Alex Rios is no stranger to trade rumors. Two years ago, the Blue Jays nearly pulled off a deal that would’ve sent him to the Giants for Tim Lincecum. Rios’ name again popped up throughout last year.

This week, Rios’ name surfaced in a report that indicated he was claimed off waivers — likely by the Chicago White Sox — a situation that could mean a trade is in the works. Sitting at his locker on Saturday morning, Rios admitted that it can get tiresome answering questions so often about rumors.

“At some point, it gets old,” Rios said. “But, it’s baseball, man. There’s nothing you can do about it. You just have to not listen to [the rumors] and keep going with what you’re doing.”

The reality of the current situation is that being claimed off waivers this time of year is a routine part of the game — something that happens every year with many players. The difference is not all the names are leaked. When a player is claimed, the team that exposed him to waivers can A) Let him go for nothing, B) Work out a trade with the claiming club, or C) Pull him off waivers.

It’s a way for teams to gauge interest in their players. For contending clubs, sometimes this will lead to an addition that will be eligible for a postseason roster. Trades need to be completed before Sept. 1 for players to be able to take part in the playoffs. Rios said he understood that every team exposes much of its roster to waivers this month.

“I’ve heard that most of the players go through waivers after the deadline is over,” said Rios, referring to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. “I guess it’s a normal process that most people go through.”

Rios said Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who downplayed the reports on Friday, had not talked to him about the rumors. If Toronto wanted to shed salary, this would be an easy way to go about it, considering  Rios is owed just shy of $61 million through 2014. It’s unlikely the Jays would let Rios go for nothing, though. Toronto has until Tuesday to make a decision.

“I can’t do anything,” Rios said. “If I get traded, I get traded. I’m going to have to go wherever I get traded to, but I don’t know. At this point, I’m thinking that I’m staying here. That’s the way I have to think about it.”

Today’s lineups:

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (46-63)
Fifth place AL East, 21.0 GB

1. Brian Roberts, 2B
2. Adam Jones, CF
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Aubrey Huff, 1B
5. Nolan Reimold, LF
6. Melvin Mora, 3B
7. Luke Scott, DH
8. Matt Wieters, C
9. Cesar Izturis, SS

Starter: RHP Chris Tillman (0-0, 6.75)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (51-57)
Fourth place AL East, 15.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Raul Chavez, C
9. Joe Inglett, LF

Starter: LHP Brett Cecil (5-1, 4.36)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

Pretty busy down on the field today at Rogers Centr….err, let’s go with SkyDome today for old time’s sake. Today was the ultimate Flashback Friday for the Blue Jays: the Back2Back Reunion for the ’92-93 World Series teams.

An odd time to be having it, sure. But, as Paul Molitor put it:

“It’s long overdue,” Molitor said. “It’s not like it’s the 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th year. No magical number, but it just happened. The response and the participation of the players and everyone making the effort to come back, you can see we were kind of hungry to do something like this.”

The event was the brainchild of Jays hero Joe Carter, who had been wanting to organize such a gathering for a while now. Quite the collection of Toronto greats today, too.

A few of former players in attendance: Robbie Alomar, Dave Winfield, Tony Fernandez, John Olerud, David Cone, Pat Hentgen, Dave Stewart, Dave Stieb, Tom Henke, Jack Morris, Kelly Gruber, Todd Stottlemyre, Juan Guzman, Al Leiter, Devon White, among many other players, coaches and staff.

Alomar was asked what he thinks about being considered the greatest Blue Jay of them all.

“Oh, wow,” he said. “I take it as a compliment. When I was a little boy, I always wanted to be a great ballplayer and I worked hard at playing the game of baseball. When I came here, I gave my best and I hope people appreciated the way I played the game. That’s why maybe they say those kind of things.”

The Jays held a nice pregame ceremony, with the two trophies on a table behind the mound and all the old-timers walking in from behind the center field wall and being introduced one by one. Prior to the game, Carter said he wasn’t thinking about his ’93 Series-clinching homer when he first walked onto the field.

Carter wanted to show his son where he crushed a ball once to the 500 level — not far from where his name resides on the Level of Excellence.

“The first place I looked was not right behind the field,” Carter said with a laugh. “I looked up at the fifth deck, because I was trying to impress my son and say, ‘Yeah, that’s where I hit it — the fifth deck.’ That’s the first place I looked. I didn’t even think about the home run that won the World Series. I was more proud of my name being up there and that homer I hit to the fifth deck.

“You know, ’92-93, very great years. ’93 was very sweet, but I don’t think anything can replace ’92. Catching the ball for the last out and bringing a championship to an organization that had tried for such a long time. … Not only was it a first for us. It was a first for Canada.”

Alomar, who was invited to join the Jays this past spring as a guest coach but had to back out for personal reasons, expressed an interest in joining the Jays’ organization in some capacity. He said coaching might not be for him, but that he might like working with Minor Leaguers in a development role.

“Baseball has always been in my blood and this is what I love to do,” Alomar said. “To be good in the big leagues, you have to start from the bottom. If you can get a good Minor League system, you’re going to get a chance to go up here in the big leagues and do a good job.

“This is where I belong. This is where I made my mark and this is where I love to be.”

ABOUT THAT CURRENT JAYS TEAM: A report on ESPN.com indicated that Jays right fielder Alex Rios has been claimed off waivers by an unidentified team. Now, don’t get overly worked up over this. Exposing players to waivers is common this month and often a name will be leaked and the story becomes bigger than it might actually be.

That being said, the Blue Jays have until Tuesday to either pull Rios back, trade him to the claiming team or let the claiming team have him for nothing, assuming Rios’ contract in the process. Rios has underperformed and this would be a way for Toronto to shed payroll. This does not mean Rios is definitely being moved.

Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi had this to say: “It’s the time of year where everybody gets put through waivers on every team. For us to comment on that, I don’t think is a good thing. We’re not going to comment on the waiver wire. It’s unfortunate that someone puts anything out there that’s supposed to be confidential. In this case, all I’ll tell you is everybody gets put through waivers. It’s a normal process. Every team does it, but we’re not going to comment on who was claimed or who wasn’t claimed.” 

Today’s lineups:

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (45-63)
Fifth place AL East, 21.0 GB

1. Brian Roberts, 2B
2. Adam Jones, CF
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Aubrey Huff, DH
5. Nolan Reimold, LF
6. Melvin Mora, 3B
7. Ty Wigginton, 1B
8. Matt Wieters, C
9. Cesar Izturis, SS

Starter: RHP Jason Berken (1-9)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (51-56)
Fourth place AL East, 14.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Joe Inglett, LF

Starter: LHP Ricky Romero (10-4, 3.53)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

His image still graces a large panel of windows on the south side of Rogers Centre. And, why not? The Blue Jays are still on the hook to pay the rest of the roughly $15 million that B.J. Ryan is owed through next season.

Since the spring, Ryan struggled with his pitch velocity and his pitch command. He dropped out of the World Baseball Classic over concerns with his mechanics. He lost his closer’s role due to his persistent problems.

At the beginning of July, Ryan was issuing walks at an increasingly alarming rate and he told the media he felt his sporadic use played a role in his inconsistent results. A few days later, the Blue Jays released Ryan.

All this after the man saved 38 games and had a 1.37 ERA just three years earlier.

Ryan quickly found a job with the Cubs, who took him on with a Minor League contract hoping to revive his career and have a veteran left-handed option in the process. In five games with Triple-A Iowa, Ryan walked five batters in 5 2/3 innings.

On Wednesday, Chicago released Ryan. The reason?

FLAT-LINING? After the Blue Jays’ 5-3 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday, Roy Halladay was asked what the team’s goal should be over the final two months. His response: “Win. That’s the reason you’re here. I don’t think at any point you can pack it in and work on things. You have to come out every day to try and win. That’s what it comes down to.”

On Wednesday, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston was subsequently asked if he feels his team may be going a little flat, considering its place in the standings. Gaston didn’t believe that to be the case.

“I dont think so,” Gaston said. “I think last night, I think the guys put up a pretty good battle in the end, trying to come back and tie the ballgame or win the ballgame for Doc. So, I don’t feel that. If I do, I think I’d have to have a couple meetings…”

Gaston then smiled and turned to radio man Jerry Howarth, who was seated next to him on the bench in the dugout.

“…and invite Jerry in and throw him around the room a little bit,” Gaston joked. “Show them what I’d do to them.”

Gaston did say that the very end of the season can be tough for players who are not on contending teams.

“I think the toughest time is the last week of the season for guys, if you’re not in the running. Even if you’re trying to stay out of last place, a lot of guys are starting to think about going home — no matter what you do or try to say.”

ON MITRE: I’m not to the stage of my baseball writing career where I can say, “Way back when…” too often. Today, though, seeing Sergio Mitre starting for the Yankees brings back some memories of my days with the Lansing State Journal. I covered the Class A Lansing Lugnuts in ’04 (Cubs) and ’05 (Jays). In the spring of 2004, I convinced the paper to get me credentials to the Cubs spring training in order to write some features on a few former Lugnut players. Mitre was one player I wrote about — one of the first baseball stories of my career. Click here to read the article (or, to see the web site I designed and created while at Michigan State to serve as my active resume. Man, I should probably update that site!).

Today’s lineups:

NEW YORK YANKEES (64-42)
First place AL East, — GB

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, DH
5. Nick Swisher, RF
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Melky Cabrera, CF
8. Jerry Hairston Jr., 3B
9. Jose Molina, C

Starter: RHP Sergio Mitre (1-0, 7.90)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (51-55)
Fourth place AL East, 13.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Joe Inglett, LF

Starter: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-2, 3.25)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

Today’s lineups:

NEW YORK YANKEES (63-42)
First place AL East, — GB

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Melky Cabrera, CF
9. Eric Hinske, RF

Starter: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.51)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (51-54)
Fourth place AL East, 12.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Kevin Millar, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Jose Bautista, LF

Starter: RHP Roy Halladay (11-4, 2.68)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

 

It was obvious that the Blue Jays were thrilled with the two pitchers they received in the trade that sent Scott Rolen to the Reds. It’s been hard to find anyone that disagrees that Toronto got two talented arms in Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart.

As for that other piece to the deal? Well, Edwin Encarnacion doesn’t come with glowing reviews. He has shown some power potential (26 homers in ’08), but his defense needs some work, something bench coach Brian Butterfield will tackle for the Jays.

The trade was more about the arms than about acquiring Encarnacion. That being said, there’s always the chance that a change of scenery could do the third baseman some good. When Encarnacion found out that he had been dealt to Toronto, he said it hardly came as a shock.

“I was not surprised,” Encarnacion said. “They’ve been talking about a trade and I’m ready. I know how this game is and I was ready. I was waiting for it and I figured they were going to make a trade. Now, I’m happy I’m here with my new team, Toronto, and I’m going to enjoy it.”

Encarnacion’s numbers this season leave something to be desired: .209 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 43 games. Consider, though, that he missed May and June with a chipped bone in his left wrist. In July, he hit .276 with four homers and 10 RBIs over 24 games.

Encarnacion, who spent the past five seasons with the Reds, said he feels like he’s back at 100 percent and he agreed that a new team might be just what he needed. He noted that he already knew Jose Bautista, Marco Scutaro and Alex Rios, as well as a few other Jays, so getting used to his new surroundings shouldn’t be too difficult.

“I’m going to miss those other guys,” he said. “But we’re going to have fun here.”

DOWNS TO DL: The Blue Jays placed closer Scott Downs on the 15-day DL with the same left big toe injury that shelved him for 19 games between June and July. As for when Downs will be back? “It won’t be any time soon,” said manager Cito Gaston. Jason Frasor steps back into the ninth-inning role and Jeremy Accardo is recalled from Vegas — not that he ever made it to Nevada after being optioned just two days ago.

SCOOT RESTING: Gaston kept shortstop Marco Scutaro on the bench on Sunday in order to allow the infielder to rest a sore right heel that’s been bothering him for a while. With an off-day on Monday, Gaston felt it was a good time to give Scutaro some time to recover. This might explain why Scutaro was pulled early in Friday’s game.

Today’s lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (50-54)
Fourth place AL East, 12.0 GB

1. Jose Bautista, LF
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. John McDonald, SS

Starter: LHP Rickey Romero (9-4, 3.59)

OAKLAND ATHLETICS (44-59)
Fourth place AL West, 18.5 GB

1. Adam Kennedy, 3B
2. Rajai Davis, CF
3. Kurt Suzuki, C
4. Scott Hairston, LF
5. Jack Cust, RF
6. Tommy Everidge, DH
7. Bobby Crosby, 1B
8. Mark Ellis, 2B
9. Cliff Pennington, SS

Starter: RHP Vin Mazzaro (2-7, 5.16)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

The only thing the Blue Jays would say about the reason Scott Rolen requested a trade was that the third baseman wanted to be moved for “personal reasons.” Beyond that, the general response was, “You’ll have to ask him about that.” I was told yesterday it was for family reasons and Rolen addressed the matter with the Reds media today:

“I’m thrilled to be here. This is as close to home as I can be. My parents brought me here to watch ballgames, and where I’m from there is a St. Louis, Cincinnati split right down the middle. I’m a Midwestern guy, and I enjoy being here. I certainly enjoyed my time in St. Louis with Walt [Jocketty] and I enjoy this part of the country. This is a spot I wanted to get back to and be here for awhile.

“When I was in St. Louis, I was real comfortable in that area. I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, and my wife and parents travel quite a bit, my brother lives in this area. I’ve always wanted to try and finish up at home or get back to this area, this part of the country. I did approach J.P. [Ricciardi] and asked if he would consider moving me back to this area, to the Midwest.

“[Cincinnati] certainly would be my number one choice. J.P. approached me at one point and said he would look into it and try to accommodate me. I know he worked real hard, and I know Walt worked hard. I’m very thankful and appreciative for the opportunity to get back to where I’m from, to where my family is.”

So, there you have it. And, hey, as a Chicagoan who has been living in Toronto for a number of years now, as great of a city as it is, it isn’t home and that aspect can be hard on a family. Now, one could argue that Rolen should be thrilled to be playing anywhere for $11 million. But, he is nearing the end of his career and home is home, I guess. His family may have had a hard time adjusting to being in Canada. Who knows?

Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Roenicke — two of the three players dealt to Toronto for Rolen — are both in Oakland with the Jays now. Roenicke is wearing “33” — Rolen’s former number with the Jays. Encarnacion is wearing “7” and is starting tonight at third base. Batting cleanup? Lyle Overbay.

Today’s lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-54)
Fourth place AL East, 13.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Lyle Overbay, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Raul Chavez, C
9. Joe Inglett, LF

Starter: LHP Brett Cecil (4-1, 4.27)

OAKLAND ATHLETICS (44-58)
Fourth place AL West, 17.5 GB

1. Adam Kennedy, 3B
2. Rajai Davis, CF
3. Kurt Suzuki, C
4. Scott Hairston, LF
5. Jack Cust, RF
6. Tommy Everidge, DH
7. Bobby Crosby, 1B
8. Mark Ellis, 2B
9. Cliff Pennington, SS

Starter: RHP Trevor Cahill (6-9, 4.77)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

What a day. You’ll have to forgive me for getting this blog post up a bit later than usual, but it’s been a little hectic around these parts, what with Roy Halladay not being traded and Scott Rolen being traded to Cincy prior to today’s deadline.

In short, the Blue Jays weren’t blown away by any offers for their ace, so he’s staying put. GM J.P. Ricciardi said he’d still be open to listening to offers over the winter, but hoped the proposals would be better than they were this month. Unlikely, since Halladay’s value was at its highest now, when he could’ve been had for a season and a half.

As for Rolen, it came as a bit of a shock that he was traded with only a few minutes left before the 4 p.m. ET deadline. On the surface, the trade didn’t really make sense for the Reds. Then, we find out Rolen requested to be traded closer to home for what Ricciardi called “personal reasons”. I was told it was something related to his family.

It actually worked out well for the Jays, because Rolen’s value was as high as it’s been in years. After four seasons of dealing with left shoulder issues, Rolen was putting together a fantastic campaign and playing Gold Glove defense once again. As a result, the Jays got two pitchers (reliever Josh Roenicke and Minor Leaguer Zach Stewart), along with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Roenicke will join the Jays’ bullpen on Saturday, with reliever Jeremy Accardo being optioned to AAA Vegas. Stewart will tote his 1.67 ERA ERA (across these Minors levels this year) to Vegas as well. Ricciardi said they ultimately see Stewart as a starter, but some Toronto scouts think he could reach the bigs faster as a late-inning reliever.

I will say this, I will miss watching Rolen play. He never ceased to amaze on defense and I loved his old-school, head down, full sprint around the bags after hitting a homer. Rolen has his quirks, but he was easy to talk to and was great to the print media. I’m sure Halladay will miss having him behind him scooping up grounders as well.

Today’s lineups:

OAKLAND ATHLETICS (43-58)
Fourth place AL West, 17.5 GB

1. Adam Kennedy, 3B
2. Rajai Davis, CF
3. Kurt Suzuki, C
4. Jack Cust, DH
5. Ryan Sweeney, RF
6. Tommy Everidge, 1B
7. Eric Patterson, LF
8. Mark Ellis, 2B
9. Cliff Pennington, SS

Starter: LHP Dallas Braden (7-9, 3.74)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-53)
Fourth place AL East, 13.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Kevin Millar, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Jose Bautista, LF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. John McDonald, 3B

Starter: RHP Scott Richmond (6-5, 3.69)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

Today’s lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-52)
Fourth place AL East, 12.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Alex Rios, RF
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Kevin Millar, 1B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Jose Bautista, LF

Starter: RHP Roy Halladay (11-3, 2.62)

SEATTLE MARINERS (52-48)
Third place AL West, 7.5 GB

1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Franklin Gutierrez, CF
3. Jose Lopez, 2B
4. Ken Griffey Jr., DH
5. Chris Shelton, 1B
6. Kenji Johjima, C
7. Jack Hannahan, 3B
8. Chris Woodward, SS
9. Michael Saunders, LF

Starter: LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1, 3.48)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

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While standing outside the visitors’ clubhouse at Safeco Field this afternoon, Blue Jays third baseman Scott Rolen walked out of the room, stopped by us writers, suddenly looked stunner and pointed back toward the locker room.

“Did you guys know they’re thinking of trading Doc?” Rolen deadpanned.

“Where’d ya hear that?” one scribe jokingly replied.

“From Doc!” Rolen said. “He just told me. I can’t believe it.”

Meanwhile, Halladay was at his locker, putting on his Jays uniform. The good doctor is still here and he’s still scheduled to start tomorrow for Toronto. Today was the self-imposed “deadline” that general manager J.P. Ricciardi set for potentially trading Halladay, but it looks as if these talks will keep going.

Ricciardi did not return several messages. Not a big surprise there, since J.P. has been offering up no comments for the most part since Halladay’s last start. What we know? Jays and Phillies are still talking, but Philadelphia may be turning its attention to Jarrod Washburn and Cliff Lee given the Jays’ asking price for Doc.

One of the Phillies’ top officials is here in Seattle to keep an eye on Washburn’s outing tonight and for Halladay’s start on Wednesday. I’ve heard conflicting reports about whether the Jays have someone scouting Phillies shortstop prospect Jason Donald today, and depending on where you’re browsing the web, the Red Sox may or may not have made an offer.

Elsewhere in Bird Land, the Jays activated righty Scott Richmond on Tuesday and optioned reliever Drik Hayhurst to Triple-A Las Vegas. Brian Tallet will remain in the bullpen, considering he has already chalked up a career-high in innings. Adam Lind has the day off and Vernon Wells is temporarily in the No. 3 hole in the lineup.

UPDATE: Told that the Jays do have a scout in Lehigh Valley to watch the Phillies Triple-A team (Jason Donald and Michael Taylor are playing). Also, interesting that there is no representative from the Jays front office on this trip to Seattle. I’m also told that no front-office types are scheduled to travel to Oakland. Just a thought: If Toronto does decide to trade Halladay — the face of the franchise — wouldn’t that be something he’d be informed of face to face? I’d think so. So, if the general manager shows up on the West Coast, it likely means something’s up.

Today’s lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-51)
Fourth place AL East, 12.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Alex Rios, RF
6. Lyle Overbay, 1B
7. Kevin Millar, DH
8. Jose Bautista, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-2, 2.82)

SEATTLE MARINERS (51-48)
Third place AL West, 7.5 GB

1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Franklin Gutierrez, DH
3. Mike Sweeney, DH
4. Chris Shelton, 1B
5. Jack Hannahan, 3B
6. Rob Johnson, C
7. Chris Woodward, 2B
8. Michael Saunders, LF
9. Ronny Cedeno, SS

Starter: LHP Jarrod Washburn (8-6, 2.71)

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

Let’s take a break from all this Roy Halladay stuff for a minute, ok? No? Fine. A report indicates that the Phils rejected an offer from the Jays that would’ve swapped Halladay for Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ and Dominic Brown.

Moving on…

Let’s turn to the fans’ favorite punching bag this season: center fielder Vernon Wells. More to the point, have you seen his home-road splits this season? Take a look:

IN 47 GAMES IN TORONTO

.168/.238/.295, 4 HR, 17 RBI

IN 47 GAMES ON THE ROAD

.332/.364/.505, 6 HR, 22 RBI

As I’ve written numerous times this season, no one is more frustrated with Wells’ showing this year than Wells himself. He finally put together a nice little 10-game run before the All-Star break, but then came down with a bad flu bug and missed three games. Since then, he has gone 2-for-16 at the plate, entering Saturday’s game.

Manager Cito Gaston was asked if there was any way to explain the drastic difference in Wells’ numbers at home versus on the road. If you were at Rogers Centre on Friday night, you might have heard the loud boos directed Wells’ way all evening. Gaston said that could have a little something to do with it.

“I can hear the fans starting to boo him,” Gaston aid. “Whether you believe it or not, you hear that. You hear that. When they boo you on the road, you just try to kick their butts even more. But when it’s your own fans, it certainly gets to you a little bit more. But that hasn’t always happened — this has just happened lately. So, I’m not sure.”

Gaston also talked some about right-hander Casey Janssen, who was activated from the DL on Thursday and optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas rather than being called up to rejoin the Jays. The manager said Janssen isn’t quite ready to come back, but when he does, the pitcher will likely be a reliever again.

Asked if Janssen was being viewed long-term as a reliever again, Gaston said he wasn’t completely sure.

“I have different thoughts about guys in bullpens and guys that start that have bad arms,” said Gaston, referring to Janssen’s recent shoulder woes. “To me, I’ve always thought that maybe the bullpen was the worst thing for you, but everybody seems to think — and maybe he’s proved that, too — that he’s better off in the bullpen. I don’t know.

“You start, you rest for a couple of days, and then you throw again, and then you pitch again. But in the bullpen, you can be up and down, two or three days. I haven’t quite figured that one out yet, but maybe he’s different. I haven’t had him in the bullpen, so we’ll see what happens.”

Today’s lineups:

TAMPA BAY RAYS (53-44)
Third place AL East, 6.5 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Ben Zobrist, SS
5. Pat Burrell, DH
6. Carlos Pena, 1B
7. Gabe Kapler, RF
8. Willy Aybar, 2B
9. Dioner Navarro, C

Starter: LHP David Price (3-4, 4.86)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (47-40)
Fourth place AL East, 12.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Kevin Millar, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. Jose Bautista, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Brian Tallet (5-6, 4.95)

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~JB