Coates to Jays for PTBNL

[redsrbetter]

From Trent's blog:

12:34 p.m. EST: Here it is -- THE BLOCKBUSTER! Buck Coats to the Blue Jays for a player to be named or cash. I think I speak for all of us when I say I was blindsided by that one.

I thought Ricciardi was coming home today. Oh well, have fun Jays.

[DirtyKash]

Who is Buck Coats?

[redsrbetter]

Some outfielder we picked up at the end of the year. Pretty much nothing important to us really.

[Halladay_is_God]

watch out, JP strikes again

[Halladay_is_God]

Jays send RHP James to Reds for Coats

TSN : MLB - Canada's Sports Leader

TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays completed their trade for outfielder-infielder Buck Coats on Friday, sending right-hander Justin James to the Cincinnati Reds.

James, 26, split last season between triple-A Syracuse and double-A New Hampshire. The six-foot-three, 215-pounder went 3-5 combined with a 3.89 ERA in 43 games (five starts) with two saves.

James was originally selected by Toronto in the fifth round of the 2003 draft.

The Jays acquired Coats at the winter meetings on Wednesday.

Coats, 25, appeared in 20 games with the Reds last season, batting .206 in 34 at-bats.

The six-foot-three, 195-pound left-handed hitter spent most of the season with triple-A Iowa, where he hit .308 with 11 homers, 63 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 127 games.

Coats was originally an 18th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2000 draft and spent six seasons in their system before the Reds claimed him on waivers last September.

[redsrbetter]

A possible reliever to battle it out with Salmon, McBeth, Coutlangus and others?