The Jays are going to let Ricky Romero try to figure out how to get back to the form that saw him win 15 games and go the all-star game in 2011.

"I think it's up to him," said Anthopoulos. "He knows what's best for him. If we knew what the solution was, we would have had it addressed. He's flashed it. We all saw it, even in the minor leagues last year. He'd have starts where he was dominant and other starts he would get hit. But we know his work ethic and stuff is still there. I think at any time it can click again. But he knows what he needs to do and what can get him back on track."
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http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/12/blue-jays-expected-brandon-morrow-to-rebound-in-2014
 
When it comes to trade rumors and the Jays, if you hear about it, it ain't happening. They always come out of nowhere. As for Brown, he's a 3 outcomes hitter. Not sure if we want another guy like that. He did have a decent walk rate in the minors, but it hasn't translated yet.
 
JIM BOWDEN @JimBowdenESPNxm
John Gibbons Blue Jays Mgr told us they are "looking to add pitchers not swapping outfielders" #InsidePitch Sirius209XM89

Andy McCullough @McCulloughSL
Brian Cashman says you can rule out the Yankees signing Brian Wilson. His agent told team he won't shave beard. True story, Cashman says.
 
steve buffery @Beezersun
#Jays GM Anthopoulos isn't overly confident that he's going to sign top second base free agent. Looks like it will be
Izturis and Goins
 
Shi Davidi
November 13, 2013, 4:38 PM

ORLANDO, Fla. – The main thing Alex Anthopoulos got done Wednesday at the GM meetings was quashing a baseless trade rumour that had Jose Bautista headed to the Philadelphia Phillies for Domonic Brown-plus.

As if.

“As I’ve said many times before when I read things that are totally false, fabricated, ridiculous – use every adjective you want – things have to make sense,” Anthopoulos said. “I understand if rumours have some legs to them, but the tough part is when they’re completely fabricated. That’s the hardest part.”

The rumour, out of Philadelphia, came to life late Tuesday night but was confirmed as a fabrication by sportsnet.ca early Wednesday morning. Still, that didn’t keep it from becoming a major talking point anyway.

“I don’t think there’s been a trade yet that we’ve made has been leaked ahead of time unless it was already done,” said Anthopoulos. “I hope that before people run with things, they realize that if you look at the track record over four years, there’s yet to be a deal that’s leaked ahead of time before it’s been done.”

The same author of the Bautista rumour also insisted the Blue Jays had made a US$20-million, two-year offer to free agent catcher Carlos Ruiz, a former Phillies player.

Another falsehood.

“It’s amazing how people who don’t work for us or work in our office have information,” said Anthopoulos. “I can say this comfortably, I do not have one free-agent offer out to anybody as we sit here today, I have not made one offer to one free agent at any point in time. Hopefully that throws a lot of water on the rumours.”

As for what he did accomplish, Anthopoulos spent time meeting with several of his counterparts but expects the trade market to develop slowly.

And while he’s met with the representatives of free agents, nothing is imminent on that front.

“That’s not to say we’re not going to engage,” said Anthopoulos. “It’s just not the time to get to that point.

“I can’t talk (about) the free agent market, but at least from a trade standpoint, I think it’s going to be slower to develop and that may impact the free agent market as well. If I’m just going off the two or three days here, I think you’ll see much more activity at the winter meetings.”

BORAS’ TAKE: Scott Boras sees a potentially bright future for the Toronto Blue Jays.

“As to what makes that turn there is something that is yet to happen and maybe it will,” the super agent said Wednesday.
The Blue Jays haven’t had a Boras Corp. client on the big-league roster since Brad Wilkerson in 2008 and haven’t drafted a player the agency has advised since James Paxton, who didn’t sign and was later redrafted by the Seattle Mariners, in 2009.

When that fact was pointed out to Boras, he quipped: “Maybe that’s the turn we’re talking about.”

Asked if he believes the Blue Jays may have intentionally turned away from his clients as a result of the failed Paxton negotiation, he said: “I’ve had constant communication with both Paul (Beeston) and AA (Alex Anthopoulos) throughout. It’s not anything to do with not talking, maybe just not the right fits.”

Boras represents two of the off-season’s prime free agents in outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo, neither of whom is on the Blue Jays’ radar.
“The Blue Jays are Canada’s team, they’re well-armed with a very successful company behind them, certainly Paul Beeston knows how to put together a winner,” he said. “There’s a process there that’s very ready for success.”
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http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/anthopoulous-rips-fabricated-bautista-rumour/
 
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