Early reports had Toronto landing Cincinnati’s best prospect, first baseman Yonder Alonso.

Not so, though it looks like the Jays did pretty well in dealing their all-star, oft-injured third baseman.

While unloading an $11 million/year salary, Toronto fetched third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who has never reached anything close to his potential, along with young reliever Josh Roenicke and top pitching prospect Zach Stewart.

Stewart seems to be the gem here, as detailed by Tyler Hissey of Most Valuable Network:

“According to Reds minor league expert Doug Gray, the one prospect who it really hurts to lose as far as Cincy is concerned is Stewart. Gray, who ranked him as the eighth-best prospect in the organization in the offseason, said that he would not trade the 22-year-old right-hander for Rolen straight up.

Stewart has shot up three levels already, excelling at each stop along the way from High-A Sarasota to Triple-A Louisville. He began the spring in the Florida State League, where he posted a 2.13 ERA, 2.77 FIP and rates of 6.80 K/9, 1.70 BB/9 and 0.21 HR/9 in 37.0 innings pitched over seven starts. The Reds then promoted him to Double-A Chattanooga, and he continued to shine. He improved his strikeout rate (7.54 K) while registering a 1.46 ERA and 2.77 FIP in 37.0 innings pitched over seven starts. Cincinnati moved him to the bullpen upon a promotion to limit his innings upon a promotion to the International League. Although he was a reliever during an inconsistent career at Texas Tech, however, his future is clearly a starter. Like any other pitcher, his stuff plays up in the late innings and he was effective in that role in nine appearances for the Bats, striking out 16 in 12.1 innings pitched.

Along with the impressive numbers, the scouting reports on Stewart are excellent as well. He has good command over a heavy, sinking fastball that sits in the 92-to-96 MPH range. The pitch is a real worm burner, helping him to generate a ton of ground ball outs. He also mixes in a plus slider, which he can consistently locate, and an average-but-improving change-up.

The kid is real good. Indeed, according to Gray, he would be the numbers two prospect in the Cincinnati farm system today had he not switched organizations. Giving up that many years of his services will sting down the road.”

Great news for Jays fans if Stewart can keep improving. Gray, today, wrote that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the kid win a Cy Young in Toronto. I’ve never seen him pitch, but my reaction is “wow.”

I don’t like how JP Ricciardi handled the Roy Halladay situation, opening his mouth far too often and mostly just pissing off fans and other general managers.

This, though, is an excellent deal. Rolen simply cost too much for a team not in the race, while promising young prospects are always great to add.

-DL

Hissey’s full trade rundown can be found here.

The first game of the post-Arland Bruce III era takes place Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre when the Argonauts host the Blue Bombers. While some might say that in reality that title belongs to last week’s game when Bruce was sent home, the reality is that the distraction is gone and the team can focus on football again. But are the Argos better for it?

In exchange for Bruce, the Argos acquired a third-round pick in the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft, a conditional pick in the 2011 draft and the rights to non-import defensive end Corey Mace. Mace had spent the past two seasons on the Buffalo Bills’ practice roster, dressing for one game and recording one tackle. However, TSN reported on Friday that he has signed with the Bills, meaning that though his rights still belong to Toronto, he’s a write-off for this CFL season.

So apart from the locker room distraction being out of the way, the 2009 Argonauts are not better as a result of the trade where it matters most: on the field. (Furthermore, from TSN’s Duane Forde: “Bruce clearly had his followers in the Argo room. Don’t be surprised to see one or more of them continue to follow him [out of town] in the coming weeks.”) For the record, I trust Forde’s insight…

The Argos are quickly finding out that this season won’t be like most of this decade, where they could play the season blindfolded and still coast to a second place finish behind Montreal and enjoy a home playoff game. Hamilton has clearly shown itself capable, and that’s even before Bruce makes his Ti-cat debut tonight at Ivor Wynne against BC. It’s also the understatement of the year to say that a loss tomorrow to Winnipeg wouldn’t be all too endearing to fans.

Nevertheless, I’ve always been a Kerry Joseph backer, and I think that even though the Argo receiving corps reeks of inexperience, Joseph is capable of patching up a less-than-desirable situation. I’ve always maintained that he’s a top-four quarterback in the CFL along with Ricky Ray, Anthony Calvillo and Henry Burris, and if he can lead the Argos to a few wins (especially with the Alouettes on the docket next Friday) there will start to be believers that the 2007 Kerry Joseph is back.

Find out tomorrow at 1:00, and if you can’t make it to the game, follow my updates on Twitter @YYZsportsmedia.

-Marc Tessier

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- open phones with Faulds from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Jim Kelley
Roundtable with John Shannon, Dave Perkins & Gord Kirke

On 640 with Duff and Watters:

440 – Bill Daly

510 – Steve Rosenbloom – chicago tribune

540 – Brendan Bell – Newest Blues D-man

610 – Bob Nightengale – USA Today

640 – Darcy Regier – replayed from Leafs Lunch

TSM Take:

So it’s deadline day, so far Scott Rolen has been traded, has anyone else? Rumours around the Roy Halladay may be an California or Anaheim Angel…details to follow

Jeff Blair and Jon Heyman reporting that the Blue Jays Scott Rolen has been dealt to the Cincinnati Reds- He has to agree to waive his NTC.

Details later

Yes, today is the day we find out whether Doc will be sticking around for the rest of the year. I suspect he will, though there’s still time for the Jays to make a deal. Even if his value is reduced by keeping him, Toronto can always deal Halladay next year, or during the offseason, and it’ll be fun to keep watching one of the game’s best pitchers if he stays.

What bothers me is the lack of talk on the Marco Scutaro front – there have been whispers, sure, like this from Bob Elliott:

“The Minnesota Twins still are chasing Marco Scutaro since they were unable to land Pittsburgh Pirates’ Freddy Sanchez, sent yesterday to the San Francisco Giants.”

To me, this is the most obvious trade for the Jays to make.

Scutaro, a career backup, is having a fantastic year. His contract is up at the end, and the Jays are no longer contenders.

So…trade him, right?

Toronto can get something decent for Scutaro, who’s value will probably never be higher. They can also resign him if they want after the season, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. I really don’t understand how management can justify keeping the shortstop – Unless they want to sell the “we’re still in the race” idea that is clearly bullshit.

Likewise, but to a lesser extent, JP has got to find a deal that involves Scott Rolen. Well, he doesn’t HAVE TO, considering Rolen makes $11 million and has a no-trade clause, but he damn well better be trying.

Again, Rolen is having a fantastic season, on an expiring contract. He has value to teams that can afford him, and it’s a deal that should be explored.

Basically, I’m saying we’ve been talking about the wrong guy for the past few weeks. Yes, Halladay would fetch a nice haul, but he’s hardly the most logical guy to trade. JP has said a Halladay deal might lead to more, but who is he trying to fool??

Even if the Jays keep Doc, they are not in the race. Absolutely, positively not.

Make the logical, sensible deals, please, and get some value.

It sure beats yapping to the press everyday about a guy you probably won’t trade anyway.

-DL

Bill Hayes has mentioned this one a few times, PPP is fretted about it a ton, so finally the Todd Bertuzzi rumours to Toronto can be laid to rest:

“Could that be a reunion with Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs?

“I’ve heard the same thing,” he said of the rumour that just won’t go away. “I’ve got a lot of friends out here who are Leaf fans. They seem to have heard it too, but no.

“Not going to happen.”

Will he end up in Canada?

“No,” he said. “I think I’ve been in Canada enough now.”

No, this isn’t a Sportsnet report

it came from here

Here are the lineups for the shows at noon:

On Baseball Show:

TBA: but you can bet it will be trade deadline/roy halladay related

On Leafs Lunch:

Duff & Watters
1240 – Darcy Regier – Sabres GM

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:
Okay let’s face it there are a bunch of baseballs games and there’s a big battle in the CFL with the struggling BC Lions taking on the surprising Hamilton Ti-Cats (including the debut of Arland Bruce in the gold and black), but how can anyone look past the fact that today is the trade deadline in MLB? I’m not even going to try and compare this day with the hockey version of this day, because it’s not the same. There’s one enormous reason why today is worthy of the GOTD and it boils down to what is going to happen to Roy Halladay. Will he remain a Blue Jay until the end of this season? Will he end up going to a play off contending team in return for a some prospects? If anything today will also prove the worth of general manager J.P. Ricciardi. Today and what happens with Doc could make or break his entire legacy. It was presumed Halladay would be heading to Philly. There have been rumours about the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers. We will just have to wait and see.

So, little TSM said to me tonight, “I want to cheer for the Maple Leafs AND the Penguins this year”. Woo Hoo I said. “But who is their Crosby?” he asked. Shit. How the hell do I answer that one???? “Well”, I said…………………. “Did you hear about Erin Andrews?” just kidding. I didn’t know what the hell to say. I don’t know who our Sidney Crosby is. You know where this is going right? When little TSM was born, one of his uncle’s bought him his first Leaf jersey. It had his birth year on the back and on one arm his birth month and the other his birth date. That same brother of mine bought the same jersey for the littlest TSM. She walked in the room, hearing the discussion and of course said, “I want to chear for the Maple Leafs too, plus the Capitals.” The littlest TSM is a big Ovechkin fan, while little TSM is a Crosby fan. None of that bodes well for either myself (who would take Ovechkin over Crosby any day) or Mrs. TSM who is a Red Wing fan.

So as I thought long and hard about the question, who is our Crosby, or Ovechkin, little TSM said to me “If you want me to cheer for the Leafs, you have to get me a Maple Leaf shirt with their Crosby’s name on it!” Smart kid that little TSM. Hearing that, the littlest TSM of course said, “”If you want me to cheer for the Leafs, you have to get me a Maple Leaf shirt with their Ovechkin’s name on it!”

Now, what the hell is a father to do????? I feel a little bit like the Seinfeld episode where the Yankee has to hit 2 grandslams for the sick kid in the hospital. Getting the Leaf Jersey’s is going to be hard enough. Coming up with who’s name and numbers to put on the back, that’s impossible. So, TSM readers, I turn the question over to you, Who’s name goes on the back of my kids jersey’s??? Points of course for originality.

TSM

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Ok, Erin Andrews is truly awesome. I know you know who she is, you know the girl who was video tapped naked in her hotel room??? Yeah her. Well, she called 911 to complain about the press stalking her at her house. You have to listen to the audio below, but here are the highlights:

“I’ve been in the news recently about being naked in a hotel room,” she instantly informs the 911 operator. “I have paparazzi outside my window, and I was told by law enforcement that if I did to call 911.”

When she finally gets to the name part, the 31-year-old says: “My name is Erin, my last name is Andrews, I’m all over the news right now.” To which the 911 operator – who’s apparently been working too hard – says, “I’m not familiar with …”

“I’m the girl that was videotaped without her knowing, without her clothes in the hotel
“I did nothing wrong and I’m being treated like fucking Britney Spears, and it sucks.”

“”Can somebody in baseball — please, we’re all begging, people — get that stupid list out and move on,” Guillen said. “This is ridiculous. This is embarrassing. This is a joke. Whoever is there is there; get them out and that’s it. We’re going to continue being alive, we’re going to continue playing the game. But sitting here every freaking day, every manager, every player, responding to same question, it’s getting tired. It’s old. It’s not me. Every time I put the TV on, every manager is saying the same stuff we do.Little by little? Come on. If you’re going to divorce me, divorce me right away. Don’t say you’re going to leave me. I’m serious. If you are going to talk every night, ‘I’m going to divorce you,’ no, get out of my house.”

Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Whitesox on the drip drip drip drip release of MLB baseball players who allegedly teted positive for steriods in 2003. He’s right. The union will never go for it, but those in the game who were clean are being dragged through the mud as a result of the secrecy and the leaks. I will say this, if I am a player and I am on the list and my name leaks out I am calling my lawyer and getting ready to sue. The pre-condition of the tests was anonymity and now the names are leaking out??? What the hell kind of deal is that? It’s like keeping workers out on strike for 30 + days when you are trying to rain in their bankable sick days and then caving in the end….oh wait, that just happened too!! SERENITY NOW

Shulman was on PTS tonight and he was saying the same thing. Innocent guys are being painted with the guilty brush cause the names aren’t out there in bright lights. This is the proverbial bandaid that has to come off. If you released the names, it would be front page news for about 14 days. Then the world would be back to debating whether or not Michael Jackson had a fake nose (YES) or if he was really Tito’s dad or something like that.