Results tagged “bjryan”

Well, well, well: less than twenty-four hours after saying they'd listen to trade offers for Roy Halladay, the Toronto Blue Jays have given reliever (and former big-money free agent acquisition) B.J. Ryan his unconditional release. The news comes as a shock, even though Ryan hasn't been nearly the same pitcher since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2007; it's certainly odd from a financial standpoint, since the team still owes him upwards of fifteen million dollars. With Ryan gone, Scott Downs seems poised to become the Blue Jays' everyday closer. Whether the team will create an entrance for him that rivals Ryan's electrifying charge from the bullpen remains to be seen.

Did you hear? Nuit Blanche is back!

The last time the Toronto Blue Jays touched post-season turf Jean Chretien was two days away from his first Majority Government, Aerosmith's Get a Grip was Billboard's #1 album and the Adorable Sports Writer was likely sporting an undershave. Sadly it's been one partially locked-out and ten full seasons since Joe Carter hit one of baseball's most memorable home runs. However during that span, some pretty decent teams have filled the Skydome/Rogers Centre's home dugout. Four Cy-Young's have been awarded to Jays pitching and Carlos Delgado was robbed of an MVP trophy in 2003. Unfortunately that's life in the American League East, where competition has consisted of All-World New York Yankee lineups and extremely strong Boston Red Sox teams.

With the signing of AJ Burnett (pictured with Florida singer Brandy Rich) and BJ Ryan, the Toronto Blue Jays will pay $102 million to two pitchers who use letters as first names. (No offense to Torontoist blogger JK Nestruck.) Letters they want, letters they'll get. Here's the ABC's of the Jay's off-season thus far: