The Blue Jays aren’t slowing down in their pursuit to change the balance of power in the AL East.
It’s just a few weeks into the offseason, but Toronto added disgraced outfielder Melky Cabrera Friday, signing the former Yankee to a reported two-year deal worth $16 million.
The move comes days after the Blue Jays stunned baseball by trying to take advantage of the Marlins’ failed experiment and trading for Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. The transaction is being reviewed by MLB, which will hold its Winter Meetings Dec. 3-6, but is expected to go through.
The Yankees are sticking to their oft-stated plan of focusing on their starting rotation, as well as making sure they position themselves to be under the $189 million tax threshold in 2014.
Their rotation concerns could be complicated by the Dodgers’ interest in Hiroki Kuroda — an interest that is reportedly mutual, because Kuroda spent his first four years in the majors with the Dodgers.
Both manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman admitted the Blue Jays had gotten their attention with the Marlins trade — even before Toronto made its intentions more clear by landing Cabrera.
How Cabrera will help the Blue Jays move up in the division after years of trailing the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and last season, the Orioles, remains to be seen.
He was leading the National League in hitting for the Giants when he was suspended for 50 games on Aug. 15 after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone.
Cabrera missed the rest of the regular season and was not activated for San Francisco’s World Series run even after he became eligible. Now, the 28-year-old will be on his fifth team in five years. He hit .346 with 11 homers and 60 RBIs in 113 games and had a career-high .906 OPS and will join a lineup that includes Reyes, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
Cashman and team president Randy Levine were adamant following the proposed Miami-Toronto trade that it would have no impact on how they approach the offseason.
“The tortoise usually wins the race,” Levine said at the owners meetings in Rosemont, Ill., earlier in the week.