Saturday Bantering: Rumors

We are heading into a lockdown here in Alberta. The phrase “closing the barn door after the horse has bolted” keeps springing to mind. My provincial government keeps using the word ‘freedom’ when talking about masks, mostly because they don’t want to turn off their base. I always say the freedom I want is to drive my car as fast as I want. Yeah some people won’t be able to get out of the way, but they will mostly be older people and people whose health is already compromised. Apparently we aren’t worried about them.

Anyway....

There is a story that the Jays might have a shot at DJ LeMahieu. Bob Nightengale says that the Yankees and DJ are $25 apart. Yankees offering 4 years and $75 million, DJ wanting 5 years and $100 million (if SB is wondering I’ll take the 4 years and $75 million or the equivalent in cheese doodles).

“I know for a fact from people I know in Toronto that the Blue Jays desperately want him,” Kay said Friday on his ESPN radio show. “And they’ve got a lot of infielders, too. They desperately want him.

“Would (LeMahieu) want to go to Toronto? That’s the question.”

A lot of industry people doubt it, but LeMahieu might be tempted if Toronto offers five years for $110 million and the Yanks won’t go more than four for around $85 million.

The story goes on to quote Dan O’Dowd saying that DJ wont’ go to Toronto, but the Dodgers are more likely.

$110 million seems a lot of money for LeMahieu. He is 32 now. 36 is getting a little long in the tooth for a middle infielder. I’d imagine he’ll be a corner player by then. But, at the moment, I’d be happy with his defense at second.

I wonder what the Jays have decided is their order of who they want most? Is LeMahieu number one on their list? Springer? Bauer? How far down the list is Ha-Seong Kim?

Kaitlyn McGrath, in the Athletic, tells us the Blue Jays are going to go with a former MLB player to take Mike Wilner’s spot in the radio broadcast booth, and lists 10 candidates: Kevin Barker, Joe Siddall, Jose Thole, John Axford, Ricky Romero, J.P. Arencibia, Homer Bush, Scott Richmond, Chris Leroux and Jason Grilli.

I don’t have strong opinions about any of them, other that not wanting Barker. He always give me the impression he is yelling at me and I don’t enjoy it. But then I haven’t listened to him for a long time and maybe he has improved.

Siddall would be great, but it seems like a step backwards for him.

Sportsnet says they will make an announcement ‘prior to the start of the 2021 season’. I suppose waiting until after the start would make an announcement a waste of time, as we’d figured it out by listening in.

Shi writes that Rogers Centre will be getting new turf for the 2021 season (presuming there is baseball in Toronto in 2021).

The new field will be affixed to the ground rather than be easily removable like past iterations, which Shapiro expects will both look better and, more importantly, offer “some safety opportunities” with fewer seams in the surface.

I like the idea that it won’t be rolled up every few days.

I wonder if, when play does return to Toronto, people will have to show they have been vaccinated before entering the stands?

Jays Care is running a Holiday 50/50, for you folks in Ontario. Jays Care does good work, and wining a little cash for Christmas would be ok.

Randal Grichuk has been talking up the Jays signing Trevor Bauer. I guess it isn’t surprising he doesn’t push for George Springer.