TORONTO – In the absence of the type of move befitting of the raised expectations created by the Toronto Blue Jays, each and every name that comes off the board will act as a test of faith in their off-season plan.
On the heels of known whiffs for Kevin Gausman and Ha-seong Kim, as the San Diego Padres and Mets make things happen, and amid a slow-moving overall market, there is fertile ground for cynicism to take root.
The Blue Jays have made calls and inquired and done background on nearly everyone of consequence available. So far, their noteworthy work is limited to re-signing Robbie Ray. Given how aggressive they’ve been, you’d think they would have more accomplished by this point.
That they don’t is either a cause for concern, or simply the result of a dysfunctional business environment caused by the pandemic’s economic fallout, depending on your outlook.
Now, failing to acquire Lindor – a possibility that captured the imagination of some Blue Jays fans on social media – is hardly a death knell for their winter. Bo Bichette deserves to be the team’s undisputed shortstop, anyway, and GM Ross Atkins would do well to anoint him so publicly.
But with Lindor off the table – the Blue Jays are said to have gone in pretty big for him – the rest of their pursuits must come into tighter focus. And rather than playing out the still plentiful remaining options and alternatives, now is the time to force the issue with their preferred targets before the market starts playing them.
Front and centre in that regard should be George Springer, another Mets target to whom there is suddenly a clearer pathway.
After adding both Lindor and Carlos Carrasco (we’ll discuss Cleveland’s return later), the Mets under new owner Steve Cohen right now are projected to have a payroll around $180 million, according to FanGraphs.
At minimum, one executive expects that they’ll still make some depth signings, each pushing them closer and closer to the Competitive Balance Tax threshold of $210 million. Springer will cost, at minimum, $25 million a season, so that doesn’t leave them much space beneath the line, and whether they’d cross it is uncertain.
At his introductory news conference, Cohen told reporters that “at some point we will, but maybe not this season.”
“I’m not afraid to go over it, but you want to have flexibility on our payroll,” he added. “Long-term contracts can limit a team’s ability going forward. I’ve said we are a major-market team and we should spend like we are a major-market team, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to spend like drunken sailors.”
Important context here is that Robinson Cano’s season-long suspension after testing positive for a banned substance removed his $24-million hit this season, but that same amount remains on the ledger in each of the next two years. If they’re going to extend Lindor, continue to carry Jacob deGrom’s $37.5 million, consider extending Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto or any of their other pending free agents, it’s fair to wonder if they can, or if it’s sensible, to carry another big ticket like Springer, too.
Mets president Sandy Alderson hinted at a yellow light there, but between Lindor, Carrasco, James McCann and Trevor May, it’s already been a pretty solid off-season.
Hence, there’s a pathway to Springer for Toronto, especially if Atkins and crew decide that’s it and it’s time to go get him. At $125 million over five years, maybe the Mets match, but if the Blue Jays move closer to $150 million over five years, does that seal the deal?
They need to find out now, and pivot quickly if that’s not going to happen, deciding who they’re going to overpay for, because that’s what it will take. The reason they landed Hyun-Jin Ryu last winter was because they gave him a fourth year, and some have suggested they were the only team willing to do so.
So far, the Blue Jays have stood firm on their valuations, refusing to budge. One source suggested that’s what happened with Kim, who got similar dollars but over a shorter term with the Padres, and there was similar speculation about a line in the sand stare-down with Sugano’s camp.
With lesser-known commodities, that’s understandable. But at some point, they have to ante up and it’s better if it’s for someone they have total conviction in, rather than someone who the market drove to them and fell into their financial comfort zone.
After all, if the Blue Jays aren’t willing to swallow inefficient back-ends to deals, and are going to wallow in the mid-tier market safety of two- or three-year contracts, then they’re not really advancing the program as aggressively as they should be.
And if they’re not going to do what it takes in free agency, then maybe they’re better off using their prospect capital to trade for players, since it’s traditionally been easier for the Blue Jays to keep players in Toronto than lure them here in the first place.
In return for Lindor and Carrasco, Cleveland picked up shortstop Amed Rosario, well-regarded infielder Andres Gimenez, rookie-ball righty Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene, a second-round pick this past summer.
Rosario is an established big-leaguer while Gimenez posted a .732 OPS over 49 games in his rookie year last summer. If Cleveland was set on getting a young infielder ready to step in, the Blue Jays wouldn’t have a match for that not named Bichette, Cavan Biggio or Vladimir Guerrero Jr., obvious non-starters.
Maybe the Blue Jays could have built a package around Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and top prospect Jordan Groshans. But doing that for one guaranteed year of Lindor while also creating a hole in left field that would cost $10 million or so to backfill is a good way to shorten their competitive window.
Adding two years and an option on Carrasco, who ZiPS projects to be worth 2.9 fWAR this season, would have helped, and maybe framed in that light it changes some of the math.
Only Ryu projects better under ZiPS at 3.1, with Robbie Ray next at 2.5, so picking up Carrasco, even with $27 million guaranteed over the next two years, would have upgraded the rotation, another area of priority.
For whatever reason, it didn’t happen, and now the Blue Jays must decide what’s next. Plenty of good players remain and some of them will eventually take their money, but they should go get who they really want, rather than allow others to decide the path forward for them.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
