A Look Back at 2014 Blue Jays Transactions

January 2014:

The Blue Jays 38th year began quietly. The first move of 2014 was the signing of Chris Getz to a minor league deal on January 20th. (I’m not including every transaction made in each month. Only ones that had some kind of impact or I feel was interesting. Unless of course the month was really boring like January 2014 was. See here for a full list of all team moves)

February:

Liam Hendriks was selected off waivers on the 21st and Brent Morel was lost on waivers to the Pirates on the 24th.

March:

Radhames Liz was signed to a minor league deal on the 1st (He recently got a major league deal on the basis of his 2014 performance in Toronto’s system). Poor Luis Perez was released and Matt Tuiasosopo was claimed on March 20th. Bart Simpson’s favourite baseball player and knuckleball experiment, Tomokazu Ohka was released on March 23rd along with “herky-jerky-delivery” Juan Perez.

April:

Juan Francisco was signed to a minor league deal three days into the season on the 2nd. The Jeremy Jeffress experiment was abandoned when he was designated for assignment on the 4th and chose free agency on the 16th. Unfortunately for Toronto, they gave up on Jeffress a touch too soon. He ended up having a fine year in Milwaukee. Darin Mastroianni was selected off waivers on the 22nd.

Sep 23, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Munenori Kawasaki (66) celebrates the win with Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins (17) at the end of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 10-2. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

May:

The Moises Sierra era ended when he was selected by the White Sox off waivers on the 3rd. Chris Getz retired from baseball on the 16th after clearing waivers. The first trade of the year saw the Jays acquire Raul Valdes for a PTBNL on the 19th (sad fact: it was probably the 3rd biggest trade made during the season…). They acquired Melky Mesa for cash from the Royals on the 26th which I only mention because his full name is Melquisedec. Could that be Melky Cabrera’s real full first name too?

June:

Was anyone else aware that the Jays signed Frank Francisco to a minor league deal on the 20th? Yup, that Frank Francisco! He was released without playing a game in the system on July 9th.

July:

Cole Gillespie was selected off waivers on the 5th and had 3 hitless ABs. Nolan Reimold was selected from the Orioles on the 6th. Brett Wallace wandered his way back in the organization again on the 14th. Brad Mills was selected on the 17th and pitched 4.1 awful innings with the Jays. The big deadline trade: Liam Hendriks and Erik Kratz (yup, Kratz not Thole) were exchanged for Danny Valencia. Valencia is probably the only one of the names mentioned so far likely to play with Jays in 2015. Esmil Rogers (aka the return for Yan Gomes) was finally jettisoned on the 31st.

August:

George Kottaras was signed on the 7th and one-upped Cole Gillespie by walking in one of his 5 PAs. Colt Hynes and Matt Hague were claimed on the 13th and 18th respectively and still retain 40-man roster spots. John Mayberry Jr. was acquired from the Phillies in exchange for Gustavo Pierre on the 31st.

September:

Neil Wagner was released on the 2nd after his UCL exploded. Cory Burns was selected off waivers on the 28th and remains on the 40 man.

October:

Bo Schultz was selected off waivers on the 7th and inexplicably remains on the 40 man. Jonathan Diaz re-upped for a minor league deal on the 15th as did Bobby Korecky on the 29th. Santiago Nessy was exchanged to reacquire Liam Hendriks on the 30th. Jeff Francis and Gregory Infante signed minor league deals on the 31st and Andy Dirks was claimed.

November:

Dustin McGowan, Sergio Santos and Brandon Morrow were bought out on the 1st. Also on the 1st, Adam Lind was traded to the Brewers for middle relief (probably) in the form of Marco Estrada. Anthony Gose and Devon Travis were exchanged on the 13th. The first major league signing of the Jays’ 2014 took place on the 19th in the form of Russell Martin and 85m. Bye-bye Juan Francisco (19th). On the 28th the Jays completed a small deal which saw them acquire the second best position player in the league of 2014. Franklin Barreto, Kendall Graveman, Brett Lawrie, and Sean Nolin to the A’s for Josh Freaking Donaldson.

December:

Andy Dirks (unfortunately), John Mayberry and Justin Smoak were all non-tendered. Smoak saw the opportunity for lots of ABs as a first baseman and signed the next day as a free agent. Also on the 3rd, Ezequiel Carrera signed a minor league deal. Also, also on the 3rd, the Jays wisely sold high on J.A Happ and acquired their left fielder for 2015 in Michael Saunders. The downside here is no more of this (at least as a Jay). Chris Colabello was claimed on the 8th. The Jays came away from the winter meetings with Jake Fox, Caleb Gindl and Wilton Lopez on minor league deals. On the 16th, Daric Barton signed a minor league deal with his eyes set on the uncertainties at first base. Ryan Kalish signed up to be deep minor league outfield depth on the 17th. On the 19th, Andrew Albers decided it would be wise to distance himself from North Korea and sign a cozy minor pact with the Jays. Preston Guilmet was selected off waivers on the 23rd and because, why not, so was Scott Barnes. Unless a transaction is made later today, that’s the end of the Jays’ transaction tale for 2014.

Next: Toronto Blue Jays: Steamer vs Reality

Here’s the final tally as it stands currently:

Acquired:

Liam Hendriks

Danny Valencia

Colt Hynes

Matt Hague

Cory Burns

Jonathan Diaz

Bo Schultz

Feb 26, 2014; Clearwater, FL, USA;The Toronto Blue Jays line up for the national anthem before they play the Philadelphia Phillies in a spring training exhibition game at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Smoak

Bobby Korecky

Jeff Francis

Gregory Infante

Marco Estrada

Devon Travis

Russell Martin

Greg Burke

Josh Donaldson

Ezequiel Carrera

Michael Saunders

Chris Colabello

Jake Fox

Caleb Gindl

Wilton Lopez

Daric Barton

Ryan Kalish

Andrew Albers

Scott Barnes

Preston Guilmet

Gone Elsewhere (free agency and retirement qualify as elsewhere) (who played a game with the Jays in 2014):

Chris Getz

Juan Francisco

Jeremy Jeffress

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Darin Mastroianni

Moises Sierra

Cole Gillespie

Nolan Reimold

Brad Mills

Erik Kratz

Esmil Rogers

George Kottaras

John Mayberry Jr

Dan Johnson

Melky Cabrera

Casey Janssen

Munenori Kawasaki

Colby Rasmus

Dustin McGowan

Sep 23, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Dalton Pompey (45) and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Munenori Kawasaki (66) celebrate the win at the end of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 10-2. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Morrow

Adam Lind

Sergio Santos

Anthony Gose

Brett Lawrie

Kendall Graveman

Sean Nolin

J.A Happ

WAR gained (2014): 12.6

WAR lost (2014): 7.9