SO MUCH MORE THAN WHEELING AND DEALING AT MLB WINTER MEETINGS
COVID-19 scheduling headaches top agenda for league officials
Far from the convention centre in Texas where the winter meetings were supposed to be in full schmooze and swap mode this week, Major League Baseball is attempting to operate under the premise that it's business as usual.
It is anything but, of course, as meetings held virtually can't begin to match the annual spectacle that is so central to the baseball off-season.
While there is likely to be trading and the occasional free agent signing — either of which may or may not involve the Toronto Blue Jays — there will be other areas of business for the major stakeholders to address, starting with what's still shaping up as the most ambitious schedule of the major professional sports.
The more we see the dealings of the other leagues, however — from the daily COVID-19 concerns in the NFL, to the cautious approach of the NBA, to the labour-related waffling of the NHL — the more it's apparent that nothing is straightforward and easy when operating in the pandemic.
With baseball specifically, many are wondering if there is any chance of playing a full 162game schedule that was long ago released and, perhaps dreamily, remains in place.
Jays general manager Ross Atkins has maintained that he's “optimistic” that games will be played in Toronto this summer, but the deeper into the off-season we roll, the more unrealistic it would seem that the April 8 home opener won't unfold at the Rogers Centre.
(Of course, the Jays' website is still reflective of that optimism with tickets on sale for that first series against the Los Angeles Angels. Dare to dream.)
Unlike the NBA and NHL, which had their 2020 seasons interrupted by the pandemic and have been working around it ever since, at least baseball has some time on its side before having to alter its plans, should it go that route. But with pitchers and catchers due to report to spring training sites in a little more than two months, you have to wonder how it's going to play out.
At this point, anyway, it's hard to fathom a full Grapefruit League schedule in which the Jays and other teams traipse around the COVID cesspool that is Florida, all the while maintaining the protocols that would go with playing in small stadiums in and around the virus. More likely, you would have to believe, we could see a later reporting date and drastically reduced spring training schedule, a move that would have minimal financial implications given that crowds, if any, would be limited.
The good news (such as it may be) is that MLB does have time on its hands to alter and/or abbreviate the existing schedule. But given the labour impasse that reduced the 2020 season more than necessary, the sooner the two sides begin to address the issue, the better.
Another pressing concern on the agenda this week is bringing clarity to the dilemma facing minor-league ball. Normally the trade show portion of the winter meetings includes personnel from the minor affiliates that are so important to the infrastructure of the sport.
But with some 50 minor-league teams expected to be out of business in 2020, it's a huge topic facing MLB leaders and individual GMs. When asked recently about the status of the Jays' affiliates, Atkins respectfully declined to comment until the situation is finalized.
LINDOR TREAT?
It's been known for weeks now that the Cleveland Indians would like to deal shortstop Francisco Lindor, which immediately led to speculation that the Jays would be among the lead suitors for the talented defender.
That notion picked up steam on the weekend when the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the Indians would “love” to make a deal with the Jays for Lindor with the idea of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. coming back in return.
I bet they would.
While not out of the question, depending on how a package could be constructed, there would certainly be some caution on the part of the Jays, given that the 27-year-old shortstop is due to be a free agent following the 2021 season.
Given that Atkins has said any additions made this winter will be made with an eye to the long term, the Jays would want to be confident they could get Lindor to sign an extension, especially if they were to surrender a talent such as Gurriel, who has consistently improved in his time with the Jays.
The link to Lindor has been fuelled by the connection that Atkins and Jays president Mark Shapiro have to him. Shapiro was the Indians' president when Lindor was drafted in 2011 and as farm director, Atkins oversaw some of his development.
AROUND THE BASES
The Jays' 40-man roster is back up to the limit again after the team claimed a pair of right-handed pitchers off waivers on Monday — Anthony Castro from the Detroit Tigers and Walker Lockett from the Seattle Mariners. Castro made his bigleague debut in 2020 when the 25-year-old made one appearance. Lockett, meanwhile, made a pair of appearances for the New York Mets this past summer, prior to being claimed by the Mariners. While considered depth additions, the fact that the Jays' roster is once again full naturally leads to speculation that the team will be aggressive in the trade market over the coming weeks.
■ Add Mike Fiers to the ever-growing list of free-agent pitchers linked to the Blue Jays. MLB.com's Jon Morosi reports that the Jays have expressed interest in the 35-year-old righthander, who may be best known for his role as a whistleblower in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.