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TORONTO - Unless Dalton Pompey earns himself a starting spot next spring, the Blue Jays will field an opening day lineup devoid of any homegrown talent who isnt a pitcher. That was assured on Saturday morning when, less than 72 hours after the conclusion of the World Series, the club parted ways with one of its longest-tenured players, trading Adam Lind to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Marco Estrada. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said that in internal postseason meetings held over the last month, the decision was made to move beyond Lind and Edwin Encarnacion sharing the first base and designated hitter duties in order to allow the club to differently deploy our resources in the name of enhanced flexibility. Brace yourselves: this is, in part, a money thing. Linds $7.5-million option for 2015 was picked up in advance of the deal. Ultimately, because of that, Adam wasnt going to end up being back on our team and either we were going to decline the option or make a move if a deal presented itself, said Anthopoulos. We were able to work out a deal with the Brewers and get a guy in Estrada that can fill multiple roles, starting and relieving. Experience doing both, excelled at various times doing both. It gives us a lot of flexibility moving forward and also allows us to allocate some dollars to other areas of need. Lind, 31, takes his skill set to Milwaukees Miller Park which, like Rogers Centre, is a hitter-friendly stadium. Heres the question: what is Linds skill set? He undoubtedly is one of the games best left-handed hitters against right-handed pitching. His career .860 OPS against righties (.942 OPS against right-handers in 2014) will be a difficult asset to replace in the middle of the order. But with that pro come many cons. Lind is injury prone and his back issues, which have sent him to the disabled list at some point, or points, during three of the past four seasons, likely arent going to get better with age. Linds power had all but disappeared and it was mystifying. He hit just six home runs in 290 at-bats in 2014 (a 2-percent home run rate) compared to his 2013 total of 23 in 465 at-bats (a 4.9-percent rate). While serviceable, he is an average-at-best defensive first baseman. Lind isnt fleet of foot, what industry people call a base clogger, someone whos station-to-station and incapable of taking an extra base. Lind ruffled feathers in July when he went to the disabled list with a fractured right foot. The injury had occurred when he fouled a pitch off his foot on June 14 in Baltimore. He continued to play when initial tests showed nothing more than a bruise. Finally, when the problem wasnt improving he underwent a CT scan, a more thorough imaging which revealed the fracture. The club was embarrassed, especially the medical and training staff, when Lind stood before the media in Anaheim and said hed undergone more testing at the suggestion of his mother. And as elite a hitter Lind is against right-handed pitching, hes as bad or worse against left-handers. Hed become strictly a platoon player and the front office went through a bevy of right-handed hitting waiver claims in an attempt to find Linds offset. Ultimately, the decision was made that $7.5-million was too much money to allocate to a platoon player. In Estrada, the Jays get a 31-year-old right-hander who provides more, you guessed it, flexibility. He can start, which he did on 18 occasions for the Brewers in 2014. He can work out of the bullpen, which accounted for 21 appearances last year. Estrada allowed a league-worst 29 home runs in 150 2/3 innings; the Jays are hoping thats a blip as hed never allowed more than 19 in previous seasons. Among the flurry of moves the club made on Saturday, it exercised left-hander J.A. Happs $6.7-million option, meaning the projected rotation at the moment features Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Happ. Estrada appears to be one of the pieces of what will be a revamped relief corps, especially from the right side. Anthopoulos identified a bullpen overhaul as his top priority when he met with the media on the final day of the season. The fact that he can start, he started 20 games or more in the past, he has the ability to do that, it does give us some options and flexibility as we navigate through the offseason, said Anthopoulos. Its still very early, the landscape will change and well find out more about the trade market, well find out more about the free-agent market, things certainly can change over the next month or so, but having the flexibility and the options, thats part of the reason we acquired Smoak, acquired guys like Dirks, it gives us a lot of flexibility as we go through the next few months. Where this leaves top prospect Aaron Sanchez is a matter still to be sorted out. Anthopoulos reiterated the club views Sanchez as a starter in the long-term while acknowledging what is obvious: as of today there is no starting spot for Sanchez. While not impossible, its hard to imagine an April roster which doesnt feature Sanchez. He showed aptitude coming out of the bullpen. He has the stuff to be a closer. I dont think were prepared to even get that far, said Anthopoulos. If our rotation stays the same, I would say Sanchez has a very good chance to be in our bullpen. He did a great job. What the role would be, I have no idea because right now, we can come up with seven guys for the bullpen based on guys under control but we clearly want to add to that. What Anthopoulos has given himself, with the five rotation arms he named plus Estrada and Sanchez (and Daniel Norris throwing at Triple-A as the eighth starter), is the option to deal a starter to address a position of need. Second base (or third base, depending on where Brett Lawrie plays if he can stay healthy) sticks out like a sore thumb. Perhaps a rotation spot opens for Sanchez if another hurler gets moved. Social media, as is its wont, was chock full of opinion on the Lind deal. There were plenty of variations on the thats all they got for Lind? theme. These are the early days of baseballs hot stove season. Clubs arent yet allowed to negotiate with impending free agents who arent their own. Anthopoulos wants to and needs to make more changes. A few of them. Its best not to look at this as Lind for Estrada straight up. It had better not be. Judge the general manager on the body of the work still to come. OTHER BUSINESS - Along with exercising the option on Happ, the Blue Jays picked up catcher Josh Tholes $1.75-million option for 2015. - The following players options were declined, making them free agents: Brandon Morrow ($10-million), Sergio Santos ($6-million) and Dustin McGowan ($4 million). - Recently acquired from Seattle, first baseman Justin Smoaks $3.65-million option was declined. He is arbitration eligible and its likely the Blue Jays will sign him to a contract at a reduced rate. - Leftfielder Melky Cabrera was extended a qualifying offer, meaning that if the impending free agent signs with another team the Blue Jays will receive draft pick compensation. - Centrefielder Colby Rasmus and pitcher Casey Janssen were not extended qualifying offers, meaning the Jays will not receive draft pick compensation should they sign with another team. Neither is expected to return to Toronto. Mike Brosseau Jersey . On July 27 cyclings best-known race will host "La Course by Le Tour de France" -- a one-day womens competition staged hours before Tour riders race on the same circuit to finish the three-week event on Paris Champs-Elysees. Andrew Kittredge Jersey . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/716i-tra...sey-rays.html.C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over. Jose De Leon Rays Jersey . The win puts Arsenal four points clear of Everton in fourth place with two games to play in the Premier League, a position which would qualify the club for Europes top competition for the 17th straight year. Brent Honeywell Jersey . Jannero Pargo scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help the Charlotte Bobcats erase a 21-point deficit and rally for an 83-76 preseason victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed first-round draft pick Mike Evans. The 6-foot-5, 231-pound receiver from Texas A&M was the seventh overall pick in the draft and is expected to move into the starting lineup for an offence that ranked last in the NFL in yards gained last season. Evans was Johnny Manziel favourite target in college, finishing with 151 receptions for 2,499 yarrds and 17 touchdowns in 26 games.dddddddddddd He notched the two highest single-game receiving performances in Texas A&M history with a 287-yard outing against Auburn and 279-yard day against Alabama. The Bucs announced the signing Thursday, the final day of the teams mandatory minicamp. Evans attended the workouts, but did not participate in drills because of a hamstring strain. ' ' '