Having a $250 Million payroll and having $250 Million worth of talent at the Major League level are two completely different things.
Playing in Canada is a detriment. For some players, family or close friends can only see them play on the road because, for one reason or another, the friend or family member is not allowed to cross the border. Playing in Canada means less exposure on US television, which reduces endorsement opportunities. Playing on artificial turf shortens careers. It's no coincidence that many teams which used to play on artificial turf switched back to grass and dirt fields around the same time that player's salaries increased significantly, (early 90's).
Effectively, the Jays are obliged to overpay to acquire or retain free agent talent. Overpriced talent always yields less in trades, unless the trading team eats part of the contract.
Unfortunately, they are also piss poor when it comes to drafting and developing amateur talent. I'm not optimistic that they can contend again anytime soon while retaining the current business model.
One strategy sometimes employed by second division NBA teams is to sign a free agent that they don't really want, if the price is right, with the intention of trading the contract in exchange for budget-priced young talent.
Baltimore Orioles 2024 Salaries
Five everyday players on the Orioles, (Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westberg, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Colton Cowser), have combined 2024 salaries equal to what the Blue Jays are paying to Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
