Blue Jays trade for catcher Miguel Olivo
The Toronto Blue Jays picked up Miguel Olivo from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash on Thursday night. They then declined to pick up the 2011 $2.5 million option on his contract making the catcher a free agent.
The move is not without logic. Olivo is a Type B free agent, meaning that the Blue Jays will receive a compensatory draft pick should the player decline an arbitration offer and sign with another team.
Last year Olivo hit .269 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs in 112 games for the Rockies, but he would get limited playing time with the Jays should he end up signing with them. The club recently picked up a $1.2 million option on veteran catcher Jose Molina,
and they have the young J.P Arencibia, who was named the Pacific Coast League’s MVP this year, waiting for his chance to play in the Major Leagues.
John Buck is another catcher the Jays could still bring back after being named to the 2010 all-star team, putting Olivo fourth on the list of catchers on the roster. Buck is a Type B free agent himself.
By adding Olivo the Blue Jays have another option should Buck decide to sign with another team. They’ve put themselves in a position to either have a strong trio of back-catchers, or an extra pick or two in a very strong draft pool.
Should both Olivo and Buck not sign with the team, they’ll need to reach into the free agent pool to get a third catcher, but the reality is that one of Buck or Olivo will probably sign with the club. Whichever one does sign will have to fight for playing
time with Arencibia, who is expected to be the catcher of the future for the club.
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