Let me start by making one thing perfectly clear:AROLDIS CHAPMAN IS NOT WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR!
Even still, it is - at the very least - interesting to hear that the Jays are kicking the tires on the live-armed defector. With the Red Sox and Yankees interested, and the unproven Cuban reportedly looking for a contract in the $40M-$60M range (what!?), it's a pipe dream for the Jays to actually be "in" on the player (see what I did there?).....but the fact the team is even being mentioned in rumours has to count for something, yes? Yes.
Is this a peek into AA's money-burning soul? Has Rogers actually opened the wallet? Did this offseason suddenly get a lot more interesting? Are you tired of me extending this post by asking questions we can't possibly know the answer to?
Yeah, I dunno. It's the rumour mill. Take it with a shaker of salt. The team hasn't even set the direction yet - or so we were sorta kinda maybe told by Mr. Tony Viner - so it's difficult to imagine this is anything more than due diligence on a free agent. If even that much is actually fact.
And hey, if nothing ever comes of this, I hear that Kenny Takahashi is available.
Mandatory JP Ricciardi update
So, the Red Sox have offered JP a spot in their front office. Makes sense, right? Of course it does. No, not because Ricciardi is a native Massholian who hated Toronto and secretly made moves with an eye on his hometown team.
It makes sense because the Red Sox are a smart, well run organization. Yeah, I said it.
(And yes, I just choked even typing words of praise to the Sox.)
I'm not exactly clear on the legal issues with regarding the status of defectors, but Aroldis plying his trade in Canada might not be such a tough sell, hypothetically speaking. I would think it may be easier to get his girlfriend and child over to Canada than the States due to the better diplomatic relations, but that's just a guess at best. Though with the current interregnum, it may be too late to get in on the Aroldis bandwagon, unless the Beest has given the okay and has used Madame Zorba to channel the next President to get the all-clear.
ReplyDeleteStill, offering anything over 40M to an unproven pitcher seems like it may explode the pay structure of the team, though Wells' albatross of a contract pretty much does that already. Still, an alleged 102 MPH fastball would be awesome to have, just to see the Yankee's lumber-wielders flail away listlessly. Actually, just to embarrass the Yanks, I'd sign him.
JET!!
ReplyDeleteEven the Yankees might not be willing to spend that much on him given how high their payroll is currently.
ReplyDeleteThen again, if they don't win the World Series, all bets are off.
Yankees payroll is high?
ReplyDeleteA rhetorical question, maybe, but how high is high for the Yankees?
The scary thing is that the Yanks payroll has dropped this year. It was almost 10 million lower than last year...
ReplyDeleteAnd they'll have another 32 million off the books when Damon/Matsui/Nady are gone at the end of the year. They still have to replace Damon/Matsui, but they have a fair amount of cash to play with.
Looks like Bart Given's site was hacked.
ReplyDeleteExcellent use of "the player."
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense because the Red Sox are a smart, well run organization. Yeah, I said it.
While I want J.P. to get his ring, I'd appreciate it if he didn't get it with the Red Sox. But you're absolutely right about that organization.
Why would you want/care if JP gets a ring??
ReplyDeleteupdate: in the online G&M http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/lebrons-no-traveller/article1337865/
ReplyDeleteBlair gets the word direct from the GM's mouth - no pursuing of Chapman.
Bad info from MLBTR, I guess...
So, the Indians swooped in an took Manny Acta
ReplyDeleteThe Clevelands are Acta-stealers. I hate them.
ReplyDeleteI actually feel okay about the Jays not going out on a limb for Aroldis. That's a lot for a guy who might not turn out to be anything more than Jose Contreras.
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