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Adios, Rios
Alex Rios, ostensibly an integral part of the Toronto Blue Jays’ future, is a Blue Jay no longer: Rios joined the Chicago White Sox this evening in exchange for…absolutely nothing, since the Blue Jays had put Rios on waivers late last week. Teams do this all the time, but it seldom leads to anything; apparently Chicago figures it’s worth gambling on Rios’s contract. Let us be the first to applaud this move if the money the Blue Jays are saving is reinvested back into the team. They’re clearly in salary-dumping mode: since early July they’ve sent Rios, Scott Rolen, and B.J. Ryan packing, moves which suggest the necessity of freeing up payroll for next season. And Rios hasn’t looked the same since he broke out in 2006; he might become a decent player, but it’s looking less and less likely he’ll develop into the franchise-calibre player Toronto expected him to become. Thanks for the memories, Alex, but we think your departure will actually make the Blue Jays better. Eventually.