Blue Jays- Why do I feel like I've seen this before?

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Face of the franchise

The Blue Jays have been around since 1977 and have had plenty of players become the face of their generation. Whether this is George Bell, Jesse Barfield, Dave Stieb, Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, Shawn Green, Pat Hentgen, Carlos Delgado, Roy Halladay, Edwin Encarnacion, or Jose Bautista each generation has their guy. Many of these Blue Jays went on to other franchises for the peaks of their careers rather than staying in a Blue Jay uniform. Roberto Alomar went on to have some of his best seasons with the Orioles and the Indians. He even flirted with .400 for the majority of one season while being paired with Cal Ripken up the middle. Roberto Alomar was a two time World Series Champion and deserved a heck of a payday. He did have to leave Toronto to get that payday, however. This was a trend over the years as Jays fans watched Carlos Delgado and Roy Halladay play in the playoffs with their new teams at the turn of the millennium.

The Blue Jays new management has a chance to lock up the players that form the current faces of the franchise in Marcus Stroman and Josh Donaldson. The big question is are they ready to commit long-term to those players. Marcus Stroman should be a slam dunk as he is a young driven player. He wants the same thing as the Blue Jays organization and that is to win! Stroman is an exciting player that is still under team control but locking him up as the teams ace would send a message to the fan base.

Josh Donaldson is a more complicated question, however. The Bringer of Rain is still an MVP caliber player but as he is now 31 years old. The argument is not so much about money but the length of the contract. The Jays organization and Donaldson have both expressed the fact that they wish to stay together and make the Blue Jays great again but at what costs. Are the Blue Jays ready to commit to the Donaldson and hope he is still bringing the rain at the age of 36-38?

I think that the Blue Jays have missed out on enough production from players like Donaldson over the years. They have failed to sign talents like him long term and have watched those players crush it with their new teams. Donaldson is a grinder and will find a way to help his team. This is the kind of player you want leading your team one way or the other. Find a way to win and find a way to hold onto Josh Donaldson. Give him a Bobby Bonilla contract if you have to just get it done!

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 01: Yu Darvish /

Newer Management maybe looking to make first big splash

The Blue Jays are not known for spending sprees on the free agent market. The few times that she has it has come back to bite them in the rear end. Roger Clemens was one example and he was godlike during his time in Toronto as he raked in two Cy Young awards. The contract proved to be too much for the team to handle and he was traded before the contract ran out.

Prior to the 2006 season, the J.P. Ricciardi era opened their wallets and signed high profile free agents B.J. Ryan and A.J. Burnett. This worked on some levels and missed on others. Both players helped the team to above .500 records in a few seasons but then spent a ton of time on the DL. This is a possible issue with picking up players on the free agent market and on these players it was a risk, to begin with. They both had issues staying healthy and continued to have that issue as Blue Jays. This was a disaster that ate up tons of payroll and did not work out. Burnett played well with the Yankees after opting out of his contract but had his ups and downs. Ryan never really bounced back from his injuries and was basically never heard from again. The question is was it worth it?

Looking at this year’s free agent market you will see many similar players. Of course, there are the flashy big names like Yu Darvish, J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer, Jake Arrieta, and Masahiro Tanaka but do any of those names really fit with what the Jays have built? Those top pitchers anyone would kill to have but Darvish struggled this season and so has Tanaka. Both of them have also battled some serious injuries and one would wonder how much they are worth because of that fact. If the Jays were able to sign one of these high profile free agents it would be a wonderful thing but at what cost?

TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 23: Teoscar Hernandez /

Do not skip on the youth movement in Toronto

The Blue Jays once again have a Minor League system that is getting ready to blossom. After a few years of trading all the ripe young talent, the system has been rejuvenated with a mountain of exciting players. The Blue Jays are getting older and older the past few seasons as they have tried to sustain the team that has pushed them to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. That veteran core can work well as mentors for the rich talent that the Blue Jays have coming up through the Minors.

As the core ages, the Blue Jays need to find ways to get players that a being highly productive through the system into the Majors to gain experience. This experience is vital to making a quick re-tool work. The Blue Jays have a rare shot at being competitive while re-building. They have a great foundation that is also anchored by some veterans that can still be highly productive. Players like Kendreys Morales, however, could be blocking the path of some of these Minor League standouts. If you had a chance to bring up someone that could help your team you hope to be able to create room. Right now unless that player is a backup catcher, a middle infielder, or a relief pitcher it appears there is nowhere to put them.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

The Jays have a chance to have one of the most athletic outfields in baseball but will they pull the trigger on that move? The Blue Jays could have an outfield anchored by Kevin Pillar in center with Teoscar Hernandez, and Anthony Alford at the corners. That amount of speed and fine leather has not been seen for years in the Jays outfield. You would have to five back into the history books to George Bell, Llyod Moseby, and Jesse Barfield. That new combo could be the death of so many would be base hits for opposing hitters. If the Jays go out and sign someone like Jay Bruce it blocks these players from developing at the MLB level.

There are also plenty of players that are going to come hungry for more come Spring Training. Danny Jansen, Ryan Borucki, Dwight Smith Jr., Chris Rowley, and the rest of the gang will be looking to put on a show during the exhibition season. If they do who says they won’t be the next break out surprises like Roberto Osuna a few years ago. Osuna came into Spring Training in 2015 and stole the show. He performed so well he earned the closer spot by the end of the season. There are some players in the system that could be that next big surprise and the Jays brass should be mindful of such surprises. It is time to bring some of these players into the fold and see what they are made of.

Next: Must make offseason moves for the Jays

Let us know what you think in the comments below. The Jays have a chance to build something special but should be mindful of some of these issues from the past. The team has a chance to build a young team while adding key pieces to fill out a great team.

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Blue Jays- Why do I feel like I’ve seen this before?

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