There use to be a time when everything regarding the Blue Jays was kept hush-hush. Nothing got to the rumour mills till the transaction was seriously close to being done. Like that time, not to long ago, you were at home having dinner with the family or out having an after work beer and all of a sudden your phone buzzed. Twitter is going off, your friends are texting you; “Did you hear?”
If that is not enough to help remind you of what I’m talking about, well, the moment was not oh-so-long ago. Only a couple winters back to be exact. Yup. That same winter the Blue Jays went from a $70 million payroll to $120 million.
Your phone buzzed. Jose Reyes to Toronto. Then came Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, a guy named Emilio Bonifacio and that guy we use to know, John Buck. Out went Yunel Escobar, Henderson Alvarez and half the farm system. However, that wasn’t it. A couple weeks later the Jays were meeting with R.A. Dickey and only days later he was a Blue Jay, for whatever was left of the Blue Jays farm system.
It was those days when General Manager Alex Anthopoulos had a strangle hold on his organization and the media. Lots was done, but nothing was said.
Those days have passed. It’s no longer hush-hush in Jays land, but rather, there’s almost a new storyline every week.
After a 2013 season that started with the Blue Jays as World Series favourites and ended disastrously, the Jays entered another off-season with more questions than answers. However, this one was nothing like the previous. Till the doors finally opened.
Free agent pitcher Ervin Santana fired his agent, and held his arms wide open for a one-year deal. It was a dream Anthopoulos dreamt all winter. Unless Dioner Navarro was apart of his dreams (would not be surprised). But Santana was it. He was the player the Jays needed to turn the frowns upside down of their fan base and maybe, hopefully, actually contend for a playoff spot in 2014.
It was a Saturday morning, news broke. Your phone buzzed. Santana verbally agreed to sign with the Blue Jays. It was only a matter of days till the contract was official… then down went Atlanta’s Kris Medlen. For a moment Medlen didn’t affect the Blue Jays, but it did affect Santana. The fan base just didn’t see it coming, neither did Anthopoulos. A door opened to pitch in the National League and the undrafted pitcher out of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic turned his back on Toronto (if his front was every truly facing it) and he took off. And again, your phone buzzed.
Even with all that being said, the worst storyline of all didn’t come till after Santana was long gone. A storyline that shows Blue Jay fans one thing; Anthopoulos is lying, and has been lying through his teeth. Why? He has too. He has been lying about any rumour that he has ever denied. Every question he has dodged, was dodged because he had no lie for it. Poor Anthopoulos hasn’t been lying to protect himself. He’s lying for the guys above him, but as he lies closer he gets to losing his job and taking manager John Gibbons with him.
The great Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports came out with the report that some Blue Jays players were willing to alter their contracts so the organization had the money to sign Santana. It was only one mans report, but it was not the end of it. John Lott of Toronto’s National Post had more.
Turns out Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Reyes, Dickey and Buehrle were all willing to let go of some of their salary for this season in efforts to sign Santana to just a simple one-year deal.
From a winter that everything was kept silent to a year were every little detail is coming out. Only time will tell when the truth of the dirty lies come out.
Great on the players for willing to give up their money in order to win. Great for Anthopoulos for trying, but sadly his lips are sealed and hands are tied. Rogers Communication, majority owner of the Blue Jays seem to have their priorities set on other parts of their enterprise.
Does this baseball team even matter to the company? We’ve been told by Anthopoulos and President Paul Beeston that ownership wants to win and there’s more money to spend if needed. So the question is, why?
Why did players who are out their trying to win have to step up and offer their own money to bring in a starting pitcher? Yes, $14 million is a lot, but didn’t Rogers just spend $5.232 Billion on a TV deal with the NHL? Aren’t they making all these changes to their studio for this NHL deal and bringing in all these amazing hosts and analysts to cover these games that they will broadcast?
Yeah, this is a hockey city. A hockey country.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, that company that owns Toronto’s other three major league teams even understands this is a hockey city. Don’t get me wrong. Rogers owns part of MLSE and has a lot of say were the money goes within that company, but that doesn’t mean their focus goes all towards the Maple Leafs. They just spent over $100 million to improve their soccer club. And that basketball team, the Raptors? They are the only one’s who have impressed the Toronto fan base and are heading towards what could be a surprise playoff run. Good on MLSE.
Rogers runs their business tremendously. One of the largest, most successful businesses in Canada, but it’s starting to seem as if the baseball team is a matter that comes last.
Don’t get me wrong, I am and have been a huge supporter of Rogers. Especially on the broadcast side. However, if you are a customer of Rogers (like me) with your cell phone, cable, internet or all three, go look at your last monthly bill. That’s a lot, eh? Rogers has the most customers in Canada when it comes to wireless, cable and internet usage, but for some reason there isn’t $14 million sitting around to improve their ball club?
Why? Because right now a Corporation that is already quite large continues to expand. As they expand the further the Blue Jays get pushed back on their list of “needs improvement”. Not only are they the powerhouse in Canada for wireless, cable and internet, but now they are the number one TV station for Canada’s top watched sport. For any company based in Canada, owning the rights to Hockey makes everything else that much less meaningful.
Rogers got their NHL TV deal meaning the Blue Jays are now on the outside looking in.
Good on Rogers for spending $120 million on the payroll. However, it’s not like the Blue Jays are three or four pieces out of contention. A starting pitcher and a second baseman will do. But the powerhouse Rogers doesn’t have an extra $14 million?
So should fans be upset at Rogers for holding back on spending more on this club? No, because they have already spent more than 20 other ball clubs. Fans should wonder if Rogers is more focused on the TV deal. Blue Jays will never be equal to the NHL in this country, but they should be equal within the company that owns them.
Anthopoulos took a high risk on two major moves last winter (three if you want to include Melky Cabrera), but the players haven’t performed. That all being said, even if Rogers doesn’t cough up another $14 million, this roster was Anthopoulos’ doing, so if this team fails for another season, Rogers will be forced to let go of Anthopoulos and Gibbons.
It’s not about Rogers spending or Anthopoulos not doing all he can. It’s the lies that Anthopoulos has to continue to tell day in and day out. Not to protect himself, but to protect his bosses. It’s becoming tiring hearing Anthopoulos and Beeston speak. Where are the people above them? All we want is honest answers. If there is no more money to spend on this team, let the fans know. If other parts of the business is your main focus, fans get that. Rogers isn’t a minor business, but as the company focuses on their new TV deal, they need to give Blue Jay fans a little more.
The last time the Blue Jays made the playoffs was back in 1993 when they won the World Series. As an 18-year old, I never saw that happen and would appreciate if Rogers would be just a bit more supportive towards a team I grew up watching and supporting. As I grow older though, the quicker I become to changing the channel on the Jays. I use to be able sit through a full game, win or lose. Now, if the Blue Jays lose, onto something else. I might be the only one who feels this way, but Rogers focus is obviously on the NHL.
Rogers are and will continue to grow as a company, but the Blue Jays can’t be forgotten. I don’t want to say the Blue Jays don’t matter to Rogers. Obviously, they do as the Blue Jays helped grow this business, but before Rogers forgets all about them, someone needs to get their priorities straightened out.
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