Today's POTD looks at the Blue Jays new closer and the Molina he was not traded for.
Sergio Santos made his first regular season trip to a major league mound in Cleveland April 8, 2010 and struck out the second batter he faced, Michael Brantley, in a clean seventh inning of work.
Santos, a former infielder in the Jays system, got to face his former team at the Dome on April 12, 2010. The 6-foot-2 righty helped Jake Peavy and reliever Randy Williams escape a bases loaded situation by striking out two of the four hitters he faced over 1 1/3 perfect frames to help the White Sox get by the Jays 8-7.
Santos, the 27th player taken in the 2002 amateur draft by Arizona was dealt to Toronto with third baseman Troy Glaus for second baseman Orlando Hudson and pitcher Miguel Batista in the 2005 off-season. He made his second appearance in Toronto on Jackie Robinson Day April 15, 2010. He struck out the side in a perfect frame but saw the Pale Hose lose to the Jays 7-3. Santos would not give up a run until May 8 at U.S. Cellular Field against the Jays as a Vernon Wells RBI double ended a string of 12 scoreless innings and appearances.
The now 28 year-old Santos collected his first major league save July 5, 2010 - just one day after his birthday - against the Los Angeles Angels at U.S. Cellular Field. The Bellflower, California native tacked on 30 more saves to his career total in 2011. Santos saw time in the Twins system after being let go by the Blue Jays early in the 2008 season. He joined the White Sox in the 2009 season but not before spending 11 days in the Giants organization during Spring Training. He was sent to San Francisco for future considerations, which turned out to be Santos himself in the end as he was returned to the South Side April 1. A career .248 hitter in his eight seasons in the minors, Santos clubbed 20 homers for New Hampshire in 2007. The Jays reacquired him for minor league pitcher Nestor Molina December 6, 2011.
Jose Molina receives a pitch that Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta whiffs on May 5, 2010. Molina drew his first walk as a Jay that afternoon, collected a single and an RBI in the Jays 5-4 win over the Tribe at Progressive Field.
Molina, who signed with the Jays as a free agent in February of 2010, began his big league career with the Chicago Cubs in 1999 and played his first game at Wrigley Field on September 6 against Cincinnati. He singled in his first at-bat against former Jay Juan Guzman and later added a double but Guzman lasted seven innings and earned the 'W' as the Reds won 6-3.
Molina was released by the Cubs and did not resurface to the big leagues until 2001 with the Anaheim Angels. He remained with the Halos before being dealt to the New York Yankees in July of 2007.
Molina was the last hitter to homer at the old Yankee Stadium in 2009 and earned his second World Series ring to go along with the one he got in Anaheim in 2002.
Molina matched a career high in homers with six during the 2010 campaign with Toronto. He also hit a half-dozen bombs with the Halos in 2005.
Molina hit a career high .281 with the Jays in 2011 and was three of four in stolen bases attempts during his two seasons at Baseball North.
Sergio Santos made his first regular season trip to a major league mound in Cleveland April 8, 2010 and struck out the second batter he faced, Michael Brantley, in a clean seventh inning of work.
Santos, a former infielder in the Jays system, got to face his former team at the Dome on April 12, 2010. The 6-foot-2 righty helped Jake Peavy and reliever Randy Williams escape a bases loaded situation by striking out two of the four hitters he faced over 1 1/3 perfect frames to help the White Sox get by the Jays 8-7.
Santos, the 27th player taken in the 2002 amateur draft by Arizona was dealt to Toronto with third baseman Troy Glaus for second baseman Orlando Hudson and pitcher Miguel Batista in the 2005 off-season. He made his second appearance in Toronto on Jackie Robinson Day April 15, 2010. He struck out the side in a perfect frame but saw the Pale Hose lose to the Jays 7-3. Santos would not give up a run until May 8 at U.S. Cellular Field against the Jays as a Vernon Wells RBI double ended a string of 12 scoreless innings and appearances.
The now 28 year-old Santos collected his first major league save July 5, 2010 - just one day after his birthday - against the Los Angeles Angels at U.S. Cellular Field. The Bellflower, California native tacked on 30 more saves to his career total in 2011. Santos saw time in the Twins system after being let go by the Blue Jays early in the 2008 season. He joined the White Sox in the 2009 season but not before spending 11 days in the Giants organization during Spring Training. He was sent to San Francisco for future considerations, which turned out to be Santos himself in the end as he was returned to the South Side April 1. A career .248 hitter in his eight seasons in the minors, Santos clubbed 20 homers for New Hampshire in 2007. The Jays reacquired him for minor league pitcher Nestor Molina December 6, 2011.
Jose Molina receives a pitch that Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta whiffs on May 5, 2010. Molina drew his first walk as a Jay that afternoon, collected a single and an RBI in the Jays 5-4 win over the Tribe at Progressive Field.
Molina, who signed with the Jays as a free agent in February of 2010, began his big league career with the Chicago Cubs in 1999 and played his first game at Wrigley Field on September 6 against Cincinnati. He singled in his first at-bat against former Jay Juan Guzman and later added a double but Guzman lasted seven innings and earned the 'W' as the Reds won 6-3.
Molina was released by the Cubs and did not resurface to the big leagues until 2001 with the Anaheim Angels. He remained with the Halos before being dealt to the New York Yankees in July of 2007.
Molina was the last hitter to homer at the old Yankee Stadium in 2009 and earned his second World Series ring to go along with the one he got in Anaheim in 2002.
Molina matched a career high in homers with six during the 2010 campaign with Toronto. He also hit a half-dozen bombs with the Halos in 2005.
Molina hit a career high .281 with the Jays in 2011 and was three of four in stolen bases attempts during his two seasons at Baseball North.
