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Tuesday, 06 December 2005 |
Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi gets contract extension
The Toronto Blue Jays general manager and senior vice president of
baseball operations J.P. Ricciardi has signed a three-year contract
extension that will keep him with the team through the 2010 season.
The news came early Tuesday morning, the second day of baseball's
Winter Meetings, as reports surfaced that the Blue Jays had signed
starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to a five-year contract.
That deal would mark the second significant addition in nine days for
the Blue Jays, who made a splash last Monday by signing B.J. Ryan to a
five-year, $47 million contract, the largest ever for a closer.
Toronto's action so far this off season could signal a real challenge
to the rest of the American League East, particularly to the division's
perennial powers, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
The Blue Jays were 80-82 last season, but are debt free and appear
ready to spend. Still, J.P. Ricciardi stopped short of calling the Blue
Jays contenders for the division crown.
"I don't know if we've closed the gap," J.P. Ricciardi said, surrounded
by a throng of reporters at Dallas' Wyndham Anatole Hotel, where the
Winter Meetings are being held. "But I think we're getting better."
J.P. Ricciardi, 46, became the fourth Blue Jays general manager
following the 2001 season. The team is 311-336 during his tenure.
Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey called the contract extension an "easy decision to make."
"In a relatively short period of time, J.P. Ricciardi has positively
reshaped all aspects of the Blue Jays Baseball Operations," said
Godfrey. "Our major league club now appears set to contend with a
talented core of exciting young players led by a hard-working and
accomplished coaching staff."
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