Blue Jays Senior VP/Baseball Operations & GM Alex Anthopoulos has "very much gone 'all in'" with the acquisitions of P David Price and SS Troy Tulowitzki prior to Friday's trade deadline, putting his chips "in the middle of the table," according to Scott MacArthur of TSN.ca. Anthopoulos has "done what he can, within his means, to give this team the opportunity to exorcise the ugly 22-year, major league-high, playoff drought" (TSN.ca, 7/30). The GLOBE & MAIL's Cathal Kelly writes the Blue Jays "for the first time since they actually won things," have decided to "live in the present, rather than a best-case-scenario future that is perpetually put off until next year" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/31). SPORTSNET.ca's Shi Davidi wrote the chance to "get someone like Price is why Anthopoulos was so willing to use up all his remaining payroll space and a good chunk of his upper-level prospect capital, too." Since the offseason, Anthopoulos has been "holding back" around $5-6M "for an opportunity like this one" (SPORTSNET.ca, 7/30). USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale writes when you have "waited more than 22 years and your beloved president, Paul Beeston, is leaving at the end of the year and your general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, is on the hot seat, why not go for it?" The Blue Jays "have an obligation to deliver a championship-caliber team to their city, and if they sat pat and didn’t acquire pitching help, they would have had a clubhouse mutiny" (USA TODAY, 7/31). In Toronto, Rosie DiManno writes Anthopoulos thus far, in a "whirlwind week," has "well and truly done Toronto a solid, good enough -- whatever transpires -- to justify a new contract for himself" (TORONTO STAR, 7/31). Also in Toronto, Mike Rutsey writes Anthopoulos "stepped up," and now it is "up to the players to follow" (TORONTO SUN, 7/31).
FOLLOWING THE ROYALS' EXAMPLE: ESPN’s J.A. Adande noted the Royals last year were the second Wild Card team but came within one win of claiming the World Series. Adande: "Toronto saw that example and said, ‘We’re close enough, let’s go over the top.’ ... You have to like their chance of getting in and making some noise in the postseason.” He added, "This is a victory for the Wild Card system again, because it encourages teams that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to go out there and stay active” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 7/30). ESPN’s Max Kellerman said the Blue Jays “have been stuck as like a .500 team forever in spite of the fact the underlying metrics all say that they’re good.” Kellerman: “They know their record doesn’t reflect how good they actually are. Good for them for going for it this year. It’s a smart move” (“SportsNation,” ESPN2, 7/30). MLB Network’s Dan O’Dowd said he “can’t remember in my 30-plus years this type of transformation been done” with the Blue Jays' personnel moves. O’Dowd: “There are consequences potentially to the long-term aspect of this. So when you put all your chips into the middle of the table, you better roll the winning dice” (“MLB Now,” MLB Network, 7/30).
LUHNOW LANDING: The Astros acquired CF Carlos Gomez and P Mike Fiers from the Brewers on Thursday, the second major trade Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has made this month, and in Houston, Brian Smith writes what can "never be said again is that the man to whom owner Jim Crane handed the Astros is content to wait around." With the earlier trade for P Scott Kazmir, this season is now "devoted to only one thing: making the playoffs for the first time since the Astros' lone Word Series appearance" in '05. Luhnow: "That's what our fans want. They want us to win ... and we're taking advantage of it." Smith notes the Astros "were forced to add on the fly." By "fast-tracking 2017 into 2015," Luhnow "took a long glance at Minute Maid's increasingly filled seats and decided the future is now" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/31). MLB.com's Richard Justice writes the Astros "may have gotten better sooner than they expected," but now they see '15 as "a window of opportunity to get to the postseason for the first time in 10 years." If Luhnow "has to give up some of his prized prospects to get there, so be it" (MLB.com, 7/31).
DANIELS, YOU'RE A STAR: In Dallas, Tim Cowlishaw wrote the Rangers' acquisition of P Cole Hamels "isn't the kind of trade you make when you're hoping to make a slight improvement on your club." Cowlishaw: "This is the kind of deal you do when you need to hit a home run in order to hang onto your job" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/30). But ESPN.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor wrote under the header, "Rangers GM Jon Daniels A Winner In Trade For Lefty Ace Cole Hamels." The Rangers "didn’t have to give up" two of their best "slugging prospects," including 3B Joey Gallo. Taylor: "Consider that a win for Daniels" (ESPN.com, 7/30).
