Bizarre Blue Jays-Rockies trade

The Rockies traded catcher Miguel Olivo to the Blue Jays for a player to be named. It doesn't sound like anything special, right? Well, it certainly was.

The Blue Jays declined Olivo's 2011 option, making him a free agent. (What? They just traded a player to be named for nothing!) Why did they do that? Well, Miguel Olivo is a Type-B free agent, so the Blue Jays traded a player to be named to potentially get a supplemental draft pick in June. Before that happens, they have to offer Olivo salary arbitration, and he has to decline it and sign with another team. But, what if he accepts the arbitration? Well, then Olivo would be an expensive backup to rookie catcher J.P. Arencibia, and the Blue Jays would probably try to trade him again. This trade is a calculated gamble by the Jays. If Olivo declines arbitration, Toronto will get an a supplemental draft pick in exchange for some random prospect. That's potentially a great trade. But, if Olivo accepts arbitration, that's potentially a disaster for them. The one thing in Toronto's favor is that Olivo will probably want to be a starter somewhere rather than be a backup in Toronto. I think it was a good gamble by the Jays. In all likelihood, the Jays will get a supplemental pick in exchange for a low-rated prospect.