The Blue Jays have signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one year deal worth $1.2MM. There is also a club option for 2009. Gregg Zaun did not fade in the second half, so it doesn’t seem like a tandem thing is necessary. Maybe they just wanted a more solid backup than they had.
Barajas was all set to become Toronto’s starting catcher for the ’07 season, but he changed agents and pulled out at the last moment (cancelling his flight). It would’ve been a two-year deal worth $5.25MM – and J.P. Ricciardi had more than a handshake. Did the MLBPA pressure Barajas to back out? Read more about the situation on this blog (funny quote from the blog’s author: "One thing is clear from all of this: Rod Barajas will never play for the Blue Jays after this fiasco.")
Barajas ended up signing a lesser deal with the Phillies that winter.
