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

The 34-yrear-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.

“It’s hard to believe I’m going back to Toronto. My wife is thrilled, it’s great. What a thrill, I don’t know else what it say, and I can’t wait to put on those new uniforms,” he said during a conference call from his home in Tampa, Fla.

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 — 2004-2011 — with the Blue Jays, posting a 24-28 record in 455 games with 36 saves and a 3.69 ERA.

The 20-year-old Jaye made his professional debut with Advanced Rookie Bluefield of the Appalachian League last season, going 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances. The 22-year-old Webb spent most of last season with Class A Lansing, where he was 4-5 with a 5.59 ERA. He also made one relief appearance with Bluefield.

Frasor said he was confused when he received a text message Sunday morning from Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos. He then received a message from a Jays media relations official asking if he’d be available for an interview.

It wasn’t until he received a call from his agent that learned of the trade.

“Crazy day today, but good news,” Frasor said.

Frasor said he enjoyed his brief stay in Chicago.

“I would have loved going back there, I was there for a couple of months and they were fantastic, great teammates, great people,” Frasor said. “It was a dream come true for my parents, to play for the hometown team and it was interesting for me to play for a different team after being in Toronto for eight years.”

Frasor joins former Chicago teammate and closer Sergio Santos, acquired by Toronto from the White Sox last month.

Frasor is happy he doesn’t have to go far for the Blue Jays’ training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short drive from his home in Tampa.

“It’s six extra weeks of being at home for me and my family which is huge,” Frasor said.

“It makes it easier for me to prepare for spring training. Now I can go to the complex early, and there’ll be the catchers there, and I can utilize those guys and throw sliders and changeups in the dirt, and get those guys ready for the real thing.”

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Updated Jan 1, 2012 8:01 PM ET

CHICAGO (AP)

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.

”It’s hard to believe I’m going back to Toronto. My wife is thrilled, it’s great. What a thrill, I don’t know else what it say, and I can’t wait to put on those new uniforms,” he said during a conference call from his home in Tampa, Fla.

It wasn’t until he received a call from his agent that learned of the trade.

”Crazy day today, but good news,” Frasor said.

Frasor said he enjoyed his brief stay in Chicago.

”I would have loved going back there, I was there for a couple of months and they were fantastic, great teammates, great people,” Frasor said. ”It was a dream come true for my parents, to play for the hometown team and it was interesting for me to play for a different team after being in Toronto for eight years.”

Frasor joins former Chicago teammate and closer Sergio Santos, acquired by Toronto from the White Sox last month.

Frasor is happy he doesn’t have to go far for the Blue Jays’ training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short drive from his home in Tampa.

”It’s six extra weeks of being at home for me and my family which is huge,” Frasor said.

”It makes it easier for me to prepare for spring training. Now I can go to the complex early, and there’ll be the catchers there, and I can utilize those guys and throw sliders and changeups in the dirt, and get those guys ready for the real thing.”

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

The 34-yrear-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.

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 – 2004-2011 – with the Blue Jays, posting a 24-28 record in 455 games with 36 saves and a 3.69 ERA.

It wasn’t until he received a call from his agent that learned of the trade.

“Crazy day today, but good news,” Frasor said.

Frasor said he enjoyed his brief stay in Chicago.

Frasor joins former Chicago teammate and closer Sergio Santos, acquired by Toronto from the White Sox last month.

Frasor is happy he doesn’t have to go far for the Blue Jays’ training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short drive from his home in Tampa.

“It’s six extra weeks of being at home for me and my family which is huge,” Frasor said.

There is the quick update of the day.

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

It wasn’t until he received a call from his agent that learned of the trade.

“Crazy day today, but good news,” Frasor said.

Frasor said he enjoyed his brief stay in Chicago.

Frasor joins former Chicago teammate and closer Sergio Santos, acquired by Toronto from the White Sox last month.

Frasor is happy he doesn’t have to go far for the Blue Jays’ training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short drive from his home in Tampa.

“It’s six extra weeks of being at home for me and my family which is huge,” Frasor said.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

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Written by

TSN The Sports Network

TORONTO – The day Jason Frasor walked out of the Toronto Blue Jays’ locker-room, he believed he’d never be back — let alone so soon.

Frasor is returning to the team for which he’s played almost his entire career. Toronto acquired the reliever in a deal with Chicago on Sunday just five months after trading him to the White Sox.

The Jays gave up minor league pitchers Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb in Sunday’s trade.

“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,” he said, laughing.

“It’s hard to believe I’m going back to Toronto, my wife is thrilled, it’s great. What a thrill, I don’t know else what it say, and I can’t wait to put on those new uniforms,” he added, during a conference call from his home in Tampa, Fla.

Frasor was 3-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 64 relief appearances with Chicago and Toronto last season.

The 34-year-old right-hander had been the longest serving member of the team and left as the franchise leader in games pitched when the Jays sent him to Chicago along with pitcher Zach Stewart for pitcher Edwin Jackson and infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen.

Frasor, a Chicago native, spent eight seasons — 2004-2011 — with the Blue Jays, posting a 24-28 record in 455 games with 36 saves and a 3.69 ERA.

Frasor, who enjoyed a relatively quiet New Year’s Eve of pizza and beer, said he was confused when he received a text message Sunday morning from Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos. He then received a message from a Jays media relations official asking if he’d be available for an interview.

It wasn’t until he received a call from his agent that learned of the trade.

“Crazy day today, but good news,” Frasor said from his home in Tampa, Fla.

Frasor said he enjoyed his brief stay in Chicago.

Frasor joins former Chicago teammate and closer Sergio Santos, who the Jays acquired from the White Sox last month.

“I think you guys are really going to like him,” Frasor said of Santos. “I can’t believe Alex pulled him away from Chicago first of all, and for me to go back there and hopefully set him up again, it’s great.”

Frasor is happy he doesn’t have to go far for Jays training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short drive from his home in Tampa, Fla.

“It’s six extra weeks of being at home for me and my family which is huge,” Frasor said.

The 20-year-old Jaye, meanwhile, made his professional debut with Advanced Rookie Bluefield of the Appalachian League last season, going 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances.

The 22-year-old Webb spent most of last season with class-A Lansing, where he was 4-5 with a 5.59 ERA. He also made one relief appearance with Bluefield.

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

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CHICAGO (AP) — Reliever Jason Frasor is headed back to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 34-yrear-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 wasn’t until he received a call from his agent that learned of the trade.

“Crazy day today, but good news,” Frasor said.

Frasor said he enjoyed his brief stay in Chicago.

Frasor joins former Chicago teammate and closer Sergio Santos, acquired by Toronto from the White Sox last month.

Frasor is happy he doesn’t have to go far for the Blue Jays’ training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short drive from his home in Tampa.

“It’s six extra weeks of being at home for me and my family which is huge,” Frasor said.

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TSN The Sports Network

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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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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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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The Toronto Blue Jays may be in position to win the Yu Darvish sweepstakes.

According to the New York Post, the Blue Jays are believed to have made the highest bid for the negotiating rights to the highly touted starting pitcher from Japan.

The report indicates the Blue Jays made a bid of more than $40 million and maybe even close to $50 million.

The Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are all believed to have 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.

“He is making $6 million a year in Japan on the field, close to that off the field,” a scout from a team that did not post a bid told the newspaper. “So you are starting at $12 million a year over here. I would say five years for $75 million is about right.”

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Dec 12, 2011 – If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly confusing Ben Francisco with Juan Francisco. Today’s news will do absolutely nothing to change that, as the Philadelphia Phillies have traded the Ben Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Frank Gailey.

The first word I saw came from Jon Morosi, who texted the message to Twitter because he’s too good for an app. I say that today’s news will do nothing to stop the confusion because Ben Francisco is changing teams, not names. I guess he won’t be wearing red anymore, which will kind of help.

Francisco is a 30-year-old right-handed outfielder with another two years of arbitration eligibility. You’d think he might be cut out for a platoon, but he’s shown pretty much zero platoon split over his career, which admittedly doesn’t present a huge sample. He owns a career 103 OPS+ and is leaving one crowded outfield for another. This could free up the Blue Jays to trade Travis Snider, or it could not. I am not the Blue Jays.

Gailey is a short, 26-year-old left-handed reliever who so far has topped out at double-A. That does not bode well. He’s from the Philly area, so if he ever makes it to his new parent club he could be a fan favorite, but he could also be a fan not-favorite in the event that he is bad. He has a lot of work to do and is presently not much.

John Mayberry and Laynce Nix now have a clearer path to playing time. Neat for them! They deserve it.

Read More: Ben Francisco (RF – PHI), Frank Gailey (P – TOR), Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays

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DALLAS (AP) — The Chicago White Sox traded closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, sending him back to the organization where he spent three seasons trying to make the majors as a shortstop.

Toronto gave up pitching prospect Nestor Molina to acquire the 28-year-old Santos in a swap made at baseball’s winter meetings.

Santos had 30 saves in 36 chances this year, going 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 63 games. The 28-year-old righty is a strikeout pitcher, fanning 92 in 65 1-3 innings. He made a major league-record 25 straight scoreless appearances on the road to start the season.

Santos was golfing when Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos called to tell him about the trade. The deal caught Santos by surprise — a few days after the season ended, he signed an $8.25-million, three-year contract with the White Sox.

“I think he expected to be in Chicago,” Anthopoulos said.

Santos was in Toronto’s minor league system from 2006-08 as a shortstop. He converted to pitching in 2009 while in the White Sox organization and made his big league debut the next year.

Anthopoulos was the Blue Jays’ assistant GM when Santos was in their organization. The team asked Santos if he wanted to take a try on the mound, but he wasn’t interested.

“He didn’t want to pitch. He believed in himself as a shortstop,” Anthopoulos said.

Santos made it as high as Triple-A as an infielder. He was a career .248 hitter with 72 home runs in the minors, starting out in 2002 in the Arizona system.

The Blue Jays really wanted him back and were willing to trade Molina. The 22-year-old starter has excelled in his minor league career, going 27-7 with a 2.21 ERA overall. He was a combined 12-3 with a 2.21 ERA in Double-A and Class A last season.

Anthopoulos said Santos’ contract situation and “electric stuff” made him especially attractive, given his arm hasn’t endured a lot of wear because of his late switch to pitching.

Toronto’s saves leader last season was Frank Francisco with 17. Santos immediately inherited the role.

“He’s got the ninth inning for us,” Anthopoulos said. “We think he’s got a chance to be an elite closer.”

Chris Sale was second on the White Sox last season with eight saves. Chicago had planned to move him into the rotation next year.

Asked who would be the Chicago closer in 2012, new manager Robin Ventura wasn’t sure.

“I knew yesterday,” he said. “But obviously, you know, right now you’re going to wait and see how the rest of this week goes and figure it out from there.”

That’s all the news for today.

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