Here are a few notes out of Toronto:
- The Jays put some traded-for international spending money to use today in signing Dominican righty Hansel Rodriguez for $330K, explains Ben Badler of Baseball America. After selecting lefty Brian Moran in the Rule 5 draft, Toronto flipped his rights to the Angels in exchange for the 81st overall bonus slot, which boosted the team's total allotment just high enough to add Rodriguez without triggering any penalties.
- GM Alex Anthopoulos has extended at least one player in each of his four winters at the helm of baseball ops, notes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Previous deals were mostly made with arb-eligible players, which could make Colby Rasmus, Brett Cecil, and Esmil Rogers potential candidates. But with no indications that talks have taken place, says Nicholson-Smith, that streak could come to an end this time around. "We don't mind paying a little more to be sure we get a little more information," Anthopoulos said in December. "I think we're getting to that position now."
- The shift in favor of the American dollar against the Canadian variety is beginning to have an impact on Canadian sports teams, writes Sportsnet.ca's Michael Grange. "It won't affect our plans for this year, we're already locked and loaded (with regard to payroll)," said Jays president Paul Beeston. "But it will affect our bottom line, that's for sure."
