Now saving: B.J. Ryan

Jays have announced the B.J. Ryan signing. E-mailer Mark Freedman has already started off the thread:

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. You don't pay a closer that much. They break down and are replaceable."

Well yes, no one has ever paid a closer this much ($47 million for five seasons is the figure in all reports). No one has overpaid one this much, either. And yes, they do break down -- but so does any athlete. As for replaceable, the alternative here is incumbent Miguel Batista, who isn't your prototypical power reliever, and has already been mentioned in trade talk involving Texas and Milwaukee for position players. He's replaceable, as were the parade of pretenders that preceded him in '03 and '04.

There's nothing wrong with this move, even if a power hitter or ever another starter are more pressing lineup concerns. It's the price you pay for playing in the big sandbox.

Over the jump (yeah, I've finally decided to start using it), there's more, including bits from the press conference.

Over at Batters Box, Pistol has a posting on elite relievers' performance at the same age as Ryan (he'll be 30 on Dec. 28, that is), and concludes:

Given that Ryan has no real injury history and has had a relatively light workload over his career (381 innings) I don't think the risk involved with a 5 year contract is as worrisome as it might appear at first.

My take: J.P. Ricciardi has chosen to overspend for the best reliever available with his first off-season move -- and no wonder. The Jays have been out of this free agent game for a while -- Ryan is their biggest free agent signing since Roger Clemens eight years ago. $47 mil' goes up in blinking neon lights. This is the ante. They're playing again. That's a lot more than you could say for some winters past.

Some highlights from the press conference:

Ted Rogers, owner, on Ryan: "This guy's bigger than I am. Paid more, too."

Ricciardi: "B.J.'s representatives asked us if we would consider doing a five-year deal. For us, we didn't think it was that big of a deal. For us, we feel like we have a lot of comfort for the next five years, knowing that someone in his prime is going to be pitching for us."

Ricciardi on the highest-paid reliever tag: "Billy Wagner hasn't signed yet, so that might only last a few days. We did a lot of work B.J., and we targetted him as a guy just coming into his prime in that role. And we think that to bring him here we were going to have to step up to the plate, get involved with some of the teams that are out there bidding for his services -- and if it wasn't us making him the highest-paid, it was going to be someone else making him the highest-paid. I think this is a testament to Mr. Rogers that he gave us the money, he allowed us to do this. This is one we didn't want to come in second."

B.J. Ryan: "I wanted to be in control. I didn't want the market to dictate where I was going to play. That's one thing we really talked about and before everything was said and done I kind of had my way and I picked Toronto, then everything got figured out financially." 

Ricciardi on this signing in the big picture: "For us, we want people to come to Toronto because they want to play here. ... What we sold to B.J. was the fact that we have a good family atmostphere here, we want to win, we have commitment from ownership to win, and we are going to win. ... You have to remember that Paul Molitor and Jack Morris and some great free agents chose Toronto at one time. Maybe this is the start of a bunch of guys following them."

One more from Ricciardi, who had nothing new to say about prospective free agents A.J. Burnett and Brian Giles, or the status of incumbent closer Batista: "I think it's going to be an active off season for us, not only through the free agents but through the trade market too."

Comments

[Chad]

As a long time Jays fan (since 1985) - I've seen the highs, the lows and the in betweens. The last twelve have brought a bunch of lows and we've started getting better. I was pretty happy with last year, but I want more.

One thing that bothers me is when I hear fans saying this is a bad deal. What would have been acceptable? $8m for 4 years. So we added one year and couple of million - does it really matter? We wanted him and we got him - that's all that matters. We will not compete without a real closer and now we have one. Do you want us to add on a few mediocre players and hope that everyone overachieves and we just happen to win 81 games again? Frankly, I'm tired of it. Living in New England, I've just had it hearing nothing buy Yanks/Sox talk. And for the first time in 12 years, we are actually making a statement. The Jays are going to compete.

We already got the best available closer (yes I would rather have Ryan than Wagner - he's younger and his strikeout to walk ratio are unmatched - did anyone see him pitch last year? His stuff is sick) and we have the potential to sign the best available pitcher (which is only looking more likely because we signed Ryan) and it looks like we are in the running for one of the better offensive players on the market with Giles. We undoubtedly have plenty of trade bait to get a few more bats - and no, we are not giving up on the future, because we have plenty of prospects and young players in our starting line-up.

We are going to be good next year. Even if we don't get Burnett, but I say we give him whatever we need so he's on our team next year, because he will make us better.

Here's an analysis to think about knowing that we finished 15 games behind the Sox/Yanks:

1) If we had Ryan last year, I think its safe to say that we could have won 5 more games. Batista blew a bunch and also lost a few games that he entered tied. Ryan won't be perfect, but he's dominating which is something Batista NEVER was for the entire 2005 season.

2) Remove Bush from the rotation and add Burnett - gets us 5 more wins - without a doubt. He's got real good stuff and Arnsburg will get more out of him than he's shown in the past. Look at Josh Towers.

3) Add a healthy Halliday (freak injury last year) and Lilly (he's much better than he was this past year, I guarantee his ERA will drop by a run over a run in 2006), this converts in to an additional 5 to 10 wins, easily.

4) Lastly, we will be improved offensively. Someone like Giles, Overbay or Mench to replace Hinkse's and Menchino's at-bats will make us better (we could get all of them). Adams will be better. Koskie will contribute more.

Collectively the points above could add up to 15 to 20 additional wins and a potential at winning the division.

Sure the Yanks and Sox will (try to) do things to get better but they have plenty of problems. Sox have an unknown at closer with Foulke, they don't know what Schilling will bring and it is unlikely that they will retain both Manny and Damon - which means they will not be as good offensively. Yanks have a one year older Johnson, Chacon and Small will not be as good next year, they don't have a real center fielder (another reason to sign Giles) and the middle relief isn't good.

Bottom line is we have a chance to make the playoffs in 2006. Ryan was just step one. We'll get a few bats and hopefully we get Burnett (although we don't need him).

Fun times!

[Andrew]

The reality of the Jays' situation is that they had to overpay for someone... better it be the best available relatively young player who meets one of their needs (Furcal may be a better player, but we're ok at SS).

The move makes a lot of sense as a statement as well, saying that the Jays are here to spend and attract premier talent. With the Sox and Yanks reeling, this is the time to strike.

Furthermore, BJ Ryan is the best available closer on the market, and probably the 3rd-4th best young closer in baseball after Lidge and K-Rod, and maybe Gagne (assuming his arm comes back ok). Getting him at $9+ per season may be extreme, but wait until Wagner and Hoffman surpass that (and they're old men, remember) and Jones, Wickman, and Gordon all get far more than they are worth... Ryan will be a steal in 4 years when he is 34.

Also, the deal is back-ended so the Jays will pay more in the last 3 years. By then Brandon League or another Jay could be ready to close. Lidge and K-Rod will be nearing free agency for large paydays... BJ Ryan could be a huge trading chip with a meager $10M contract by that point (who knows what the others will demand by then??).

Overall, great move JP... I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Richard Armstrong]

Not to beat this thing to death but what the Jays are also getting in BJ Ryan is a good clubhouse addition.
A real team player and and a guy willing to talk about his sucesses and failures.
This will turn out to be an all around good move by JP IMHO

[Dan Cropley]

Being an Orioles fan...it's very sad to lose BJ. You fans in Toronto are going to love him! He's big and strong and throws hard AND he knows how to pitch. He's a flamethrowing strikeout pitcher with great control. BJ works fast and doesn't let hitters settle in. He's so tough to hit.