Colby Rasmus, expected to be activated for this series, is one of several compelling young players the Blue Jays have added in the last couple of months. (AP) As I wrote two weeks ago when the Blue Jays visited the Bronx, the Jays may not be contenders this year, but they have a lot of compelling new ...

Rookie third baseman Brett Lawrie is further evidence of Toronto's recent success on the trade market. (AP) The Blue Jays have been busy on the trade market since the Yankees last saw them, making a big splash at the trading deadline by expertly working a two-pronged trade that netted them a potential ...

The non-waiver trade deadline barrels towards us. You can boil the Yankees’ greatest needs down to three areas: It's not what's for dinner. Starting Rotation: The Yankees have three reliable starters in CC Sabathia, Bartolo Colon, and Freddy Garcia, but the last two can’t be taken for granted ...

Jose Bautista has some support in the Jays' lineup these days, but Toronto is still only half of a good team. (AP) The Blue Jays are a .500 team, good enough to take a series from a team like the Yankees, but not so good that the Yankees shouldn’t feel bad about it when it happens. Thus far, ...

It's not just hindsight that tells us the Yankees should have walked Jose Bautista with two outs and the bases empty Tuesday night. (AP) It’s easy for me to say, as I have in each of my last two Blue Jays previews, that the Yankees (or any other team, for that matter) shouldn’t pitch ...

Do not pitch to this man. (AP) That the Blue Jays are just 2.5 games behind the Yankees and Rays in the AL East tells me two things: 1) Jose Bautista has put the Jays on his back, and 2) the Yankees squandered the opportunity to build a big lead when their rivals were struggling to get out of the starting ...

The Yankees will have their work cut out for them against Toronto ace Ricky Romero in tonight. (AP) Since splitting a two-game set with the Yankees in Toronto last week, the Jays have dropped two of three to the Rays at home, then traveled to Arlington and took three of four from the Rangers. That last ...

Yunel Escobar has been a nice surprise for the Jays in the early going. (AP) How tough is the American League East? Last year, the Blue Jays finished fourth with 85 wins, and, according to their third-order record, played to the level of an 89-win team, which was still just fourth-best in the division. ...

Batman #263: One move, Yankees, and zing! (www.comics.org) After last night’s shocking, come-from-behind win against the Orioles, the Yankees lead the AL East by one game. Don’t get too worked up by this; not only is it early, but they have the worst record of any division leader. But don’t worry ...

“Apparently, being the Jays GM is kind of like being the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. You may go into it with the best of intentions, but you’ll end up doing the same crazy **** as the last guy.” Jose Bautista's price is soaring, but history shows such deals aren't likely ...

Things are looking up for Toronto now that they've unloaded Vernon Wells' massive contract. (AP) As noted before, last Friday night’s transaction action in the AL East made for some of the most interesting moves of the winter. The Rays’ signings of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez involved ...

I’m not sure if Toronto’s trade for Rajai Davis makes them stronger. As a career .281/.330/.383 hitter, Davis is far from an impact hitter. It seems likely that right fielder Jose Bautista will shift to third base, while Davis will get turns in the outfield with Adam Lind and Travis Snider, who should ...