Today, bidding on free agents begins. That means Carlos Delgado can now sign with any team that wants him. At this point, we're not sure what his market value is. We know it's not as high as the $19 million he made last season, but it's probably not as low as the $5 million or so our publicized budget allows.
I've been hearing and reading opinions that we should save the money it would cost us to re-sign Delgado and spend it elsewhere. Since when do fans care about the bottom line? I don't care one iota about how much Rogers is willing to spend to put together my ball team. As a fan, I want Delgado playing first base. There's no other player I'd prefer to have in the line up. If Seattle or Baltimore deems Delgado to be worth $9 a season, I want the Blue Jays to match the offer. The Elias Sports Bureau named him the best player in baseball. Lets keep him in town.
While we're keeping Delgado around, lets go out and sign a pitcher or two while we're at it. The harsh reality is we share a division with the Yankees and Red Sox. If we're ever going to see the post season again, we need some serious upgrades. No matter how you spin it, letting Delgado go does not make this club better. Rogers can take their profit margins and approved budgets and save it for the stock holders. Ball fans just want to win, at any cost.
