Bleaching Your Teeth, Smiling Flash, Talking Trash Under Your Breath

The biggest Jay news today was that J.P. Ricciardi told reporters that he was not averse to the idea of going 5 years on A.J. Burnett. That is potentially news because it's not clear that the Yankees or the Red Sox are willing to go to 5 years.  Ricciardi stressed that no offer has been made yet but said that he wasn't put off by the idea of going 5 years.  

While it's very unlikely that the Jays retain Burnett, you've got to hand it to Ricciardi.  Knowing that the Yankees and the Red Sox are bidding against each other already, why not intimate that the Jays are willing to go 5 years on Burnett, thereby driving up the price for two of their main competitors?  Even the Yankees and Sox don't have bottomless coffers, and there's a significant risk to taking on any pitcher, including A.J., for a long-term deal. 

Of course, if you take JP at his word, it makes no sense.  First of all, is it really a good idea to give A.J. 5 more years?  (Although I have to admit I'm somewhat tempted by the idea of going 5 and giving A.J. another opt-out after two years).  That's a huge risk for a team like the Jays to be taking on. And why would the Jays keep getting deeper and deeper into A.J. while simultaneously swearing off all other free agents on the market?  Who does business this way? 

Someone driving up the price on the marquis free agents before the December meetings, getting his competitors to spend as much money as possible.  Someone who is planning on waiting out the winters and then signing a bat and an arm after the new year, players who have lost their leverage.  The Jays might not end up with the best players this way, but this is how JP likes to do business.  He's like Ma Hugo at Old Navy, forever looking for a deal. 

By the way, today's post comes from (what I submit is) one of the great songs out of Canada, "Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" by Broken Social Scene.  I just thought the Talking Heads album cover fit the post.