Blue Jays’ investment to come at hefty price for fans?

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin one of the most highly-anticipated seasons in 20 years on Tuesday, but it comes at a cost: namely some of the priciest tickets around.

That's no surprise given the heightened anticipation and glee among fans following the blockbuster trade between the Miami Marlins and Blue Jays, with the Jays picking up shortstop Jose Reyes, pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle and Emilio Bonifacio.

Let's not forget they've also picked up Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets and Melky Cabrera.

That roster of talent arguably hasn't caused so much hype since the Jays last won the World Series in early 1990s. That fact should certainly draw bums in seats, and is likely one of the key reasons behind the elevated prices on a comparative basis.

The Jays currently rank the No. 3 team behind the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers for the highest average ticket price for 2013 at $100.99, according to TiqIQ, which is a secondary market ticket aggregator.

This year's average ticket price may be slightly off from the 2012 average around $110, but that likely reflects more supply now on the resale market, said Chris Matcovich, vice president of data communications at New York-based TiqIQ. But compared to prices this year, the Jays tickets embody the general hype about the season.

"It definitely reflects that people are excited for the season and excited for the prospect they may be in contention this year," he said.

But it remains to be seen how far the Jays ticket buyers will diverge from a broader trend of sluggish ticket sales.

At the start of the week, some of the hottest tickets were selling for less than they were a year ago, potentially a sign that consumers are holding back on spending as their disposable income shrinks, according to a FoxBusiness.com report, which cited data from ConvergEX.

The lagging year-over-year ticket prices indicate a still-slumping economy, with attendance remaining off pre-recession highs, the report cited the technology firm as saying. Baseball is one of the many economic indicators developed by ConvergEX to give an out-of-the-box look at the economy, arguing the age-old American pastime is a good way of gauging the economic recovery due to the length of season and widespread appeal.

Separately, the Boston Red Sox is reportedly offering concession deals such as cheaper beer and free food for kids to woo spectators on expectations its sell-out streak may be coming to an end. No word on whether Jays' fans can expect the same.