The Toronto Blue Jays got the home-run bat they were seeking when they reached a tentative deal yesterday with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Troy Glaus. The third baseman must pass a physical examination on Monday. If he does, he would be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.
In exchange, the Blue Jays would send Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson and pitcher Miguel Batista to the Diamondbacks, who would likely also ship a prospect to the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi would not comment on the deal last night, other than to say the clubs were still working on it.
One of the obstacles the Blue Jays had to clear before the deal could be made was the limited no-trade clause Glaus has in his Arizona contract. It would have allowed him to turn down a trade to some teams, including the Blue Jays.
Glaus, 29, joined the Diamondbacks as a free agent before last season. He signed a four-year, $45-million (all figures U.S.) contract. He batted .258 and had 37 home runs and 97 runs batted in last season with Arizona. He has a .253 average, 219 homers and 612 RBIs in his career, played mostly with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Glaus, a right-handed hitter, was the most valuable player in the 2002 World Series, won by the Angels over the San Francisco Giants in seven games, when he batted .385, with three home runs and eight RBIs. His best power seasons were in 2000, when he hit 47 homers and had 102 RBIs, and in 2001, when he hit 41 homers and had 108 RBIs.
The Blue Jays have Corey Koskie and Shea Hillenbrand to play third base. And they acquired left-handed-hitting Lyle Overbay this month to play first base, where Hillenbrand and Eric Hinske also can play. So the acquisition of Glaus would probably require some other moves.
Earlier in the off-season, the Blue Jays added closer B.J. Ryan and starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, but Ricciardi was also trying to make a move to add some power to the batting order.
Ryan's acquisition made Batista available for a traded. Batista was 5-8 and had 31 saves and a 4.10 earned-run average last season. The Blue Jays signed him as a free agent before the 2004 season, giving him a three-year, $13.3-million contract. He will make $4.75-million next season.
Hudson batted .271, with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs, in 131 games last season and played superbly in the field. He made $365,000 in base salary last season and is eligible for salary arbitration. The pending departure of Hudson would open up second base for Aaron Hill.
Glaus received a $4-million signing bonus last December for joining the Diamondbacks and was paid $8-million in salary in 2005. He is to be paid $9-million, $10.5-million and $12.5-million over the next three seasons. He also gets a hotel suite on the road.
When he is not injured, Glaus could fill the Blue Jays' need for power. Injuries limited him to 91 games in 2003 and he batted .248, with 16 homers and 50 RBIs.
Shoulder surgery limited him to 58 games in 2004, in which he batted .251, with 18 homers and 42 RBIs. He hit 10 home runs in his first 24 games that season. And on May 11, he was leading the American League with 11 homers and 28 RBIs when he injured his right shoulder. He had surgery 10 days later. He returned late in the season as a designated hitter and hit seven home runs in September as the Angels made the playoffs.
The contract Glaus signed with the Diamondbacks also provides him with up to $250,000 a year in "personal business expenses." That money is to finance the equestrian career of his wife, Ann.