NESN

Bud Selig Approves Proposed Blue Jays-Marlins Trade After ‘Thorough Examination’

Pack your bags for Canada, former Marlins.

On Monday, after several days of hemming and hawing, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig decided not to block the pending trade that will send Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle to the Blue Jays. The commissioner had reportedly been reviewing the trade and whether it should be blocked under the “best interests of baseball” clause due to the fact that it is viewed as another Florida firesale after MLB had helped the team attain a new ballpark.

Even the mayor of Miami had gotten in on the act, sending a letter to Selig asking him to “look at” the proposed deal. Other mitigating factors that made the trade look bad for the Marlins were the fact that the team’s agreement to have their finances monitored by MLB had expired just before the trade, and the fact that the team had apparently promised Reyes and Buehrle they would not be dealt — though Miami has a organizational policy against no-trade clauses.

Things have gotten so bad in Miami that numerous sources, both national and local, have called on owner Jeffrey Loria to sell the team, which he insists he has no intention of doing. In fact, Loria continues to claim the trade was a baseball decision.

On Monday, Selig released a statement on the deal, putting the matter to an end.

“… it is my conclusion that this transaction, involving established major leaguers and highly regarded young players and prospects, represents the exercise of plausible baseball judgment on the part of both Clubs, does not violate any express rule of Major League Baseball and does not otherwise warrant the exercise of any of my powers to prevent its completion,” reads the statement. “I am sensitive to the concerns of the fans of Miami regarding this trade, and I understand the reactions I have heard since Tuesday.”

So, Major League Baseball will not step in, Miami and Marlins fans will continue to be angry and Toronto can be excited for 2013 with its new haul of players.

Photo via Twitter/Renny Granda Beisbol