Business in the Major League Baseball pitching market is about to pick up and the Toronto Blue Jays could be poised to be in the middle of the action. Anthony Tolliver Jersey . Masahiro Tanaka has touched down in the United States and the courting of the Rakuten Golden Eagles stud pitcher has begun in earnest by a bevy of MLB teams interested in the Japanese ace. The posting fee for Tanaka to be paid to Rakuten is $20 million and the pitcher himself is expected to garner a deal in the six-year, $100 million range. Early speculation has the Arizona Diamondbacks as the key suitor for Tanakas services, but the usual suspects like the New York Yankees and teams looking to rebuild like the Chicago Cubs are also said to be heavily interested. The Jays, who went hard after, but ultimately lost out on Yu Darvish to the Texas Rangers in 2012, are believed to be interested in Tanaka, but arent considered a serious contender for the 24-year-old who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last season in the Japanese League. Still, Tanakas impending arrival is of great interest to Alex Anthopoulos and the rest of the Blue Jays management. Once Tanaka signs, the floodgates are expected to open on the MLB pitching market from both a free agency and trade perspective. Tanaka will be the first domino to drop on what could be a very busy next few weeks in the baseball offseason and the Jays are expected to, and need to, be active. With options expanding, who should the Jays target to shore up their rotation heading into 2014? If the Jays were to stand pat going into spring training, their rotation would likely be made up of R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle, J.A. Happ and a fifth man from a pool of candidates including Marcus Stroman, Todd Redmond, Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison. While by no means a poor rotation, the need to bolster it is obvious if they want to compete for a playoff spot. The free agent avenue presents a few intriguing options. Ubaldo Jimenez is coming off a fine 2013 with the Cleveland Indians, posting a 13-9 record with 182.2 IP, a 3.30 ERA and a WHIP of 1.33. Jimenez, soon to turn 30, is no longer the power pitcher he was with the Colorado Rockies, but has compensated for his loss of velocity by relying on his slider and splitter more frequently. Ervin Santana was acquired by the Kansas City Royals last winter from the Los Angeles Angels and slipped into their new-look rotation behind James Shields. Santana, 31, went 9-10 with 211 IP, a 3.28 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Santana can likely be counted on for more innings pitched than Jimenez, but has struggled with giving up home runs over the course of his career, something that will be taken into account considering the Rogers Centres reputation as a long ball stadium. Matt Garza is no stranger to the AL East. Having spent three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Garza has an impressive career record at Rogers Centre. In seven career starts in the park, Garza has 1.36 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Obviously, thats an incredibly small sample size and he was pitching against the Jays during those starts, but it is an encouraging sign. Garza split last season between the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers and didnt exactly light the world on fire in 2013, pitching only 151.3 innings thanks to continuing elbow problems, but with a respectable 3.82 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, going 10-6. There is a prevailing idea that the asking price on all three starters has dropped as free agency has gone on, but none of the three will come cheap. All are expected to fetch multi-year deals in the $14-16 million range. Signing any of the trio represents a significant investment by the club, but likely a necessary one. Lesser free agents are also available, but the likes of Bronson Arroyo, Tommy Hanson or Jason Hammel wouldnt appreciably improve the Jays current corps. On the trade front, the Jays have been repeatedly attached in rumours to Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija, the 28-year-old former Notre Dame wide receiver, represents a high-risk, high-reward proposition for the Jays. A hard-throwing fastballer, Samardzija has eclipsed the 200 IP plateau in one of his two full seasons as a starter and doesnt have any significant injury history. The potential in Samardzija is obvious, but so is the cost. Having traded a significant number of key assets last season in the acquisition of Dickey and the blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, Anthopoulos would be loath to once again mortgage any part of the future. The Cubs dont need to move Samardzija and, as such, are asking for massive return. The Jays would likely have to part with two or more of their high-end prospects among Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Roberto Osuna and Daniel Norris. Other names have been bandied about in terms of being available, including Tampa Bays David Price and Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies, but those options are more along the lines of pipe dreams. With a payroll already over the $100 million mark, management isnt keen on overpaying for a free agent disaster and last years big trades and the movement of young assets didnt bring the expected dividends. Anthopoulos must act prudently going forward, knowing that the benefit of the doubt isnt as easy to come by as it might have been before from both ownership and the fans. Still, in order for tangible improvement to happen, moves need to be made. But which avenue is preferable? Of all of the possible options on the table, how would you go about bolstering the Toronto Blue Jays rotation for 2014? As always, its Your! Call. Moses Brown Jersey .com) - Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for more than 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as Rutgers rolled past North Carolina, 40-21, in the Quick Lane Bowl. Portland Trail Blazers Store . Patton told The Baltimore Sun that he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished, trying to improve his short-term focus. "I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun. https://www.cheapblazersonline.com/1178i-jaylen-hoard-jersey-blazers.html . Ferrer will play Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after he defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Russian semifinal. "Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said.As the Hollywood laced, scripted conclusion to the 2014 season was playing itself out in southern California last Sunday afternoon, back at MLS Headquarters in Manhattan the league was pulling down the 2014 shutters and transitioning to 2015. A season where the league will celebrates its 20th year of existence. With the addition of two new clubs, who absolutely refuse to refer to themselves as expansion franchises, and the guarantee of further expansion news in the new year, a new CBA in place, gaining audiences both at the box office, the broadcast booth and as vital a gaining credibility for MLS across planet futbol, the hallmark ingredients have been put in place whereby history may well tell us 2015 was MLSs defining moment. As MLS goes for 2015 so it goes for the Montreal Impact. In pure and simple terms 2014 represents for the leagues 19th franchise - a drop dead 19th and last place finish during MLSs 19th season. Think about that for a minute. It was a season which contained turmoil and significant moves both on and off the pitch. The Montreal Impacts transition towards 2015 you could say began May 10th immediately following a numbing 0-3 reversal at home to Sporting KC when club President Joey Saputo tweeted changes were coming. At the time, the club had managed only a solitary victory in nine league matches, and barely 72-hours before the 2013 MLS Cup winners were to comprehensively beat the Impact for a second time so early in the season, the club had suffered a highly embarrassing 2-1 defeat away to Edmonton in the Canadian Championship. Deep soul searching was required from all concerned. Although results and performances improved and the late summer arrival of Piatti moved the Stade Saputo platelets - as a long and weary season wore on the Impact were not able to recover from not only its bottom position in the Eastern Conference but across the entire league. With the self-imploding for years Chivas USA managing to win 50% more matches than the Impact, including a victory on the road, it underlines the enormity of the task at hand as the Impact look to rebuild for 2015. Six or so weeks on from Marco Di Vaios final bow we now know the 2014 core will return. Its only right and fitting for a multitude of purposes, including footballing reasons essentially, that yesterday we finally discovered after months of negotiations, club captain Patrice Bernier would return in 2015. Yesterdays announcement coming almost three years to the day back in December 2011 when the club introduced Bernier to the media from their downtown offices as the local lad returned home to his soccer roots and to the club which gave him his professional start back in 2000. Bernier might only offer in 2015 glimpses of his 2013 self when he was without doubt the clubs most outstanding player, earned an automatic All-Star selection. When he does finally hang those boots up, Bernier can always remind himself of the extraordinary tribute paid to him by Thierry Henry, let there be no doubt within Berniers character lies the Montreal Impacts heart and soul. Its mere identity if you like. Bernier offers the ballast and balance for a highly diverse locker room and is also the face of the franchise - inspiring not only the younger playing core but also the front office. Nobody at the club does or offers more than Bernier. Im no soothsayer but an Impact rebuild in 2015 without Bernier on board could have had catastrophic consequences for the club. 2014s dramatic fall off at the Stade Saputo turnnstile emphasises the vital importance of 2015 to the Impact. Wholesale Blazers Jerseys. Its an explicit reminder the supporters have no patience whatsoever for a slow rebuild. The club can ill afford a few seasons in the doldrums, forgoing play-off appearances, as in turn it nurtures the academy talent and slowly brings in the calibre of player both from overseas and from within MLS which would better position the Impact with the long run in mind. Bringing in a Donadel and acquiring Reo-Cocker off the waiver wire after Wednesdays Expansion draft speaks to the need for the accelerated approach. If bringing in a 30-something plus Italian veteran has surprised absolutely no one, the signing of a player with Barclays Premier League experiences, and English at that, certainly does. Not too many English born players have ever passed through the Montreal Impact gates throughout its twenty plus year history. Then factor in MLS is a league renowned for its thrust, fast pace and physicality, this has always left me with unanswered questions. Reo-Coker might not be everyones cup of tea but he certainly should be able to offer the Impact something that was almost invisible last season, an individual who looks like he might actually want the ball. Shy away he certainly does not. His time at West Ham included Championship football, promotion to the BPL, an FA Cup Final against Liverpool and appointment as club captain, by then manager Alan Pardew. Huge experience to lean and learn from as he pulls up sticks in Montreal, whose socks he knows full well are in desperate need of pulling up. His two seasons in the league should also serve him well. He also offers to the Montrealer an English voice, a Londoner by birth at that. All things cool Britannia are very much in vogue across le Belle Ville these days and none more so than with the sophisticated urban dwelling Quebecker. A chirping Reo-Coker provides the Montreal Impact with a unique charm at a most appropriate time. Dont get me wrong, aware its not a bloody big deal but Reo-Coker after his summer spent in LA couldnt have landed in a better MLS city. A spring romance with Montreal awaits. For Adam Braz, the clubs newly minted Technical Director there would be no honeymoon. As soon as his appointment was announced it was wholeheartedly mocked and ridiculed. Braz will not give a hoot. Why should he. Youve only got to have watched him as a player to understand this is an individual who sets aside others feelings. The no nonsense approach from Braz can only be of benefit to him as he navigates his way through unchartered territory. As the ex, Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon once reminded us, his job was solely to be successful and if he picked up a few friends, and was liked along the way, then that would be a bonus. If passion and enthusiasm are two vital traits no matter what you endeavour, Braz has those in abundance. Learn on the job he certainly will, and must. Following all the recent comings and goings we should expect to hear further announcements regarding the playing squad in the coming days as we count down the days to the holiday break. With the Impact kicking off their season 24th February against Pachuca in the quarter finals of the CONCACAF Champions League training camp will open a little earlier than it has in recent seasons. It is essential that as many of those players on Frank Klopas laundry list are signed and announced well before then. Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel ' ' '