quietstorm wrote:I'm not missing that he had a plan and stuck to it. I commend him for that much. I just think his plan was bogus.mweir145 wrote:quietstorm wrote:The Jays are just the poster children this year.
Also note, I haven't started threads, I've just picked up on what's already been said, even if it's with slight changes. I don't have something against the Jays in particular -- I don't dislike any team except the Yankees. I just think their moves are this year's Wright and Pavano signings.
I just read an interesting article by Jayson Stark, outlining the benefits and justifications of these deals. BTW, he gives them the #1 "Winners" spot for the Winter Meetings:
Here is the excerpt about the Jays:Winners
1. Blue Jays
Additions: A.J. Burnett, Lyle Overbay, B.J. Ryan (before the meetings)
A round of applause, ladies and gentlemen, for Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi. He was the only GM in baseball to make it into the press-conference room three days in a row. "That's a pretty good streak. I'm like the Cal Ripken of the winter meetings," he joked after appearance No. 3.
But all the people firing epithets at Ricciardi and his team for showering $102 million on the captains of the All-Initials pitching staff (A.J. and B.J.) are missing something:
Ricciardi charged into the offseason knowing exactly what he wanted to do, targeted a specific group of players to help him do it and worked relentlessly (though expensively) to make things happen. That's an underrated quality in a profession where so many of his peers have trouble making anything happen.
"The thing I liked," said one NL executive, "is the fact that they had a game plan and they filled their holes with the pieces they wanted. You can say they only did it because they had money to burn. But the bottom line is, they accomplished what they set out to do. And now they're a factor in that division.They're a piece or two away from coming into town and being a threat to beat you every night. But they're a factor those other two teams [i.e., Boston and New York] have to worry about -- definitely."
And this team isn't done. The Blue Jays have two more bats on the grocery list, with Brad Wilkerson, Kevin Mench, Nomar Garciaparra, Mike Piazza and Milton Bradley all sitting there on their buffet line. So if Roy Halladay and Burnett can just pitch 400 innings next year, watch out.
It wasn't like these were spur of the moment type signings, they had been looking at those 2 for quite some time before attempting to sign them.
Whats the point of arguing none of you guys are going to change your opinion I love the Jays are those signings were good because now a good free agent always thinks as toronto as possible destination because they spend money. But before the season you can't say a plan is bogus so both of you guys need wait till the season to say whether is was smart or smart.