In an apparent departure from his predecessor, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos will give teams interested in trading for ace right-hander Roy Halladay a window to discuss a contract extension with the pitcher.


The Blue Jays’ Web site reports Anthopoulos would allow teams to talk to Halladay about an extension if it means the interested team will improve its trade offer. Halladay is signed through next season.

Former GM J.P. Ricciardi opposed the idea of a contract window when he was shopping Halladay last summer.

Click here to read the full article – By of sportingnews.com

Toronto Blue Jays Sports Memorabilia
and other Toronto Blue Jays Gifts and Collectibles

The Blue Jays have been waiting a long time for David Purcey to realize his potential. The big lefty showed flashes of his ability on the mound last season and was trusted with a spot in the club’s rotation when this year began.


On Monday night, Purcey helped lead the Blue Jays to a 9-2 victory over the Orioles at Rogers Centre, but it was a win that was a long time coming for the pitcher. The win was Purcey’s first in more than a year for Toronto — a drought that Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston did not expect.

“I didn’t think so,” Gaston said. “He’s still a kid, too, I guess.”

At 27 years old and with enough Major League service time to no longer be considered a rookie, Purcey is hardly a kid anymore. He was supposed to be a fixture in Toronto’s staff this year — rather that someone who needed another four months of seasoning on the farm with Triple-A Las Vegas.


Click here to read the full article – By Jordan Bastian of MLB.com

Toronto Blue Jays Sports Memorabilia
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The field was littered with equipment. A handful of helmets and bats were scattered in the grass down the first-base line at Yankee Stadium, and in the dirt behind home plate, the chest protector belonging to Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas was abandoned.


A few minutes earlier, New York’s Shelley Duncan was gripping the straps of that chest guard, pulling Barajas out from the bottom of a dogpile during a heated altercation between the Jays and Yankees during the eighth inning of Toronto’s 10-4 victory on Tuesday night.

The late-inning eruption — ignited when Yankees catcher Jorge Posada took exception to a very wild pitch from reliever Jesse Carlson — overshadowed a game filled with positives for the Blue Jays. Toronto matched a season high with five home runs, including two from rookie Travis Snider, and ace Roy Halladay was effective in earning his 15th win of the year.


Click here to read the full article – By Jordan Bastian of MLB.com

Toronto Blue Jays Sports Memorabilia
and other Toronto Blue Jays Gifts and Collectibles

Blue Jays rookie Travis Snider laid off two pitches just outside the strike zone from Angels reliever Rafael Rodriguez before golfing a low fastball on the outside corner over the wall in left-center field.


Snider broke into a home run trot for the second time in six games, going 3-for-3 with a walk on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays knew Snider, the organization’s top prospect heading into this season, had power potential, but for Snider — and for manager Cito Gaston — the home run was just one of many positives to take away from Sunday’s tilt.

Click here to read the full article – By Erika Gilbert of MLB.com

Toronto Blue Jays Sports Memorabilia
and other Toronto Blue Jays Gifts and Collectibles

Travis Snider stepped into the batter’s box in the third inning of Tuesday night’s 10-9 loss, settling in to face Red Sox ace Josh Beckett in his first at-bat for the Blue Jays in three months. Five pitches in, the rookie showed off his powerful swing, launching a pitch over the wall in left for a solo home run.


With that, Snider was officially back after a tour with Triple-A Las Vegas to rediscover his swing and refine his approach. The young outfielder began the season as Toronto’s Opening Day left fielder, but he admittedly began piling too much pressure on himself and said the stay in the Minors helped him put things in perspective.

Click here to read the full article – By Jordan Bastian of MLB.com

Toronto Blue Jays Sports Memorabilia
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With every day that passes, Roy Halladay begins to sound more and more like an ex-Blue Jay.

Halladay talked frankly again Tuesday, before going out to start the All Star Game, about the future. And he gave off the impression he was less convinced than ever that the Blue Jays are close enough to winning in the near future to convince him to stay.

Asked how he felt about the direction of the franchise, considering how much he has said he liked it in Toronto, Halladay gave this reply:

“Yeah, I do [like it]. I think we have a lot of great pieces. But the tough part is to be in a tough division. I think sometimes you do think you have enough guys to make a run. But if we lose one or two, it’s just been frustrating in the past couple of years that we haven’t been able to go out and get those couple of extra guys. …

“So everything has to go right. You need guys to play to their potential. And you need two or three guys, that you don’t expect, to step up.”

Click here to read the full article – By Jayson Stark of ESPN.com

Toronto Blue Jays Sports Memorabilia
and other Toronto Blue Jays Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for Roy Halladay.