Blue Jays Discussion: Winter Discontent II: Discontent Harder

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Nineteen67

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Education: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/education-full-list

Health Care: The World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems. FYI, Players are provided the same health care insurance provided to high level Rogers employees.

Taxes: MLB Opening Day: Tax Planning for Ballplayers

Overcrowded City: MLB metro areas with a higher population than Toronto: New York (x2), LA (x2), Chicago (x2), Dallas-FW (Arlington), Houston. MLB metro areas with similar population of Toronto: Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta

TV: Its 2018.

Languages: ....

Again, if a given free agent is obtuse enough to allow any of those things to effect his decision making, I do not feel comfortable investing multi-million dollars into him. That would make him an imbecile, and would make me a fool for committing to him.

You under estimate these people and their families.

Health Care: I’m not talking about insurance, I’m talking about access to primary care providers and specialist. I found it to be infinitely better in the US.
Taxes are higher in Toronto
TV. Wives and families. Probably doesn’t matter too much, but I know a guy that lives in Ontario and complains constantly about not having ESPN. Personally I wouldn’t watch any ESPN channels if you paid me. These are Americans and they want their comfort
Toronto traffic is sickening. Give me a St Louis any day of the week.

The fact is, even when everything else is equal, most ball players have picked a US city over Toronto.
 

Anthrax442

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You under estimate these people and their families.

Health Care: I’m not talking about insurance, I’m talking about access to primary care providers and specialist. I found it to be infinitely better in the US.
Taxes are higher in Toronto
TV. Wives and families. Probably doesn’t matter too much, but I know a guy that lives in Ontario and complains constantly about not having ESPN. Personally I wouldn’t watch any ESPN channels if you paid me. These are Americans and they want their comfort
Toronto traffic is sickening. Give me a St Louis any day of the week.

The fact is, even when everything else is equal, most ball players have picked a US city over Toronto.


Yeah, It's a big factor. I was offered jobs that paid well but in weird places, I never took them, because of host of reasons. But I have a buddy that wen't to work on oil pipes for 175,000K, basically in the middle of the coldest friggin place imaginable, just coz he was single and had really big plans on how to spend that money or whatever, was gone 4 years. But with his education and skills, no way he can have a job paying that in Toronto.
 
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Discoverer

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TV. Wives and families. Probably doesn’t matter too much, but I know a guy that lives in Ontario and complains constantly about not having ESPN. Personally I wouldn’t watch any ESPN channels if you paid me. These are Americans and they want their comfort

Again, it's 2018. You can get literally anything you want on TV. Yes, even if you live in Canada.
 

Leafin

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I wonder if they'd cheap out on the outfield and be that "mystery" team in on Darvish.
 

Brock Boeser Laser Show

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Zeke is one of those guys you figure would be good defensively but is a total adventure most of the time. Really hope he doesn't get significant playing time next year and if a long term injury replacement is needed during the season that they go with Alford.
 

Nineteen67

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They were always signing Zeke, this is a prelude to the big announcement tomorrow.








Or they’re not adding chit and the OF is set.....
 

Brown Dog

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This off-season makes me fondly recall the year their big acquisitions were Orlando Merced, Carlos Garcia, and Benito Santiago!

Shatkins is turning out to be a lot of talk and no action.
 

phillipmike

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I dont know many people in school from April to September so school shouldn't be an issue. US usually runs their school year from August to May so it is only 2 months overlap of baseball season and school year. Surprisingly they are homeschooled too so they are close to family.

If living in Toronto/Canada was such a problem just pull an AJ Burnett's wife and live some where else and come up on long road trips. Jays were home last season for 5 games or more 9 times last season. Player is on the road so much you barely see them outside of off days and day games. They work out in the mornings and usually are at the field around 3 or 4 for 7pm games. Wives usually raise the kids.

Didn't Buerhle's family live in Tampa and traveled up to Toronto during homestands? Its not that big of a deal at all.
 

Eyedea

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This off-season makes me fondly recall the year their big acquisitions were Orlando Merced, Carlos Garcia, and Benito Santiago!

Shatkins is turning out to be a lot of talk and no action.

You can't even call this offseason "a lot of talk and no action". There's nothing happening, and this is league wide.
 

Nineteen67

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I dont know many people in school from April to September so school shouldn't be an issue. US usually runs their school year from August to May so it is only 2 months overlap of baseball season and school year. Surprisingly they are homeschooled too so they are close to family.

If living in Toronto/Canada was such a problem just pull an AJ Burnett's wife and live some where else and come up on long road trips. Jays were home last season for 5 games or more 9 times last season. Player is on the road so much you barely see them outside of off days and day games. They work out in the mornings and usually are at the field around 3 or 4 for 7pm games. Wives usually raise the kids.

Didn't Buerhle's family live in Tampa and traveled up to Toronto during homestands? Its not that big of a deal at all.

There are always exceptions but the fact remains moving to a foreign country is not appealing to every FA.
Living in Toronto has more hurdles than living in a US city for a lot of athletes.

I thought this was established science. Steve Stamkos would agree.
 

Leafin

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It was expected that we'd come to terms with Carrera but i really hope he's not playing regularly for us.
 

barilko05

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if you're making upwards of 10 to 20 mil a year, access to top flight medical care should not be an issue.
And if all you want is ESPN, a grey market dish is still an option, especially if you have a US address already. Problem solved. Welcome to one of the top cities in NA in terms of standard of living. And seriously...our stadium is NOT that bad. I mean, c'mon...it ain't the Trop.
 

Diamond Joe Quimby

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I wonder if they'd cheap out on the outfield and be that "mystery" team in on Darvish.

Its an interesting thought, though I wouldn't really call it "cheaping out". If one was to examine the depth charts over at FG, the perceived weakness of the team as of today is the starting rotation.

If they believe Alford and Teoscar are both ready, or close to ready, then it makes sense to invest in the best pitcher on the market. And as Dave Cameron stated prior to leaving FG, "guys like Bruce are available every year at the deadline"; so if the young guys fall flat on their faces, you can acquire an OF for a minimal prospect.

Not sure what I prefer, or which direction I'd take it. I like Solarte playing the Marwn Gonzalez role, and a hybrid platoon of he and Pearce in LF. And I like the idea of Teoscar winning the RF job to start the year, and Alford coming up (for good) in June. All that said, I would be on board with Lorenzo Cain being signed. If he goes elsewhere though, then the capital you were going to use on him should be employed somewhere other than the outfield.
 

Nineteen67

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Its an interesting thought, though I wouldn't really call it "cheaping out". If one was to examine the depth charts over at FG, the perceived weakness of the team as of today is the starting rotation.

If they believe Alford and Teoscar are both ready, or close to ready, then it makes sense to invest in the best pitcher on the market. And as Dave Cameron stated prior to leaving FG, "guys like Bruce are available every year at the deadline"; so if the young guys fall flat on their faces, you can acquire an OF for a minimal prospect.

Not sure what I prefer, or which direction I'd take it. I like Solarte playing the Marwn Gonzalez role, and a hybrid platoon of he and Pearce in LF. And I like the idea of Teoscar winning the RF job to start the year, and Alford coming up (for good) in June. All that said, I would be on board with Lorenzo Cain being signed. If he goes elsewhere though, then the capital you were going to use on him should be employed somewhere other than the outfield.

Can Hernandez bat 1 or 2? If not, who? Someone has to help Travis at the top of the line up.
 

Diamond Joe Quimby

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Can Hernandez bat 1 or 2? If not, who? Someone has to help Travis at the top of the line up.

As of today, if no additional players are acquired, the optimized lineup would be:

V. Right
1. Travis (2B) R
2. Donaldson (3B) R
3. Smoak (1B) S
4. Morales (DH) S
5. Tulo (SS) R
6. Solarte (LF) S
7. Martin (C) R
8. Hernandez (RF) R
9. Pillar (CF) R

V. Left
1. Travis (2B) R
2. Donaldson (3B) R
3. Smoak (1B) S
4. Pearce (LF) R
5. Morales (DH) S
6. Tulo (SS) R
7. Martin (C) R
8. Hernandez (RF) R
9. Pillar (CF) R
 
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BlueForever75

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As of today, if no additional players are acquired, the optimized lineup would be:

V. Right
1. Travis (2B) R
2. Donaldson (3B) R
3. Smoak (1B) S
4. Morales (DH) S
5. Tulo (SS) R
6. Solarte (LF) S
7. Martin (C) R
8. Hernandez (RF) R
9. Pillar (CF) R

V. Left
1. Travis (2B) R
2. Donaldson (3B) R
3. Smoak (1B) S
4. Pearce (LF) R
5. Morales (DH) S
6. Tulo (SS) R
7. Martin (C) R
8. Hernandez (RF) R
9. Pillar (CF) R


I like the ability of the multiple switch hitters in the lineup. Adds flexibility. With that being said, I don't see either of those being the starting lineups come opening day. There will definitely be an acquisition to alter that lineup. Has to be.
 
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Nineteen67

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As of today, if no additional players are acquired, the optimized lineup would be:

V. Right
1. Travis (2B) R
2. Donaldson (3B) R
3. Smoak (1B) S
4. Morales (DH) S
5. Tulo (SS) R
6. Solarte (LF) S
7. Martin (C) R
8. Hernandez (RF) R
9. Pillar (CF) R

V. Left
1. Travis (2B) R
2. Donaldson (3B) R
3. Smoak (1B) S
4. Pearce (LF) R
5. Morales (DH) S
6. Tulo (SS) R
7. Martin (C) R
8. Hernandez (RF) R
9. Pillar (CF) R

Solarte starting in LF v RHP?

Someone(s) -( Solarte,Tulo, Martin, Pearce, Pillar, for e.g.) must have an above average season to make this lineup work
 
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