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The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a minor-league contract with left-hander Aaron Laffey and invited him to spring training.

Laffey was 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 47 relief appearances for Seattle and the New York Yankees last season.

He held left-handed batters to a .242 average.

The Blue Jays have also signed on Saturday right-handers Jerry Gil, Garret Mock and Robert Coello, and shortstop Brian Bocock to minor-league contracts and invited them to spring training.

What do you guys think about this.

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TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a minor league contract with left-hander Aaron Laffey and invited him to spring training.

Laffey was 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 47 relief appearances for Seattle and the New York Yankees last season. He held left-handed batters to a .242 average.

The Blue Jays have also signed on Saturday right-handers Jerry Gil, Garret Mock and Robert Coello, and shortstop Brian Bocock to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

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It almost seemed like a certainty that he would return to the Texas Rangers but left-handed relief pitcher Darren Oliver has chosen to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays. Texas will receive a supplemental first-round Draft pick as compensation.

Darren Oliver
Wikimedia Commons

I can’t say I understand the decision. Oliver is 41 years old and said in an interview after the season ended that his wife supported him coming back for another year to chase a championship ring. While making it to the World Series three years in a row will not be an easy task for Texas, Toronto was .500 in 2011 and has little chance of overcoming New York, Tampa Bay or Boston in the AL East.

It looks like Oliver will spend his 19th year in the majors pitching relief for a team that will not win him a championship.

While he is not a favorite player for many Rangers’ fans, he was the best relief pitcher for the team in 2011. A leftie reliever, which is a prized commodity, Oliver went 5-5 with a great 2.29 ERA in 61 appearances. He also converted two saves in six opportunities.

Oliver has pitched in the postseason for six consecutive seasons and seven total in his entire career. He pitched for the New York Mets (1), Los Angeles Angels (3) and Texas Rangers (3) postseason squads. Over his career, he is 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA in the postseason. While he was gold in the regular season, he finished 2011 with a 5.68 ERA in eight postseason games.

The departure of Oliver leaves Texas with no left-handed reliever. Right now, the bullpen features closer Joe Nathan, setup man Mike Adams and relievers Mark Lowe, Koji Uehara and Yoshinori Tateyama. Also available is Scott Feldman and possibly Alexi Ogando if Texas signs Yu Darvish.

Texas is looking at free-agent left-handed reliever Michael Gonzalez, but he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and the Rangers want to make sure he would be full strength.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: texasrangers.com

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TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays have waded into free agency for the first time this off-season, nearing an agreement with reliever Darren Oliver while signing fellow left-hander Aaron Laffey on Friday.

The moves come in what has thus far been a quiet winter for general manager Alex Anthopoulos, whose biggest transaction to date has been the acquisition of closer Sergio Santos from the Chicago White Sox for pitching prospect Nestor Molina.

They are also the club’s first player additions since their posting bid for Japanese ace Yu Darvish fell short and the Texas Rangers won his negotiating rights, much to the chagrin of a restive fan base.

The pending contract with Oliver is believed to be for a year plus an option according to a source who added that final details were still being worked out. The move isn’t very splashy, but provides manager John Farrell with another weapon with which to attack the AL East’s tough left-handed hitters.

Rookie Luis Perez was the team’s primary, and often only, southpaw in the bullpen in 2011.

A 41-year-old veteran of 18 big-league seasons, Oliver was 5-5 with a 2.29 earned-run average in 51 innings over 61 games for the Rangers last season. He held lefties to a .227 batting average while righties facing him managed only a .243 mark.

He’ll need to take a physical before the signing can be completed, something unlikely to happen before next week.

Laffey, 26, signed with the Blue Jays, according to another source, after being cut loose by the Kansas City Royals earlier this month. Originally chosen in the 16th round by Cleveland in 2003, he rose through the Indians ranks while Farrell was the club’s player development director and the two know each other well.

In a combined 47 games of relief for the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees last year, Laffey was 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA over 53.1 innings. Lefties batted .242 against him while righties hit him at a .358 clip.

The Blue Jays will give him an opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation at spring training – Laffey was a starter during his first three big-league seasons – but he may end up back in the bullpen.

While the moves should help the bullpen, the heavy lifting remains for Anthopoulos, who is still seeking to add a frontline starter via trade, and perhaps a bat.

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

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The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly signed left-handed pitcher Darren Oliver to a one-year deal, pending a physical.

Oliver, an 18-year MLB veteran, was the Texas Rangers top southpaw the past two seasons and in 2011 he posted a 2.29 ERA in 61 games (51 innings) with a 1.137 WHIP and 44 strikeouts.

Oliver would give the Blue Jays a veteran left-handed option in their bullpen in addition to the talented, yet inconsistent, Luis Perez.

In each of the past three seasons Oliver has lowered his ERA. He earned $3,250,000 in 2011.

On Friday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, citing two major league sources, reported the Blue Jays were close to signing the 41-year-old lefty.

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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie and Milwaukee Brewers infielder Taylor Green will share the Randy Echlin Memorial Award for the best Canadian hitter in the minor leagues this season.

Lawrie, from Langley, B.C., hit .353 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs at triple-A Las Vegas. Green, a native of Comox, B.C., batted .336 with 22 home runs and 91 RBIs with triple-A Nashville and double-A Huntsville.

The honour is awarded by CanadianBaseballNetwork.com.

After being promoted to the Blue Jays, Lawrie batted .293 with nine homers and 25 RBIs in 43 games. Green was also called up and hit .270 with one RBI in 20 games with the Brewers.

Mark Hardy of Campbell River, B.C., took the top pitcher honour. He went 11-10 with a 2.78 earned run average for class-A Fort Wayne in the San Diego Padres organization.

Hardy led all Canadians in wins, was second in innings behind Nick Bucci of Sarnia, Ont., and fourth in ERA behind Andrew Albers of North Battleford, Sask.

Independent honours went to infielder Matt Rogelstad of Port Moody, B.C., and right-hander John Mariotti of Woodbridge, Ont. Rogelstad hit .332 with two homers and 46 RBIs with the Edmonton Capitals while Mariotti was 11-1 with a 2.74 ERA for the Quebec Capitales.

A total of 121 Canadians played on minor league teams in 2011, while another 48 played for independent league teams.

There is the quick update of the day.

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The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly signed left-handed pitcher Darren Oliver to a one-year deal, pending a physical.

Oliver, an 18-year MLB veteran, was the Texas Rangers top southpaw the past two seasons and in 2011 he posted a 2.29 ERA in 61 games (51 innings) with a 1.137 WHIP and 44 strikeouts.

Oliver would give the Blue Jays a veteran left-handed option in their bullpen in addition to the talented, yet inconsistent, Luis Perez.

In each of the past three seasons Oliver has lowered his ERA. He earned $3,250,000 in 2011.

On Friday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, citing two major league sources, reported the Blue Jays were close to signing the 41-year-old lefty.

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The grumbling amongst Blue Jays followers is starting to turn into a dull roar.

Since the end of a 81-81, fourth place—again—season general manager Alex Anthopoulos has picked up the closer his team needs going forward in Sergio Santos; a light-hitting, defensive catcher in Jeff Mathis; outfield depth in Ben Francisco and infield bench depth in the form of Luis Valbuena. The cost has been limited, with the biggest loss being highly-touted pitching prospect Nestor Molina.

Throughout this off-season the Jays have been rumoured – from outside the organization – to have been in on talks to acquire Gio Gonzalez, Andrew Bailey, Mat Latos and now they are said to be in on Jair Jurrjens. The hang up to date has been Anthopoulos’ unwillingness to dip heavily into the vast prospect pool that he has accumulated since taking over as general manager in 2009. At some point however, he’s going to have to fish or cut bait on a number of these young players if he’s ever going to fill the holes on his 25-man roster.

As it stands, the Blue Jays list of top prospects is pitching heavy, with arms taking up seven of their top 10 according to Baseball America. One of those, right-hander Noah Syndergaard (No. 7 according to BA) was reportedly requested by the Athletics in trade talks involving Gonzalez. Toronto could also dangle a couple of former top prospects in pitcher Kyle Drabek and outfielder Travis Snider, both of whom have seen their stock drop as they were passed on the organizational depth chart. It’s not that both aren’t in the team’s immediate plans, but 2012 might very well be a make-or-break season for these two youngsters.

The top three position player prospects according to BA, catcher Travis d’Arnaud and outfielders Anthony Gose and Jake Marisnick, are about as untouchable as you can get. Catchers with d’Arnaud’s skill set don’t come along very often. Gose and Marisnick are both projected as everyday starters over the next three years and the fact that the club still doesn’t fully know what they have in Snider and current centre fielder Colby Rasmus will keep the two prospect’s stocks high.

Five of the pitchers on the list – Justin Nicolino, Aaron Sanchez, Deck McGuire, Syndergaard and Asher Wojciechowski – were drafted in 2010 and have blasted through the minor league system. They will also represent a wave of pitching that should arrive in Toronto around the same time, and combined with current Jays Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow and Henderson Alvarez, should give the team a formidable pitching staff. Also factor in 20-year-old right-hander Drew Hutchison, who played at three levels in 2011 and put up eye-popping numbers – 1.04 WHIP, 10.3 K’s/9 IP and 4.9 K/BB. Of all the prospects, I feel he has the chance to be the top of the rotation arm they crave.

But at some point a couple of these arms will flatline. It’s inevitable. It will be up to Anthopoulos and his staff to decide who should stay and who should be used in trade talks. Right now, I can’t see where any of these youngsters should be involved in deals, unless someone like Tim Lincecum or Felix Hernandez is coming the other way.

Fans might not like to hear this, but I feel that the Jays are going to be quite inactive the rest of the off-season. Anthopoulos has a long-term plan for this franchise, with sustained playoff contention being the ultimate goal. It makes the most sense. He may surprise because we never really know what he’s working on but with the names that have come off the board recently, I’d be shocked if anything else of substance is done.

If we learned anything from the wheel-spinning Ricciardi, it’s that a plan never seemed to be in place, and if there was one, it morphed from year-to-year. And while most of us hoped that the team would dip into the free agent pool, let’s remember how a lot of money was wasted over the last decade on the likes of B.J. Ryan and A.J. Burnett and how it took Anthopoulos over two years to fix it.

Yes, Prince Fielder would be an excellent addition to the middle of the Jays lineup, but not at the term and amount of money that Scott Boras is trying to secure for his client. That was never part of Anthopoulos’ vision.

What this all points to is another fourth place finish, something not a lot of you want to hear. Trading away any of the players that they have scouted heavily and brought into the fold doesn’t make any sense with the team being far away from contention. And I don’t remember hearing anyone in the front office say that 2012 was their year to contend anyway.

Stats man Scott Carson is now in his 19th season as “third man in the booth” during Blue Jays telecasts.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

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The Toronto Blue Jays have placed reliever Jon Rauch on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to September 5, and he is likely done for the season.

The 6-foot-10, 32-year-old right-hander suffered a right-knee cartilage tear and will consult a knee specialist in Colorado to ascertain whether surgery is recommended. The recovery process could take at least six weeks.

The Jays had just activated Rauch from the 15-day disabled list on the first day of September.

Rauch had his appendix removed in August after feeling discomfort in his stomach. Rauch went 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA and saves 11 in 16 chances. He also gave up 11 home runs in 52 innings and had a 10.81 ERA in his last seven appearances. The Jays still must decide whether to exercise a US$3.75-million option to keep Rauch in 2012.

Toronto should get centre-fielder Colby Rasmus back from a wrist injury this week. Rasmus was 0-for-7 in two games as a DH with Double-A New Hampshire over the weekend.

Not a lot else going on in the MLB world today.

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Coveted A’s lefthander Gio Gonzalez was
traded to the Nationals and free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran signed a deal
with the Cardinals for two years and $26 million. So what next for Jays?

Click here to continue reading in Richard Griffin’s blog.

There is the quick update of the day.

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Joseph Hall

Sports Reporter

So the Jays bid goodbye to their shot at Yu Darvish, with the Texas Rangers winning the sweepstakes to woo the star Japanese pitcher.

While the Toronto lost the quarry, however, they proved they’re in the hunt for expensive talent, having presumably bid somewhere close to the $51.7 million Texas paid for negotiating rights to the Nippon Ham Fighters’ fire baller.

With money to burn, here are five things the club could do with that disposable cash.

Prince Fielder: Go after the king of this year’s free agent crop — the rotund Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder. The Brewers’ first baseman and his 50 home run potential would provide perfect protection for Jose Bautista. He’s reportedly looking for a monster contract, in the range of $20 million a year, though, for 10 seasons.

Carlos Beltran: What about Carlos Beltran, a veteran who may spend a year or two with the club as a cheaper than Fielder bat to protect Bautista?

Javier Vazquez: Strike out after a free agent pitcher. Tough there’s thin gruel left here, the likes of Javier Vazquez and Edwin Jackson are still available.

Gio Gonzalez: Trade some highly regarded prospects for a proven veteran with power – or an arm. Both president Paul Beeston and GM Alex Anthopolous have said they’d rather trade up for pitchers like Gio Gonzalez or Matt Garza than break the bank on free agency.

Joey Votto: Stand pat and wait for the likes of Toronto native Joey Votto to come available in a couple of years and let their promising squad mature.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

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Read More: yu darvish, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Texas Rangers may have beat out the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs for Japan’s top free agent, Yu Darvish:

The Cubs have reportedly placed a bid on the 25-year-old righty, but the latest reports suggest the two biggest bids were from the Rangers and Blue Jays.

Olney also suggests the Blue Jays may have not won the bidding because they pushed hard for now-Cincinnati Reds pitcher Matt Latos recently. Had the Jays won the bid, they would have presumably withdrawn from the Latos trade talks sooner.

The MLB and the Nippon Ham Fighters are expected to announce the winning club Monday night.

For more updates on Chicago sports, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs, head over to Bleed Cubbie Blue. Also, check out MLB Daily Dish for Cubs rumors and transactions.

Thanks for reading! .

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NEW YORK — Reliever Frank Francisco has signed a two-year contract with the New York Mets.

The 32-year-old Francisco went 1-4 with 17 saves and a 3.55 ERA in 54 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. The right-hander has appeared in 50 or more games in each of the last five years. He had 25 saves with the Rangers in 2009.

Francisco is 18-19 with a 3.72 ERA with 368 strikeouts in 334 innings in seven years with Texas and Toronto.

The deal was announced Monday.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

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Christmas could come early for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The agent for Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish sent out a tweet on Monday morning saying an announcement will be made on the winning bid at around 9pm et.

Don Nomura tweeted that the announcement will be made late Tuesday morning, Japan time.

Earlier reports indicated the Blue Jays made the highest bid for the negotiating rights for Darvish, a bid that could be in the neighbourhood of $50 million.

The Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are all believed to have made a bid for Darvish’s services.

Darvish’s Japanese team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have until 5pm et on Tuesday to accept or reject the highest bid but they do not know the identity of that team.

Should the Jays have the highest bid and it is accepted, they would have 30 days to work out a deal. If they can’t sign him, the Jays would then have their bid money returned.

The 25-year-old Darvish has a lifetime record of 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA in Japan.

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Reliever Frank Francisco #50 of the Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium on June 25, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — Reliever Frank Francisco has signed a two-year contract with the New York Mets.

Francisco is 18-19 with a 3.72 ERA with 368 strikeouts in 334 innings in seven years with Texas and Toronto.

The deal was announced Monday.

What do you guys think about this.

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League have until Tuesday to accept a bid from a major league team — reportedly the Toronto Blue Jays — for pitcher Yu Darvish.

Bidding for the posting fee closed Wednesday, and the U.S. commissioner’s office said it will notify its Japanese counterpart of the amount of the highest bid, but not the identity of the MLB club that made the offer.

The New York Post reported that the Toronto Blue Jays made the highest offer, while the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are also believed to be in the mix.

The Post reported that the Blue Jays offered at least US$40 million and perhaps as much as $50 million for the rights to negotiate with Darvish.

The Ham Fighters have until 5 p.m. ET Tuesday to accept. If the bid is accepted, MLB will announce the team that won the rights, and that club will have 30 days to agree to a contract. The posting fee will be paid only if an agreement is reached with Darvish’s agents, Arn Tellem and Don Nomura.

A 25-year-old right-hander, the six-foot-five Darvish is considered the best pitcher in the Japanese professional leagues. He was 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA and a league-leading 276 strikeouts last season.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

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By SportsDirect

Multiple reports say the Toronto Blue Jays have won the negotiating rights to highly touted Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. Neither the Blue Jays nor Major League Baseball has confirmed that Toronto made the high posting bid, expected to approach $50 million. The results of the posting process are expected to be made public early next week. If reports are true, Toronto will have 30 days to negotiate a contract with the 25-year-old, widely considered one of the best pitchers not in the majors. It’s believed the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs were the other three teams most interested in Darvish’s services. Darvish was sensational in Japan last season, posting a 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts over 232 innings. If he heads to the majors, he’ll leave Japan with a career 1.99 ERA.

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Yu Darvish of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. (Getty Images)

Tribune news services

12:42 p.m. CST, December 16, 2011

The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly have posted a bid close to $50 million for the negotiating rights to Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, according to the New York Post.

The Cubs also reportedly submitted a bid, but there is no word on the dollar amount.

Several sources with knowledge of the situation told the Post’s George A. King III that the Blue Jays made the bid on orders from owner Rogers Communications.

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Home : Pleased to meet Yu? Jays bid big for hurler: reports

Pleased to meet Yu? Jays bid big for hurler: reports

Josh Visser, ctvtoronto.ca

Date: Friday Dec. 16, 2011 10:18 AM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have made a massive bid for Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish and may have won negotiating rights to sign him, according to a report.

The New York Post says the Jays are believed to have made an offer in excess of $40 million US for Darvish, outbidding the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees.

The Post says the Jays made the bid on orders from Roger Communications. Darvish, a massive star in Japan, could be a marketing goldmine.

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have until 5 p.m. Tuesday EST to accept or reject the highest bid for their star player.

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has been characteristically mum on the subject. He personally scouted Darvish last year in Japan.

If the Jays won the bid, they would have 30 days to sign the 6’5, 215-pound pitcher to a deal. It is believed Darvish is seeking a five-year, $70-million deal.

Darvish, 25, holds a 93-38 career record with a 1.99 earned run average in the Japanese league.

While unproven in the MLB, Darvish could solidify the top of the Jays rotation, along with ace Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow.

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