I was looking back at people's guesses for what Jose Bautista's contract would look like and nobody guessed 5 year plus an option. The closest guess was from JJACK:
5 year 60 million
Year 1= 10
year 2= 12
year 3 =12
year 4 = 12
year 5 club option= 14 mil with 4 mil buyoutGuaranteed 50 million
If he hadn't called the fifth year an option he'd have been almost right on. Many of us guessed around $13 million but we didn't figure on 5 years and an option.
Our poll show 69% of us think it was a good deal for the Jays. Funny in the comments he seemed more 50/50.
I'm still in the 'pretty happy with the deal' group. One of the reasons is that, for me, I'm glad to see a sign that we will be willing to spend when it is needed. It gives me a better feeling about the future. It is all well and good to collect prospects and right-handed relievers, but it is nice to see that we can spend some money too. Maybe it will turn out bad, but to win in this division we are going to have to take some chances.
After yesterday's scary graph comparing Rich Aurillia and Jose, Beyond the Boxscore tries to scare us some more. I do understand that Jose is a risk but I still tend to believe my eyes some, and, to me, Jose made a real change to his swing.
Stephen Brunt had a nice write up in the Globe and Mail about the deal.
Kevin Glew at CBC Sports shows that he doesn't understand how deals like this happen. Of course it is going to happen at the deadline.
MLB Trade Rumors has a poll up asking 'Would you have offered Jose Bautista $64 million'. It was $65 million guaranteed (with the buyout), but that's beside the point. 77% have voted no to this point.
Some none Bautista Jay links:
Shi Davidi has some spring training notes, letting us know (among other things) that all the Jays are present and accounted for at camp.
David Purcey has big feet.
Fan favorite Joe Inglett has signed with the Rays.
Dumb Thwip of the day from Jon Heyman:
seeing #nats coach rick eckstein reminds me its criminal brother david isn't in a camp yet. stats don't measure a heart.
Yeah, stats don't measure heart, they only measure what player does to help a team win.