TORONTO – Apparently, Black Friday knows no borders. Alex Anthopoulos, the Canadian general manager of Major League Baseball’s only Canadian team, spent America’s favourite shopping day putting the finishing touches on a deal with the Oakland Athletics, a trade which set the hot stove ablaze and left the principles involved stunned. Josh Donaldson is a Toronto Blue Jay. Going to the Athletics are Brett Lawrie, pitchers Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin, and shortstop prospect Franklin Barreto. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Anthopoulos spoke to Donaldson shortly after the deal was finalized, approximately 9:30 p.m. EST. “He was excited,” said Anthopoulos. “I told him he reminded me a little bit of (Jose) Bautista with his swing and, you know, he has the leg lift.” In Donaldson, the Jays get one of the game’s best third basemen, a 28-year-old who’s hit 53 home runs in his first two big league seasons. He’s done so in the regrettable pit that is the Oakland Coliseum, a cavernous monstrosity which gets bigger at night thanks to the marine layer which floats in off of San Francisco Bay and tends to keep fly balls from clearing the outfield fence. He’s posted Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) numbers of 147 in 2013 and 129 last year, good for second best among American League third basemen in both seasons. Donaldson is a solid defender at the hot corner. He may not be to Lawrie’s caliber, but he’s in a different offensive class and that more than offsets whatever Toronto is losing with the glove. Most importantly, Toronto has Donaldson under club control for the next four years. Despite being 28, Donaldson has a little more than two years of big league service time, which means he won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2018 seasons. When you consider that two third basemen in the same age range as Donaldson, Pablo Sandoval with the Red Sox and Kyle Seager with the Mariners, just signed $100-million contracts, the Jays are getting a player worth at least that much on the cheap. Donaldson is first-time arbitration eligible this winter. Lawrie couldn’t stay healthy, appearing in only 302 of 486 games in his first three full big league seasons for a 62-percent appearance rate. Given big billing when, as a prospect, he was acquired from Milwaukee, in a trade for Shawn Marcum, Lawrie shone defensively but was inconsistent with the bat. His brilliant two month trial run in late 2011, during which he posted a .953 OPS in 43 games, set the bar too high. The general manager bristled when asked if Lawrie fell short of expectations. “No, I don’t think that’s fair at all. I think it’s wrong,” said Anthopoulos. “I think Brett is a very, very good player and he can get even better. He’s a gold glove caliber defender at third. He energizes his teammates. He plays hard. He plays to win.” Graveman, a college draft pick who shot through the farm system after developing a cut fastball, and Nolin, who seemed to get lost in the shuffle after a disastrous one-and-done debut in May, 2013, were expendable because the Jays envision a starting rotation featuring Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and Daniel Norris. That Anthopoulos could acquire Donaldson without having to spin off any of aforementioned big arms makes the trade all the more impressive. Franklin Barreto, an 18-year-old shortstop, had worked his way to short season Vancouver, where he posted an .865 OPS in 73 games for the Canadians. He may have a long and successful career but the big league portion isn’t starting this year or next. Consider it the price of doing business. From Oakland’s point of view, general manager Billy Beane may feel he’s plugged a long-term hole created when he moved hotshot Addison Russell to the Cubs in the deadline deal that brought the Athletics Jeff Samardzija. Anthopoulos called Donaldson a “gamer,” which comes on the heels of his effusive praise of free agent signee Russell Martin, who Anthopoulos said “checked off all the boxes.” In the area of intangibles, the Jays have brought in two men who play key positions well above average and who have tasted postseason baseball in each of the last two years. Martin’s been to the playoffs seven times in nine big league seasons. Gone from a clubhouse some on the inside called “dysfunctional” are Lawrie, Adam Lind, Colby Rasmus and Anthony Gose. Make of that what you will. The bullpen and the outfield still need attention. Second base could use some certainty. This team still has holes. But Anthopoulos is spending the offseason being proactive and the savings on Donaldson, related to his actual on-field dollar value, are immeasurable. It’s cash that, arguably, can now be used in other spots. The Blue Jays are a better team today than they were on November 27, just as they improved the moment Martin put pen to paper. With the annual Winter Meetings in San Diego just over a week away, it’s reasonable to expect Anthopoulos’ work has just begun. Air Max 2002 Sale .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No. Air Jordan 3 Sale . "I knew it was gone. I mean, I felt it," the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year said. "I havent felt like that in a while. I havent got extension on a ball in a pretty long time. https://www.wholesaleshoesforcheap.com/nike-kwazi-sale/. -- Theres nothing like winning to bring hope for a struggling team. Air Max 120 Sale .com) - Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett is active for Sundays matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Air Jordan Sale . - Because they didnt go into Beast Mode, the Seattle Seahawks found themselves in Spin Mode.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - World No. 9 and reigning U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic has pulled out of this months Australian Open due to a shoulder injury. Cilic also sat out this weeks tournament in Brisbane due to the injury. I am really disappointed to announce that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open, Cilic said on his Web site. Right shoulder injury, that hampers me for some time now and forced me to withdraw from the ATP event in Brisbane, is iimproving day by day, but I still dont feel fit enough to be able to compete at the highest level.dddddddddddd I am really sad that I wont be able to participate in Melbourne, especially after winning the last Grand Slam in New York, but I was advised by doctors to be careful as much as possible to avoid even more serious problems. Cilic won four events in 2014, including his first career Grand Slam title when he topped Kei Nishikori in the final at Flushing Meadows. ' ' '