GM Atkins focused on Florida
Talk of Rogers possibly selling team not a distraction
There was unexpected and startling news late Tuesday from a high-ranking Rogers executive at an industry meeting in New York. He let it be known that the Canadian communications giant may be looking to unload the major-league Blue Jays in the near, but not immediate, future. Reaction was immediate. The revelation came at a seemingly inopportune time for the Jays, just as third-year GM Ross Atkins was preparing to travel to a Disney resort in Florida for a week of wheeling and dealing with 29 other teams to improve his roster. He will also have talks with countless agents representing free-agent players. Uncertainty regarding the future of ownership is never good at such times. Was Atkins worried? “Not at all, because we have so much freedom and flexibility the way that we do operate, the way that we’ve articulated our strategy, our resources, our goals to agents, other teams,” Atkins said.
“Nothing has changed on that front. My respect for our set-up and the direction that we’ve been given and that (president Mark Shapiro) gives me is sound and clear. We feel that we have everything we need to run a good business and a good baseball team.
“We understand what our resources are and what we have to operate and we’re comfortable where things stand.”
The Jays already have made one trade this winter, acquiring former all-star middle infielder Aledmys Diaz from the Cardinals for minor-league outfielder J.B. Woodman.
A 27-year-old Cuban, Diaz was an all-star in 2016 but struggled last season. Woodman was a secondround draft pick in 2016 but is still a few seasons away.
“It’s an exciting trade for us,” Atkins said. “A guy that probably is not as available to us at the acquisition cost that he was if he had repeated 2016, but he did have 2016. He has an incredible pedigree in Cuba and throughout the minor leagues. All of our scouts believe (he’s) closer to the ’16 version of Aldemys than the ’17 version.
“What’s exciting to us about that deal is it takes, in my opinion, a deeper (farm) system to make a deal happen like that. Because once you get past those first 2-3-4 names, to have the names like Woodman that you are able to deal from without feeling you are sacrificing entirely too much for ’21 and ’22. That we have enough (depth) for it to be attractive to another organization.”
Atkins listed the acquisition of another infielder, an outfielder and a starting pitcher that could join the rotation in 2018 — giving them the flexibility of returning Joe Biagini to the bullpen or optioning him to the minors — as his priorities, beginning with the Disney trip.
The huge question of third baseman Josh Donaldson and an extension or a trade or letting him walk as a free agent after next season is the key infield question. Plus there is the health of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and second baseman Devon Travis.
That’s why the acquisition of Diaz was important to the depth.
The Jays do not want to start negotiations on an extension with Donaldson and become the team that sets MLB’s financial bar until they see how the current market for other top offensive players unfolds.
The losers on Japanese star Shohei Ohtani and you-better-shop-around slugger Giancarlo Stanton may all of a sudden turn to Donaldson, so Atkins wisely will wait. But the young GM is not willing to share in which direction Donaldson’s value is headed.
“We always have a sense of urgency if there is something to push
“We always have a sense of urgency if there is something to push forward.” JAYS GM ROSS ATKINS ON THE WINTER MEETINGS
forward,” Atkins said. “We don’t want things to linger. We have certainly talked about a strategy. The interesting thing about talking about your strategy is it’s like playing chess. I’m not going to tell you what my strategy is. Those are things we can’t share, for obvious reasons.”
Atkins did share good news about Tulowitzki that sounded like he would be ready to at least work out with his teammates at spring training after a horrible ankle injury ended his 2017 season. Atkins also admitted they have discussed internally the option of having Travis play some outfield in the spring, but that would not happen unless he was healthy and on board with the idea.
Atkins did not dismiss the possibility of re-signing infielder Ryan Goins, who was non-tendered by the Jays, but only if he was still available and other trade options fell through. Along with Diaz, it should be noted that 25-year-old Cuban shortstop Lourdes Gurriel was signed a year ago to a major-league contract and finished well at Dou- ble-A a year ago. They need a decision.
“A lot will happen at the winter meetings, whether or not it becomes news and is actually executed at the winter meetings, literally, I have no more insight into that than you,” Atkins suggested. “But things will definitely bubble up. We’ll have interaction there and things will definitely bubble up. I hope something happens before the winter meetings and after.”
It’s a good sign for Jays fans that Atkins seemed genuinely dismayed his team had been told earlier in the week that highly coveted DH/RHP Ohtani had crossed the Jays off his wish list.
It means he is willing to take chances and spend money.
Heading to Florida without Ohtani on his mind may allow him to pull the trigger more quickly on some other deal in another area of need.
“There is bandwidth on all these things, so sure, now we can apply all that effort and energy to other areas, but we’ve already made a trade at a very similar time to the deadline,” Atkins said referring to Diaz. “So we weren’t solely focused on Shohei, but it does increase our bandwidth for other opportunities.”
The winter meetings begin Monday morning and conclude following the annual Rule 5 draft Thursday morning at the Swan and Dolphin resort.