What do Jays fans really want?

 Well, I'm back.  After over three years here I am.  It's not that there hasn't been anything to write about in that time, there definitely has.  But today I'm fired up.  Why?  The short answer is social media.  I've been reading too much of it I guess and this morning a few things struck a chord.  

Anyone who knows me will know how I personally feel about prospects. They are just that, prospective Major League Players.  Not actual everyday Major League Players, but prospective Major League Players.  Some of them may have had a short stint in the big leagues already, but not enough time to be considered an everyday player just yet.  So when it comes to dealing prospects for everyday Major Leaguers, in most cases, I'm all for it.  The list of first round picks that have never panned out is long.  However I understand that not everyone feels this way.  In fact, I think I am in the minority here.

I also feel (and have written before on this very platform) that the average Blue Jays fan has a tendency to overvalue prospects.  Which is okay too.  Hey, if hoping for the future is your thing and you like to get excited about good, young players coming up through the system I totally get that.  So if you don't want to trade the prospects or young players, then I naturally suspect that you are in favour of the team spending money to build through free agency, right?  Well apparently not, judging from what I have been reading this week.  

Don't get me wrong, a lot of fans were excited about the Blue Jays signing George Springer to a contract.  But not everyone was.  I still saw a fair amount of fans complaining about the amount of money spent on the Springer contract.  So for me it begs the question:  If you don't want to trade young players or prospects and you don't want the team to spend the money necessary to land big free agents, then I have to ask Blue Jays fans:  What the hell is it you want??  How is the team supposed to get better if they don't pay the money necessary to entice free agents to come here OR trade away packages of prospects and young players to receive assets back?

I grabbed a couple of fan comments from facebook this morning while I was reading and stewing.  One of them in response to the springer signing read:  

Well yes, it is.  $150 million is a lot of cash.  But the Blue Jays are getting a plus centre fielder who is a 27.5 career WAR player with a .270 average and pop in his bat.  The power numbers are actually headed in a very good direction the last two seasons with 39HR in 2019, and another 14HR in 51 games last year.  So yes, they paid a lot of money.  I don't understand why this person is upset though, they aren't having to pay his salary personally.  

Another comment on the Springer signing stated:

What is this based on?  How does this person know how much money the Jays have to spend?  According to spotrac.com the Blue Jays payroll for 2021 is around $107 million.  Fangraphs.com says it is around $115 Million.  So lets assume it's the higher number.  $115 million.  How on earth are we to know that this is all that they have available?  According to spotrac.com, their 2020 payroll was $137.4 million.  2019 was $122.3 million and for interests sake I looked up the last year they made the playoffs in 2016.  According to baseballprospectus the 2016 payroll was $153.3 million.  The luxury tax threshold for Major League Baseball is sitting around $210 million right now.  To clarify, I am by no means saying the Blue Jays can or will spend to the luxury tax.  However if we assume that they match their 2019 payroll they still have $22 million to go.  If they go to their 2016 payroll then they have another $38.3 million available.  So how exactly does the Springer signing prevent them from signing anyone else?  That's a big assumption.

Unfortunately, I didn't stop at reading about the Springer signing.  I read on.  One article stated that the Jays are in on Didi Gregorius.  The first comment under the article irked me again.

So, I agree with the first sentence.  Leave him at short and move Bo to second base.  Sure.  I can get behind that.  Then use Randal, Danny and a minor leaguer in a trade?  What is this person hoping to get back?  A ham sandwich?  I don't mean to rip on Randal and Danny.  I'm glad they are on the team.  But what value do they have in a trade?  Randal's career WAR is less than 10, he is currently a career .246 hitter and is owed north of $30 million dollars.  Danny Jansen is coming off of a year where the poor guy couldn't throw anybody out at second and he hit just .183 after batting only .207 the year before.  I'm sorry, but I don't believe these guys have any value to get anything back.  Are they better than this?  I believe so.  But I think you'd be selling low on both guys if you tried to trade them.  If you want something back, you have to give something up.

Next comment:

So, you can make an argument for Rowdy having some value, but you still don't really know what you have in this kid.  Great numbers in a short sample size last season.  I don't think you're getting many takers on him yet though.  Again, you have to give something to get something.

and finally, this one was when the rumors of Springer were just starting.  The first comment is in response to the reported signing:

This commenter is right, we absolutely need pitchers.  But where are we to find them?  There are still some decent arms in free agency, so potentially there.  However if the Jays do have to trade to improve their starting pitching, you need to be ready to see a guy like Gurriel Jr go.  Again, let me clarify.  I am in NO way suggesting I want them to trade Gurriel Jr.  I like him a lot.  He is a plus defender and is developing into a potentially a very good hitter.  In 206 games he has a career average of .287, 42HR and 118RBI.  If you were to average this out over 162 games, that's 33HR and 93RBI.  I don't want him to go anywhere but left field at the Rogers Centre (or Dunedin this year) for the foreseeable future.  But this is the type of guy other teams are looking at.  Not Randal, Not Jansen, not Rowdy.  Biggio, Bichette, Gurriel Jr. and maybe Kirk or Teoscar. That is where the trade value is.  Along with prospects of the likes Jays fans will be upset to give up.  But again, you get what you give.  

After reading these comments among others online I arrived at a conclusion and answer to my question.  What do Jays fans really want?  They want a winning team.  They want a playoff team.  They want a world series contender.  Yet they don't seem to want to give up the money or players required to get them there.  

It's going to be an exciting month ahead as we see what the team does to continue to build for the season.  I expect at least one or two more free agent signings.  But we as a fanbase need to be ready for a trade.  We currently have four starting outfielders and if Vladdy is still at first, we have a DH in Tellez as well.  That's one starting player too many.  If Vladdy goes back to third, then you have a spot for everyone.  I don't think the team wants to move forward with him at third base though.  Recent rumours also have the team still talking to infielders trying to add one more.  So there is still a real possibility a roster player and package of prospects gets moved.  All we can do is watch, wait and hope that the team is better as a whole when they take the field next month in Dunedin.

But hey, that's just my opinion.