The Blue Jays announced today that Dioner Navarro has been activated from the disabled list, with Josh Thole being optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 25-man roster. Navarro, an oft-mentioned trade candidate this winter (due largely to his own admission that he would prefer a trade that will allow him every day) struggled to a .267/.294/.333 batting line in his first 34 plate appearances before landing on the DL. As a free agent at season’s end, he’ll hope to bring that line closer to the .283/.333/.427 he posted between the Cubs and Jays in 2013-14.
A few notes on some the Blue Jays…
- Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi spoke with White Sox reliever Zach Duke about the Blue Jays’ interest in him this offseason. Duke, who signed on with the South Siders for three years and a total of $15MM, said the interest between him and Toronto was mutual. “I talked with [Blue Jays GM] Alex [Anthopoulos] quite a bit,” Duke told Davidi. “I talked to a few guys on the Blue Jays, too, and I was pretty interested. Toronto was definitely a huge consideration for me.” Davidi notes that the Jays also contemplated topping Chicago’s offer to David Robertson (four years, $46MM) but weren’t comfortable with how much they’d have to backload the deal to make it work.
- Davidi also caught up with former Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen, who is now with the Nationals after signing a one-year, $5MM contract this winter. As Davidi writes, failed extension talks during the 2014 season likely played a role in Janssen’s departure from the organization that he had spent the past 10 years with. Janssen said that he left talks up to his agent for the most part, but he never got the sense that the Blue Jays had serious interest.
- It’s been three years since Johan Santana tossed a 134-pitch no-hitter for the Mets — the first no-hitter in their franchise’s history. Santana, however, pitched in just three games following that milestone, as shoulder injuries and a ruptured Achilles tendon have kept him off the field. Now with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal, Santana tells Sports Illustrated’s Phil Taylor that he wouldn’t change anything about that night if he had the chance. “It’s easy to criticize things after they happened,” says Santana. “You don’t have a crystal ball to say what’s going to happen. I told [Mets manager] Terry [Collins] I felt fine, and I did. Even if an army had come to get me, I wouldn’t have come out of the game. I love this game too much.” Santana says he’s not certain if his comeback attempt with the Blue Jays will result in him returning to a Major League mound, but he’s hopeful of being able to do so in any capacity. “Starting, relieving, just to pitch again,” the two-time Cy Young winner tells Taylor. “Coming back is a challenge and I love challenges. Is it going to happen? I don’t know. But I’m taking my chances and I’m giving it everything I have.”
Ruben Amaro has Santana’s agent on speed dial…
Johan Santana is my favorite pitcher of all time. He used to dominate the Yanks when he was with the Twinkies.
Congrats on a great career, and the first Mets no hitter, which I’ll always remember because it happened the same day I got married.
That should have been 3 Cy Youngs in a row… he was robbed by Colon.
Santana should have won the Cy every year from 2004-2006 and Pujols should have been MVP every year from 2005-2010. Both were totally robbed in those years they didn’t win.
CY Young awards have more weight in my opinion then alot of other awards given out especially gold gloves and All-Star selections which are more like popularity contests but looking back on the voting in 2005 it was a joke that Colon won that CY, it seems the only major stat he had better then Johan was wins. Even Mo had more votes then Johan which is a joke (not to take anything away from Mo tho)
Johan was healthy and pitching well until after his ankle was stepped on in a play at 1B sometime around the end of July, 2012. He was a train wreck waiting to happen after that. I believe it was the sixth start after the no-hitter that it happened. Two more starts after that, and his shoulder blew out. That injury messed up his motion enough that, as fragile as his shoulder was, he didn’t stand a chance. That man has the heart of a lion. I hope he goes into coaching at some level when he decides to retire. He has so much to teach the new generation of post PED pitchers.
It’s too bad about Johan Santana, terrific pitcher and person, I am grateful he pitched the first no-hitter for my Mets.
If that game was played today, the Mets still wouldn’t have a no-hitter. Beltran hit a ball right down the line ruled foul, it was clearly fair.
Funny at the time it hurt the Cardinals more than the Mets. Looking back, it could have been much better for the Mets and Santana if the no hitter had been broken up and Santana removed from the game.
The Mets weren’t going to the postseason in 2012. They haven’t been competitive until this season…. It definitely was worth it for the Mets.
And really, whether or not Beltran’s hit was called foul, what he did on that day, just as a baseball fan was amazing to watch. Of all the guys to come out and pitch the Mets first no hitter – after all the adversity he had been through, including the shoulder surgeries… it was heroic.
That’s actually not true. Fair/Foul isn’t allowed in instant replay.
“Santana, however, pitched in just three games following that milestone, as shoulder injuries and a ruptured Achilles tendon have kept him off the field.”
That’s not true. After the no hitter, Santana pitched in 10 more games, only winning 3 of them.
And all of those wins came before the ankle injury.
“Davidi notes that the Jays also contemplated topping Chicago’s offer to David Robertson (four years, $46MM) but weren’t comfortable with how much they’d have to backload the deal to make it work.” And yet they went five years on a ridiculous backload with Russell Martin.
Ever think that that is why they didn’t want another heavily back loaded contract?!?!?!?
Ever think they have virtually no obligations in two years and that the $140 million dollar roster they’re fielding now has a pile of holes?