Paul Beeston still expects the Toronto Blue Jays’ payroll to climb in 2015 despite a relatively quiet couple of months and a flagging Canadian dollar.
“We’ll be over $137 million when it’s all said and done,” the Blue Jays president and CEO told Bob McCown and Ken Reid on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Tuesday.
Beeston said soon after the season ended that payroll would increase, and although the value of the Canadian dollar has diminished to $0.80 US, he maintains that the Blue Jays expect to spend more than $137 million US, the approximate amount they spent in 2014. While Beeston maintains regular contact with Rob Manfred, he has not asked the new MLB commissioner about the possibility of currency equalization payments.
ATTENTION Rogers and Shaw customers. Already enjoying Sportsnet ONE? Now get access to digital editions of Sportsnet magazine at no extra cost.
The Blue Jays will have committed approximately $118 to their 2015 payroll once the arbitration cases of Josh Donaldson and Danny Valencia are resolved later in February. That figure doesn’t account for minimum salary players or time spent on the disabled list, so the Blue Jays are believed to have approximately $5-6 million at their disposal to address remaining needs such as their bullpen.
While he cautioned that the Blue Jays won’t spend as aggressively as the Los Angeles Dodgers or Boston Red Sox, Beeston repeated that he expects club owner Rogers Communications, Inc. to sustain one of the top ten payrolls in MLB.
“I think the support is there,” Beeston said. “Rogers has been terrific with the budget.”
Beeston declined to detail the club’s interest level in James Shields, the top remaining free agent and a potential fit in Toronto if the price is right. However, the Blue Jays aren’t about to change their club policy of limiting contracts to five years and, as Beeston pointed out, adding Shields would require a multi-year commitment.
