Blue Jays Morning News: Donaldson, Pitching and A Gift Idea!

Jays Journal brings you the latest news and links about the Toronto Blue Jays. This edition looks at an extension for Josh Donaldson, pitching and a gift.

Here’s a look at what’s being talked about in Blue Jays Land as we wait for something, anything to really get excited about. There’s been lots of speculation about whether David Price will actually return to Toronto, or head to Japan like he said. As entertaining as that would be, the world seems to agree that it is unlikely he returns. But, is there anything else to talk about?

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Donaldson Love Toronto Long Time? Jeff Simmons brings us the comments from the REIGNING AL MVP, Josh Donaldson when he appeared on the Jeff Blair show recently. He discussed the possibility of staying in Toronto for an extended stay. He says, “I really enjoy playing in Toronto. It’s a great environment for me. It sets up well for me and I would really like to be here for a while.” Ya think? Even with a dome, the rain came down on Toronto quite nicely.

But, more than his bat, what played really well was his approach to the club and his teammates. He seems to have been heavily responsible for the work ethic that caught on in the clubhouse and on the field. Donaldson has been quite vocal about ‘getting it done’. He’s credited with being a dramatic influence on his teammates. And, the Blue Jays would do well to look at locking him up so that he can spread messages like this: “The people that will be added — they’re going to understand as soon as they come into the clubhouse what’s going to be asked of them each and every day.”

Simmons tells us that Donaldson’s agent will sit down this week to discuss his contract situation. An extension is possible, but he’s under team control until 2018, so there is time. But, perhaps the control the Blue Jays should be worried about is the escalating annual value for Donaldson. He’s expected to jump from $4.3M to ~$12M in 2016 through the arbitration process. At BaseballEssential.com, Raza Malik provides an idea of what might be a fair offer on an extension.

Controllable Pitching– We the Blue Jays are interested in upgrading their rotation. How they do it is less clear. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet fame points out that on the free agent market, there are so many options; options for every interest. There are the big targets, reclamation projects and everything in between. Most of these options don’t come with that coveted “team control”. The trade market, though offers that in spades.

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The problem is, that the cost to obtain any one of the hurlers Nicholson-Smith suggests is going to be quite high. Do the Blue Jays have the capital to trade for a Sonny Gray? There is some outfield depth that provides teams with a certain level of their own control. Is it enough? Is the farm system seen as having enough pieces to entice a team? Sean Reid-Foley or Anthony Alford certainly would help. Do the Blue Jays want to part with them, though. Such a tricky game, baseball.

What Price Would You Pay? What would you be willing to do to keep David Price in Toronto? Well, apparently, you can let the world know. At AnyPriceForDavid.com, you can fill out a contract that states exactly how much you would pay, or what you’d do if he signs in Toronto. There are some pretty entertaining additions to the list, if you want to gauge just how much it’ll cost. Add your name to the list and state your terms.

Next: Take Our Poll. Who is the Best Blue Jays Hitter of All Time?

Gift Idea– If you haven’t seen it, you need to. This holiday season, you may want to get yourself, or the Blue Jays fan in your life (or a certain Jays Journal Editor *cough*) one of these bad boys. Fresh Brewed Tees has come out with a Jose Bautista Ugly Christmas sweater in honor of his Bat Flip. The sweater says: “Merry Flippin’ Christmas” and pictures the epic moment when Bautista rocked the baseball world. And, David Bateman of The Star is telling us that sales of this item are reaching their own epic levels. If you’re interested, you can order one HERE.