Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jason Frasor runs wind sprints in Dunedin, Fla. on Monday.The Canadian Press
Jason Frasor was never one to mince words while he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
It is refreshing to see that a two month stint in Chicago with the White Sox has not diminished his candour at all.
"I pitched terribly," Frasor admitted here Tuesday morning before taking the field for a spring training workout for the Blue Jays. "I didn't pitch very good. That's one of my regrets.
"And to tell you the truth - not that I'm disappointed to be back here - but I was looking forward to going back to Chicago because I wanted to redeem myself. But if I had to go to another team I'm glad it's Toronto."
It was with the Blue Jays that Frasor established his career as a Major League relief pitcher.
And in July of last year, Frasor made his 453rd appearance for the Blue Jays, surpassing Duane Ward to become Toronto's all-time appearance leader.
His reward?
Later in the month he was traded to Chicago White Sox with Zach Stewart for Mark Teahen and Edwin Jackson.
Jackson was then packaged with several others and shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals in the big deal that landed the Blue Jays Colby Rasmus.
While he was not thrilled with having to leave Toronto -- Frasor married a woman from Oakville, Ont. -- it was nice to be returning to the City of Chicago, where he was born.
"The guys were fabulous," he said of the White Sox. "There was a lot of veterans on that team and it was a very laid back - it was a different clubhouse."
That kind of goes without saying playing for team managed by Ozzie Guillen.
While he was looking forward to pitching in his home town, Frasor said he let the added pressure get to him and as a result he struggled.
"Didn't make the pitches, simple as that," said Frasor, who appeared in 20 games for the White Sox, posting an unsightly 5.09 ERA.
On New Year's Day, Frasor learned he had been traded back to the Blue Jays in exchange for a couple of minor leaguers.
Frasor said he is excited to be rejoining a revamped bullpen that includes new closer Sergio Santos and Francisco Cordero.
As for Santos, he said the younger makeup of the Blue Jays roster fills him with hope for the future.
"When I came over, the more I was looking at the roster the more I was kind of liking what I was seeing," he said.