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Jays Looking For An Arm And A Bat For Halladay

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Another day, another Roy Halladay rumor. Today, Jeremy Sandler of The National Post reports that the Blue Jays "want a major league-ready arm and bat, both young and affordable enough to stay in Toronto a while, plus prospects for Halladay."

Regardless of how great Halladay is, it's a steep price to pay for just one year of his services. Yesterday we heard that the Red Sox would "almost certainly" have to give up Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly to acquire Halladay, though those two don't meet the above-mentioned criteria. According to industry insiders, Sandler suggests that serious offers matching Toronto's wish list could be coming in the next few weeks.

Blue Jays Rumors: Barajas, Snider, Needs

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The only MLB city not celebrating Thanksgiving today has, predictably, been the main source of Thursday's hot stove talk. In a series of Twitter updates, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com brings us a few more Toronto Blue Jays notes….

  • It doesn't look like Rod Barajas will return to Toronto next year. The club plans to offer him arbitration, but the 34-year-old could have a multi-year deal lined up with another team.
  • GM Alex Anthopoulos on Barajas: "We're going to keep the dialogue open. But, right now, I don't see there being good chances of Rod coming back."
  • The Blue Jays have informed Travis Snider that he'll have to earn a spot on the team's Opening Day roster.
  • The upshot of Barajas' likely departure and Snider not being handed a starting role? The Jays' two primary needs are behind the plate and in the outfield, with catcher being the club's top priority.
  • Anthopoulos also cites the leadoff spot as something Toronto would like to address this winter.

Blue Jays Rumors: Scutaro, Cabrera, Brignac

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Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail has the latest on the Blue Jays in the aftermath of this morning's signing:

  • The Blue Jays will offer Marco Scutaro salary arbitration. Blair hears indications that the shortstop may have a three-year deal coming his way.
  • The Jays made a serious run at Orlando Cabrera, but decided against a deal since it would have taken a commitment of about $12MM and two years. The Jays like Cabrera, but have concerns about the former Gold Glover's range and arm.
  • Cabrera's agent is telling teams that his client is ready to play second base. The Twins may have interest in re-signing Cabrera to play second.
  • The Jays spoke to the Rays about Reid Brignac, but felt Tampa was asking for too much.
  • Blair wonders if Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos will try to trade Gonzalez at next summer's trade deadline if the shortstop starts the year well.

Odds & Ends: Cabrera, Johnson, Halladay

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Happy Thanksgiving! Here are some links to check out…

  • Darren Rovell of CNBC hears that the Yankees will receive World Series shares or $367K.
  • Miguel Cabrera may have to DH by the time he's 30, though he remains one of the ten or so best hitters in the league, according to Keith Law of ESPN.com.
  • The Blue Jays looked into Orlando Cabrera before signing Alex Gonzalez, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. O-Cab is using Jack Wilson's two-year $10MM deal as a starting point.
  • The Marlins have options with Josh Johnson, even though they're not negotiating with the pitcher now, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. They could trade him after the 2010 season or at the 2011 trade deadline, collect compensation picks for him or re-open extension talks.
  • Former MLB catcher Sal Fasano will manage the Blue Jays' Class A Lansing affiliate, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
  • Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says Shelley Duncan is a hard worker who deserves a shot with an MLB club. The slugger became a free agent yesterday. 
  • Peter Gammons of ESPN.com wonders (via Twitter) whether it's worth giving up three prospects for Roy Halladay, especially since he'll be in a position to demand close to $20MM per year if he signs an extension.
  • Check out the game's best and worst baserunners since 2005 over at ACTA Sports. Bengie Molina and Grady Sizemore figure prominently in John Dewan's rankings.

Blue Jays Agree To Sign Alex Gonzalez

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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.

The Price Tag For Roy Halladay

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Red Sox would "almost certainly" have to part with prospect Casey Kelly and pitcher Clay Buchholz to acquire Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays. That would be an immense price to pay for a year of Halladay, and Olney says it "makes no sense" for the Red Sox to hand over that kind of talent, especially since it will take a considerable amount to lock Halladay up long-term.

One executive called the Halladay trade talks "Santana 2," in reference to the Johan Santana trade talks two offseasons ago. The Yankees and Red Sox held onto their prospects then, and their decisions look wise today.

But don't expect the Blue Jays to lower the asking price for their ace. One person who was involved in last summer's trade talks tells Olney that the Jays will continue to ask for top prospects, even if it means they don't make a deal.

"It'll probably be easier for them, as an organization, to just keep him and let him walk," the talent evaluator said. 

If they do trade Halladay, they'll likely ask for shortstop prospects, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. It doesn't sound like the Jays are close to dealing Doc and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports expects trade talks to develop slowly.

Blue Jays Still Looking For Shortstop

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Despite agreeing to terms with John McDonald, the Toronto Blue Jays are still searching for a shortstop, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Bastian tweets that McDonald's role is "undefined" heading into next year, and that the Jays don't view him as their starter. The team will attempt to fill that role via free agency, and GM Alex Anthopoulos hopes to get something done soon.

Incumbent shortstop Marco Scutaro is perhaps the most attractive of the position's free agent class this offseason, but Bastian reports that talks with the infielder have come to a halt. It's still possible the Jays and Scutaro could agree on a one-year deal, but it doesn't look probable that the 34-year-old will be back in Toronto.

Considering they already have one defensive specialist in McDonald, it seems unlikely that the Jays would pursue a player like Adam Everett or Alex Gonzalez. Of the rest of the free agent shortstops, only Miguel Tejada and Orlando Cabrera look like sure-thing, everyday options.

McDonald Re-Signs With Blue Jays

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WEDNESDAY 4:01pm: ESPN's Buster Olney reports (via email) that McDonald's deal is worth a total of $3MM over two years.

TUESDAY 7:52pm: Fanhouse's Ed Price (via Twitter) has learned that Toronto is "expected" to bring back free agent infielder John McDonald to a deal worth around $1.5MM, in what would likely be a one-year contract.

McDonald has been a reserve with the Blue Jays since 2005, and has become a fan favorite in Toronto due to his often-spectacular defense at shortstop.  He just completed a two-year/$3.8MM deal with the club and his return would give the Jays a strong back-up glove at third base (where Edwin Encarncacion and his "E-5" nickname has the starting job) and may even be a candidate to get regular playing time at shortstop given Marco Scutaro's Type A free-agent status.  McDonald's .258/.271/.384 line last season represented career highs in slugging percentage and OPS, but obviously the Jays would be absorbing a blow to their lineup by giving McDonald regular at-bats.

Red Sox Making Push For Halladay

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3:05pm: Not so fast, says John Tomase of The Boston Herald. He writes that a team source "made it clear today the Red Sox recognize that swinging any deal for Halladay will likely be a lengthy process." The Winter Meetings are just 11 days away.

Meanwhile, both Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com and Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston put their two cents in about a potential Halladay-to-Boston deal.

8:17am: The Boston Red Sox are aggressively pursuing Roy Halladay, hoping to get a trade worked out before the winter meetings, according to Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.

The Daily News report cites an unnamed source that claims the Sox are "putting on a full-court press" in the negotiations for Halladay. Since new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is willing to trade Toronto's ace within the division, the Red Sox and Yankees are considered frontrunners in the Halladay sweepstakes, with the Angels and Dodgers also in the mix. For either AL East powerhouse, acquiring the right-hander would not only bolster their rotation, but would keep him away from a division rival.

Feinsand and Madden suggest that the Sox would have to give up at least Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly in order to get a deal done with the Jays.

Odds & Ends: Lincecum, Gonzalez, Damon

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Let's check out some Wednesday morning links….

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