I thought this was a great interview, and not just for the Toronto content. In this interview Dirk talks about the tough time he had in Toronto with half of the Jays roster. He is currently working on his third book which will cover his time in Toronto and he is very mad at some Blue Jays. The interview suggests the stress caused Dirk to self medicate to some extent and get into a very difficult personal situation. It's worth the read.

ESPN New York says the Binghamton Mets of the Double-A Eastern League will be relocating to Ottawa in time for the 2013 season.  Could this mean there will be a second Canadian affiliate for the Blue Jays minor league system?

BlueJays.com, via Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, says the Jays have signed free-agent reliever Francisco Cordero to a one-year contract worth $4.5 million.

36 year-old Francisco Cordero was 5-3 with a 2.45 earned run average and saved 37 games with the Reds in 2011.

Tim Brown/Jon Heyman reports that Prince Fielder has signed with the Tigers for $214 million over 9 years. That's just shy of $24 million a year, or about $1.2 million less than Albert Pujols received on an annual basis.

Fielder will reportedly play first base, while Miguel Cabrera will move (to DH or Left Field, presumably.)

Ken Rosenthal has just tweeted that the Blue Jays have signed potential Hall of Fame shortstop Omar Vizquel. Details and links forthcoming -- if you see them, add them in a comment!

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And here's the ESPN.com news story -- interesting, his profile on the Worldwide Leader now lists him as a third baseman. And by the way, he's less than 150 hits away from 3,000 (I had no idea!), so if he manages to play a lot, a milestone is at least possible ...

Shi Davidi tweets that the Jays and Brandon Morrow are set to announce......

Blue Jays web site now lists 23 Non-Roster Invitees for 2012 Spring training.  The list includes 13 Pitchers and 10 Position players.

Apologies to Yu Darvish and all, but in the day's most fascinating transaction, the Colorado Rockies will sign 49-year-old rehabbing lefty Jamie Moyer to a minor league deal.

Forty-nine. Rehabbing. (He missed ALL of 2011.) Sure, he's left-handed and has 267 (267!) big league wins, and I have always been a fan. But really? Jamie Moyer?

More than one-third of the players on Colorado's curremt 40-man roster were not yet born when Moyer debuted with the Cubs in June of 1986. I'm willing to wager a fair number of Bauxites weren't either. (Identify yourselves!)

So the primary question is, how is that 55-mile-an-hour "fast"ball going to play in Coors?

We're rooting for you Jamie -- and when I say "we" I speak for the tens of  thousands of baseball fans who don't want to be older than every single major league baseball player on an active roster ...

So, seriously -- good luck. Thirty-three more wins and those HOF voters will REALLY have something to debate!

 

Yu Darvish and the Rangers agreed on a six-year, $60 million deal just before today's (Wednesday's) deadline. Story

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Carlos Villaneuva by signing the right-hander to a one-year deal worth just over $2.2 million. 

UPDATE - The Jays have also come to terms with second baseman Kelly Johnson on a one-year contract worth $6.3 million and outfielder Ben Francisco will get just over $1.5 million for 2012.  The above link from BlueJays.com has been updated.