Alex Black

The Toronto Blue Jays, fresh off a last place finish in 2024 but finishing with 91, 92, and 89 wins from 2021-2023, have pieces to make a deep push in the playoffs, but need some much needed help to do so. Their young talent is the biggest question mark, as some of them need a lot of work that might not fit their “win now” mentality. Bo Bichette and Vlad Jr. are both on the tail end of their Blue Jays tenure, both reaching free agency in 2026. Pitchers Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and outfielder George Springer will also reach free agency around that time. Pitcher Jose Berrios has an opt out in 2027, and can choose to go into free agency in his age 33 season. Because of this, and the incentive to build a successful team as Canada's only baseball team (rip Montreal), I begin my optimistic wish list for Toronto's future. I will break it down position by position and try to make it as digestible as possible, while providing 3 “tiers” of thought: cheap, average, and lucrative. I will try to add definitions for terms I use that not everyone would know to help with this.

BREAKDOWN OF MINOR LEAGUES: MLB AAA AA High A Low A

ARBITRATION: player has reached enough service time to advocate for themselves if they believe they deserve a larger contract, if both sides cannot agree, it is taken to a third party arbitration hearing, not good for player-team relations

SPOTRAC.COM: website that evaluates player contracts and estimated player market value

PLAYER OPTION: clause in additional years of a contract where the player can choose to opt in or opt out, going to free agency

TEAM OPTION: clause in additional years of a contract where the team can choose to opt in or opt out, sending player to free agency

FANGRAPHS.COM: website that gives super in depth looks at each team and players, projections, and evaluations

CY YOUNG AWARD: best pitcher award

TEAM BREAKDOWN/WISHLIST ——————————————————————

CATCHER: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heinemen, Brian Serven

After trading away Danny Jansen this past season, it's clear that Captain Kirk is the primary catcher for the years to come, now in his arbitration years and set to reach free agency in 2027. Originally signing as an international free agent way back in 2016, he is just now getting his spot as the no1 catcher. Taking a step back offensively in 2024 however, the Blue Jays should nix having Tyler Heinemen and Serven as the backups (kind of nothing players outside of being able to play catcher), and instead sign a no2 catcher that can also serve as a pinch hitter when needed. This is when trading your top catching prospect hurts you. Gabriel Moreno, traded from Toronto to Arizona, has become a top catcher in the game at only 24 years old. Traded with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for Daulton Varsho, this trade still baffles me as you traded a top catching prospect and a quality outfielder for a decent outfielder who can play catcher but probably won't ever again.

The catcher free agent class is usually pretty weak, as a good catcher is one of the more important pieces to keep around. Ironically, Danny Jansen is a free agent again, but will probably be asking for a multi-year deal worth more than I would spend on a no2 catcher. After departing with Moreno, their catching prospect list is basically non-existent, as none of their catchers rank.

Cheap: Yasmani Grandal

Grandal will be entering his age 36 season, and has fallen off significantly after his time in Milwaukee. Injuries and poor performance filled out his 4 year contract with the White Sox, having just one good year from 2020-2023. Signing with the Pirates this year on a 1 year, 2.5mil contract, he put up better numbers than his last year with Chicago hitting more homers in less games. His best years are behind him, but as a switch hitting bench bat, he could provide some offense on a game to game basis. Spotrac has his projected market value to be 1.3m/y but I think matching his previous contract with another 1 year, 2.5-3 mil deal is a good cheap option for a no2 catcher.

Average: Gary Sanchez

Gary Sanchez is a veteran of the AL East division, playing with the Yankees for the majority of his career before stints with the Twins, Mets, Padres, and most recently, the Milwaukee Brewers. Batting .220 in 2024 with 11 homers in 89 games isn't anything special, but only 31, I can see him recovering some of his power lost from his Yankee days, and would sign him to a 2 year, 8 mil deal. Having him as a bench option/secondary catcher seems like the better option as his average and on base percentage is up from his last year with the Yankees, having played half as many games.

Lucrative: Elias Diaz

Diaz will “only” be 34 in 2025, and has more than 6 years of service time as a major league catcher. Starting with the Pirates but having his best seasons in Colorado, Diaz is a good backup option, batting .270 with Colorado this year before being traded to San Diego. He only hit half as many homers this year as he did last year, but still hit for a decent average. His market value is projected to be much higher than I think it should be at 13.1m/y, coming off of a 3 year, 14 mil extension and taking a step back in his production during those years, I can see signing him to a 2 year, 15mil deal.

SUMMARY: Yasmani Grandal – 1yr,2.5-3 mil Gary Sanchez – 2yr, 8mil Elias Diaz – 2yr, 15mil

FIRST BASE: Vlad Jr, Spencer Horwitz

The biggest question mark for the Blue Jays is whether Vlad Jr. can return to his 2021 season production or if this could be the final days of Vlad Jr. in a Blue Jays jersey. By far the most expensive player to evaluate, it's hard to see the Blue Jays not at least trying to keep Vladdy on the Jays. In his last years of arbitration and making almost 30 mil in arbitration in 2025, it's hard to see both sides agreeing on a number for a long term deal. Hitting 30 homers and batting over .300, he is edging closer to his best season with Toronto (40 homers, .300+ average), but with little time remaining on his tenure, the Jays should be putting him as their top priority. Spotrac has him valued as a potential 10 year, 250mil player, akin to the Braves' Matt Olson (8yr, 168 mil) which would become the largest contract in Blue Jays history, beating out George Springer's 6 year, 150 mil contract. Only missing 18 games since 2021, I think he is a safe person to bet big on, and at the very least, maintain his production for the majority of his career. In this game of ifs, I have to picture a reality where they don't get Vladdy to resign, either due to the front office's own mismanagement or because of a more lucrative deal from another team, most likely a routine contender.

Cheap: Spencer Horwitz

Just starting his tenure as a major leaguer and having a good first season in Toronto, the Jays can continue to develop Horwitz as their first baseman following a potential departure from Vladdy. Under contract until 2031, and not arbitration eligible until 2027, he is the perfect cheap, homegrown option to invest in and make their starting first baseman of the future. Hitting over .300 for the first months of his career and ending with a .265 average and 12 home runs is more than quality for a 24 year old drafted in 2019. His pre arbitration contract is only 741,000/y and he has the tools necessary to become a main piece of the Blue Jays future.

Average: Anthony Rizzo/Rhys Hoskins

This one is a little different because both players have options (Rizzo team option, Hoskins player option) so this is assuming both players have their options opted out of, sending both to free agency. Much like the signing of Brandon Belt last season, an added first baseman option will let Vladdy play games at DH and let him rest a little throughout the season without having to take him out of the lineup.

Anthony Rizzo, a World Series champion in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs and back in the World Series with the Yankees this year, hasn't had the same production since his time with the Cubs, and has been sidelined with injury during his tenure with the Yankees. The Yankees are expected to decline his option, I think Rizzo is a good left handed option, and if healthy, can still have quality performance on offense and defense. Signing a 32 mil contract from 2022-23 and another contract for 2023-25, the Yankees are expected to buy out the last year of his 40mil contract for 6 mil. From the start of his Yankees tenure to now, his market value has plummeted from 17/mil to an estimated 2 mil/y salary. Because of this, and his notable defense, I think he is a good option to have as a backup/bench bat. His last full season was 2022, where he hit 32 homers to a .224 average, and if he can get close to this production as a first baseman/DH/bench bat, can be a good signing for the Blue Jays. Despite him being 36 next season, I would give him a 2yr, 10 mil contract with an option for a third year.

Rhys Hoskins is kind of the opposite. Missing all of 2023 due to injury, and signing a short-term deal with the Milwaukee Brewers and proving he is still a quality player, I think Hoskins will opt out of his contract to pursue a more lucrative deal. Hitting 26 homers to a .214 average is nothing to scoff at after missing an entire year. His last full season was with the Phillies in 2022 where he hit 30 homers to a .246 average, pretty close to his most recent season. His estimated market value sits at 11.8mil/y, and I think that's fair given his current 17mil/y contract. At 31 years old, I would give him a 4yr, 50 mil contract, or a shorter 2 year, 30 mil contract with a player option for a third year.

Lucrative: Vladdy Jr.

Obviously, the lucrative option would be to sign Vladdy long term. Returning to form after a down year in 2023 where he only hit 26 homers to a .264 average, and only 25, the Blue Jays almost have to re-sign Vladdy, a generational cornerstone when at his best, an above average player at his worst. I would give him an 8yr, 200mil deal with options for a 9th and 10th year for a total of 250 mil.

SUMMARY: Horwitz – 747,000/y, Team control until 2031 Rizzo – 2yr, 10 mil, option for third year Hoskins – 4yr, 50mil or 2yr, 30mil with an option for a third year Vlad Jr. – 8yr, 200mil with options for 9th and 10th year

SECOND BASE: Will Wagner, Ernie Clement, Leo Jimenez

With a plethora of unproven infielders, it's hard to say how they will navigate 2nd base. Like Spencer Horwitz, Will Wagner performed well during his first few months with the Jays after being acquired from Houston. Batting over .300 in his first 25 games, it's still hard to tell what he will do in a full season given the chance. Ernie Clement has been a flexible infield option as well, playing 2nd, 3rd, and SS last season. He is on his way to being a productive everyday player, having played his career high in games last season and hitting to a .263 average. To compete for a championship in the next couple years however, they may need more. I can see Clement as the starting second baseman to begin the season, and depending on his production, reevaluate from there. He is almost 30 which is a bit old to develop as an infielder, and he will make 2.5mil next season. Leo Jimenez is too young and too green to evaluate as an everyday player, and has not performed well in his time given at the major league level. I believe he will start in the minor leagues and get called up when needed. Playing in only 60 games mostly due to injuries to the main core, he averaged .229 last season. Second base doesn't always have to be an impact position, but someone who should be in the field as many games as possible with some flexibility in their ability to play other positions. The top second baseman last season was Ketel Marte for Arizona, hitting 36 homers to a .292 batting average, by far an outlier on the offensive front. Former Blue Jay Marcus Semien is a close second place, who with Toronto broke the single season home run record for a second baseman but took a step back offensively with the Texas Rangers' collapse in the second half, only hitting to a .237 batting average.

Cheap: Use what they have in Wagner, Clement, Jimenez

Having an excess of middle infielders makes it easy to plug in someone you already have in your system, without the need to look elsewhere. Wagner showed promise and with Jimenez, are young and cheap with many years of team control. Ernie Clement showed success at the major league level but is getting older for someone who is just now getting significant playing time. He will be entering his age 29 season.

Average: Jorge Polanco

Switch hitting second baseman has a 12 million club option with Seattle for 2025, but only hitting 16 homers to a .213 average, I see Seattle declining his option, sending him to free agency. In the last year of his contract extension from 2019 with Minnesota, Jorge Polanco was a key piece of the Twins' success and still relatively young at 31 years old. Because of this, and his former success , hitting 33 homers to a .258 average in 2021, I think he would be a good short term, win now contract if he can return to form. His market value is a little higher than I would give him at 13.7/y, but a short term deal could be beneficial for both sides. Because of his past and as a switch hitter, I think a 2 year, 25 mil deal with an option for a third year worth 15mil would work well.

Lucrative: Gleyber Torres

Yankee mainstay Gleyber Torres hits free agency this winter, and depending on the Yankee's success in this year's World Series, the team might not re-sign Torres with young infielders on the rise in their minor league system. He's only missed a handful of games in his last 3 seasons, and a veteran of the AL East, could be a good steal for the Jays, even if at a hefty price. The Jays have a lot of young infielders, but could sign Torres to a multi-year deal to have some offensive stability while the young players develop. He took a step back offensively this year, dropping his homers from 25 to 15, and his average from .273 to .253, but looking at his first half vs second half stats, he performed much better in the second half as the leadoff hitter, hitting over .300 the last few months of the season. The Blue Jays' known issues with production in the leadoff spot puts Gleyber in a good spot to provide some early offense for Bo and Vladdy, who will get more opportunities to drive in runs early. Torres is only 27, and will fetch a high price. He received 14.2mil in arbitration last season, and due to his step back offensively, could be signed to a 3 year, 50 mil deal with options for more on the hope that he can return to his 20+ homer, .250+ average with consistency.

SUMMARY: Wagner, Clement, Jimenez – <4 mil/y and a lot of team control Jorge Polanco – 2y, 25mil with option for third year at 15mil Gleyber Torres – 3y, 50mil with options for fourth and fifth year

THIRD BASE: Clement (projected starter on FanGraphs), Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez

The Blue Jays haven't had a consistent third baseman since acquiring Matt Chapman from Oakland in 2022, departing with Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal and settling on deals for Justin Turner and Isiah Kiner-Falefa last year. Their top third base prospect, Orelvis Martinez, hit to a .267 average in the minor leagues before getting called up to the Jays, and promptly suspended for 80 games after violating the PED policy. In years previous, he's been nothing special, but is only 22 years old. Another third base prospect, Addison Barger, got significant playing time last year but hit to a <.200 average, and will most likely start 2025 on the minor league roster. Another third base prospect, Cutter Coffey, one of the players acquired from Boston in the Danny Jansen trade, hit 14 home runs in the minor leagues before being traded, where he only hit 1 the rest of the season. This position is very much a work in progress, and in a win now scenario, needs significant improvement unless you move Vladdy back to third base, something he did a little bit last year but hasn't played full time since 2019. Moving Vlad to third would allow Horwitz or another first baseman (think Rizzo or Hoskins) to play everyday and still let someone play DH without removing much from the field defensively.

Cheap: JD Davis

Because of the unreliability from the Jays third basemen in their organization already, the best cheap option to acquire would be JD Davis, who has shown power in the past but didn't perform well last year where he only played in 50 games. He hit 18 homers to a .248 average with San Francisco in 2023, and could return to that 15+ homer form given a full season. In seasons where he played more than 100 games, he has hit at least 12 home runs and at least a .248 average. A 1yr, 2.5 mil deal, same as last season, should be good enough for him.

Average: Yoan Moncada

Riddled with injuries these past few seasons, Yoan Moncada needs a “prove it” deal, the opportunity to show the league you still got it on a short 1 year contract, to get back on the right track. As a switch hitting third baseman who was touted as a top prospect with Red Sox and later the White Sox, he is only a few years removed from his best campaign, where he hit 25 homers to a .315 average in 2019. Still young at 29, and most likely to have his 25mil team option opted out of, he will be looking for somewhere to show his stuff. Playing poorly from 2020-2024, only playing in a handful of games the last couple seasons, his price tag will be much lower than his contract was, and a 1 yr, 4 million dollar deal would be a good prove it deal for him.

Lucrative: Alex Bregman

Bregman is tricky, because there is a big possibility that the Astros resign Bregman, who has played his entire career in Houston, winning 2 championships in 2017* and 2022 respectfully. He is coming off a 5 year, 100mil extension signed in 2020, and will probably be asking for close to that if he hits free agency. Hitting 41 home runs in 2019, it's no question why he got the contract extension, but since 2020 has performed to a slightly above average statline, as a 20+ homer .250+ average player. If he can't get a deal done because his asking price is too high or Houston's offer is too low, I can see a 4 year, 80 million dollar deal for a quality third base option who has only missed significant time once in his career.

SUMMARY: JD Davis – 1yr, 2.5mil Yoan Moncada – 1yr, 4mil Alex Bregman – 4yr, 80 mil

SHORTSTOP: Bo Bichette, Ernie Clement, Josh Kasevich

Bo Bichette has been a mainstay at the shortstop position since 2019, hitting for a .300+ average almost every season, with his lowest coming this year due to injury at .225, but only playing 81 games (also important to note that it was a hand injury, so offensive struggles were likely because of that). He is set to earn 17.5mil in 2025, his last season before reaching free agency. During his stint on the injured list, Ernie Clement and others held down his position, but not performing nearly as well as Bichette had in years prior. Josh Kasevich has yet to debut on the Blue Jays roster, but performed to a .325 average in 41 games at AAA. I think he will start in the minor leagues, and probably only debut due to injuries or late in the season, so I think signing someone who can slot in to multiple positions while also taking over on rest days for Bo if needed.

Cheap: Amed Rosario

A flexible INF/OF, Rosario has had consistent success at the major league level, with most of his 9 seasons consisting of .260+ averages and 5-15 home runs. He has played most of the season each year, with stints on the Dodgers, Guardians, Mets, and Reds. Not a huge impact player offensively, but his value is in his versatility and ability to stay on the field, not to mention his low cost. Rosario signed a 1.5mil deal in 2024 with Tampa Bay before being sent to the Reds. His estimated value is 2.3m/y, so a 1y, 2.5 mil deal is more than doable.

Average: Ha-Seong Kim

San Diego has at least 50 shortstops last time I checked, Kim one of them, and his contract for 2025 rests on a mutual option. The Padres need to cut payroll, and Kim is expected to opt out of his side, despite a down year offensively. He only hit 11 homers to a .233 average, but at 29 years old and a veteran of the Korean league, Kim is still a worthy player. Kim missed 40 games this year due to injury, but played in 150 games in 2022 and 2023. He is coming off a 4 year, 28 mil contract signed in 2021, and his market value is estimated at 12.3mil/y. I wouldn't spend that much on someone who's best season was only 17 homers at a .266 average, but a 3 year, 33 mil deal with an option for a 4th works well for me, as he has also played second base in San Diego, another spot the Jays need to fill.

Lucrative: Bo Bichette

It's no mystery that Bo Bichette is talented, and that last year was an outlier to his overall production, but signing him to a long term deal would still come with some ifs. 26 years old is super young for a shortstop, and is coming off a 3 year, 33.6mil extension signed in 2023. Set to reach free agency after this next season, signing him now on the idea that he returns to form instead of waiting until after the 2025 season in case his stock rises so much he chooses to hit the open market is the best bet for a solid infield for years to come. Not counting 2024, where he missed half the season, he has hit over 60 home runs to a .300+ average since his debut in 2019. After a down year, you could probably get him to sign a long term deal for less than if he had played a full season, and a 7yr, 150mil contract is somehow on the cheaper end for a player like Bobear.

SUMMARY: Amed Rosario – 1yr, 2.5mil Ha-Seong Kim – 3yr, 33 mil with an option for a 4th year at 15mil Bo Bichette – 7yr, 150mil

OUTFIELDERS: George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Nathan Lukes, Joey Loperfido, Jonatan Clase

Instead of doing 3 players for each outfield position, I will present 5 outfielders, 2 cheap, 2 average, and 1 lucrative.

The Blue Jays outfield has seen massive turnover in recent years, going from proven sluggers like Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel to defensive standouts like Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho, but the constant member of the outfield, George Springer, has fallen off completely from his best years. The highest Blue Jays contract in history at 6yrs, 150mil, Springer is a shell of his former self, hitting to a .220 average last season. George will be 35 during the 2025 season, and a 35 year old outfielder is like one of those dogs with the training wheels because their legs are shot. A worthy candidate to replace George Springer as the top outfielder is Daulton Varsho, and while he was acquired through a horrible, lopsided trade, has proven he can patrol Center Field to a gold glove standard. Lukes, Loperfido, and Clase are young and unproven, but can fill out Left and Right field if needed. Outside of these names, there aren't a lot of impact players for the Jays' outfield. Minor leaguer Alan Roden would be the first one called up if needed, hitting to a .314 average in 71 games at AAA. There are always a lot of quality outfielders on the market, we'll see if the Jays can snag anyone of note for next season.

Cheap: Michael Conforto

Conforto has been through injury hell since he hit over .300 in the shortened covid season, missing all of 2022. He signed a 2 year deal with San Francisco, and performed well enough, playing most games during those two seasons and matching his production from 2021, even surpassing his home run numbers this last season, hitting 20 and batting .237. I can also see him taking somewhat of a prove it deal, improving last season but still needing to return to his 2019 standard, where he hit over 30 home runs for the first and only time in his career. His market value is set at 4.7mil/y, but I don't think he would go for anything less than 10 mil/y. A 1 yr, 15mil deal should be good enough value for what he is hoping to do in 2025. Conforto is a primary Right Fielder but can play Left and Center if needed.

Cheap: Harrison Bader

Besides a short run during his time with the Yankees, Bader has been a defense first outfielder for his career. I would compare this signing to the signing of Kiermaier a couple years ago, adding great defense but with Bader having slightly better offensive numbers. Having Bader as a Center Fielder allows Varsho to rest vs lefties, or allows him to slide to Left with Springer in Right for a more complete outfield. At 30 years old, and valued at 7.1m/y, I think a 1yr, 10 mil or a 2yr, 18 mil deal, comparable financially to Kiermaier's contract (1yr, 10.5mil).

Average: Tyler O'Neill

Canada's own Tyler O'Neill hit 31 homers last year, and would provide much needed power to the middle of the order for people not named Vlad Jr. He made just under 6 mil in arbitration in 2024, and is valued at 16.2mil/y after this great season. He did miss time with injury the past 3 years, which could lower his value a bit, but that makes the 31 homers this season stand out that much more. A corner outfielder, he can slot in as the everyday Left or Right fielder, and also DH when needed. Only 29, I can see signing him to a 4yr, 60 mil contract.

Average: Alex Verdugo

As a member of both the Red Sox and the Yankees, Verdugo is no stranger to the AL East, and has proven to be a +defender with solid offensive output. Only 28, he will probably be looking for a multi-year deal. Making 8.7mil last season in arbitration, I think a 5 year, 60 mil contract with options can be beneficial for both sides, as he provides a left handed bat and solid defense at the corner outfield positions.

Lucrative: Juan Soto

Juan Soto is on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. Only 25 years old, he won the World Series in 2019, and has over .300 for almost his entire career. Hitting for average and power, Juan Soto is the upper echelon of offensive production. His “worst” season is still a 25+ homer season, and had a career high 41 homers in 2024. The Yankees will do everything in their power to re-sign Soto, but why shouldn't the Jays do the same? Making a whopping 31 mil in arbitration this season, he will no doubt be a $500 million dollar man. Slotting in Right or Left, and as a power hitting left-handed bat, Juan Soto will be at the top of the list for every team worth their salt. A 15yr, 500mil contract is an insane amount of money, and is well deserved for a man of Soto's caliber.

SUMMARY: Michael Conforto – 1yr, 15mil Harrison Bader – 1yr, 10mil or 2yr, 18mil Tyler O'Neill – 4yr, 60 mil Alex Verdugo – 5 yr 60 mil Juan Soto – 15yr, 500mil

DESIGNATED HITTER: Vlad Jr., Spencer Horwitz, George Springer

As far as offensive production goes, the Jays need a significant improvement in their DH slot, having an everyday power presence while allowing Vladdy, Horwitz, and Springer to play their normal positions. DH's vary more year to year and don't receive long term contracts because they only hit. (The Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton is one of the only DH's to make significant money and only hit, as Ohtani will return to pitching in 2025). Because of this and the tendency to not sign a DH only player, the options are usually slim.

Cheap: Eloy Jimenez

Debuting with the Chicago White Sox and starting off strong with a 30+ homer season, Jimenez has never been the same player since, struggling with injuries and poor performance. He actually played the same amount of games in 2021 as he did in the shortened 2020 season because of injuries, but put up decent enough numbers in 2023, but not to the standard of his debut season. Because of his strong first season in Chicago, he was signed to a 6yr, 43 mil contract extension, and never lived up to the price tag. He has a team option for 2025, but at 16.5mil, he will most certainly have it declined. He's only 27, and could benefit highly from a 1yr prove it deal, if he can stay healthy. His estimated market value is only 2.3m/y, and a 1yr, 3mil contract for a DH on the hopes they can get back to their 25+ homer days is perfect for a Jays team that wants results without spending big.

Average: JD Martinez

Veteran slugger JD Martinez has produced his entire career, and at 37 years old, is only now starting to slow down. From 2014-2023 (not counting the shortened covid season) Martinez has played over 100 games each season, hitting to a .270+ average. 2024 has arguably been the worst of his career, only hitting 16 homers to a .235 average, but can still provide a power bat at the DH spot, not having to play every day either. At 38, a big money deal is risky, but with 7.5mil of his most recent contract deferred until 2034, could be attracted to a 1yr, 12 mil deal.

Lucrative: Joc Pederson

Another proven power bat, this time from the left side, Joc Pederson hit 23 homers to a .275 average in 132 games in 2024, one of his more consistent offensive seasons. A notorious power bat and two time World Series champion, he will most likely opt out of his 14 mil deal for 2025 and look for a multi-year contract in his age 32 season. His market value is estimated close to what he would earn this year, I think a 3yr, 50mil contract given he still produces is more than beneficial for the Jays.

SUMMARY: Eloy Jimenez – 1yr, 3mil JD Martinez – 1yr, 12mil Joc Pederson – 3yr, 50 mil

STARTING ROTATION: Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis, Chris Bassitt, Yariel Rodriguez

The Blue Jays lucked out with Bowden Francis. When Kikuchi was traded, that opened up a spot in the rotation, and Francis broke out. Pitching to a 3.30 ERA and flirting with a no hitter on multiple occasions, Francis is an excellent pitcher for the future of the Jays. With an all righty rotation however, I think signing a lefty will be good for variety. With Rodriguez' struggles in his first season and subsequently pushed into a bullpen role, a spot is able to be opened up if needed. Alek Manoah (although also right-handed) should return for the second half of 2025 after his UCL surgery. Unfortunately their top lefty pitching prospect, 22 year old Ricky Tiedemann also is recovering from surgery and will miss the first half with Manoah. Lefty Ryan Yarbrough was traded for last season, so there is a possibility that he gets re-signed as a first half replacement for Manoah and Tiedemann.

Cheap: Ryan Yarbrough

Although mostly used from the bullpen this past season, Yarbrough was a starter for his first few years, pitching over 140 innings in 2018, 2019, and 2021 with Tampa Bay. Finishing last season with a 3.19 ERA in 44 games, Yarbrough could be a good lefty option to platoon that no5 starter spot with Rodriguez. Valued at 4.5mil/y renewing his tenure with the Jays on a 1yr, 4 mil contract should hold down the rotation until Manoah and Tiedemann can return from injury.

Average: John Means

The Baltimore lefty has been through injury hell, Only pitching more than 25 games in 2 seasons since 2019. In 2023 and 2024 he only pitched 4 games, and performed well with a a <3 ERA. Now a free agent, John Means will be looking for another 1 year prove it deal to show he can stay healthy and produce at a quality standard, which he did in 2019 and 2021, pitching over 140 innings to a 3.60 ERA. Making 3.3mil in 2024, a 1yr, 6 mil deal can help him show that he can still produce.

Lucrative: Blake Snell

The two time CY Young award winner got off to a slow start in 2024, not signing with a team until after Spring Training, which significantly halted his performance early on. Recovering tenfold and throwing a no hitter this year, Snell is expected to opt out of his last minute contract and hit free agency for the second consecutive season. In what has historically been an up and down statline on a year to year basis, Snell has shown consistency his last 3 seasons, pitching over 100 innings to a <3.50 ERA and winning the CY Young in 2023. He would slot in as the new ace, and a power lefty pitcher would round out the rotation nicely. Snell will most likely want to go to a regular playoff contender, and is valued at 26.3m/y. His biggest question mark in his career has been consistency, but after a third year of consistent performance, a 4yr, 150mil contract is well worth the cost.

SUMMARY: Yarbrough – 1yr, 4mil John Means – 1yr, 6 mil Blake Snell – 4yr, 150mil

BULLPEN: Jordan Romano, Chad Green, Erik Swanson, Genesis Cabrera, Ryan Burr, Brendon Little

Outside of closer Jordan Romano, setup man Chad Green, and lefty Genesis Cabrera, the bullpen is riddled with holes. In what was seemingly a revolving door of L talent, the bullpen is by far the part that needs the biggest change. The next guys up from AAA would be Zach Pop, Luis Frias, or Dillon Tate, all of which had poor performance in 2024. While not every pitcher in the bullpen needs to be an A+ guy, you should at least have consistency. There are always relief pitchers on the market, and on a wide range of price tags.

Cheap: Jose Leclerc

2024 was a step back for Leclerc after winning the World Series with Texas in 2023, pitching to a 4.32 ERA in 64 games. The veteran right hander is a consistent arm however, pitching over 50 innings in 6 of his 8 seasons. Coming off a big extension signed in 2019, and because relievers don't usually fetch a high price, a 2yr, 8 mil deal for Leclerc would add another stable arm in the bullpen.

Average: Kirby Yates

Yates was a Blue Jay for all of 6 seconds before injuring himself and sitting out his 2021 contract, but has since proven himself to be a top reliever in the game again. Cooking up a 1.17 ERA in 61.7 innings for Texas this year is outstanding for the veteran now entering his age 38 season, but age doesn't seem to have affected him as he put up his best numbers of his career. Because he is most likely on his way out of the league, I can see him settling for a 1yr, 8 mil deal.

Lucrative: Jeff Hoffman

Coming off a career year with the Phillies, pitching to a 2.17 ERA in 66 innings, his second consecutive season with an ERA in the 2's, Hoffman is a great choice to be that no1 guy out of the bullpen. Age 31, he will be looking for a multi-year deal. Estimated value set at 6.2m/y, I think a 3 year, 20 mil deal would give the Jays their A+ guy out of the bullpen to set up for Green and Romano in the 8th and 9th.

SUMMARY: Jose Leclerc – 2yr, 8mil Kirby Yates – 1yr, 8mil Jeff Hoffman – 3yr, 20mil

this has been my most ambitious post by far, and if any of these happen, I am the GOAT.

by Your friend and comrade

I've gone through many stages of “pro wrestling” enjoyment, starting at genuine “wow this is really real and cool” to “nahh this is fake and dumb” to now appreciating it as a niche performance art and trying to understand it on a technical level. With iconic characters throughout history, professional wrestling has become a generational pastime, with both participation and enjoyment passed down through families.

Originating in the era of carnies during the late 1800s and adapted from Greco-Roman wrestling, the “kayfabe” or “worked” art of wrestling was quickly popularized in the 1920s, with the first “Golden Era” of wrestling emerging in the late 40's. The first wrestling “celebrity” to be known nationwide would be “Gorgeous George”, known for his flamboyant attire, he was an early predecessor to characters like “Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Mostly involving grappling and various holds, early wrestling, aided by the lacking technology, allows the performers to cover the face or mouth and communicate with the “referee” and their opponent on what to do next. This is now referred to as “calling a match” or “calling spots”. With any performance art, time only allows for more interpretation and adaptation of the industry, creating flashier showmanship and larger events following its inception. In the era of technology, camera cuts are utilized to maintain that charade.

WWE has become synonymous with pro wrestling, often used as a replacement for pro wrestling (think UFC for MMA). Before the corporate entity, pro wrestling was separated into territories. In the late 1940s, during this first golden era, the “National Wrestling Alliance” was formed (and exists to this day). Often just called the “NWA” for short, they established a “World Champion” agreed upon by the various promoters, who would then travel to the various territories and face off against the biggest draws in those places. Because of this, many promoters would want their star to stay local to create the most profit for them, leading to many promoters separating from the NWA. One of these promoters, Vince McMahon Sr. would create the WWWF, and after selling it to his son, Vince McMahon Jr. would transition it into WWF and purchase many of the territories by the late 80s, and is now known worldwide as WWE.

With the eminent takeover of cable television, Vince McMahon Jr. would “poach” the top stars in the failing territories. Now under one corporate umbrella, American professional wrestling was now mostly controlled by one supreme being, Vince McMahon. It would be under McMahon's guidance that characters such as Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage became household names in the 80s and 90s, with the over the top, outlandish way of speaking becoming a staple of professional wrestling. There have been different iterations of the same characters or “gimmicks” throughout wrestling's existence, but for every gimmick that works and clicks with the fanbase, there are 10 that don't and fail. For every Hulk Hogan there is a “Shockmaster” and for every Undertaker there is “OZ”.

The late 80's and early 90's were a breaking ground for new ideas, some good, some horrible, most racist, but at its very simplest, it was the era of ego. Everyone thinks they should get paid more and get more opportunity in the spotlight, and this was highlighted by the creation of “WCW”, backed by billionaire Ted Turner and TBS. With the WWF shifting to a revolutionary weekly program with the debut of “Monday Night RAW” in Jan. 1993, WCW would shift to this method in Sep. 1995 under the guidance of new VP Eric Bischoff, their debut episode of “Monday Night Nitro” was broadcasted from Minnesota <3. Shifting to a more reality tv based form of storytelling and utilizing the backing of billionaire Ted Turner, WCW Nitro would become the first real competitor to WWE and Monday Night RAW. This was the beginning of the “Monday Night Wars” and would go on to create some of the most iconic characters in its history.

Top stars like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair would revive their careers left lacking in the WWF, while homegrown characters like Sting and Goldberg would achieve their biggest success in the “new” WCW. Wrestlers who believed themselves to be misused or underutilized in WWF would “jump ship” to WCW to try and find better success, including Jeff Jarrett, Brett Hart, Mr. Perfect, and many, many, more. For almost 2 years straight WCW was beating the WWF, forcing McMahon and his cronies to think outside of the box. No more could they rely on the do good, boy scout, dynamic and opted for an edgier, more mature business model. Called the “Attitude Era”, characters like “The Rock” and “Stone Cold Steve Austin”, would become icons of the era but it would be WCW's “Mean” Mark Calloway that might be the biggest name in wrestling history, after he was hired by the WWF and turned into “The Undertaker”. While WCW headed downhill, The Undertaker became the biggest name in wrestling. Longevity became Calloway's biggest strength, wrestling well into the 2020's.

Below is a small sample size of iconic characters who left WCW for WWF and became household names. WCW ————— WWF The Giant – The Big Show Eddie Guerrero – no name change Oz/Vinnie Vegas – Diesel (then back to WCW as Kevin Nash, and back to WWF as Kevin Nash) Damon Striker – Edge Cactus Jack – Mick Foley (Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love) Chris Jericho – no name change Terra Ryzing – HHH “Stunning” Steve Austin – “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

By 2000, the WWF had won the “Monday Night Wars” and WCW had gone bankrupt, with the blame game still being played today by various entitles (Hogan, Flair, Bischoff, Hart, and more) with many of its top stars already having left for McMahon's company. McMahon would purchase WCW and work it into a “kayfabe” storyline with his son and daughter, having WCW stars “invade” the WWF and attack their top stars.

History would repeat itself in 2002, with the creation of “Total Nonstop Action” or TNA Wrestling under the NWA umbrella. Helmed by the previously mentioned Jeff Jarrett, TNA would become the next place where talent can go to achieve the success they think they deserve. Hogan would again become part of a WWF (now WWE) derivative, and TNA would repeat the same steps by WCW in hiring people from the competition. Wrestlers like Christian, Kurt Angle, The Dudley Boyz and Scott Steiner created a second wave of success in their careers, getting rehired by WWE down the line. Much like WCW, however, as the company began to go downhill in the 2010s, various stars in TNA (shortly rebranded as Impact Wrestling) were picked up by WWE and given a larger platform to perform.

TNA ———– WWE Abyss- Chris Park (producer, joined 2019) Eli Drake – LA Knight (joined 2021) Rosita – Zelina Vega/Queen Zelina (joined 2017) AJ Styles – no name change (joined 2016) Bobby Roode – no name change (joined 2016) Samoa Joe – no name change (joined 2015) CM Punk – no name change (joined 2006, rejoined 2023)

But now we reach the modern day. WWE is flourishing under billion dollar network deals. Although ideas change, some things always work. A Hulk Hogan becomes a John Cena, an Undertaker becomes Bray Wyatt, and the wheel keeps turning.

The more things change, the more things stay the same, as they say. Another billionaire, another company, this time “All Elite Wrestling” or AEW. Founded by Tony Khan in 2019, AEW is the modern day WCW, offering big money to former WWE wrestlers and broadcasted on TBS and TNT. WCW had Nitro, AEW has Dynamite. WWE has Smackdown, AEW has Rampage. Helmed by Khan, AEW hired some of the top wrestlers on the independent wrestling scene, as well as the top “free agents” formerly with WWE. Starting out as the wrestling fanatic's alternative to WWE, AEW found quick success but has faltered, with wrestlers having creative control over their characters (nobody wants to look bad). The first wave of AEW wrestlers joining WWE has begun, with Jade Cargill, Hamilton, Ontario's own Ethan Page, and Brian Pillman Jr. now in WWE.

More deeply embedded in pop culture than ever, its becoming increasingly interesting for me to attempt to navigate this niche section of “sports entertainment”, now viewing it through a creative lens, taking note of the quality of writing or storytelling within matches, the character arc, and overall presentation of it all. I long joke that it's “redneck Shakespeare” or a “stuntman's soap opera”, but in this current state I genuinely enjoy where pro wrestling is today.

Thank you for sticking with me on this, I know its not something people are itching to read but if you made it this far, have a brew on me.

by Your friend and comrade

Once again falling short in the playoff push last season against a pretty good team idk, the Blue Jays need a definitive step forward this season. Departures of Matt Chapman, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jordan Hicks, Whit Merrifield, and Brandon Belt, although not major, are a lot of holes to fill for the Jays, and after failing to get Ohtani, they settled for a bunch of smaller role players to fill those spots. They signed pitcher Yariel Rodriguez to a five year deal, hoping he can show the same level of skill he showed in the World Baseball Classic for Cuba and in the Japanese Leagues. The Jays also ended up reacquiring Kiermaier on another one year deal, signed utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two year deal, and veteran third baseman Justin Turner to a one year deal. They also signed DH Daniel Vogelbach and veteran first baseman Joey Votto to minor league deals, which means if they perform well they can get a spot on the roster, and if not the team can release them. Santiago Espinal was also traded, opening up more second base opportunities for rookie David Schneider and Cavan Biggio.

The Blue Jays center core of George Springer, Bo Bichette, Vlad Jr, and the catching tandem of Danny Jansen (as I write this I found out he starts the season injured) and Alejandro Kirk all need to stay healthy, as well as perform to their ability. Vlad Jr has all the makings to become the A+ player his dad was, but needs to take a step forward this season. He currently holds the second highest arbitration salary at over 20 million, and has not performed to that price tag. With his free agency in a few years, the price tag will only go up, and if he does not perform to the Blue Jays standards, could get moved in the coming seasons. Alek Manoah is also returning to the big league roster after he fell apart last season for seemingly no reason. A player who skipped most of the minor leagues, and did not play in the 2020 season, Manoah missing a year of development in addition to fast tracking to the main roster could be a reason for his shakiness, and a fresh season with a full offseason of work could be the remedy for him.

With the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays all contenders for the AL East, its important that the Blue Jays stay as consistent as possible, something that has been trouble for them in the past. An excellent defensive team, the offense is the biggest question for them this year.

As of right now, the Blue Jays 2024 roster looks like this:

STARTING ROTATION – Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi, Yariel Rodriguez/Alek Manoah/Mitch White

BULLPEN – Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson, Trevor Richards, Zach Pop, Nate Pearson, Tim Mayza, Chad Green, Genesis Cabrera, Yimi Garcia

CATCHERS – Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk, Brian Serven

INFIELDERS – Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Spencer Horwitz, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Davis Schneider, Justin Turner

OUTFIELDERS – Kevin Kiermaier, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Cavan Biggio

DH – Justin Turner

by Your friend and comrade

To celebrate Shohei Ohtani's record breaking contract + deferred salary, I decided to post a little preview in to Dodgers fans future, as there are a plethora of 40+ yr old players who have since retired still being paid.

The most famous deferred money recipient among the baseball lore would be Bobby Bonilla, who had a career of around 16 years. He is a 6 time all star which is nothing to scoff at, and overall had an above average career, posting an 162 game average of .279/.358/.472, which is the standard for todays players.

But this is not why he is talked about to this day. When the Mets released Bobby Bonilla from his contract in 1999, they bought out the remaining 5.9 million and deferred the payment. From 2011 until 2035, Bobby Bonilla will have received a total of 30 million dollars from the New York Mets, giving him a higher annual salary than some of todays younger players. The Mets ownership were heavily involved with Bernie Madoff at the time, and likely used that money with him to receive a high dividend. Madoff would be arrested in 2009, and the Mets would fall to ruin in the 2010s.

Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Ramirez, Jim Edmonds, Bret Saberhagen, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Japanese legend Ichiro Suzuki, and Bronson Arroyo are all retired and had great careers, some of them HOFers. They deserved the check they got, and in the 80's and 90's the market was a lot more fathomable, as most of these are <5 million, but nonetheless, these players have all been retired for 10+ years, and are being paid big bucks by teams that are all currently rebuilding or just bad: Cincinatti, Boston, St. Louis, New York Mets, Colorado, Seattle (coincidence?)

There will always be good players that deserve good money, but can we at least think about things a little bit?

Max Scherzer signed a 7 year, 210 million dollar contract with the Washington Nationals in 2015, deferring 105 million from 2022-2028. Not only is he still being paid 15 million a year by Washington, he signed a 3 year, 130 million dollar contract with the New York Mets in 2021, was traded to Texas in 2023, and now Washington AND New York have a deferred Scherzer contract on their payroll. He was injured 7 times since 2017 and is also injured for the first half of the 2024 season.

This next one baffles me because it happened almost simultaneously to Scherzer, as these two won the 2019 World Series together. Stephen Strasburg essentially killed his career to win the World Series, giving it everything he had. An elbow injury in 2022 would end his career. He would sign a 7 year, 175 million dollar contract extension in 2016, one year after Scherzer's, with opt outs, extending it yet again in 2019 for 7 years, 245 million dollars, a move that would devastate the Nationals not 2 years later. Injures plagued him from 2018-2020, missing most of the shortened pandemic season, but it would be a neck injury in 2021 and a rib injury a week after his return/debut in June of 2022 that would take him out for almost 2 seasons. In March of 2023, the beginning of the season, Strasburg would suffer nerve damage and be unable to continue his career, formally retiring in August of 2023. 80 million of his contract is deferred from 2027-2029, allotting him 26 million annually.

The Nationals fucking suck right now, btw.

This next one is too hard to tell, as Francisco Lindor has been good, is good, and could potentially be good for the majority of his 10 year, 341 million dollar contract (2022-2031), as he was still relatively young when he signed at age 28, unlike the previous 2 who were well into their 30s. His contract defers 5 million annually from 2032-2041.

He will be a Mets mainstay by the end of his career.

Speaking of Mets mainstay... I mean “end of his career”, Jacob Degrom... the GOAT on the field, but he's usually off the field. Jacob Degrom is the human double-down. The 5th turn of Russian Roulette. From 2014-2019, Jacob Degrom was THE top pitcher. He would body Ohtani every year if they were in the same timeline. In May 2021, however, he got injured. Then later in that year he got injured for the rest of the season. Then next season he was injured for 4 months. Every time he wasn't injured, he was the #1 guy. So how do you go about paying him? He is an 100 million dollar man on the field. But how much can u burn on him being off the field? The deep pocketed Texas Rangers had cash to burn, as they spent 500 mil the year before signing Degrom for 5 years, 185 million with a club option in the 6th year and a full no trade clause. All this at age THIRTY FIVE, and he got injured this year. Has to get a second Tommy John surgery which is a 14 month rehab. 40 million dollar rehab assignment. But they won the World Series so it was worth it right?

Deferring salaries can be a good financial move, or it can quickly turn out to be the stuffing everything in the closet and waiting for it to turn up again later. The economy of sports is completely different now than it was in the 80's. There's money everywhere now. Money to be made, Money to be spent... and Money to be lost. Burned. BTW, of the retired players being paid that I mentioned earlier, Cincinatti, Boston, St. Louis, New York Mets, Colorado, Seattle, only one of those teams would win the World Series, Boston, who won it twice in '04 and '07 with Manny Ramirez. So no, I don't think it works out for most people, and I think that the Dodgers signing Ohtani for that much was as much a marketing move as it was a professional one. They don't care if he performs for the entirety of his contract, he IS the attraction. Ohtani is very much once in a lifetime because he is so much more than a baseball player or a good baseball player, he is a generation of fans waiting to happen. He will shift an entire point of view on baseball, and make alot of dough doing it.

by Your friend and comrade

The Shohei sweepstakes have begun, with everyone obviously interested, but who will actually sign the big fella? When he was first buzzed about in the NPB (Japan's MLB), he expressed his desire to both hit and pitch, and to be on the West Coast so he is closer to Japan. Since the universal DH (Designated hitter) wasn't in effect in the National League at that time, Shohei signed with the Los Angeles Angels of the American League West division.

Now that all teams have the universal DH, the entire West Coast will throw offers his way hoping to sway the pricey once in a lifetime player to their side.

Only taking into account the West Coast as I doubt he will sign anywhere not there, his options are more limited than you'd think. Being a once in a lifetime event, his price tag will also stand alone as the highest paying contract in history. This means that you're not only getting someone now, but will be placed into a 10+year commitment to lower the annual salary.

These are the current highest paying contracts of all time:

Mike Trout (12years, 426.5mil, 2019-30) Mookie Betts (12years, 365mil, 2021-32) Aaron Judge (9years, 360mil, 2023-31) Manny Machado (10 years, 300mil, 2019-23, opted out of his final 5 years in 2023 to sign a new 11years, 350mil, 2023-33) Francisco Lindor (10years, 341mil, 2022-31) Fernando Tatis Jr. (14years, 340mil 2021-34) Bryce Harper (13years, 330mil, 2019-31)

Not only is this an insane amount of money to pay, but to cheap out now by offering long term deals to lower you're annual commitment, you're raising the chance of holding onto dead money in the last half of their contracts when they're all nearing 40 years old. Not to mention these players only do 1 side of the game, not both.

Shohei, being both a pitcher and a designated hitter, will top all of these contracts, but working twice as much will deteriorate him faster. That being said, a lot teams would be willing to break the bank for him.

The most likely is the big spending LA Dodgers, who after the departure of Julio Urias (presumably for good after his second domestic abuse allegations), longtime Dodger Clayton Kershaw's decline, and too many young, unproven pitching prospects, Shohei would be a perfect spot, and their payroll would allow it. They owe Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman over 20+mil for 2024, but the rest of their roster is fairly cheap for a big market team.

The second most likely spot in my opinion would be the San Francisco Giants, another West Coast team in Cali, but the Giants have something to prove. Last offseason they missed out on big stars like Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, as well as Bryce Harper a few years previous. Seen as second fiddle to the longtime success of the Dodgers, the Giants have something to prove after missing the postseason. Their payroll is around the same as the Dodgers, but the Giants are in need of the “Guy”, and they will send Ohtani a hefty offer to get one.

My third and final real destination for Shohei would be Seattle. This years All-Star Game was hosted in Seattle, and the fans made it known they want Shohei. He often trains in the offseason in the pacific northwest, Seattle needs offensive numbers and postseason success, and Shohei can deliver. Although not seen as a premier destination for free agents, as the last big signing Seattle made in free agency was Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who has not performed nearly as well as they wanted and missed most of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery. After their top paid players, Julio Rodriguez (12years, 209.3mil, 2023-34), Luis Castillo (5years, 108mil, 2023-28), Robbie Ray (5years, 115mil, 2022-26), and Marco Gonzales (4years, 30mil, 2020-25), their financial commitment drops off significantly. Considering that only one of their top 10 prospects is a pitcher (who performed poorly this year at the major league level), Shohei's offensive power + his pitching ability should hold them down for a while.

WISHFUL THINKING:

Toronto, Minnesota (please)

by Your friend and comrade

Good afternoon dear readers,

The 162 game marathon is over, and it's time for the Fall Classic.

Minnesota (87-75) won the AL Central Division and is the 3 seed. Toronto (89-73) won the third AL Wildcard spot and is the 6 seed.

Trying my best not to get hung up on statistics, I'm going to try and breakdown the matchups between our two nations before the three game Wild Card series. Before we can evaluate how the postseason is going to look, we have to first look at the 2022 offseason and the 2023 preseason.

In the 2022 offseason, the Blue Jays signed manager John Schneider to a 3 year deal, marking the official beginning of the Schneiderverse. He had taken over midseason after the firing of former manager Charlie Montoyo. They're next big moves would come when they traded longtime Toronto Outfielders Teoscar Hernandez (to Seattle for pitchers Erik Swanson and Adam Macko) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (to Arizona with catcher Gabriel Moreno for outfielder Daulton Varsho) in a move to add more lefties to a right handed heavy lineup. This would also include outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and 1st basemen Brandon Belt. Starting pitcher Hyun Jin-Ryu would be recovering from Tommy John surgery for most of the 2023 season and his contract almost over, Toronto signed starting pitcher Chris Bassitt to a three-year contract. To begin the new year and preparing for the future, they signed star shortstop Bo Bichette to a three-year contract extension.

At the trade deadline, which marks the halfway point in the season, Toronto acquired three players from St. Louis. Pitchers Jordan Hicks and Genesis Cabrera, as well as shortstop Paul Dejong. This was mostly due to injuries to Bo Bichette and closer Jordan Romano, as Dejong was released shortly after Bichette came back. (He would finish the season in San Francisco.)

The Twins offseason was a bit more eventful, as multiple high profile positions were filled on the roster. Through a wild and insane process that involved Carlos Correa being reported to have signed with the Mets and the Giants, Correa returned to Minnesota on a 6 year, 200million dollar deal, the largest in the teams history. (There are clauses in place for 2029-2032). Minnesota also signed catcher Christian Vasquez to a 3 year, 30million dollar deal. Vasquez had just won the World Series with Houston that year. To enforce the bench, Minnesota also signed power hitting Joey Gallo, utility player Willi Catro, and veteran infielder Donovan Solano to 1-year deals. They would also be busy via trades, acquiring infielder Kyle Farmer from Cincinnati, outfielder Michael A. Taylor from Kansas City, and starting pitcher Pablo Lopez from Miami.

This would conclude most of their moves this year, as their only move at the trade deadline was trading pitcher Jorge Lopez to Miami for pitcher Dylan Floro, who we recently released.

You can have 26 players on your postseason roster. This doesn't count for injury replacements, as you can add as needed.

TORONTO ROSTER (presumed) Pitching Rotation: Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Yusei Kikuchi, Hyun Jin Ryu Bullpen: Jordan Hicks, Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza, Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards, Jordan Romano Catchers: Danny Jansen (10day injured list), Alejandro Kirk 1st Base: Vlad Jr. 2nd Base: Whit Merrifield 3rd Base: Matt Chapman Shortstop: Bo Bichette Outfielders: Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, George Springer DH: Brandon Belt Bench: infielder Santiago Espinal, utility player Cavan Biggio, infielder Davis Schneider, catcher Tyler Heineman, outfielder Cam Eden

MINNESOTA ROSTER (presumed) Pitching Rotation: Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda, Bailey Ober Bullpen: Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagan, Brock Stewart, Chris Paddack, Jhoan Duran Catchers: Ryan Jeffers, Christian Vasquez 1st Base: Alex Kiriloff 2nd Base: Edouard Julien 3rd Base: Royce Lewis (10day injured list) Shortstop: Carlos Correa Outfielders: Matt Wallner, Michael A Taylor, Max Kepler Bench: infielder Jorge Polanco (day-to-day injured list), utility player Willi Castro, outfielder Trevor Larnach (day-to-day injured list), outfielder Andrew Stevenson, outfielder Jordan Luplow, infielder Donovan Solano

This is going to be fun.

by Your friend and comrade

Good afternoon readers,

Recently I've been reading up on a lot of MLB financing debates, and one that interested me was “dead money” on MLB rosters. Dead money refers to salary paid to a player who will not play a game for that team. Sometimes its via trade, where one team will pay a partial percentage of a players salary to get another team to pick him up, the most recent big example of this being the Colorado Rockies paying upwards of 50 million dollars of 3rd baseman Nolan Arenado's contract when they traded him to St. Louis.

Because there is no official salary cap, teams pay a “luxury tax” when they breach the $233,000,000 (updated for 2023) threshold. As of 2021, the taxation percentage is 20% of their overage for the first season, 30% the next season, and 50% the next. This can be extremely alarming to teams like the New York Mets, who despite having a multibillionaire owner currently sit at an estimated tax bill of over 100 million. Big signings like Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga, as well as retentions like Brandon Nimmo have ballooned their total payroll, but also the releases of Darin Ruf costs them 3million this year and 500k next year, and Orioles catcher James McCann receiving 11/12 million of his 2023 salary from the Mets.

So, you might ask “Why do I care about some billionaire dork losing money?” and you should say “I don't, this guy reeks”. But I would like to advocate for who it affects the most. The young guy. The 23-25 year old kid who deserves his spot on the roster just as much as anyone, but won't get to play because of an overpaid salary X years previously to some guy he might never meet. The main roster is usually comprised of 25 guys, with the different levels of the minor leagues having 28-30 each. That's over 100 guys at any given time in the organization, and 25 of them get to play in the majors at a time. 70-80% of your organization isn't playing at the major league level, so to drop millions on guys outside the organization affects the development of the young guys who need it most. Now sometimes, a guy gets hurt, and your next in line isn't ready just yet.

This is the case in Minnesota, where top shortstop prospect Royce Lewis who tore his ACL twice in 2020 and 2022 which takes you out for around a year, and will miss half of the 2023 season as well. This offseason we settled with Carlos Correa for a 6 year deal, but where does that leave Royce Lewis? Selected first overall in the 2017 draft, he has only had 40 at bats at the major league level, performing well with a .300 average last season before his injury.

While many teams might be in the “win now, pay later” mentality, signing these guys (who are still the best players in the world and deservedly so) to giant big money longterm deals leave you with a 38 year old player making 20 million dollars a year, blocking the development of your rookie talent at the major league level.

P.S. I really gotta right about something thats not baseball

by Your friend and comrade

After what always seems like an eternity, the baseball season is back. 2023 is a year of change within the sport of baseball, and for the Toronto Blue Jays, it is also a year of necessity.

For the past 4 or 5 seasons, the Blue Jays have been a will they, won't they, baseball team. With emerging homegrown talents like 1st baseman Vlad Guerrerro Jr. (son of HOFer Vlad Guerrero, signed at 16 in 2015 with 3.9mil signing bonus) and shortstop Bo Bichette (son of 4-time all-star Dante Bichette, drafted in 2016) quickly becoming franchise players and household names, to additions like starting pitcher Jose Berrios (signed through 2028) and outfielder George Springer (signed through 2026), as well as starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Japanese league veteran Yusei Kikuchi, the Blue Jays have been in the right position for the last few seasons, but to no success, having won 0 games in their two playoff appearances in 2020 and 2022. Despite the Blue Jays winning over 90 games the last two seasons in the AL East, a notoriously hard division with the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox all being historic powerhouses within the sport, they have yet to have success in the postseason.

Major Additions: *(RP) Erik Swanson (from Seattle) *(OF) Daulton Varsho (from Arizona) *(1B) Brandon Belt (free agent, 12 year veteran with San-Francisco, 2 championships) *(OF) Kevin Kiermaier (free agent, 10 year veteran with Tampa Bay) *(SP) Chris Bassitt (played 2022 with New York Mets) *(RP) Chad Green (missed most of 2022 and will miss the first months of 2023) *(SP) Hyun Jin Ryu (returning from injury)

Major Subtractions: *(OF) Teoscar Hernandez *(OF) Lourdes Gurriel Jr. *(C.) Gabriel Moreno *(P) Ross Stripling (free agency)

Last winter, they addressed their flaws and made changes that could give them that push they needed. Having a very right-handed dominant batting lineup, they traded away star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez for relief pitcher Erik Swanson, and traded Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and prospect Gabriel Moreno for left-handed outfielder Daulton Varsho. In addition to these major trades, they also signed left-handed free agents Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier. They also signed starting pitcher Chris Bassitt and relief pitcher Chad Green, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year. (an elbow surgery most common among pitchers and leaves players out of action for the better part of a year). The Blue Jays organization has also used this offseason to adjust the dimensions of the Rogers Centre, reducing stadium capacity by 7% but with a batter-friendly adjustment to the outfield wall. They have also added new food and bar locations to steal your money, and wider seats for the American crowds.

If we want to get down to the adjusts glasses statistics and break the numbers down, we can use the 2023 FanGraphs projection to see that the Blue Jays are projected to go 89-73, placing them 2nd in the division. Now, these upcoming statistics are pretty unnecessary for the casual fan, so feel free to stop reading here if you desire.

Since the 2020 season, the Blue Jays have a 113 wRC+ (weighted runs created+, is used to compare players performance despite ballpark dimensions) which is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers, notorious for being “the best team in baseball” year after year. They are projected to score 4.66 runs/game, which puts them in 3rd place among all teams. Scoring runs was also their biggest issue in the postseason, having scored only 12 runs in the 4 games played, 9 of which coming from a 10-9 loss. With emerging stars like starting pitcher Alek Manoah, catcher Alejandro Kirk, closing pitcher Jordan Romano, and returning veteran starting pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu, Toronto is in good shape to chase a championship.

by Your friend and comrade

It’s a tale as old as time. A man, a “dude” if you will, watches America’s pastime on TV when he hears the cries of the masses. “Baseball is boring”. “I can’t watch this, it's too slow”. For decades, the issue of baseball taking up almost 20% of an entire day has swept the nation (and Toronto, Canada), but what if I told you Major League Baseball was implementing…robots?

In a 2022 article by David Pierce of the Verge, he writes on the MLB Commissioner's decision to implement the “Automated Ball-Strike System” into the major leagues at the start of the 2024 baseball season. This is one of the numerous changes Commissioner Rob Manfred has created in an effort to speed the games up. Before I get into specifics, however, I would like to delve into part of the history of Major League Baseball. William McLean was the first recorded umpire in baseball, having umpired the first game in National League history between Boston and Philadelphia in 1876…They would start getting paid in 1878. Before the classic standing pose that's seen today, they would sit in rocking chairs! Umpires have been around just as long as the game itself, and the human element has been a major part of the sport, bringing emotion out of fans from both teams whenever a call is made. Although infuriating 50% of the time, you can’t argue the energy and camaraderie experienced from screaming at a tiny little human who will not hear you to vent frustration.

Anyways, let's get to the boring number part now. Obviously having a machine officiate baseball games would eliminate human error, resulting in 100% accuracy, which makes the game the most fair. Umpires, no matter how much we don't want to admit it, are human beings. They make mistakes. And I am here to put them under the spotlight, for you to see. Using this handy tool I found, I can identify which umpires have the highest and lowest accuracy when calling games. Umpire Angel Hernandez has been called the worst umpire in MLB by many fans, players, coaches, and children, yet has also appeared in numerous postseason games, which would arguably be called the most important games during the MLB season. Eliminating someone as negligent as Angel Hernandez can only benefit the game of baseball, even if it's in the form of our soon to be robotic overlords.

There has been some success however, as MLB has used the minor leagues to test out their recent changes to the game, robot umpires being one of them. Similar to what you would see on the TV broadcast, they have definitely added to the game of baseball. 2024 is just around the corner, with new changes coming every year, I can’t begin to imagine what Manfred thinks to do next.

by Your friend and comrade