Should we really be shocked that, despite his "I like this team a lot going forward" speech, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi is talking trade on a couple of fronts? It's not like he hasn't spoken with forked tongue in the past.
His distrust towards members of the Toronto media - and I'll include myself in that group - has forced Ricciardi to play his cards extremely close to his vest. Why he's chosen this course only J.P. knows.
I personally can't remember when he's been burned in the past, but I'll save that analysis for an epilogue column on his Toronto years.
With the Red Sox currently the favourite to land Johan Santana, the Yankees are now zeroing in on Dan Haren. And with the Tigers having added Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to a roster that is just a year removed from the World Series, this would most definitely be the wrong off-season to stand pat.
We all agree that the positives far outweighed the negatives in 2007, especially when the injury factors are removed. So now word has started to filter out the annual baseball winter meetings, this year being held in the music city of Nashville, Tennessee that Ricciardi is listening to offers for all-star right fielder Alex Rios.
According to several sources, the San Francisco Giants, now missing the chemically-enhanced bat of Barry Bonds, are dangling young starting pitchers Matt Cain and/or Tim Lincecum in order to upgrade their weakened offense. Rios, with just four seasons of Major League experience and three years away from free agency, is the type of player that would land the young pitching that the Giants are offering up.
It has also been rumoured that this deal might grow in magnitude, especially if Ricciardi requires that Troy Glaus and his big contract are included in the deal. With the Giants desperately needing a third baseman, it makes sense and could start the dominoes falling in Toronto.
But then who would play third and make up for the mid-order production that a healthy Glaus would depart with? Perhaps a call would be placed to the Tigers who just acquired Cabrera from the Marlins and now don't have a place for Brandon Inge to play. A player of Inge's ilk - say that three times in a row - a dirt-bag as Ricciardi fondly refers to, would be a nice fit with the Jays. And the cost wouldn't likely be that high.
Word has it that the Jays are also interested in a pair of Canadians - Orioles' left-handed ace Erik Bedard and Pirates' outfielder Jason Bay - currently being offered up for trade by their respective teams.
If the Jays are able to land Cain or Lincecum from the Giants, they would have the pitching depth in the rotation to offer A.J. Burnett, likely to opt-out of his current contract after 2008, to the Orioles for Bedard. Burnett and the Orioles have been linked in the past when he originally signed with the Jays prior to the 2006 season. With Burnett's wife from the Baltimore area, it seemed like a fit at the time, but when the Jays added an extra year to the deal - with an opt-out clause after the third season - it was off to the Great White North, eh.
Orioles owner Peter Angelos has an affinity for local talent, so this might play into the Jays favour if another starter is landed and Ricciardi feels they have enough depth to deal the enigmatic Burnett. It would also free up over $22 million over the next two years with Burnett off the books. Perhaps that money could be used to sign Bedard long-term if the deal goes through.
As for Bay, this would be a secondary deal unlikely to happen if they don't acquire top level pitching in return. The Pirates have said they are looking for young pitching for the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year and two-time all-star, something that the Jays would now have the depth to offer up.
As I tie up this missive, the only deal that J.P. has come up with is the acquisition of yet another utility type by the name of Buck Coats. He joins the likes of Frank Menechino, Dave Berg, Jason Smith, and Joe Inglett as cheap, second-tier types to fill out a roster. The Rios offer to the Giants now sits in San Francisco's suite as they have to decide which of the young pitchers offered they could do without the least.
The Jays have also had discussions with the representative for free agent catcher Paul Lo Duca on a one-year deal to back up Gregg Zaun. Nothing against Sal Fasano, but he's a second-string catcher on a team years away from the playoffs. Lo Duca is a better fit on a possible contender.
After watching teams that finished ahead of them in the American League add to their rosters this off-season, the aforementioned Jays deal possibilities all get my approval. I've never been a fan of standing pat, all the way back to the Gillick years. This team wasn't good enough in 2007 - injuries or not - and not adding to this team would be a mistake.
And an off-season of nothing won't help them sell any more tickets. Bad enough that Toronto sports fans continue to get duped by their favourite hockey club.
