Re. Kelly Johnson et al.

Once again, my head is spinning. After much digestion, here's what I've got:

- I don't know much about Kelly Johnson. Looks like he either swings for the fences or swings and misses. He's similar to Mark Reynolds: A player who's more about his power than his average. That power might lead to some intentional walks. Regardless, Johnson's time in Toronto will be an audition for 2012.

- It's sad to see John McDonald and Aaron Hill leave. However, they are going to a good team. They'll also have a chance to play in the playoffs. Plus, AA said there's a chance both players could be back next year. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

- Hopefully, a chance of scenery will be good for Hill. You can't help but feel sorry for the guy. He was on top of the world in 2009  and then lost his groove. He hasn't been the same since. Hill's trying as hard as he can, but hasn't been able to regain his form. It's a shame. He's a good person.

Of course, trades can't be evaluated until a significant amount of time passes.    

-ER

Re. Colby Rasmus et al.

I cannot remember a trade made by the Blue Jays that involved a number of players. My head is still spinning. After much digestion, this is what I have to say:

- Not happy about seeing Zep go. He was the kind of pitcher that could easily transition from bullpen to rotation and back. Had a few rough patches this season, but was stable.

- Not happy about seeing Zach Stewart go. Young arm that had potential. I know the Blue Jays have some depth when it comes to pitching, but I was hoping they would hang on to Stewart a little longer.

- Patterson and Dotel were meant to be used as trade bait. They were short term solutions.

- Mark Teahen is also a short term solution. The only way he remains with Toronto is if they trade Encarnacion.

- I'm indifferent with Frasor. He did his job (most of the time).

- Colby Ramus certainly has potential. Could be this year's Yunel Escobar. I guess he'll rotate between DH and OF. There's some overflow in that area right now.

- Don't know a lot about PJ Walters. Trevor Miller seems to be the type of pitcher that comes in to face one batter before being removed. Brian Tallet is back. If you can get a few decent innings out of him, then it's worth it. But he's hurt, so I'm not holding my breath. 

ER  

Re. Vernon Wells & Mike Napoli

Just as I'm about to express my thoughts on the Vernon Wells trade, Alex Anthopoulos pulls the trigger on another trade. Guess I'll have to go trade-by-trade even if they're related.

Vernon Wells for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera

I was completely caught off guard by this trade. But I shouldn't feel that way. Wells' massive contract was hurting Toronto's growth. Trading him frees up $86 million, which will come in handy for resigning Jose Bautista (if he continues to perform as well as he did in 2010) and going after free agents.

Napoli and Rivera are good players. But their arrivals create a cluttered lineup. Assuming the outfield will have Travis Snider, Rajai Davis and Bautista, where does Rivera go? You could put Bautista at third and Rivera in right. But Bautista has a great arm that is better suited for the outfield. And if Bautista goes to third, where would that put Edwin Encarnacion?

It was clear there needed to be another trade and sure enough...

Mike Napoli for Frank Francisco

I don't like it and at the same time, I like it.

Napoli - had he stayed - would be a great weapon, especially against lefthanders. He would've mostly been used as a DH and first baseman. He is originally a catcher, but he'd only get behind the plate if JP Arencibia or Jose Molina got hurt. Of course, it wasn't meant to be.

Francisco brings another strong arm to the bullpen. A stronger bullpen will take some pressure off the starting rotation. Francisco's also another candidate to be the Blue Jays' next closer. It's going to be an intense competition in Dunedin for those 7-8 spots in the 'pen this year.

The lineup is still cluttered. I think there will be at least one more trade.

One more thing about Vernon

I will certainly miss him. It's hard to believe he was here for 12 years. Wells was a great player. There were times when he could've been better. You can blame the injuries if you wish. Regardless, he tried his best and was a wonderful ambassador.

- ER

Re. Karri Ramo

Goalie for goalie.

The Canadiens have sent Cedrick Desjardins - who spent most of his time in Hamilton - to Tampa Bay for Karri Ramo.

Desjardins, along with colleague Curtis Sanford, posted the lowest combined GAA in the AHL last season.

Ramo, who played for Omsk in the KHL, was sixth in GAA and was in a fourth-place tie for shutouts. His overall record in 44 games was 21-17-4. He also played 48 NHL games for Tampa from 2006-2009. Ramo's NHL record: 11-21-10.

Judging by the posts on Twitter, Habs fans aren't happy.

Hands up if you think Karri Ramo will be the next Georges Vezina!

- ER

The Trades

A Raptor trade and a Blue Jay trade, all in the same day? I thought my poor head was going to explode. Some notes about both transactions:

Blue Jays

- The second Alex Gonzalez era has ended. Sorry to see him go, but his value is at its highest point and won't go any higher.

- Yunel Escobar has potential, but he's slumping and said to have off-field issues. Perhaps a change of location will lead to positive results.

- For the Blue Jays, this trade was about the future. For the Braves, this trade was about adding additional parts.

- Don't really have anything to say about the minor leaguers exchanged in the deal. Personally, I feel all minor leaguers are gambles. Labelling prospects is a waste of time.

Raptors

- Bye Turk.

- Barbosa is coming off an injury-plagued season. Wrists injuries can really affect a career. So forgive me for being a little skeptical.

- Barbosa, DeRozan, Calderon, Jack. One of these four won't be here in the fall. My guess (reluctantly) is Jose.

- Dwayne Jones will likely spend most of his time on the bench.

Something tells me BC & AA aren't done.

- ER

The Halak Trade

I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.

I suspect Halak (or more likely his agent) told the Canadiens he was going to leave, regardless of whether or not they chose him over Carey Price.

Don't know much about these "prospects." One was an AHL all-star. The other put up decent numbers in the WHL.

One thing I do know: Carey Price's worst nightmare has come true. The poor kid will face immense pressure next season; more than what he had to deal with this season. I do not envy him.

- ER

Re. The NHL Trade Deadline

Bah! The trading deadline is nothing more than a farce. As Brian Burke put it eloquently earlier today (and I'm paraphrasing), "If you're looking to make a big deal and make major changes to your team at this point in the season, you're in trouble."

- ER

One Last Thing About Roy Halladay

I'm off for a few days. But I'd like to leave you with some parting words from Roy Halladay.

Doc took out a full page ad in the Toronto Sun to thank the Blue Jays, the city and the fans. Here's what the future hall-of-famer wrote (courtesy of TSN.ca):

My wife Brandy, sons Braden and Ryan, and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, its incredible fans, and the City of Toronto.

I feel blessed to have been part of the Blue Jays since 1995 and am extremely grateful for the opportunities it has provided. Throughout this past 15 years, there have been so many people within the organization that have made a wonderful and significant impact in my life, it would be impossible to name them all.

I am sincerely grateful for the incredible support and compassion the Blue Jays fans have always shown me. I am in awe of your overwhelming passion and devotion.

Toronto will forever have a special place in my heart.

The memories will last a lifetime and so will my gratitude.

Best regards, Roy.

An absolute class act. As I've said before, he will be sorely missed.

On that note, Happy Holidays!

- ER

Halladay Trade Vital for Everyone Involved

Well, it's official.

Roy Halladay has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

I feel nauseous seeing "Doc" in a different uniform. But I'm happy for him as well. He finally has the chance to be part of a winning ball club. It's something he absolutely deserves.

This trade needed to happen. The Blue Jays are nowhere close to being a playoff- contending team. Having someone as good as Halladay on a rebuilding team is a waste of talent. Doc's stock is at its highest point and many teams were offering as many young prospects as they could afford. It would have been sheer idiocy if Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos ignored these viable offers.

Philadelphia gets a solid veteran who adds strength to their rotation, while the Jays get some strong prospects; building blocks for any rebuilding team.

In addition, Halladay needed a change of scenery.

Despite leaving Toronto on "good terms," there's no doubt that Doc has some bitter feelings after what transpired last season. Former Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi took advantage of Halladay and dangled him like an unwanted piece of meat as the MLB trade deadline neared. The constant rumours wrecked Halladay's mindset and caused him to fall into a mini-slump during the second half of the regular season. Ricciardi's actions were simply disrespectful and someone as special as Roy Halladay didn't deserve that type of treatment.

I hope the people of Philadelphia appreciate what they're getting. Halladay is a model athlete. He works hard, lives a healthy lifestyle and puts his team's needs ahead of his own. He's very charitable and understands the role of being a star player. More importantly, Halladay was a great mentor to many Blue Jay rookies and he will no doubt continue his tutoring with Philadelphia's young talent.

As for me, a long suffering Jays fan, I feel honoured to have watched the greatest pitcher in Blue Jays history on several occasions. It's too bad he didn't win a World Series title with Toronto. I really hope he can accomplish that with the Phillies.

Halladay has given so much to this sport. It's a crime he's never won the ultimate prize. Sure, there is the 2003 Cy Young award, as well as various other accolades, including an informal tip of the cap from George W. Bush, but a World Series championship is the only item Halladay wants.

- ER

Re. The NHL Trade Deadline

Happy Deadline Day!

There are a lot rumours and I'm not sure what will happen. It will be certainly intriguing.

In honour of the NHL trade deadline, here's my latest article from the Good Point: The Deadline Day Obsession.

Enjoy!

- ER

Re. the Canadiens/Thrashers trade

Matt Schneider is still around?

Given how the Habs have played lately, anything can help.

- ER

Re. the Marion/O'Neal trade

This trade was 90% related to the Raptors' future, and 10% related to the present.

During his short tenure with Toronto, Jermaine O'Neal played well. Unfortunately, the entire team didn't. If the Raptors want to make a serious run for the playoffs, they needed to make a sacrifice in order to make an improvement. JO put up great numbers, but he was expendable. This was proven by Andrea Bargnani, who showed that he could be just as productive as JO at the centre position.

More importantly, JO's salary ate up a lot of cap space. This trade frees up a large chunk of money for the Raptors, which will allow them to (hopefully) be buyers rather than sellers. The extra finance is also important for (again...hopefully) resigning Chris Bosh, who will have many enticing offers come his way in 2010.

Shawn Marion gives the Raptors a legitamate small forward. However, the length of his stay in Toronto remains to be seen. Marcus Banks is nothing special. He will probably get a few minutes and won't be back next year.

As for Jamario Moon - it's sad to see him go. But in all fairness, he was popular with the fans, but not that great on the court. With all due respect to Moon, he was simply a one-hit wonder.

- ER