For the Toronto Blue Jays, the 2010 baseball winter meetings started with a flash and then fell silent.
Not such a bad thing in my humble estimation.
The American League East, long considered to be the toughest division in baseball, saw most of the activity. As the Red Sox and Yankees continued to dip into their bottomless pool of cash, the Rays watched players move on to greener pastures and the Orioles made moves to rebuild their flagging franchise, Jays' G.M. Alex Anthopoulos stuck to his program of accumulating assets for what he hopes will be sustained contention. Not just for one season here and there (see Tampa Bay), but like it was back in the late 80's and early 90's when Pat Gillick's teams qualified for the post-season five times over a nine-year span.
Since taking over as chief decisionmaker for Canada's only Major League team, Anthopoulos has acquired former first-round picks to beef up a farm system that was short on quality. And while the 85-win season in 2010 surprised many, it didn't make the Blue Jays sophomore general manager feel that throwing around money was going to accelerate his rebuild to the point of contention.
This actually reminds me of the way that Gillick, who reportedly had 30-minute sitdown with Anthopoulos before AA caught his flight back to the Great White North, built the Jays as they climbed towards to their back-to-back World Series titles. Trades and free agent compensation netted them the likes of Duane Ward, Tom Henke, Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. But when the team needed to be pushed over the top, it was free agent money that brought in Jack Morris, Dave Winfield, Dave Stewart and Paul Molitor, all key cogs on the World Series teams. Sure seems to me that same blueprint is being applied this time around as well.
Now, that's not to say that they aren't looking at free agents to fill some holes on the roster this off-season. While Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth and, any day now, Cliff Lee will be adding a Brinks truck to their fleet of vehicles, the Jays have been making contact with mid- and low-range free agents. Toronto has reportedly made an offer to Russell Martin. The former Dodgers catcher is coming back from a broken hip and is being considered for a utility role due to his ability to play third base and likely first as well. The fact that he's a Canadian doesn't hurt, at least from a PR standpoint. And there is still lingering talk that legendary flake Manny Ramirez - with his career .311 average and 555 home runs - might find his way to Toronto on a one-year, low-base, high-incentive deal. With Adam Lind earmarked to play first base next season, bringing in a proven bat like Ramirez, on a deal that rewards him for his offensive output makes a great deal of sense.
There is still some work to be done before Opening Day 2011, next April 1st against the Twins at Rogers Centre. They still need a closer, a third baseman and a first baseman but just because Anthopoulos came away from Orlando with only one addition, high-ceiling prospect Brett Lawrie of Langley, BC, it doesn't mean the groundwork wasn't laid for future deals. The fact that the G.M. plays his cards so close to his vest reminds me of Gillick. Did any of us get a whiff of the franchise-altering Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff for Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter blockbuster back at the 1990 Winter Meetings? No, the first we heard of the deal was when it broke. In that respect, I see a lot of Mr. Gillick in young Alex. Any time we start hearing rumours of what might go down, they never come from the Blue Jays.
So while some of you were perplexed that he would trade his Opening Day starter for a 20-year-old prospect, know that the deal was made after much consultation and staying within the framework of his long-term plan.
