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The Toronto Blue Jays‘ payroll will drop in 2019, and agent Scott Boras says the spending slowdown looks like a case of the ‘Blue Flu,’ but Mark Shapiro said on the latest episode of The Lede that the team will eventually boost payroll again.
For now the Blue Jays are focused on building a young core of players capable of competing in the American League East, according to Shapiro, the team’s president and CEO. Once that core emerges, Shapiro doesn’t expect to have any trouble persuading Rogers ownership to spend, even if it means spending beyond revenues for a time.
Each week, Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt tackle the most impactful stories in the world of sports and their intersection with popular culture. Come for the sports; stay for the storytelling and cigars.
“I’m 100 per cent confident that when we say the foundation is there, that we need to spend and surround these players with other players, that the support will be there to spend more on major-league payroll,” Shapiro told Stephen Brunt and Jeff Blair. “Whether that puts us at third or sixth or seventh (in MLB), it should be enough to win and win a World Championship. I don’t see that as a concern or excuse.”
The Blue Jays opened the 2018 season with a payroll of $162 million, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Including projected arbitration salaries, they have committed $108 million to next year’s team.
Listen to the full episode for Shapiro’s comments on Charlie Montoyo, Josh Donaldson and the team’s fan support.
The Lede with Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt
Episode 21: Mark Shapiro Managing Blue Jays Culture Change
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