Blue Jays Ink Cuban Shortstop Adeinis Hechavarria, Prepare for Rebuilding Year

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Mar 15, 2010

Blue Jays Ink Cuban Shortstop Adeinis Hechavarria, Prepare for Rebuilding Year As the Red Sox deal with their own health issues and position battles, so do their rivals in the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays, for one, inked a Cuban prospect and are eyeing a former Red Sox player to man the outfield.

Adeinis Hechavarria has signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Blue Jays, according to the latest reports. Scouts are split on his talent, but some feel that Hechavarria boasts an equal or better glove as well as a better bat than Jose Iglesias, the Red Sox' new prospect/phenom.

Hechavarria, Iglesias' former teammate in Cuba, was heavily linked to the New York Yankees, who would have either installed him at short as Derek Jeter's successor, or — more likely — put him at second base after 2011, when Robinson Cano becomes a free agent.

Speedster Gathright May Make Club
The Jays are poised to put Joey Gathright on the major league roster as the speedy outfielder has made a strong showing in camp. Toronto has a wide-open outfield situation, and the former Red Sox could benefit. Gathright spent the latter half of 2009 with the Red Sox, seeing major league action in September and in the ALDS, primarily as a pinch-runner.

Gathright is best known for a video taken during his first professional season. In the video, Gathright uses his speed and vertical leap to jump over a couple of cars. There are no cars in the Toronto outfield, but Gathright won't mind as long as he makes the team.

Wheeling and Dealing Not Done Yet
The Blue Jays, fresh off trading Roy Halladay, figure to continue spinning off pieces as the season winds on. They may be on the verge of moving reliever Jason Frasor, who is locked in a battle with Kevin Gregg to be the Jays closer.

The 32-year-old has long been a solid reliever and is coming off a season in which he posted a 2.50 ERA and 11 saves in 57 2/3 innings. The Chicago Cubs are interested, and the Minnesota Twins have also come calling now that closer Joe Nathan may be done for the year.

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