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We are into rumor season.
The fun rumor is that the Jays are either preparing an offer to Zack Greinke or considering making an offer to Greinke, which seems to suggest, at least to me, that the Jays payroll isn't coming down 35% (not that I think anyone believed that one). It looks like Greinke is the number one choice out there, even over David Price. I thought Price might get the edge with Alex Anthopoulos calling him the 'best player in the clubhouse' that he has ever seen. But then an ERA under 2 will always turn heads.
It might be a long shot, but it would be the big move that Mark Shapiro needs to get everyone to stop talking about Alex.
Rick Westhead also tells us that the Jays are 'unlikely' to try to sign David Price to a long term contract
And the Jays are negotiating with their own free agent, Marco Estrada. There are rumors that, if the Jays can't sign him to an extension by Friday, he will become the first to take a qualifying offer. I doubt that any other team would give a good offer when they would have to give up a draft pick. I think, if the Jays offer 3 years at $13 million a year, he should sign it quick.
Other stuff:
- Ben Nicholson-Smith writes that the Jays are going to build on their analytics department. I'm glad that there isn't the war between analytics and scouting anymore. Teams can now use both. It seemed that, for the longest time, you either believed in one or the other.
- Bob Nightengale, in USA Today, writes about the changing job description of GM role and the part that played in Alex leaving. I kind of liked it the old way better.
Alex Anthopoulos, who stuck to his principals and turned down a $10 million offer from the Toronto Blue Jays with no back-up plan, saw longtime general manager Doug Melvin and simply couldn't resist.
"So what do you think?'' Anthopoulos said. "Do you think I'm crazy, too? A lot of people think I'm insane right now.''
Melvin, who was honored Monday night at baseball's annual GM meetings for his 20 years of service, stopped for a moment, looked into Anthopoulos' eyes, and said:
"We all have some craziness in us. You have to do what is right.''