The Melk-Man Flees The Country

Melky Cabrera will no longer be playing professional baseball for a US Team.  The 2012 All-Star Game MVP, who vacated his NL batting title in shame is taking his talents to Canada.

The Toronto Blue Jays made their second big move of the hot stove season this weekend, bringing in the former Yankee and Giant outfielder Cabrera with a two-year, 16 Million Dollar contract.   Melky Cabrera hit .346 with 11 Home Runs and 60 RBI before spending the final 50+ games of the 2012 season under suspension for a positive test of a banned substance.  Many other teams bypassed the opportunity to sign Melky and his tarnished reputation. However Toronto is shoiwng its willingness to roll the dice this off-season.

---

Twenty years of perpetual mediocrity can weigh on a team's fan base. Since winning consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays have failed to make the playoffs once. They have managed to put together some winning seasons (85-77 in 2010), but Boston and New York have been the dominant teams in the division for the past two decades. 

Tampa and Baltimore have stepped up their efforts in recent years, establishing themselves as competitive teams, and successfully altering the AL East's status quo.  Toronto seems ready to join into the mix, invest some money into their roster, and make moves to contend with the big boys.

They already made a big splash last week witht the mega-deal that brought five Major League starters into Ontario.  They acquired everyday players Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, John Buck, along with pitchers Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson from the Miami Marlins.  In exchange Toronto sent Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis, and five top prospects down to South Beach. 

With these two moves, Toronto may currently be the team to beat in their division, but the hot stove is just starting to heat up...

- Kevin Aherne

---