Daily Archives: November 26, 2015

Canadian MLB Expansion Or: Should The Jays Play At Least 1 Series In Vancouver + Montreal Per Year?

Olympic Stadium was a building catastrophe from the get go. It was a contributing factor of the Expos leaving Montreal. Having said that, it would have been really cool if the North America opener were to have been opened in Montreal, with a series with Toronto and the New York Mets. Instead the series in an exhibition. At least the Canadian stadium has hosted regular season MLB games.

Olympic Stadium was a building catastrophe from the get go. It was a contributing factor of the Expos leaving Montreal. Having said that, it would have been really cool if the MLB were to at least designate the Canadian stadium to host some regular season games in the next few years.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

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I must be out of my mind right?

Having the Toronto Blue Jays play in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver  allduring a regular season – and re-brand the club to a national team in the MLB?  But stop and think about this for a minute.

The club as drawn almost 100K total fans for the 2 exhibition games in Quebec during the last 2 years in exhibition series right before the season started.

Why not play some games in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – and rename the club the Canada Blue Jays?  Okay.. that is a little drastic here.  Keep them the Toronto Blue Jays, but what would be wrong with selling 40K+ fans a game for 12 total games?  Maybe 6 games in each city.

Since the MLB insists on having 19 Divisional games a year – with 3 series in each city, would it be that bad if the Tampa Bay Rays or Baltimore Orioles were to visit Montreal to play the Blue Jays  a series?

Or how about and grow the brand on the West Coast by playing a 3 game set at BC Place Stadium followed up with Toronto heading down to Seattle right afterwards for another series?  Read the rest of this entry

Toronto Blue Jays Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward

The Blue Jays are at the unique crossroads where they have grown massively in attendance - but are exponentially growing in cost of payroll each year. Based on some great front office decisions on Bautista, Encarnacion and Donaldson - the club as their best chance to in a championship is right now. Push all of your chips in, sign some more players - and take on salary. You may just lead the American League in attendance if you do (just like in the early 90's). The Jays have talked about cutting payroll in 2016. That would be a grave mistake. Right now they are at about $130 MIL in total team salary for next season.

The Blue Jays are at the unique crossroads where they have grown massively in attendance – but are exponentially growing in cost of payroll each year. Based on some great front office decisions on Bautista, Encarnacion and Donaldson – the club has their best chance to in a championship is right now. Push all of your chips in, sign some more players – and take on salary. You may just lead the American League in attendance if you do (just like in the early 90’s). The Jays have talked about cutting payroll in 2016. That would be a grave mistake. Right now they are at about $140 MIL in total team salary for next season.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The Blue Jays have $94 MIL in guaranteed contracts already in commitments for Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, Jose Bautista, Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey J.A. Happ and Edwin Encarnacion.

The club also will have about another $35 – $38 MIL in Arbitration dealing with another 10 players.

This would mean the team is hovering around the $130 MIL already before they pull the trigger on any moves this offseason.

We made it abundantly clear in our Toronto Blue Jays State Of The Union that this is no time to slow down in going for a championship.

One of the biggest things we mentioned there was the lack of an ace in the AL East.  For Toronto to win the Division they may not need a #1 guy again.  They will only need another #1 guy in the postseason. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 26, 2015

WorldSeries1903-640

Baseball Hall of Fame

Today I give thanks to the Pilgrims… specifically the Boston Pilgrims, whose victory in the 1903 World Series paved the way to baseball in its current state.

It is the Thanksgiving episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Read the rest of this entry