TORONTO -- Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro sat down with the local media for approximately 45 minutes on Friday afternoon in a State of the Union-like address that touched on almost every aspect of the organization.
The biggest news to come out of Friday's availability was that Shapiro reaffirmed his commitment to the Blue Jays by stating that Toronto "is where I want to be," in light of a recent report that he was interested in a job opening with the Mets.
But that was far from the only topic Shapiro addressed during the wide-ranging scrum with reporters. He also touched on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s development, future payroll, Josh Donaldson, Spring Training renovations and a slew of other subjects.
Here's a brief rundown of the main topics that Shapiro talked about during a rare sitdown with reporters:
On criticism that the Blue Jays are delaying Guerrero's arrival because of business reasons and service time, rather than personal development, and a suggestion from the MLBPA that the Blue Jays were manipulating the Collective Bargaining Agreement by keeping Guerrero in the Minor Leagues ...
"I can unequivocally say on Vlad, despite some of the other comments out there -- I'm not sure of the player development background of the person who commented from the union, I don't know who it was, I don't know what his background is in player development. But Ben Cherington, Gil Kim, Ross Atkins, Eric Wedge, myself -- that's what, like, 40 years in player development? -- I feel strongly that the best thing for Vladdy's development is the path that we've laid out.
"There's no debate that he's on an accelerated timeframe. He's already eclipsed the timeframe that any player would have at his age and his level of experience. He's on an accelerated timeframe. He's going to get up here at a very young age. Maybe next April, we're open to that. We want him to have as strong of a foundation as humanly possible to be a complete player and a future leader."
When it was pointed out that the Blue Jays have other young players -- such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez -- who aren't polished Major League players, but are on the active roster ...
"There is no comparison between Vladdy at 19 years old and the level of experience he's had in the Minor Leagues, and those players."
On the possibility of the MLBPA filing a grievance on behalf of Guerrero ...
"I welcome that scrutiny."
On criticism that the high-performance department has received in the wake of Donaldson's departure from the organization. Donaldson previously said he wanted to follow his own rehab program and not one outlined by the club ...
"If we had a regret about high performance, it would only be that we call it high performance. It's probably just because of the European model and that was something when we were thinking about it, that was the model that existed out there. It existed all over professional sport, just not in baseball. But in reality, all it really is is adding resources.
"I would use the analogy for your car. If your car was broken, and you cared about your car, you'd want somebody who has the ability to diagnose it specifically and not just say the engine is broken. At the Major League level, we've just added resources. We added a physical therapist, we had some turnover with our trainers, but we've added nutrition as a component to the clubhouse, we've added a mental performance coach, things that didn't exist here before."
On where things stand with renovation plans to the Blue Jays' Minor League complex in Dunedin, Fla. ...
"We are far along in the design process. I could probably pretty soon start to show you some artwork and what it looks like. We will break ground next year, definitively. I think it's possible we can break ground as soon as Spring Training ends. The goal would be that we're operating in that facility before the 2020 Spring Training.
"That's the track we're on, that's the timing we're on. All of the funding is in place, that's not an issue. We are finishing up design, moving to architecture, doing soil tests, making sure there isn't anything unanticipated. But we have already contracted both the construction firm, architects, and we're having meetings twice a week and working through plans right now."
On where Toronto's payroll will be next year and in the future ...
"We haven't set the payroll for next year. I'm confident that what the payroll is at will have zero impact on our ability to execute our offseason plan. I'm not sure if that's clear or not, but with everything I said and where we are, we're not going to be playing on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. I still think we'll be active in free agency, where we have gaps and holes. We're going to want to field the most competitive team with the best players and the best people around our young players as humanly possible.
"But there's an opportunity cost, too. We need to give opportunities. In order for those players to transition, in order for those players to develop, in order for us to get a clear understanding of who we have and what they represent for our future, we have to play them. We have to play them."
On Donaldson's departure ...
"What I won't do is get into specifics, or timelines, or negotiations or anything like that. ... When you reach a juncture where there's either an end to a relationship, or a temporary end to a relationship, it's a strain and it's complex. Emotions -- especially for a player who obviously likes where he is, and for a fanbase that adores a player -- certainly heighten those circumstances.
"From the outside, it's somewhat because of the story it can be and the interest it creates when you're not contending. That can get a little blown out of proportion, but in every one of these circumstances, they're tough. They're tough for us because he's a great player and he makes whoever he is playing for better. They're tough for the fans because he represents an incredible juncture in baseball for the Blue Jays. And they're tough for him because he liked being here. But we're moving forward and I have nothing but respect for Josh."