Money, Roster, and Juan Gone

I'll refrain from crowing over predicting Francisco's departure because, well, who didn't? Amiright?

I will casually note that I have repeatedly mentioned (mostly in other places obviously that DickeyThole was a tradable commodity which seem to be growing into a potential thing but to clarify, I do not mean "dump" - he has real marketable value. My suggestion was a re-allocation of resources concept.

In previous years I'd have gone 3,000 words or so refining the details of the presumed roster but those details are so much mainstream part of the conversation anymore that it would be redundant. Cotts Baseball Contracts, linked in the sidebar, is the go-to reference for salary commitments and it shows$108.55 million in guaranteed contracts (10 on the roster plus Ricky Ro) for 2015 (not including any buyout clauses except for Romero's). Likewise, MLBTR has scooped up what has become te accepted standard model for projecting arbitration-eligible player salaries (not that I don't reserve the right to quibble). The current total there is $17.3mm for 7 Blue Jays. That leaves room for 8 pre-arb guys who will collectively earn between $4 and $4.5mm. Pending future roster moves which begin, potentially, tomorrow (more on that in a sec). That totals just ever so slightly more than $130 million (notwithstanding every DL trip of course adds to the actual payroll)

That put them $7mm from last year's total, 13 from the widely assumed 150 working budget, and with theorized but unconfirmed room beyond that. My suggestion to deal Dickey for a good offensive player (one year of Justin Upton? five years of Matt Kemp?) presumes there is, in fact, a ceiling this year and it's better to fill one of the remaining holes via trade than free agency.

About that potential roster movement, here's my guess at the top 5 players mst likely to leave the Jays' 40 man roster tomorrow:

1. Bo Schultz (RHP) - most fungible
2. Matt Hague (1B/3B) - should go unclaimed
3. Cory Burns (RHP)- great control, but good day to sneak a guy through
4. Colt Hynes (LHP) - ditto, except he's also a lefty
5. Liam Hendricks (RHP) - Again, they want him, but with teams setting rosters you might sneak him through.

And the top 5 that need to be protected:

1. John Stilson (RHP) - he's coming off injury so drafting team would have flexibility; has highest upside; is closest to major league ready
2. Taylor Cole (RHP) - assuming Jays don't think his breakout was low-minors illusion
3. Blake McFarland (RFP) - AFL work put him on rival teams' radar, relievers are easier to carry through the first year.
4. Andy Burns (3B) - best position player in need of protection.
5. Sean Ochinko (C) - like McFarland, AFL raised profile. Threshold for catcher's bats are lower. Ghost of Yan Gomes looms.

As Ben Balder tweeted, it's sort of a baseball geek holiday.