TORONTO — After publicly saying they were considering bringing Josh Towers back, the Blue Jays opted instead to cut ties with the right-hander on Wednesday night.

Toronto non-tendered the 30-year-old Towers (5-10, 5.38 ERA last season), who is now eligible to become a free agent. Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi was not available for comment.

Towers was chilling in his hot tub in Las Vegas when I got him on the phone to talk about his newfound freedom. He said he had "mixed emotions" when Ricciardi delivered the news, but obviously Towers knows this move could be a good move for him:

"I get a new opportunity, just like I did when I came to Toronto. I get to go start over and prove myself to a whole new organization and a whole new bunch of people that I don’t know. I kind of like that situation. Maybe I can try to go to the National League. You never know where I’m going to end up, but it’s just a new opportunity, being a free agent in a not-so-good pitching market."

That "not-so-good pitching market" was one of the reasons Ricciardi talked about bringing Towers back. Then again, Toronto would’ve had to shell out at least $2.4 million to retain the righty. The Jays could still bring him back, but only if he’d accept a Minor League contract.

Towers sounded more keen on testing his worth on the market. He said he’d love to pitch in San Diego, which showed interest in him at the Winter Meetings. Towers’ style might work well in Petco Park and he said he’d love the chance to be teammates with Greg Maddux.

"Just about every National League West team I’d like to play for. Obviously, San Diego would be ideal. They’ve got a huge ballpark and that West coast weather at night and I’d get an opportunity to play with Greg Maddux. That would be pretty unbelievable. I think I could learn a lot from him."

Towers said he would’ve liked to come back to Toronto to try and redeem himself after a 7-20 showing with a 6.50 ERA over the past two seasons. But, he’s a realist and being the type of person he is — one never known to bite his tongue about himself or the team — Towers worked in a shot at himself.

"I haven’t really done much the last two years. So, I understand why. I would’ve parted ways with me, too.

"I believe it’s a good thing. But in the end, I think I really would’ve preferred to stay. I’m not too happy about the way I left Toronto. I really didn’t feel like I did them justice and I kind of wanted another crack at it. That’s not how it’s going to be."

Towers has been working out this offseason with Reed Johnson, who did receive a contract offer along with Toronto’s other unsigned players. Exchange of arb figures comes in January and the arb hearings are later in February.

CATCHER WATCH: Ricciardi indicated that the Jays wanted to see what catchers were non-tendered on Wednesday and if they might figure into Toronto’s quest to find a backup backstop.

Well, the Marlins parted ways with Miguel Olivo and the Mets non-tendered Johnny Estrada. Olivo, 29, made $2 million last year and Estrada, 31, made $3.4 million — both as starting catchers for their respective clubs (Estrada with the Brewers).

With the Jays, Toronto needs someone who can backup Gregg Zaun (switch hitter), who is better as a left-handed hitter. So, ideally, the Jays could use a right-handed hitting catcher with a decent arm to help snuff out the running game.

Olivo (.237 AVG, 16 HR, 60 RBIs in ’07) threw runners out at a 33-percent clip last year and hit .295 vs. lefties, but he had 12 errors and 16 passed balls — yikes. Estrada (.278-10-54 as a switch hitter) hit .313 vs. lefties and had six errors and five PB, but had a 13-percent caught-stealing average — not good.

Of the two, Olivo would probably fit into the picture. Sal Fasano is still an option, too. Ricciardi said there could be news on the topic by the end of the week.

Now, about that Mitchell report…tomorrow should be fun. Goodnight all.

TORONTO — It’s been a quiet few days since all us writers bolted out of Nashville. There was a flurry of talk and rumors and then the Winter Meetings ended and the Jays’ front went quiet again.

And for all the talk about closing in on a deal with catcher Paul Lo Duca, the Jays fell short. Lo Duca has signed with the Nationals. Toronto was reportedly offering $3 million and wasn’t willing to budge beyond a one-year deal. Lo Duca was seeking $5 mil and probably more playing time than the Jays had to offer.

In Toronto, Lo Duca would’ve been in a split role with Gregg Zaun, who was signed last offseason to be the Jays’ starter. Bringing in Lo Duca, who has been a starter for years now, might have created some playing time issues. In the end, it might be better for the Jays and Lo Duca that he opted to head to D.C. instead.

So, where does that leave the Jays’ backup catcher situation? Sal Fasano is still out there. Toronto could certainly sign him and hope Robinzon Diaz is ready during the season. We’ll see what happens. Paul Bako’s name has been mentioned in rumors, too.

As for all those Giants and Jays trade rumors…to be continued. I’m heading to NYC tomorrow for a day, so knowing my luck something will go down then. Also, Wednesday is the last day for teams to tender contracts to unsigned players. No offer, and they become free agents.

NASHVILLE — Toronto picked up another Wells on Thursday, when they snatched Randy Wells away from the Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft.

Wells will be in the mix for a bullpen spot, and he can serve a variety of roles, considering he’s started and relieved. Last year, Wells went 5-6 with a 4.52 ERA in 40 games, including nine starts, with 101 strikeouts versus 41 walks over 95.2 innings.

More importantly, his name is Randy DAVID Wells. I mean, that has to be worth something, right? Along the same lines, Tim Lincecum’s middle name is Leroy. Harry Leroy Halladay anyone? This all can’t be a coincidence, can it?

To clear room on the 40-man roster, Toronto released righty Ryan Houston, who moved slowly up the farm system over nine years since being drafted by the Jays in 1998. Houston, 28, went 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse last year.

The wait continues on the potential signing of free-agent catcher Paul Lo Duca and the potential Lincecum-for-Alex Rios trade with the Giants. Sounds like the Lo Duca thing may take a few days to happen, if it does, and it sounds like San Francisco might take longer to decide whether or not to pull the trigger.

Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said that the team is still talking to right-hander Matt Clement, but that Toronto doesn’t have its sights on any more "reclamation projects" for the time being. I don’t expect much else to happen for the rest of the day, but if it does I’ll let you know.

NASHVILLE — My bad for the lack of blogtivity today. No excuses — just me taking one thing off my plate on Day 3 here at the Meetings. But, after downing some PF Changs and working the lobby some late tonight, I return to my keyboard at 2:23 am ET with the latest:

— Talked to one Major League source tonight who indicated that there is indeed a straight-up Alex Rios for Tim Lincecum deal tabled. The only hangup is on the Giants end. If San Francisco agrees to this trade, all indications are the the Jays will pull the trigger. Then again, it’s looking more and more like Giants GM Brian Sabean isn’t going to swing the trade before the teams book it out of Nashville on Thursday.

— If the Jays don’t complete the trade for Lincecum, which would mean the Giants realize they’d be crazy to give that arm up, Toronto is still willing to explore an extension for Rios. One rumor had the Jays discussing a six-year extension, but a source with knowledge of the negotiations said a four-year pact was more likely. That’d take Rios one year beyond free agency, keeping him with the Jays through 2011.

— The Jays have talked to the agent for free-agent catcher Paul Lo Duca and have reportedly offered a one-year deal. Lo Duca has a few more suitors, some of which might be able to offer more playing time. One report had the two sides close to a deal Wednesday night and Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said the situation might be resolved before the Meetings end. Considering Lo Duca would be in a platoon-type spot with Gregg Zaun, my guess is he’ll weigh his other options before signing with Toronto.

— There were reports that had the Mets contacting the Jays about A.J. Burnett and the Dodgers asking about Troy Glaus. Ricciardi quashed both rumors, saying he’s had zero inquiries about either player. I find it hard to believe that no one’s at least asked about Burnett, but the Jays won’t move him for package of prospects — Toronto would want a big-league ready arm in return.

— Ricciardi admitted to asking the O’s about Erik Bedard, and there’s certainly a chance he’s also inquired about Oakland’s Dan Haren. In both cases, it’d be really hard for the Jays to pull off a deal. Toronto’s best bargaining chips are at the Class A or Major League level, and it’d be difficult to form a package that would convince the O’s or A’s to take any potential Jays offer over what they could get elsewhere.

— The Jays did make one minor move on Wednesday, acquiring outfielder Buck Coats from the Reds for a player to be named or cash. Something tells me cash will suffice at some point. Coats can vie for the 25th spot and fill in as an outfielder or maybe around the infield. He’s hit well in the Minors and has some speed, which would help off the bench. Think Cody Haerther, who the Jays claimed and lost to waivers earlier this offseason, but possibly a slight upgrade.

— The Rule 5 Draft is at 10 am ET on Thursday and the Jays could be in play. Toronto’s roster is at 40 after picking up Coats, so the club would have to clear room by 9 am if it wants to make a pick. The Jays may take a chance on an arm to compete for a bullpen job, or they may just stick with the internal options already in place.

That’s all for now. I have to hit the sack so I’m filled with energy for the always riveting Rule 5 selection show. Come tomorrow night, I’ll be the lone body left in the Opryland. I’m not bolting until Friday afternoon, so I can meet up with a relative that lives near here. Good times. Let’s just hope the Johan Santana deal doesn’t go down tomorrow night, because I’ll be the only MLB.com soul occupying the joint.

Later…

NASHVILLE — …and not a lot of action going on, as far as the Jays are concerned. Before I head out to find some dinner, here’s some stuff floating around and trying to stick.

Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi acknowledged that he had talked to the Giants, but it was nothing major. Toronto has interest in Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, but SanFran is reluctant to deal them and Giants GM Brian Sabean is close to making the pair off limits.

Ricciardi said he had a couple meetings planned for Tuesday night, and the Jays have reportedly met with the agent for catcher Paul Lo Duca. It’s limited interest, though. As I’ve written plenty, Toronto doesn’t want to get wrapped up in a multiyear deal with a catcher with Robinzon Diaz and Curtis Thigpen rising fast.

Notice I put Diaz first there? Thigpen could be dangled as a trading chip, considering the Jays also have Brian Jeroloman and J.P. Arencibia as talented catching prospects climbing up the system. Ricciardi keeps singing the praises of Diaz and has said this offseason that the Jays are still trying to figure out how Thigpen fits best.

Ricciardi said he had "a couple hits" on Josh Towers, but he reiterated that he thinks Towers can help provide depth. I also don’t buy into the whole Jays being in on the Erik Bedard sweepstakes, either. They’d have to give up too much and the O’s will hesitate to deal him within the East.

As for losing out on Troy Percival, Ricciardi said it dealt more with adding depth to help with Casey Janssen’s potential move to the rotation than with any questions about B.J. Ryan’s pending return. Ricciardi said there’s no plans to go after any other relievers via free agency as of right now, but the Jays might add some bullpen help with a Rule 5 pick on Thursday.

Plenty of rumors about Alex Rios — some true, some not. That Cleveland rumor was completely false. The Giants probably brought him up, but Toronto is more interested in signing him to an extension than dealing him. Plenty of teams are going to ask about Rios — they should. That doesn’t mean the Jays are shopping him.

Ricciardi said teams have also inquired about Adam Lind. He also noted that, should Rios be moved (very unlikely), Lind would play in left and Reed Johnson and Matt Stairs would platoon in right field. Toronto can afford to offer its outfielders with the depth it has — like catching — and also because Travis Snider is rising fast, too.

That’s all for right now. There might be a few small tidbits I’m neglecting to mention, but I’m tired and I’m hungry. There will be more info on bluejays.com later tonight. How about that Tigers-Marlins trade? I didn’t see that coming.

NASHVILLE — The news is thin, but the rumors are starting to run a little wild here in Opryland.

The only big news regarding the Jays that’s come out that I can find is that managers will no longer be able to wear pullovers over their uniforms during games. Jays manager John Gibbons already was told last year to put his jersey on under the pullover, now he can’t even wear that. My guess is Gibby will be sporting a regular jacket if allowed.

Oh, yeah, those rumors. Well, apparently the Jays and Giants have talked about a potential deal that could bring either Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum to Toronto. It’s unlikely, though. San Francisco might ask for Alex Rios, who is basically off limits. The Jays would likely be able to pursue Lincecum, but he’s practically off limits. There’s not much room to budge there.

Toronto could offer third baseman Troy Glaus and a prospect, or use Adam Lind as bait, but I don’t see it happening. If the Giants were willing to take Glaus, I say go for it, but I don’t think that happens unless the Jays eat some of that hefty salary he’s got. One source said that Giants GM Brian Sabean is getting very close to declaring Lincecum and Cain both off limits. The time is now, if the Jays want to get it done.

The Indians reportedly approached the Jays about a deal for Rios that would send Frankling Gutierrez and Cliff Lee to Toronto. That’s not likely to happen, so let’s just move on. San Diego inquiring about Josh Towers? Sold. Any team that asks about Towers should be able to work out a deal with the Jays. It doesn’t sound like this is anywhere near the Pads’ front burner, though.

Toronto has also been tied to Baltimore and the Erik Bedard sweepstakes. One rumor was Alex Rios and Dustin McGowan heading East, but that doesn’t seem to make sense for the Jays. Again, the Jays are more likely to sign Rios to an extension than trade him. If they did trade him to the O’s, including McGowan might be too much. But the O’s will push for as much as they can get.

We haven’t met with Jays Gm J.P. Ricciardi, yet, and Sabean isn’t scheduled to talk to the media until tonight, either. So, more to come. Meanwhile, my right hammy is killing me and standing around waiting to talk to people isn’t helping. I had to skip the ol’ morning workout today and I was icing my leg last night. Not fun.

Back to the lobby…

NASHVILLE — So Day 1 here in the massive Opryland Hotel is in the books. I’m still carrying a map of this place in my back pocket, but I’ve learned my way around the joint pretty quickly.

Sure, I have to hoof it over a few bridges, across the indoor river a couple times and work my way through the crowds, but all and all in ain’t too hard to navigate through this madness.

The Jays have been quiet all winter, but it’s sounding more and more like they might retool their roster via trades if given the right opportunity. Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi admitted today that the team would listen to offers for A.J. Burnett (he’s likely to opt out of his deal if he has a decent showing in ’08), is talking to "a couple clubs" about possible trades for a backup catcher and that the Jays aren’t done exploring other options for left field.

Personally, I think Reggie Willits of the Angels would be a good fit. He’s an on-base machine, switch hits, can lead off, play left and is controllable for another four or five years — nevermind the fact that the Halos have a surplus of outfielders. I’d hate to see Reed Johnson go, but he’s a free agent next winter, is an injury risk this season and is going to command a hefty salary.

Ricciardi said the team is still talking to catcher Sal Fasano, too, about possibly re-signing, and the GM said Toronto is hoping prospect Robinzon Diaz might be ready to join the Jays by June or July. Paul Bako has also been rumored as a potential target for the backup job.

As for Matt Clement, he’s getting a fair number of suitors and the Jays appear to only be interested if he agrees to an incentive-laden deal. Jeff Blair wrote in the Globe and Mail that he believes the Jays might be able to get in on the Erik Bedard trade discussions — them and everyone else, though.

In the same story, the Giants are reported to possibly have interest in third baseman Troy Glaus and SanFran has Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as trade bait. I say, done. You never know what’s going to happen when the Mitchell Report comes out, or if Glaus can be the same offensive force after battling leg/foot injuries the last few years. If anyone shows interest in Glaus, with his salary and his other baggage, I think the Jays would be wise to consider moving him.

Ricciardi also said the Jays were in on Troy Percival, but only if it were a one-year deal. He signed for two at $8 mil with the Rays on Saturday. This begs the question, do the Jays really believe B.J. Ryan will be 100 percent by April? Why add a late-inning reliever to a stacked ‘pen if you think Ryan’s fine? I’m sure we’ll try to follow up on that.

Jays also lost Ty Taubenheim to waivers to the Pirates on Monday. Ty’s a great guy and I enjoyed working with him, so I personally was upset to see him go. But he’ll get a better chance in Pittsburgh and he did have a rocky tour with the Jays since coming over with Lyle Overbay in the deal with the BrewCrew back in ’05.

Jays removed Taubenheim from the 40 to clear a spot for Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft. Ricciardi said the club has its eyes on a couple guys. Perhaps it could be a utility type guy to add to the mix for the final bench spot (they did that last year with Jason Smith) or an arm to add to the bullpen mix. We’ll see.

On Monday, the Jays also unveiled their new uni additions for this season. They wil sport the powder blues for Flashback Friday home games and the new grays on the road.

There were some trades that went down on Monday, though Johan Santana and Miguel Cabrera remain with the Twins and Marlins, respectively, for the time being. The D-backs sent Carlos Quentin the White Sox and the Nationals acquired Elijah Dukes from the Rays.

The Santana sweepstakes will carry on into the night and on over into tomorrow and throughout the Meetings — deadline set by the Yanks or not. I don’t buy the deadline thing. This is coming from the same club that said if A-Rod opted out they wouldn’t negotiate a contract with him. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I am about to wind my way through the maze that is this hotel and make my way to the light at the end of the tunnel — the Irish Pub. Nothing caps off a good day of standing around in a hotel lobby like a cold Killians in my hand.

Stay tuned for all that will be Day 2…

NASHVILLE — That’s the only way to describe my journey from Toronto to Nashville today.

Making up for all the chaos (you loyal readers have heard plenty of my nightmarish traveling tale) was the view from my room at the Opryland Hotel. I took the picture on the right tonight from my balcony here. This place is ginormous. A personal GPS dohicky would certainly come in handy. All I know is I found a sports bar somewhere in this place (Lord knows if I can find it again) and I was able to watch some of the Bears game. Man, they’ve been terrible. But I digress…

I originally was supposed to fly out of Toronto and connect through Newark late tonight, when I’d land in around 10:30 pm. Well, that big stinkin’ snow storm had other plans. My flights were canceled and I managed to get on to a 6 am flight out of TO through Houston. Sure, I’d be flying out of the way, but it’s warm down there with no snow hindering my travel.

My flight was on time, but I was stuck downtown. I got up at 3:30 am and spent about a half hour trying to get a cab company to pick up the dang phone. I called four airport car services and none agreed to come get me because of the snow storm. One guy actually said, "You’re best bet is driving yourself." To which I replied, "If I could drive myself, why would I be calling a cab?" To which he laughed and hung up. Nice.

Finally, Mrs. Bastian came through in the clutch, rolling out of bed and finding some cab company I had never heard of online, calling them and getting me a taxi in about 10 minutes. I was about to run out in the snow and flag down a car myself — good thing I have a better half. So, after dodging spun out cars, tow trucks, and other various emergency vehicles, my cabbie got me to Pearson in about an hour (usually takes about 20-30 minutes).

Other than a slight delay to de-ice the plane, my flights went smoothly and I got here early afternoon, but maaaaan was I stressed out and in panic mode this morning. I’m far from being the only one who had an adventure. You can read about Mike Wilner’s (Fan 590) travel woes at his new blog. Anyone coming from the East coast, specifically the New York area, probably had some crazy problems, too.

BUT, the moral of the story is I’m here and the Winter Meetings are about to begin. Keep checking back here for updates and rumors and all that jazz. I was suprised to hear that the Red Sox might agree to include Jacoby Ellsbury in a potential deal to land Johan Santana. Obviously, the Santana sweepstakes is going to provide the bulk of the buzz down here. I doubt the Jays’ search for pitching depth or a backup backstop will generate much excitement.

Stay tuned for more…

It’s been a while since I posted, so I guess this is as good of a time as any. It’s not looking like the Jays are going to give me much to post about between now and the Winter Meetings as it is. I’ll be heading down to Nashville Sunday night, and I plan on posting on here daily while I’m down there for the meetings.

The Jays front continues to be a cold one. Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press did bring everyone an update this week on Vernon Wells’ recovery from shoulder surgery. He should be able to start lightly swinging a bat in about three weeks and he expects to be ready to go for Spring Training. The Jays are certainly hoping his numbers can return to form.

Toronto hasn’t been doing much, but it sure has been a busy offseason. The Torii Hunter signing makes the Angels pretty stacked now (although one has to wonder if the Mitchell Report will come in to play with Gary Matthews Jr. — time will tell) and the Yanks appear to be making a push for Twins ace Johan Santana.

Then again, everyone’s looking one way and focusing on the Santana rumors and BAM! the Twins pull a six-man swap with the Rays to reel in Delmon Young. That’s certainly one way to help replace Hunter. The Rays pick some much-needed pitching help in Matt Garza, but I still think the Twinkies come out on top in the deal by landing one of the top young bats in Young.

Well, unless something happens, this will probably be my last post until I land in Nashville. But don’t worry, I’ll be bringing play-by-play posts to detail Toronto’s exhaustive hunt for a No. 2 catcher. Can you feel the drama unfolding?

TORONTO — Blue Jays Nation may not have seen the last of Josh Towers. As Mike Rutsey reports in the Toronto Sun today, Toronto plans on bringing Towers back for 2008.

"At this point we intend to bring him back," Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told the paper. "We need all the pitching that we can get. We plan on Towers being here."

Towers, who made $2.9 million last season in the final year of the two-year contract he signed after ’05, is eligible for arbitration this winter. So, he could garner around $3 million. Considering the options on the free-agent market, Ricciardi is content with Towers as his fifth starter at that price.

"For the fifth spot in a rotation, for $3-million bucks, that’s what starters are going for," Ricciardi said. "Just look at the numbers and do the math."

Towers’ numbers have been the issue, though. Even so, it looks like Towers will once again be in the mix for the fifth spot, along with Jesse Litsch, Casey Janssen and Gus Chacin (if healthy). The Jays still have some interest in Matt Clement, but only if it’s with an inexpensive contract.

The Jays have also reached out to free-agent catcher Michael Barrett, but his status as a Type A free agent may make Toronto hesitant to sign him. If they signed Barrett, the Jays would have to give up a first-round pick, which the club doesn’t want to do. Meanwhile, the Jays are still talking to Sal Fasano about being their backup to Gregg Zaun.

Yesterday, David Purcey was added to Toronto’s 40-man roster. This was just a paperwork move, but it does protect Purcey for the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, which will be held at the Winter Meetings. To make room on the roster, the Jays designated outfielder Cody Haerther for assignment.

So, there’s some baseball news for you guys to chew on. I’m going to go back to grieving over Michigan State basketball’s tough loss to UCLA. Ah well, at least the Spartans ballers are giving me something to root for these days. The Bulls are just killing me and the Bears have been thoroughly disappointing.