The shit storm of sentiment - on both sides of the coin - touched off by the Justin Smoak extension this weekend provided us with a timely opportunity to think through what a reasonable roster and payroll for the Blue Jays could look like in 2017. I use the term "reasonable" because while none of us knows for certain where Rogers will set the budget, a quick look at the Cot's data shows us that in the 2014-16 period the payroll has averaged US$134m, and given all of the positives that have emerged during 2016 (attendance, TV ratings, bounce in the CAD from ~US$0.68 in Jan to ~US$0.77 today) I think assuming a payroll floor of US$140m for next season is a rationale enough guess-timate for the time being.
