Dunedin Today: Playoff push

DUNEDIN, Fla. – The finagling over how to implement baseball’s expanded playoff format in time for the 2012 season continues, and Toronto Blue Jays reliever Carlos Villanueva is among those pushing to make it happen.

Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, a second wildcard team in each league is to be added by the 2013 season but commissioner Bud Selig has said he’d like to see the post-season expanded for the upcoming year.

Villanueva, elected by the players association’s executive board as an alternate representative in December, said Wednesday that the union has seen a proposed schedule and offered some feedback, adding, "I’m confident that we can get something done."

"Personally, I would like it to happen," he said. "I think it’s an opportunity, especially for a team like us, to get involved deeper in the race. But it depends on if both sides can get together and make something work."

The unresolved issues revolve primarily around scheduling, how best to shoehorn the one-game playoff into the existing post-season schedule, how to ensure that a team doesn’t have to make multiple cross-continent flights within a short span and how to satisfy the needs of the TV networks.

"It’s just planning everything out so everybody feels comfortable," said Villanueva. "We’re trying to work it out so it’s going to be fair."

March 1 has been mentioned as a deadline to get things done, but Villanueva said that wasn’t necessarily the case.

"I think if we’re going to do it, as long as we have something done before the season, I don’t see a problem, or why it couldn’t happen that way," he said.

"We want to make it work. We want the game to keep growing. Talking to a lot of the players, at least, we all have a sense of wanting it to happen. And it’ll benefit all sides, I think, if we get the right ground rules set. So hopefully we get it done this year."

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TESTING DAY: Aside from providing blood to team doctors as part of their physicals, the Blue Jays also had to offer up urine samples to the drug testers that set-up shop in camp Wednesday morning.

The samples will be used to check for performance-enhancing substances, while another blood test for human growth hormone – a new addition to the drug program under the new collective bargaining agreement – is due to take place later this spring.

"In my opinion, it’s a good thing," said Villanueva of the new HGH testing.

The CBA calls for one mandatory test for all players during spring training, with players subject to additional tests for "reasonable cause" throughout the year. Starting next off-season, players will also be subject to additional tests over the break, with the players and owners agreeing to study the possibility of in-season blood tests.

That issue is a bit touchier since it requires, "the right type of science, the right type of testing," explains Villanueva. "It’s a difficult test."

There are also concerns on how the drawing of blood before a game may affect a player.

As for teammate Jose Bautista’s recent revelation that he’s been tested 16 times over the past two seasons, Villanueva said, "if it’s anything close to that I believe it’s a little excessive for a two-year period. I’ve been tested four times maybe over the two years, but I didn’t hit 50 homers."

Under the protocol, players are to be tested for performance-enhancing substances within five days of arrival at spring training, and all are subject to an additional unannounced test at random during the season. Further, an additional 1,200 unannounced tests are to be conducted of randomly-chosen players throughout the year.

"If it’s 16 times (for Bautista) I don’t believe it’s random at all," said Villanueva.

While Bautista played down the test issue earlier this week, manager John Farrell said the frequency of with which his right-fielder has been vetted should remove any doubts people might have.

"The fact that he’s had that many tests and they’ve all been negative, speaks more volume to the fact there’s nothing hidden here and there’s nothing for it to be attributed to other than the fact that you’re looking at a damn good player who’s put in a lot of hard work and learned along the way," said Farrell. "That’s the reason for his success, not a shortcut."

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JAYS ADD ONE: The Blue Jays signed right-hander Rick VandenHurk to a non-guaranteed major-league, split contract, pushing their camp roster up to 65 players.

The 26-year-old from Eindhoven, the Netherlands made two starts and pitched in four games for the Baltimore Orioles last season, posting an 8.00 ERA over nine innings.

Manager John Farrell said he’ll be given a chance to win the long man’s job in the bullpen while also providing depth.

"We’ve always had very good reports on him," said Farrell. "He’s always had very good arm strength, he's had good swing and miss, particularly effective against right-handed hitters. He’s a guy that has started in the past and with that starting experience behind him, he’s a guy that can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen."

To make room on the 40-man roster, prospect Alan Farina was placed on the 60-day DL. He underwent Tommy John surgery last June and is due to start throwing bullpens next week.

"Everything feels great," said Farina, who had the tear in his elbow since 2008. "By June I should be ready to rock."

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FIRST WORKOUTS: The six-week process of building up the pitchers for the season began in earnest for the Blue Jays on Wednesday with the club’s first official workouts.

Pitchers will throw off a mound every other day to develop their base, with a handful of players mixed in.

Dustin McGowan was among those who impressed.

"Consistent with his bullpens before camp opened up," said Farrell. "He doesn’t take added time to get into the flow of the bullpen, he doesn’t need extra throws to get loose.

"By comparison, relative to everyone else in camp he has mainstreamed, the ball has good sink coming out of his hand and it has been very encouraging in the two weeks leading up to today the way he has thrown the ball off the mound."

Shi Davidi is the MLB Insider for sportsnet.ca. Come back to read his insight and opinion regularly.