Christmas Comes Early: Blue Jays Acquire Colby Rasmus
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| Image courtesy of Daylife via Reuters Pictures |
Colby Rasmus is the kind of player that virtually all General Managers would love to have; he’s young, controllable, and his best years are arguably still to come. He’s the kind of player that folks might have on their wish list, but have no hope of ever acquiring.
While Colby Rasmus may have been on Alex Anthopoulos’ radar for a long time, it just seemed like a pipe dream that the Blue Jays would ever get him from the Cardinals. It was a proverbial Hail Mary pass with zero time left on the clock … but this Hail Mary actually connected.
This is the kind of trade that you dream about, but that you don’t actually expect in a million years to happen, and yet somehow, Alex Anthopoulos and the Toronto Blue Jays managed to pry Colby Rasmus out of St. Louis.
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My initial thoughts on this trade was how this situation hearkens back to the Yunel Escobar deal and how similar the situation was. Both the Braves and Cardinals had troubles with their young stars, and the Blue Jays swoop in to pick up the pieces and end up smelling like roses.
I have to tip my cap to AA for finding a very creative way to acquire the player he so keenly desired in Colby Rasmus. As I’ve stated before, when Alex Anthopoulos has the blinders on, he’s willing to do anything to get the player he wants.
In this instance, it took a trade with the Chicago White Sox to get an integral piece in Edwin Jackson to make the trade happen. I admire AA’s determination to acquire the asset he so desperately sought, and hopefully it won’t be his undoing down the road.
I’ll have a more in depth post tomorrow dealing with all the ramifications of the roster moves and some farewells to former Blue Jays, but for the time being let’s bask in the moment: Colby Rasmus is coming to the Toronto Blue Jays … and they didn’t have to give up the farm to get him, either.
even though colby is here, i'm still sad about these trades.
Zach, by no means did the Blue Jays get off scott-free on this trade, but you have to give up talent to get talent. Zach Stewart was arguably the one with the most potential, but I'd rather the Blue Jays take that chance and go for Rasmus – somebody they know for sure can play at the big league level.
yeah i guess you're right, i'll just miss Dotel the most. whenever i go to the games i always sit by the bullpen and i'll miss him laughing it up with the other guys, even the other team's outfielders.
Zach, I loved Dotel's attitude, seemed like a real jokester. I'll always remember him for that game where he celebrated Edwin Encarnacion's home run in the bullpen.
yeah. hahaha, oh yeah down in St. Louis. that was hilarious. caught the ball on the bounce waving his hands up, haha.
Zach, if ever there's a slow-motion montage of the best Octavio Dotel moments from 2011, that one will be my favourite.
haha yeah i wish there was.
"pry Colby Rasmus from St Louis"?? lol. Cardinals have been trying to get rid of this underachieving, lazy, weak-minded player from the moment he refused hitting instructions from Cardinal batting coaches. He was currently the Cardinals 5th best Outfielder and 6th best once Allen Craig returns. They had no room for his play or "feel sorry for myself" antics. With that said, I really think the change of scenery in Tor. will help him but I doubt he will ever live up to Bluejay fan expectations.