Adios Rios!

So here's the thing...

Even before the whole Trade/No-Tradegate thing (remember those weeks of hell when we couldn't get away from the Doc trade "rumors"?) I have always been very weary about sports reporters/media for their lovely (*cough* annyoing as hell *cough*) knack for making a mountain out of a molehill. Part of the reason I haven't tried harder than blogging to join their ranks. I don't think I would have the patience to do it.

But anyhoo...at the time when it came to light that Rios had cleared waivers and been claimed by the ChiSox it felt like it was going to be another fabricated mountain. Well...isn't hindsight 20/20. Not to say that the actual way Rios left is/isn't a big deal...waivers happen and sometimes "big names" get taken. Personally what I think needs to be made a big deal of is that we got nothing in return.

Zip. Zilch. Zero. Rien. Nada. Nothing. A big fat doughnut hole, and not a yummy tim-bit like one. (Get my point yet?)

Now, granted this means that we're off the hook for Rios' paycheck. Wouldn't it be nice if that were the case with BJ Ryan? After all, he left the Cubs 'cause he just didn't think his velocity/location were going to come back. Beej...you couldn't have figured that out before you parted ways with TO? But I digress. My problem here (again) is with the way JP responded to the whole thing. According to him, from footage of his press scrum that was shown on Sportsnet last night, this is not a salaray drop. But, it does free up some money for next year.

Again, I'm slightly worried. I realise that a salary drop (even though that's not what this is) serves two ends: 1) to clear money for next year or 2) to lower payroll. Since we're not in the first 2 years of JP's era anymore, I think we can all safely presume that #2 is the least likely explanation for Rios leaving and us getting nothing in return.

Granted, the economy isn't what it used to be and with the (very sad) passing of Ted Rogers this past winter...the grandeur and freedom in the spending column for the Jays might not be exactly what it used to be. Still...if the Jays were cutting corners because their budget was getting scaled back, I'm sure JP would have mentioned it. Unless somehow things are flipped for him and he doesn't say the things he should and does say the things he shouldn't (Doc doesn't want an extension.)

Bye Alexis, please don't hit the crap out of us when we play against you. Like so many ex-Jays have a want to do. Take solace that you weren't just a salaray drop, but that you did free up some money for next year.

JaysGirl5 over and out.

P.S. I apologize for my extensive use of brackets this post. They just felt necessary.