Blue Jays Off Season 2013/14

[Jennifer_]

...speaking of coaching:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/report-seitzer-close-to-joining-blue-jays/

Report: Seitzer close to joining Blue Jays


Former MLB player and Kansas City Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer is close to taking a job on the Toronto Blue Jays’ coaching staff, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reported Wednesday.

Seitzer was the Royals’ hitting coach when Toronto manager John Gibbons worked in Kansas City as the team’s bench coach. The Royals dismissed Seitzer after four seasons on the job last October.

The 51-year-old has spoken about the value of hitting the ball up the middle and to the opposite field, especially when down in the count. Last winter he told FOX Sports Kansas City that he doesn’t favour pull-happy approaches.

“Personally, I think it’s a recipe for disaster,” Seitzer said. “And there aren’t too many hitting coaches who wouldn’t agree. You start committing yourself too early on pitches and a lot of bad things can happen. You’ve got less time to react and you’re going to see a lot of foul balls or weak ground balls.”

Gibbons believes in hitting the ball up the middle and the opposite way when down in the count, sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi wrote this month.


“Just felt like the offence underperformed all year long,” Royals manager Ned Yost said at the time of Seitzer’s dismissal. “Kevin Seitzer has tremendous passion, tremendous energy, worked his tail off, but we just felt like there was more offence in there, so we felt like it was time to make a change.”

Seitzer played at the MLB level for 12 seasons, debuting with the Royals in 1986. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Indians before retiring following the 1997 season.

Seitzer, a career .295/.375/.404 hitter, made all-star teams in 1987 and 1995.

The Blue Jays announced earlier in the month that hitting coaches Chad Mottola and Dwayne Murphy would not be returning for the 2014 season.

 

[mynameisearl11]

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/sto...uban-defector-68m-over-6-years?eadid=EL/SICOM
And you think Rogers would listen to me to bring in the entire Cubans team? Not! But, they will up the tickets price next Spring. You watch.

 

[Stradler]

I would like to see the Jays take a big run at Masahiro Tanaka.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/j...urce=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com

He will only be 25 and is a proven pitcher in the JPPL. 20 - 0 this year with a 1.24 ERA.

 

[The Oracle]

I would like to see the Jays take a big run at Masahiro Tanaka.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/j...urce=direct&utm_medium=linker-www.typepad.com

He will only be 25 and is a proven pitcher in the JPPL. 20 - 0 this year with a 1.24 ERA.

Word out of NY is that the Yankees are going to take a strong run at him.

 

[Ironhead]

This Christmas how about under the Jays tree there is Masahiro Tanaka(SP) and Brian McCann(C; age may be a drawback)

 

[Dawgger]

This Christmas how about under the Jays tree there is Masahiro Tanaka(SP) and Brian McCann(C; age may be a drawback)

Would be happy with either one. McCann may want a long term contract and that may throttle any chance of getting him. I think getting McCann would obviously up grade the catching and I believe it would improve the pitching as well.
Tanaka would be a major investment. Doubt if the Jays want spend that kind of money but you never know.

 

[mandrill]

The Toronto Blue Jays have exercised the 2014 contract options on Casey Janssen, Adam Lind and Mark DeRosa while declining the option on Munenori Kawasaki, multiple sources told sportsnet.ca Thursday.

Lind will earn $7 million, Janssen $4 million and DeRosa $750,000. Kawasaki would have earned $1 million, but may still return on a minor-league deal.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/blue-jays-exercise-4-million-janssen-option/

 

[Dawgger]

The Toronto Blue Jays have exercised the 2014 contract options on Casey Janssen, Adam Lind and Mark DeRosa while declining the option on Munenori Kawasaki, multiple sources told sportsnet.ca Thursday.

Lind will earn $7 million, Janssen $4 million and DeRosa $750,000. Kawasaki would have earned $1 million, but may still return on a minor-league deal.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/blue-jays-exercise-4-million-janssen-option/

Kevin Seitzer officially added to coaching staff as batting coach

 

[mandrill]

Jays declined to make Josh Johnston a qualifying offer today. Thank god!

 

[shack]

Jays declined to make Josh Johnston a qualifying offer today. Thank god!

And he's probably willing to sign a one year deal for a song and try for free agency again next year. He knows his value plummeted after this year in terms of a good long term deal. It is worth it for him to basically give away a year of salary for the chance of a multi-year double digit/year salary.

I'm not saying the Jays should necessarily take him on even if they can get him for $1 million, but his agent has said there's a good chance he would accept a one year, low $ contract. He needs to boost his market value.

 

[mandrill]

And he's probably willing to sign a one year deal for a song and try for free agency again next year. He knows his value plummeted after this year in terms of a good long term deal. It is worth it for him to basically give away a year of salary for the chance of a multi-year double digit/year salary.

I'm not saying the Jays should necessarily take him on even if they can get him for $1 million, but his agent has said there's a good chance he would accept a one year, low $ contract. He needs to boost his market value.

Assuming his arm isn't blown out, he is worth at least a couple of million just on the gamble that he could bounce back and be dominant again. The question is whose $million does he take now. He may well field multiple offers, albeit none of them very high.

 

[shack]

Assuming his arm isn't blown out, he is worth at least a couple of million just on the gamble that he could bounce back and be dominant again. The question is whose $million does he take now. He may well field multiple offers, albeit none of them very high.

Evidently the doctor speculated that the bone chips that he had removed were a big part of his problem. Near the end of the season his agent said something to the effect of "that he has some unfinished business in Toronto".

 

[gcostanza]

No one tell Jennifer, Mark DeRosa announced his retirement today.

 

[Insidious Von]

The Jays should seriously consider grooming him to eventually become head coach. You can't argue against the success of Italian-American coaches when October rolls around.

 

[gcostanza]

The Jays should seriously consider grooming him to eventually become head coach. You can't argue against the success of Italian-American coaches when October rolls around.

Head coach?

 

[Nad Smith]

He would be a better manager than Gibbons right now.....but he does look like managerial material

 

[Dawgger]

And he's probably willing to sign a one year deal for a song and try for free agency again next year. He knows his value plummeted after this year in terms of a good long term deal. It is worth it for him to basically give away a year of salary for the chance of a multi-year double digit/year salary.

I'm not saying the Jays should necessarily take him on even if they can get him for $1 million, but his agent has said there's a good chance he would accept a one year, low $ contract. He needs to boost his market value.

I found this hard to believe when I heard it but the "experts" are suggesting he will get at $10,000,000. per year. No word on the how long that contract might be, I would guess 1 year.

 

[Rockslinger]

Heard on the radio that the Jays are talking about a possible trade involving Jose Bautista to Philadelphia. I like Bautista but he has missed over 100 games the last two years. (Note I didn't say he is "soft".) http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluej...e_jays_looking_at_phillies_domonic_brown.html

 

[The Oracle]

Heard on the radio that the Jays are talking about a possible trade involving Jose Bautista to Philadelphia. I like Bautista but he has missed over 100 games the last two years. (Note I didn't say he is "soft".) http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluej...e_jays_looking_at_phillies_domonic_brown.html

AA shot down that story today.

 

[teassoc]

Heard on the radio that the Jays are talking about a possible trade involving Jose Bautista to Philadelphia. I like Bautista but he has missed over 100 games the last two years. (Note I didn't say he is "soft".) http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluej...e_jays_looking_at_phillies_domonic_brown.html

This one was strongly denied.

Another one popped up afterwards of Arencibia to the Phillies. Also strongly denied.

Seems likely though that Jays budget is now up to $150million and that they are in the FA market for starting pitchers. Trades also possible where Jays have some surplus reliever arms.