11:09am: The Red Sox were prepared to offer Gonzalez a one-year deal worth $3MM, according to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, but the shortstop chose to accept the Jays' offer instead of waiting for the Red Sox to explore other options.
10:11am: The Jays will pay Gonzalez $2.75MM in 2010, according to Bastian. They also hold a $2.5MM option for his services in 2011.
10:07am: MLB.com's Jordan Bastian hears it's a one-year deal with a club option for 2011. We don't know the numbers yet, but Bastian says an announcement could come soon.
9:24am: The Blue Jays agreed to sign Alex Gonzalez to a one-year deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The combination of Gonzalez and John McDonald makes it hard to envision a deal with free agent Marco Scutaro, though the club may still offer arbitration to obtain draft picks for the Type A free agent. Gonzalez was not a ranked free agent, so the Jays don't have to forfeit picks and the Red Sox don't obtain any.
Gonzalez, 32, hit .238/.279/.355 for the Reds and Red Sox last year, but he played tremendous defense, as usual, according to UZR/150. Longtime Blue Jays fans will experience deja vu next year – the other Alex Gonzalez played short for the Jays from 1994-2001.
