Fanshots

MLBTR - Royals To Sign Broxton

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Didn't see that one happening. Guess we can cross another name off the list.

Blue Jays Notes

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Phils want D'Arnaud back... too bad. Royals thinking about Rasmus... Really? Jays not hot on Yu?

Minor League Ball: Blue Jays Preliminary Prospect list

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John Sickels is working on his Blue Jays top 20 prospects list. This is his preliminary list of 42 prospects.

Molina gone to TB

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Looks like we need a back up catcher. And we get another supplemental pick too!!

Can Pitchers Control Quality of Contact?

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Mike Fast at BP studies the amount of control a pitcher has in batted balls.

Blue Jays offer arbitration to Kelly Johnson, Frank Francisco, Jose Molina, and Jon Rauch. Did not offer to Shawn Camp.

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Just a minute before the midnight deadline to offer arbitration to their own article XX (B) free agents, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that they have made offers to Kelly Johnson (type-A), Frank Francisco (type-B), Jose Molina (B), and Jon Rauch (B). Shawn Camp (type-B) was not offered arbitration. An offer of arbitration means that the Jays are prepared to offer the players at least a one-year non-guaranteed contract. The player may choose to decline the offer, and it will make him a free agent and able to sign with any other team. The Jays will receive a supplementary draft pick for all of them if they do sign elsewhere. Under the new CBA's "transition" rules for this offseason, Kelly Johnson was classified as a "modified type-A" free agent. The Jays will receive a first round pick directly above the signing team's pick unless Johnson signs with a team with a protected first round pick (HOU, MIN, SEA, BAL, KCR, CHC, SDP, PIT, MIA, COL, OAK, NYM, CWS, CIN, CLE), and in that case the Jays will get to pick before the signing team's second round selection. This means that if all the free agents decline arbitration, the Jays could have up to 7 first round picks in the 2012 Rule 4 Draft (Jays' 1st round, compensation for Tyler Beede, 1st round for Johnson, supplementary round for Johnson, 3 supplementals for the 3 type-B free agents). The Rays had 9 and the Jays had 4 in the 2011 draft.

How the MLBPA betrayed the union ethic

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If you're into how baseball can be political, check out my latest at Baseball Canadiana where I accuse the MLBPA of selling out its most vulnerable future members in the latest CBA.