Off to start doing some stuff in line with my responsibilities this summer at Beijing, but before I go to the Canada-Brazil women's friendly had a chance to chat with Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi.
Ricciardi said the Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies have not had talks about Burnett, but he acknowledged that the Blue Jays are "sitting on," (scouting more intently) the Phillies organization as well as "any other teams we might have business with."
Ricciardi would not discuss specific players, but he made clear that even if the organization gets the worst news later Thursday on Dustin McGowan's shoulder and he's shut down for a long period of time, Ricciardi would still trade Burnett.
"We're just looking at making ourselves better, going forward," Ricciardi told me.
Ricciardi downplayed any concern that Burnett's stuttering finish in Wednesday's win over the Baltimore Orioles might dissuade teams that were scouting him. "That's reactive scouting," Ricciardi said. "You're going to make a judgment on one outing?" Ricciardi noted that Burnett still had seven strikeouts. In fact, Burnett is on pace to come close to his career-high for strikeouts in a season, 2003.
Meanwhile, sources say that the Blue Jays have also fielded calls recently about the availability of left-hand hitting outfielder Matt Stairs, whose ability to mash a fastball would make him a savvy pickup for any club looking for a boost off the bench down the stretch. Stairs has had his playing time diminished as manager Cito Gaston goes with Adam Lind in left and has mixed in David Eckstein at DH, so if Stairs makes a cameo in the outfield the next few days it could be a sign a deal is imminent in case any club needs reassuring that Stairs is healthy enough to handle a position.
