Image courtesy of SI.com

When the winter meetings kicked off yesterday, Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos hinted that he might leave with a closer before the week was over.

He got one in a swift move this afternoon, effectively putting an end to the countless offseason rumors. And in trademark fashion, he caught everyone by surprise by shipping standout pitching prospect Nestor Molina to the Chicago White Sox for Sergio Santos in a top-secret deal.

As most Jays fans know, it’s a homecoming of sorts for Santos, who returns to Toronto after being obtained by the Jays along with Troy Glaus when they shipped Orlando Hudson to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. Then, Santos was a minor league infielder, whereas now, he’s one of the top relief pitchers in the game. Anthopoulos has said that Santos will definitely be his closer, so wondering who will receive ninth-inning duties is now no longer a concern.

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Highlights include Adeiny Hechavarria‘s Triple-A debut, Nestor Molina‘s dominant Double-A debut, the Dunedin Jays beating Alex Rodriguez in his rehab appearance with the Tampa Yankees, and stellar starting pitching in Bluefield.

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Here are some Jays Notes as they head into a road trip in Baltimore and will hopefully begin a long win streak.

The Brett Lawrie Hype

• Fans across Canada have been on pins and needles as they await a Stanley Cup winner to be decided between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. However, anyone and everyone who follows baseball at all knows that the biggest news for the Jays has to do with Brett Lawrie. In the last 3 days, I’ve received more email than ever from fans telling JJ how anxious they were to see him in the lineup. There is now a spot open for him on the 40-man roster, and it seems to be something that could happen any day now. The main question people are now wondering about is, where will he hit in the lineup? (more…)

Wins/Losses: 24-18 | Streak: W4 | 2nd in PCL Pacific South (2.0 GB)

Game #1: Las Vegas 51s 12, Omaha Storm Chasers 5

In a close game early on that saw each team take the lead twice in the first five innings, the 51s, down 5-3 going into the final frame, emphatically got the win after scoring a whopping nine runs in the top of the ninth.

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We’re not the only ones to call him the best pitching prospect of late in the Jays minors system. The Southpaw placed him first in a recent article, and Woodman663 of Blue Bird Banter voices his support for promoting him to AA here.

The 22-year old, along with team mate A.J. Jimenez, is growing the number of fans that are paying close attention to his performances every time he plays. What has he done to deserve such close attention and accolades? (more…)

Image courtesy of Joel Dinda

#47: Nestor Alberto Molina

Relief Pitcher / 21 years old / 6′1″ 179 lbs

Born: January 9th, 1989 in Valencia, Venezuela

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School Team: N/A

College: N/A

Drafted: Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006

Jersey Number: #20 for the Lansing Lugnuts, #60 for the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2010

Quick Facts:

• Made his professional debut as a 17-year-old in the Venezuelan Summer League
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Here’s a rundown of what the Jays’ pitching prospects have been doing recently down south:

RP Winston Abreu:

Another great under the radar pick up by Alex Anthopoulos that Mat Germain touched on yesterday, here’s a look at his efforts in the Dominican Winter League through 11 games:

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“You have to weigh each case by itself. If it’s the right player, the right fit, the right talent at the right price, you’ve got to be open to it.”

I’m sorry, but that has Manny Ramirez written all over it and a message to him and his agent. It may very well be the biggest hint we get on the Jays position towards Manny yet. Instead of saying no, as they just did in Justin Upton‘s case, the Jays said….mmmm, maybe. They told Manny “make yourself affordable, and the Jays will give you the shot you said you wanted to play for John Farrell”. The more interesting fact is that this quote was made after 2 player misses. First, the Jays lost out to the Braves on the Dan Uggla sweepstakes – which I, for one, can’t imagine why they did since the Braves offer was horrible to say the least and ended up putting him in the same division – and have just recently bowed out of the Justin Upton sweepstakes due to the price tag attached.

Ahh, the Justin Upton Sweepstakes. Why in the world are the Jays looking for yet another outfielder anyhow? You have to believe that Rajai Davis was going to be part of a deal. If my thinking on this is correct, the reason the Jays want another OF is because they want Bautista at 3B and see Davis as a platoon candidate. I’d look for the Jays to keep ruffling the bushes to see what they can add in the outfield. I’m not so sure who it will be, but with the talent level Alex Anthopolous has been looking at to add at each position, you know it’s not going to be a Pat Burrell type of player. He want a young and mobile OF. (more…)