Blue Jays are ready to ante up in A.L. East

Sporting News, The, Feb 25, 2005 by Ken Rosenthal

A new deep-pockets force is about to emerge in the American League East, one that will bid for high-priced talent at the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, next offseason and the two seasons beyond.

Would you believe it's the Blue Jays?

It's the baseball equivalent of a working-class stiff hitting the lottery. Even under owner Ted Rogers' plan to spend $210 million in payroll over the next three seasons, the Blue Jays won't match the outrageous credit card limits of the Yankees and Red Sox. But as general manager J.P. Ricciardi puts it, "This allows us to get in the fight."

Rarely, if ever, has a franchise created this kind of opportunity. The Blue Jays recently bought the SkyDome to gain control over their revenues. They've cut their losses from a reported $84 million in 2001 to less than $10 million in '04.

And with their payroll likely to remain about $50 million this season, they could spend an average of $80 million in '06 and '07.

The accompanying rise in expectations would make some general managers nervous. Not Ricciardi, who would rather have the resources, thank you very much. "You try to put a bullpen together with no money," he says, barely hiding his disgust.

A defeatist would suggest that the Blue Jays might fare just as well at $50 million as they would at $80 million competing in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox. But Ricciardi's friend and former boss, A's G.M. Billy Beane, says the team is in a strong position--blessed with enough money to make smart decisions but not enough to get totally stupid.

For once, the Blue Jays' historic difficulty in attracting free agents actually might work to their benefit. Better they should focus on trading for expensive players, retaining the youngsters they want and paying market value for their top draft picks. The 2005-06 free-agent class looks bleak, anyway.

Rogers made his surprise payroll announcement February 2, late in the free-agent game. Ricciardi could have made like P. Diddy splurging on bling-bling, but he declined to go multiple years on free-agent outfielder Magglio Ordonez and passed on a trade for Cubs reliever Kyle Farnsworth, a potential free agent.

The Blue Jays are too far away from contention to take high-risk gambles or pursue one-year solutions. Their midseason targets likely will be players eligible for arbitration whom they could control through at least '06--players such as A's lefthander Barry Zito, Brewers righthander Ben Sheets and Reds outfielder Austin Kearns. The Blue Jays' farm system, though not elite, is deeper than the Yankees' and Red Sox's, increasing Toronto's leverage in trades.

Eventually, the Blue Jays also could be a dumping ground for inflated contracts, particularly from this year's free-agent market. Let's say the Mariners flop in '05 and the early part of '06 and want to trade third baseman Adrian Beltre. The Blue Jays could absorb his remaining salary.

It probably is a good thing Ricciardi received his payroll boost too late to participate in what Beane called an "irrational" free-agent market. "Now they have time to plan," Beane says. "They've got a chance to be rational, stretch the money a bit further." The ability to plan is an advantage in itself. Most teams have no idea what their payrolls will be in '06, much less '07.

"We're never going to be the Yankees or Red Sox--that's fine," Ricciardi says. "But this is fun now."

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Braves fans should enjoy Hudson while they can

In the past three offseasons, the Braves have lost one prominent free agent after another, from pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine to outfielders Gary Sheffield and J.D. Drew.

Atlanta's recent track record makes it difficult to believe it will retain its latest potential free agent-righthander Tim Hudson, whom they acquired from the A's for righthander Juan Cruz, lefthander Dan Meyer and outfielder Charles Thomas.

Hudson's agent. Paul Cohen, has given the Braves the same deadline he gave the A's, saying that Hudson, 29. will test the free-agent market if he does not sign a contract extension by March 1. The Braves, operating under familiar payroll restrictions, will keep Hudson only if he is willing to accept a steep discount to play 100 miles from his home in Auburn, Ala.

It could happen, given Hudson's closeness to his family. But it's not likely,

As the top free agent in a thin class of starting pitchers, Hudson almost certainly would command a deal of at least five years and $75 million. The Braves don't figure to pay anywhere near that. The last major contract they awarded was the six-year, $75 million deal they gave center fielder Andruw Jones in November 2001.

Hudson's March 1 deadline puts the Braves in a difficult spot, considering he has not thrown a pitch for the team. Hudson has a 92-39 career record with a 3.30 ERA, but he missed more than a month with a left oblique strain last season and posted a 5.67 ERA after September 1. Lefthanded hitters batted .298 against him last season, a career high.