Reds would reportedly consider trading Joey Votto to Blue Jays if he asked for it

Votto, born in Toronto and raised in Etobicoke, Ont., was drafted by Cincinnati in 2002 and has played for just one franchise his entire career, compiling 16 seasons with the Reds. But as he prepares for his 17th major-league campaign, management has considered what life could be like without the six-time All-Star.

In speaking with former general manager and current MLB analyst Jim Bowden, Reds GM Nick Krall said he hopes Votto will finish his career in the same place it started. If Cincinnati becomes a seller at the trade deadline, though, Krall could be open to dealing the 2010 NL MVP to his hometown franchise if that’s Votto’s wish.

The 39-year-old Votto is entering the final season of his 10-year, $225-million contract, which includes a full no-trade clause and a $20-million club option for 2024, with a $7-million buyout.

Blue Jays to add José Bautista to Level of Excellence ahead of Aug. 12 game vs. Cubs

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Sunday that they will add longtime outfielder José Bautista to their Level of Excellence on Aug. 12 ahead of a game against the Chicago Cubs. Bautista is the first Blue Jays player to receive the honor since the late Roy Halladay was inducted in March 2018.

“I am deeply humbled and excited to join the Blue Jays Level of Excellence and be recognized among the distinguished names that circle Rogers Centre,” Bautista said as part of a team-issued press release. “Canada holds a special place in my heart and will always be home for my family and me, and we can’t wait to celebrate this honor with my beloved Blue Jays fans—the best fans in baseball! See you all this summer.”

Bautista, 42, spent parts of 10 seasons with the Blue Jays. During his time in Toronto, he authored an incredible career turnaround that saw him transform from a journeyman infielder into a revered slugger. Bautista had played in the majors for four different organizations and notched a career OPS+ under 90 before becoming part of the Blue Jays in August 2008. (He was acquired in a small trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Robinzon Diaz.)

Blue Jays add ex-Astros GM Click to front office

Prior to joining the Astros, Click spent 15 years with the Rays, so he brings with him experience from two of the most progressive (and successful) front offices in baseball. With Tampa, Click rose to the role of vice president of baseball operations. Joining Toronto’s ever-expanding front office group, Click’s role will be far-reaching.

“In this role, Click will join the baseball operations leadership team, working closely with general manager Ross Atkins and department heads on strategic planning, decision making and evaluation,” the Blue Jays said in a release. “He will work across both professional and amateur levels to identify best practices, develop plans and implement strategies.”

Click, who joined the Astros’ organization after their sign-stealing techniques of 2017 and ‘18 were exposed in November 2019, played an integral role in retooling the rosters that won the World Series in ‘17 and fell just a game shy of winning another in ’19.

Sportsnet’s Blue Jays radio broadcasters will call road games remotely from Toronto

Sportsnet, the team’s radio rightsholder, will not resume on-site radio broadcasts for road games this season and will instead provide remote coverage from its downtown Toronto studio.

“I’m very disappointed in the network for making that decision,” said longtime Blue Jays radio voice Jerry Howarth, who retired in 2018.

Sportsnet confirmed its radio plans in a news release this month that outlined its television, audio and streaming coverage details for 2023. Television crews will cover all 162 regular-season games in person while Wagner will only be on site for the 81 home games at Rogers Centre.

Requests to speak with Wagner and network executives Rob Corte and Greg Sansone were declined by Sportsnet’s senior manager of communications.

COVID-19 concerns and travel restrictions meant remote broadcasting was the reality for many TV and radio crews when sports returned in the pandemic’s early days. The difference was usually noticeable but viewers and listeners had to accept it given the unusual circumstances.

Almost all big-league baseball radio crews have resumed regular travel. Toronto is one of the few MLB markets that has not.

Sawchik: Are the Blue Jays creating a launch pad with their new fences?

And then Park Avenue wonders aloud why eighth and ninth-place hitters are swinging for the fences, even with two strikes…

“Our team modeled these adjustments, and we anticipate they will create a similar, neutral environment,” Marnie Starkman, the Blue Jays’ executive vice president of business operations, told reporters last month.

To investigate the claim, theScore consulted with baseball physics expert Dr. Alan Nathan to explain what the changes might mean. We also reviewed every Rogers Centre fly ball from last season that we felt could be affected by the changes.

We used Statcast’s distance projections and launch angles and also employed the eye test to try and discern whether a ball would or would not clear the new fences. It’s by no means a perfect study, but hopefully it gives us a general idea of how the park will play.

What we found: The Blue Jays are going to need a bigger wall if they want to keep home runs neutral. The Rogers Centre could become the most favorable place in the game for long balls.

Reports: Jays’ Bichette avoids arbitration, gets 3-year deal

Shortstop Bo Bichette avoided arbitration on Tuesday night, agreeing to a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to multiple reports.

Bichette, who had an arbitration hearing scheduled for later this week, is on track to be a free agent after the 2025 season.

Bichette, 24, hit .290 for Toronto last season, finishing with 24 home runs and 93 RBIs as the Blue Jays advanced to the American League postseason.

He was moved around the lineup as the Blue Jays tried several different combinations to spark their offense in the summer, but by the time the playoffs rolled around, he had settled into the No. 2 position. He hit .250 with a double in Toronto’s two-game loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Blue Jays adding Chad Green on 2-year deal (source)

Chad Green is heading to the Blue Jays on a two-year deal, a source tells MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reports the deal is for $8.5 million, with options for 2025 and ‘26.

Toronto has not confirmed the deal—although Green’s agency posted a tweet about it—which is notably structured to accommodate Green’s timeline for a return from Tommy John surgery, which he had in early June of last season.

The right-hander, who turns 32 in May, was having another solid campaign before he departed the Yankees’ May 19 loss to the Orioles with forearm discomfort. The unfortunate surgery prognosis was made public a few days later. He finished the year with a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings pitched.

Blue Jays to move fences in at Rogers Centre, but raise walls

As part of ongoing renovations to their home ballpark, the Toronto Blue Jays are moving in the outfield fences at the Rogers Centre, which figures to make the venue even more accommodating for power hitters.

On Friday, the Blue Jays officially announced the new outfield dimensions along with the wall heights around the ballpark. They look to be the following:

Left field line: 328 feet with a 14-foot, four-inch wall
Left center: 368 feet with an 11-foot, two-inch wall
Left center power alley: 381 feet with a 12-foot, nine-inch wall
Center field: 400 feet with an eight-foot wall
Right center power alley: 372 feet with a 10-foot, nine-inch wall
Right center: 359 feet with a 14-foot, four-inch wall
Right field line: 328 feet with a 12-foot, seven-inch wall

Blue Jays To Sign Brandon Belt

7:58pm: Belt is guaranteed $9.3MM, reports Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic (on Twitter).

7:51pm: The Blue Jays are signing Brandon Belt to a one-year contract, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The veteran heads to Toronto after spending his entire career as a member of the Giants.

A fifth-round pick by San Francisco in 2009, Belt reached the majors two seasons later. He played in 63 games as a rookie and took hold of the primary first base job by his second season. Belt was a key contributor on San Francisco’s 2012 World Series team, hitting .275/.360/.421 over 145 games. Injuries limited him to 61 regular season contests during the 2014 season but he was healthy enough to contribute to San Francisco’s third title in five years that postseason.

Sources: Blue Jays near trade for Diamondbacks’ Daulton Varsho

The Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks are finalizing a trade that will send outfielder Daulton Varsho to Toronto for top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., sources told ESPN on Friday.

After an offseason in which the Diamondbacks have sought to deal from their outfield surplus and the Blue Jays from their surfeit of catchers, the sides came together on one of the biggest deals of the winter and filled glaring needs for both.

Varsho, 26, broke out in 2022 with 27 home runs and well-above-average defense in center field and right field. One of the Diamondbacks’ four young left-handed-hitting outfielders, along with Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, Varsho batted .235/.302/.443 and stole 16 bases.

Moreno, 22, is widely regarded as a top-10 prospect in baseball because of his elite bat-to-ball skills and throwing arm. He showcased both during a cup of coffee with the Blue Jays this year, when he hit .319/.356/.377 in 73 plate appearances, struck out just eight times and threw out seven of 17 runners.

Sources: Blue Jays land Chris Bassitt with 3-year, $63M deal

Right-hander Chris Bassitt and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a three-year, $63 million contract pending a physical, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN, fortifying a deep rotation with one of the most consistent starters in the game over the last half-decade.

Bassitt, who will turn 34 in February, was among the most sought-after starters on the market and will receive the third highest per-year salary among free agent pitchers, behind Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander. Bassitt has kept similar company in recent years, as his 3.29 ERA since 2018 ranks 11th in MLB among pitchers with at least 100 starts.

Kevin Kiermaier agrees to deal with Blue Jays (sources)

No info on dollars yet.

Toronto Blue Jays hire Don Mattingly as bench coach

Don Mattingly is joining the Blue Jays as bench coach to manager John Schneider, the team announced Wednesday.

The former New York Yankees slugger, a six-time All-Star, joins the Blue Jays after seven seasons as manager of the Miami Marlins, where he won National League Manager of the Year honors in 2020.

Mattingly previously spent five seasons as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning three division titles in that span. He also worked as hitting coach and bench coach for the Yankees and as hitting coach of the Dodgers before his managerial stint in Los Angeles.

Blue Jays sign manager John Schneider to three-year deal following impressive turnaround

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on their official Twitter account on Friday morning that interim manager John Schneider has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year. In other words, Schneider is no longer the “interim” anything, but, rather, the full-time manager of the Blue Jays.

Schneider, 42, was elevated to the managerial position in mid-July, when the Blue Jays decided to fire Charlie Montoyo. The Blue Jays had disappointed to that part of the year, amassing a 46-42 record under Montoyo. Schneider, who was in the midst of his first season as Toronto’s bench coach, then led the Blue Jays to a 46-28 record the rest of the way, as well as a playoff berth.

The Blue Jays would be swept by the Seattle Mariners in the American League Wild Card Series, but Toronto’s front office nevertheless decided Schenider was the best choice to lead their team heading forward.

Jesse Barfield says arm tells all in war for drug-free baseball

Yikes! Greg Luzinski must have been on turanabull from a very young age!

Since Barfield is so familiar with strong arms he thinks it’s a giveaway to which players are on performance enhancing drugs. The giveaway is not when an outfielder suddenly develops a rocket arm. It’s when someone with a rocket arm suddenly can’t throw.

“When you look at guys, you have a pretty good idea of whether they are on something or not. It’s not natural to have muscles growing out of your neck like this,” Barfield said, holding his hands on his neck in a big circle.

Barfield said outfielders using PED’s build up their muscles so much around their shoulders, they can’t throw.

“They can’t get the arm up over the top because of how the muscles are built up,” he said. “It’s not natural. Guys who could throw, suddenly can’t throw.”

Barfield said it was never an issue with the Blue Jays of his era. With Lloyd Moseby and George Bell as his outfield mates, Toronto had one of the finest young outfields in the business.

“As close as we were as a team we would know if anyone was doing anything like that and if they were, we would have . . . stopped it right away.”

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

Blasts from the Past

With the Hall of Fame results being announced today, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and dig up some old scouting reports from the Baseball America archives on some of the ballot’s notable candidates. . .

8. Barry Larkin, ss, 21, 5-11, 175, R-R
Larkin looked right at home in AA, hitting .267 for Vermont. He didn’t show power (one home run in 255 at-bats), but that will come. The key for him was just getting his feet on the ground, and he was not overpowered by the high level of competition (21 strikeouts in 255 at-bats). He will have good power for a shortstop.

6. Edgar Martinez, 3b, 25, 5-11, 175, R-R
Martinez’s discipline will produce runs. He’s averaged 70 RBIs the last four years. In the field, he’s solid, with good reactions and the soft hands of a middle infielder.

White Sox trade Jason Frasor to Jays

Reliever Jason Frasor is headed back to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 34-year-old righty was traded from the White Sox to Toronto on Sunday, five months after the Blue Jays dealt him to Chicago.

The White Sox got minor league right-handers Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb in this latest swap….

“It felt like I was never coming back. (His July 27 trade) was an emotional day. I think it was the first time I’d cried since I gave up five runs in Atlanta a couple of years ago,” Frasor said….

Frasor, from Chicago, was 3-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 64 relief appearances with the White Sox and Toronto last season. Chicago acquired him and pitcher Zach Stewart from the Blue Jays for pitcher Edwin Jackson and infielder-outfielder Mark Teahen in midseason.

Frasor had been the longest serving member of the Blue Jays and left as the franchise leader in games pitched when they traded him. He spent eight seasons—2004-11—with the Blue Jays, posting a 24-28 record in 455 games with 36 saves and a 3.69 ERA.

And who is 119th in franchise history in games pitched - who else? - Octavio Dotel.

Griffin: Jays need to be transparent on Darvish and move on

But that policy sometimes leads to reported Jays participation and in interest being exagerrated and perpetuated, in rumours not being nipped in the bud and continuing to grow. That then encourages media searching out secondary sources, subject to interpretation. There Are even top player agents that will include the Jays as being interested in their client in order to drive up the price, confident that Anthopoulos won’t confirm or deny. It’s always been clear that there are times when the club would benefit from total transparency. Darvish is one of those times.

On Wednesday morning, Anthopoulos had staged a 15-minute conference call with local Toronto media to say nothing. He coyly deflected questions of what had been Jays’ interest in Darvish, of having made any offer at all and of the dollar amount that was reported by national sources said to be runner-up to the Rangers’ reported winning bid of $51.7 million.

He must have known that being recognized as runner-up would generate fan support since he would be perceived to have made a sincere effort. In this case the speculation was helping the team’s off-season image and interest. But, now, with all the denials of the $50 million bid that had been reported in multiple outlets elsewhere before being confirmed here, angles offered about the plucky Jays being competitive for Darvish, the previous fan and media support is turning to frustration and anger at being played. Are the Jays trying to take unwarranted credit for aggressiveness to curry public support?

Thanks to Sh.

Boston Red Sox - Red Sox have more competition than ever - The Boston Globe

This week’s Boston Globe Sunday baseball column.

NY Post: Blue Jays believed to outbid Yankees, others for Darvish

Having made a posting bid above $40 million and possibly close to $50 million, the Blue Jays are the favorites to land the negotiating rights to Yu Darvish.

Yahoo Sports: Passan: Darvish bidding process is a cloak and dagger affair

The deadline for bids on Darvish is today at 5 pm (eastern time).  Passan makes the whole process sound like executives have spent several years in Australia bulding up an immunity to iocane powder just for this moment.

The Texas Rangers, for example, have told rivals they’re cash-poor this offseason. A TV deal that will net them $80 million annually doesn’t kick in until 2015. The purchase price of the team for the ownership group – jacked up in an auction by Mark Cuban – wound up tens of millions of dollars higher than expected and sucked up the $90 million signing bonus Fox Sports delivered. And the TV contract itself wasn’t nearly as lucrative as Chuck Greenberg, the club’s deposed CEO, purported it to be.

To which one GM said: “Yeah, right.”

And another executive said: “They’re sandbagging.”

Phillies Trade Francisco to Blue Jays for Local Product

The ‘Cisco Kid was a friend of mine.

Outfielder Ben Francisco was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for left-hander Frank Gailey, the Phillies announced today.

Gailey, a 26-year-old native of Philadelphia, split last season between single-A Dunedin and double-A New Hampshire in the Blue Jays’ minor league system where he combined to go 5-6 with a 3.41 ERA in 45 relief appearances.  For his minor league career he has gone 23-15 with a 2.45 ERA in 175 games (one start).  Gailey, Toronto’s 23rd round selection in the June 2007 draft, attended Archbishop Carroll High School and West Chester University.

Interpreting Scott Boras’ Comments On Prince Fielder: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

The big concern for anyone signing Prince is that he will age like his father.

There has been some talk of Boras trying to get Fielder signed to a three or four year contract, so that Prince gets another bite at the free agency apple. That strategy, I would think, would work best for teams and Prince’s long-term earnings. Of course, who knows what silly offer could already be on the table? I am just glad the Red Sox already have Adrian Gonzalez.

White Sox trade Sergio Santos for Blue Jays prospect Molina

Sergio: Once Upon a Time in the East…Duck, You Sucker!

The Chicago White Sox sent closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays for pitching prospect Nestor Molina in a trade of right-handed pitchers Tuesday.

Santos, 28, saved 30 games in 63 appearances in his first full season in the majors in 2011.

Molina, a 22-year-old from Venezuela, was 12-3, pitching at Class A Dunedin (Fla.) and Class AA New Hampshire for the Jays last season. For his minor-league career he is 22-7 with a 2.21 ERA.

Santos was originally drafted as a shortstop by the Diamondbacks with the 27th overall pick in 2002.