I've been trying to avoid making a post about this, partially because I can't believe we're actually serious, but also because I don't want to jinx it. The Twitterverse and baseball writers are getting more and more serious about how serious the Jays are in pushing for Ohtani. Everyone was saying the Dodgers are the clear fit, and that's where most baseball minds would have placed bets on him landing prior to this offseason. But it is truly looking like Shatkins have Rogers blessing to open up the pocket book and pay him, so the question becomes what are the non-monetary drivers behind where he wants to sign.

We have arguably the best player development complex down in Dunedin. We have 2 young superstars under team control for at least 2 more years and a pretty decent lineup around them as well (obviously there are holes to be filled this winter). We have arguably the best rotation in baseball already (including a guy Ohtani went to the same high school as and looked up to). Work will be completed this winter on $300M renovations to the dome. Ohtani wants to play for a contender. While we haven't actually won a game in the playoffs since 2016 (shhh this still hurts), we have made the playoffs 3 out of the last 4 years. With this rotation we are a piece or two away from taking it all the way. Ohtani is THE piece.

I am seriously not trying to set myself or any of you up for utter disappointment here when we've been used as a negotiating chip to drive his value up an extra 3% to sign with the Dodgers. We've seen that happen all too many times in the past. But it truly seems like the Jays are there, and ready willing and able to sign him at whatever $$ figure he wants. At this point it's going to be up to Ohtani.

But can we just dream for a minute about what this team would be like with Ohtani at DH, and potentially pitching for us as well in 2025+? Obviously any team gets better with him, but Bichette-Ohtani-Guerrero-Springer in the top 4 of the lineup?? Especially if Guerrero can recapture any of his magic from 2021? I think every opposing pitcher that has the Jays on their schedule next year is having nightmares about it already.

TLDR

Sportsnet has parted ways with Ben Wagner, the radio voice of the Toronto Blue Jays for the past six seasons.

Sportsnet said it “decided not to renew (Wagner’s) contract for next season” in a statement released Wednesday. The Blue Jays rights holder also thanked the radio broadcaster and wished him well.

Plans for the future of the radio broadcast will be announced prior to the 2024 season, the network said.

Wagner joined the Blue Jays radio broadcast in 2018 after previously spending 11 seasons calling games for the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.

Wagner’s time with Sportsnet was not without obstacles. During the pandemic-shortened 60-game season in 2020, Wagner did not travel to road games and instead called games from a Toronto studio.

The following season, games were simulcast on TV and radio when the Blue Jays played their games in Dunedin, Fla., and Buffalo for the first four months of the 2021 season, leaving Wagner without a consistent role on the broadcast. A separate radio broadcast only returned for the season’s final two months when the team returned to playing at the Rogers Centre.

Meanwhile, full travel never resumed following the pandemic, as Wagner largely called road games off a screen. Wagner also did not have a consistent broadcast partner since 2021, instead handling the radio call either solo or with a rotating cast of guests and analysts beside him.

Sportsnet is owned by Rogers Communications, the Toronto-based telecom company that also owns the Blue Jays and Rogers Centre.

Congrats to Kevin Keirmaier, Matt Chapman and Jose Berios!!

I posted this as a reply in the off-day thread, but I thought it would be good to have as its' own post as well:

This has been a tough day for me as a Jays fan and mod. My thought for now about the now daily off-day threads is they can serve as discussion posts for the other games until the end of the postseason(once we’ve all had a chance to grieve our lost season). Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed to this community this year. It was a painful end to a frustrating season, but I just want to thank everyone who’s been a part of this community with me. I will be here all off-season making the occasional post about our off-season moves, and blindly exclaiming next year is our year. Here’s to a better 2024! I hope to see you all here!

With the mariners loss to the rangers tonight, the blue Jays have clinched a berth in the playoffs!!