Blue Jays Discussion: Off-season Edition 4.0 - Steve Pearce signs for 2/$12.5

[BlueForever]

It says that maybe that "rumored" 5/115 offer to Edwin from Houston doesn't look so unrealistic after all

Seriously though, Edwin and Trumbo are on different planets.

So you actually think Edwin turned down 5yrs/115 million???

Wow. Ok if we all want to think that.

If that was on the table and they turned it down. Then EE and his agent are a bunch of dummies. I honestly don't think so.

They played chicken with the biggest offer they got from the Jays and they lost.

No one was giving him more then 3 yrs. And no one was giving him 20 over those years. Plain and simple.

Or he would have signed already

 

[tp71]

Pearce?....

Pearce.

A Whopping 35 rbi last year with 2 teams. Oh, and he ended 2016 injured with a bad elbow...

and he's a friend of the DL over the last 4 years... So we're utility guy who is getting old and oft injured? Wow. I'm blown away at the "cunning" of the move... /s. Look out AL, here we come.... to place 3rd in our division.

Keep them hits coming, Atkins/Shap. Rogers thanks you for the cost savings.

Oh jesus...

He was still a 2.3 WAR player last year btw...

 

[Canada4Gold]

 

[Loosie]

Are we sure about that. Wasn't there already false reports of EE signing in Houston?

 

[TheTotalPackage]

To be honest, in Edwin's defense, it sounds like Kinser was the one who could have been pushing him to play hard ball. I could be wrong here, though.

I'd be shocked if it wasn't the case. I totally see this being a case of bad advice. I know this is a once-in-a-lifetime/career chance for EE, but he seems like the quiet type who is comfortable with what he is used to. He was going to get paid regardless.

 

[no13matssundin]

Edwin just signed with Astros 5 yrs 115 million

23 million per year

Got to be honest, I know all the people who are wanting to absolve the Jays management of this whole debacle won't accept this... but here's the facts: They didn't want to pay him money. Period. So the reason why there was no deal at the start of the year is because they knew they were going to have him walk. They're attempting to save face in this. Good on EE getting paid. He deserves it with how he played last year. But the Jays under this group are slow (quickly?) beginning to show they're all about maximizing profits at the expense of the team. We just went from AL Champ contenders to much worse.

Another poster said it best: They're gonna get heat for this. Rightly so.

 

[GoonieFace]

Are we sure about that. Wasn't there already false reports of EE signing in Houston?

if they signed him for 5yr/115m, they can have him. Thats just gross

 

[Discoverer]

In our eyes as Jays fans and what he's done for us.

But can EE play OF???

Cause Trumbo plays OF, 1B and DH.

Is Trumbo 34 years old? Last I saw he was 31, in his prime. Like EE was in 2012 when he had his best season.

Can EE play in NL??? Cause Trumbo can.

So lets be careful comparing the two. Because I think Trumbo has more value out there.

Trumbo plays the OF in the same way that I can fly a fighter jet: you can put my in the cockpit, but it's going to be a disaster.

There's no comparison between them. Edwin is vastly superior.

 

[no13matssundin]

I'd be shocked if it wasn't the case. I totally see this being a case of bad advice. I know this is a once-in-a-lifetime/career chance for EE, but he seems like the quiet type who is comfortable with what he is used to. He was going to get paid regardless.

Absolutely this.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Yeah I'd totally believe the guy with less than 1300 twitter followers working at sportsnet the fan 590 totally has the scoop before everyone else even his sportsnet co-workers who are actually in the know. He probably just found that dumb false report from the other day

 

[Loosie]

Got to be honest, I know all the people who are wanting to absolve the Jays management of this whole debacle won't accept this... but here's the facts: They didn't want to pay him money. Period. So the reason why there was no deal at the start of the year is because they knew they were going to have him walk. They're attempting to save face in this. Good on EE getting paid. He deserves it with how he played last year. But the Jays under this group are slow (quickly?) beginning to show they're all about maximizing profits at the expense of the team. We just went from AL Champ contenders to much worse.

Another poster said it best: They're gonna get heat for this. Rightly so.

I don't think they will 4/80 was a very fair offer. If they made no offer like with Price I can see them getting heat, but a fair offer was made.

 

[tp71]

Got to be honest, I know all the people who are wanting to absolve the Jays management of this whole debacle won't accept this... but here's the facts: They didn't want to pay him money. Period. So the reason why there was no deal at the start of the year is because they knew they were going to have him walk. They're attempting to save face in this. Good on EE getting paid. He deserves it with how he played last year. But the Jays under this group are slow (quickly?) beginning to show they're all about maximizing profits at the expense of the team. We just went from AL Champ contenders to much worse.

Another poster said it best: They're gonna get heat for this. Rightly so.

If they didn't want to pay him money, they wouldn't have offered him 4/80M right out of the gate.

What they didn't want is to strike out on Plan A (Edwin) sitting there holding the contract as plan B-E all sign and have to go to the scrap heap to find help. They're going to get heat from people who don't get it. Don't understand that these things happen and just look for an easy take. ie Rogers is cheap etc.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Got to be honest, I know all the people who are wanting to absolve the Jays management of this whole debacle won't accept this... but here's the facts: They didn't want to pay him money. Period. So the reason why there was no deal at the start of the year is because they knew they were going to have him walk. They're attempting to save face in this. Good on EE getting paid. He deserves it with how he played last year. But the Jays under this group are slow (quickly?) beginning to show they're all about maximizing profits at the expense of the team. We just went from AL Champ contenders to much worse.

Another poster said it best: They're gonna get heat for this. Rightly so.

This sounds shockingly similar to last off-season and the Jays not re-signing Price.

 

[TF97]

So you actually think Edwin turned down 5yrs/115 million???

Wow. Ok if we all want to think that.

If that was on the table and they turned it down. Then EE and his agent are a bunch of dummies. I honestly don't think so.

They played chicken with the biggest offer they got from the Jays and they lost.

No one was giving him more then 3 yrs. And no one was giving him 20 over those years. Plain and simple.

Or he would have signed already

Nowhere did I say that Edwin rejected that offer, which I am almost certain did not exist. I simply stated that if Trumbo is going to sign for $70-80M, then Edwin getting over $100M is not unrealistic.

 

[BlueForever]

Ok I guess I need to clarify a few things.

a) I didn't realize that the Jays offer is off the table now.
b) I have no problems with EE exploring Free Agency.
c) the basis for my original statement is that the Jays offer was still on the table and he took less to go elsewhere.



This is what I take a small bit of exception to. If we wanted to stay in Toronto and Toronto made a more than decent offer to him, why explore? Or is it truly his agent that told him to explore?

In the end I'm sure both parties will be fine, but it's still upsetting when you have someone saying they want to stay in a city and play then not sign with them when a fair offer is presented.

Thank you

Well said.. but we can't bash a player because we are in love with him.

Listen in the end I was the biggest EE supporter in all of this. I even hated on the Jays for not signing him before last season. Found it disrespectful. But the Jays and management came in with a strong offer on a player that stated he wanted to play here. Was very public about it. And his agent was very public about it.

To me he was using the Jays as a pond. He knew they could only go as far as they did. And kept saying all the right things that would keep the Jays interested and possibly get more money out of someone else and leave the Jays out in the cold with nothing.

Other teams called his bluff, and to me Jays management did as well. You cant commit to us, we move on. None of this crap about loving Toronto.

Offer was fair...sign the damn thing.

If you don't... be ready for a beat down.

And as fans we can trash players. None of this crap why is he being trashed.

He played a game and lost.

 

[Habaneros]

Yeah I'd totally believe the guy with less than 1300 twitter followers working at sportsnet the fan 590 totally has the scoop before everyone else even his sportsnet co-workers who are actually in the know. He probably just found that dumb false report from the other day

David Grossman
@DavidBGrossman

Retired award-winning Journalist at Toronto Star, Broadcaster at SPORTSNET The FAN 590 & Public Relations for 40+ years in Canadian Sports/Government Relations.

....

 

[BertCorbeau]

Apparently Chapman wants a 6 year contract

 

[one77]

If EE has actually signed with HOU, then I really hope Fowler is signed ++ another bat to replace Bautista+EE.

In fact I would like Fowler + Bautista

 

[Habaneros]

Apparently Chapman wants a 6 year contract

Jays won't pay him that type of money...no way.

 

[metafour]

There's no comparison between them. Edwin is vastly superior.

He is vastly superior today, but over the course of a ~4 year contract the outcome likely isn't as disparaging as you think it is due to Trumbo's age advantage. You aren't signing these players and receiving their value over the past 4 years; you are receiving future value.

 

[TF97]

Got to be honest, I know all the people who are wanting to absolve the Jays management of this whole debacle won't accept this... but here's the facts: They didn't want to pay him money. Period. So the reason why there was no deal at the start of the year is because they knew they were going to have him walk. They're attempting to save face in this. Good on EE getting paid. He deserves it with how he played last year. But the Jays under this group are slow (quickly?) beginning to show they're all about maximizing profits at the expense of the team. We just went from AL Champ contenders to much worse.

Another poster said it best: They're gonna get heat for this. Rightly so.

What? They offered him 4/80M right out of the gates. That shows that they wanted to pay him. That offer was more than fair, and I am not sure if I would have been comfortable going much higher.

As for the second part, what would have happened if Edwin was given a massive contract in spring training, then regressed? Oh wait.... he did. What would have happened if he was given that massive contract, then suffered a severe injury? It was always the smart move to wait until after the season, then base your offer on the season that he just played.

 

[one77]

Fowler RF
Donaldson 3B
Bautista 1B
Morales DH
Tulowitzki SS
Martin C
Travis 2B
Pearce LF
Pillar CF

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Brown Dog]

Based on those tweets, as much as I wanted Edwin back, too bad so sad. You (and your agent) tried playing chicken with Jays' management and lost.

Everybody lost, it would seem .

 

[The Nemesis]

Pearce?....

Pearce.

A Whopping 35 rbi last year with 2 teams. Oh, and he ended 2016 injured with a bad elbow...

and he's a friend of the DL over the last 4 years... So we're utility guy who is getting old and oft injured? Wow. I'm blown away at the "cunning" of the move... /s. Look out AL, here we come.... to place 3rd in our division.

Keep them hits coming, Atkins/Shap. Rogers thanks you for the cost savings.

There's the door. You're welcome to use it if you're soooo disillusioned with how the team is being run.

And stop using RBIs to evaluate hitters. It's terrible.

In his last 4 seasons, Pearce has had a wRC+ of 115/161/92/136
OPS of .732/.930/.711/.867.

Steve Pearce is a good hitter. Much better against lefties, but good enough against righties that he hasn't needed to be strongly platooned. And he provides 1B/OF versatility with some mild 2B/3B utility (about 300 innings of work there over the last couple years).


The Blue Jays made a fair offer to Edwin and he didn't want it. So they made an offer of almost 1/4 of that yearly value for 2 years for a player that is definitely worth more than 1/4 or even 1/2 of Edwin's value/impact.

I'm sad Edwin's gone, but by all accounts the Jays didn't just say "Sorry, there's no money" and then take a swim in the Scrooge McDuck money vault in Rogers HQ. They made a play at fair market value and it didn't work out. All power in the world to Edwin for taking apparently his $23m, 5 year pact in Houston. One questions where that offer came from if he didn't sign it several days ago. Makes it look like Houston just overpaid on their own initiative. But if that's what he could get. Good for him.



Meanwhile, the reported deal between the Giants and Mark Melancon is 4 years for $15.5m per. Yowza. The relief market is going crazy bonkers.