MLB Rumors: Blue Jays fall in line, not setting pace in quiet offseason

Ian Hunter

MLB Rumors: Blue Jays fall in line, not setting pace in quiet offseason image

Compared to years past, the 2017 MLB offseason is moving at a glacial pace. Aside from the Shohei Otani courtship and subsequent signing and the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes, activity around Major League Baseball thus far has been timid to say the least.

Keeping in line with the other teams are the Toronto Blue Jays, who remain relatively quiet on the transaction front. Aside from a few modest moves -- like the trade for infielder Aledmys Diaz-- they haven't done much to improve their roster for the 2018 season.

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Managing expectations is part the job for MLB front offices, and Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are working to temper those in Toronto while also not painting a grim picture for the 2018 Blue Jays' season.

“We do have the benefit of having a club without immediate holes," Shapiro told Sportsnet. "There are multiple spots where we feel like we'd like to improve and do better, but we have Major League quality calibre players who are able to fill and play it today. That enables us to sit back and say 'we don't need to outpace the market'; we can see where the value lies. We feel like there's going to be value somewhere in that infield market. We feel like in the outfield market, someone will present himself as some point, be it free agent or trade.

"I don't think this is a year for us to outpace or reach.”

If you were thinking the Blue Jays may be in play for top available players like Lorenzo Cain, Jake Arietta or even J.D. Martinez, Shapiro gave the impression the Blue Jays have no interest in outbidding or overpaying for free agents.

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The only scenario where a player like Cain, Arietta or Martinez lands in Toronto is if the calendar turns to January or February and asking prices drop significantly. Surely, the Blue Jays' front office has a dollar figure they're willing to spend on free agents and the Jays aren't willing to deviate from it, not dissimilar to the other teams in Major League Baseball.

When Shapiro spoke about "outpacing the market", it was likely in reference to the Blue Jays jumping the market last year by signing Kendrys Morales to a three-year/$33 million dollar contract. After year one of that deal, it is clear Morales is costing the Blue Jays a valuable roster spot.

The Blue Jays arguably have a better designated hitter than Morales in Steve Pearce, which makes having two hitters of that ilk a little redundant. After being overly aggressive on the free agent market last year, the Blue Jays could be experiencing some buyer’s remorse; which means they may take the opposite approach this winter.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports also mentioned the Blue Jays’ interest in Cain as an upgrade in the outfield. He would be an ideal fit for the Blue Jays, but they’re clearly not interested in overextending for a free agent, which makes Cain a long-shot to sign in Toronto since he remains one of the top available names on the market.

In addition, Heyman recently linked to the Blue Jays to infielder Josh Harrison, who is being shopped by the Pirates.

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If Opening Day started this week, the Blue Jays have the players necessary to field a competitive team. The greater question is: do the Blue Jays have the pieces to field a contending team? Considering the moves the rival Yankees made this offseason, it is difficult to envision this cast of Blue Jays seriously contending in the AL East in 2018.

If their offseason strategy is to slow play it and wait for a free agent or trade piece to fall into their lap, given how slowly the market has developed, that plan may work. Shapiro used a similar strategy back in 2012 during his days as President of the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe were late players for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn who signed in December of 2012, long after many of the marquee free agents found a home.

Many teams are taking the "wait and see" approach when it comes to free agents this offseason, while clubs like the Yankees, Giants, Cardinals and Mariners have been aggressive on the trade market. 

The Blue Jays are doing what most clubs are this winter; they're slow playing the market. As Shapiro mentioned, players will eventually "present themselves" as an opportunity for the Blue Jays this winter. On that same token, nobody wants to be the last one standing when the music stops.

Ian Hunter