I forgot to link to the Toronto Star article, which is here.

I see this like the Doug Creek signing. It's a lot of money for an unimportant player, but it's not a move I'm going to lose any sleep over. If overpaying for backups is Ricciardi's biggest flaw, I don't think we have much to worry about.

It's taken a year but finally I disagree with a J.P. move.

I just don't see the value of this transaction.Were talking about a 37 year old guy coming off of a .667 and .713 OPS seasons.I know he's great with the glove,but really this is a sideways move.

I suppose J.P. has a soft spot for this player(I believe he was his first major signing as a scout).Maybe J.P. is not as ruthless as I thought.

Well....final thoughts before I wing away for the holidays....$1 million is a little on the pricey side, even if it is one-fifth of a Cruz.....and I sure would've liked to see Catalanotto instead (though he can't play SS, it's worth noting)....but Bordick is probably the perfect insurance policy.

He's not much of a hitter anymore, though he can still knock one over the wall now and then. But his glove is superb; he really is one of the best defensive shortstops around, and defence is what this increasingly-groundball staff will need over on the left side. Moreover, I think that much of what we hear about him being a great "clubhouse guy" is accurate, and there's value in providing Woodward with a mentor and a player-coach at the position. Ricciardi is building a different kind of clubhouse as well as a different kind of roster this year, and Bordick will be very helpful in that regard.

As I say, $1 million is more than I would've liked to spend, but that's what an Established Name and an errorless streak costs you these days, I guess. As well, shortstop was unquestionably the weak link in the infield chain, and this is as good a reinforcement there as you could ask for. I sure like this better than I would've liked Chris Gomez. Let's see what JP can do with the remaining $4M of Cruz money before we draw too many conclusions. At the moment, I think this is just fine.

While Bordick is not a thrilling signing, it's only a one year contract. This move might be strictly mediocre, it's not THAT much money, and it's not for a long time. Small errors are much more palatable if they don't have long term consequences.

Jordan, Merry Christmas!

I like Bordick as Woodward insurance, in the mentor role, and as Geoff points out, because there's no significant commitment. I'm willing to look at this as an incomplete deal -- Cruz for Bordick, a starter and a righty bat who can platoon with Werth and/or pinch-hit. Since the latter will cost $1 million or so, Ricciardi's got about $3,000,000 to spend on a pitcher to make it a 3-for-1 that does more to address the Jays' needs than Cruz possibly could.

Not that I want to fan the Hudson flames again (OK, I do) but Woody isn't bad at 2B...

Let's not forget that Baltimore has been one of the best pitcher's parks in the AL the last few years.

But I'd like to see how much his defence is hype and how much is the real thing before I'm completely sold.

As long as Bordick is in shape he should do well. His age makes him a risk, but he's exactly the kind of backup infielder a team needs. Please don't revoke my sabr card, but I like having veterans in bench roles (as long as they are not expensive) because they are usually a steadying influence on the younger guys and may impart some wisdom. Bordick seems like the kind of guy who could help Woodward a bit (similar skills set).

A million isn't too bad - it's only about 3 times to minimum salary now.

The Jays must have decided that Dave Berg can't play shortstop - otherwise, why bother signing both Bordick and Berg?

I also wonder whether Bordick thinks he can push Woodward aside.

I expect Ricciardi to fill two or three more slots this way in the next few days.

I actually like this signing more than I liked the Myers, Berg or Creek signings (for reasons already covered).

Reflecting on the move, I really don't have a lot to add other than what we've talked about already. It's good to have Woodward insurance and someone to spell him some against lefties. Bordick is impressive defensively from a statistical perspective - not so much flash, and apparently not great range, but in steadiness and reliability one of, if not the, best SS in the league.

It's one year, which like the Myers signing is the best part. It's good to have veterans around to show the young guys the ropes. All in all, I can't say that I'm disappointed with this move.