On Jan. 7, former Toronto Blue Jays ace pitcher Marcus Stroman took to Twitter to call out his former club’s management.
“That front office will never build the team they should around their unbelievable core of young players … it’s a travesty,” Stroman wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
I don’t know if Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro or general manager Ross Atkins follow Stroman on Twitter, but Stroman’s tweet seems to have given the team extra motivation.
This off-season showed us the Blue Jays front office is committed to win in 2021 and beyond. In the club’s 44-year history, this is possibly the most money the Jays have ever spent in free agency.
While the team’s starting rotation is still weak, the Jays have enough talent to edge out the Rays for an AL wild-card spot. The Blue Jays could be just one piece away from a deep playoff run in 2021.
On Jan. 19, it was announced the Jays had signed centre-fielder George Springer.
Arguably the top player on the free agent market, the 31-year-old is a two-time Silver Slugger and a World Series MVP. He instantly becomes the best hitter in the Jays lineup.
Springer’s six-year, $150-million contract is the largest deal in franchise history, eclipsing Vernon Wells’ seven-year, $126-million extension and the five-year, $82-million deal signed by Russell Martin in 2014.
Since Stroman criticized the team’s unwillingness to spend, the Jays have spent over $177 million in free agency—more than any other MLB team.
Stroman deleted his tweet, but the internet never forgets. So to Stroman, I simply ask: Do you like apples?
To Toronto fans, I ask a more rhetorical question: How ‘bout them Blue Jays?
Making sense of a wild off-season
The news was confirmed and—Splash—George Springer is officially a Blue Jay. The Jays have been interested in just about every big-name free agent on the market. However, with Springer signing, Toronto proved it is no longer an undesirable free agency destination.
Springer clearly saw past the higher Canadian income tax and the prospect of relocating his family outside the U.S.—two factors that often deter American free agents from signing in Toronto—to take his talents north of the border.
While Springer was the biggest signing, Toronto added other quality free agents.
Earlier during the same day the Springer news broke, Fox’s MLB reporter Ken Rosenthal reported the Jays signed closer Kirby Yates.
Last season was a write-off for Yates, as he pitched just 4.1 innings before elbow surgery shut down his season.
For a guy who led the league with 41 saves in 2019, a one-year, $5.5-million deal is a low-risk, high-ceiling gamble for a legitimate ninth-inning shutdown man.
Ditto for the Jays signing of infielder Marcus Semien. At one year and $18 million, this
short-term commitment poses minimal risk for the Blue Jays.
Semien—who will likely transition to second base from his native shortstop—was third in American League MVP voting just two years ago, when he finished with 33 home runs, 92 runs batted in and a .892 on-base-plus-slugging. The hope is that Semien returns to form in 2021 after a subpar 2020 season.
The Springer acquisition leaves the Jays with a glut of starting outfielders. It would be nice to see them move either Randal Grichuk or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for a starting pitcher. The team could also turn to the free agent market for someone like James Paxton, Jake Odorizzi or Taijuan Walker who they’ve been rumoured to be interested in.
Another name being thrown around on Twitter is David Price. Jays fans likely remember Price as the blockbuster acquisition who pitched to a 9-1 record and a 2.30 ERA during his 11 regular season starts in 2015.
There’s no doubt Price’s best years are behind him, but from 2017 to 2019 he still produced an ERA+ of 135, 123 and 113, respectively. Price for Grichuk and a middle-tier prospect isn’t an unreasonable trade.
While Price isn’t the pitcher he used to be, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ $102-million signing of Trevor Bauer pushes the team’s total payroll well over the luxury tax threshold. If the Dodgers are willing to eat half (or more) of Price’s salary, the Jays could emerge as trade partners.
The Jays need better starting pitching and Price, Paxton, Odorizzi or Walker fit nicely as number-two starters.
Expectations for 2021
The AL East Division is strong.
In 2021, it looks like the New York Yankees will own the division. The Tampa Bay Rays are still good, even without ace starter Blake Snell, who they shipped to the Padres for prospects.
The Jays enter the season as the most exciting young team in the division. FanGraphs
projects the Blue Jays to have the fourth-best team in baseball by WAR, behind only the Yankees, Dodgers and Padres.
As of now, the lineup projects to look something like this:
CF: George Springer (R)
SS: Bo Bichette (R)
RF: Teoscar Hernandez (R)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R)
LF: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R)
3B: Cavan Biggio (L)
2B: Marcus Semien (R)
DH: Rowdy Tellez (L) / Randal Grichuk (R)
C: Danny Jansen (R)/ Alejandro Kirk (R)
This Jays lineup resembles the powerful roster of five years ago—when a Donaldson-Bautista-Encarnacion trio terrorized American League pitchers.
Featured graphic by Cara Garneau.
