The Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement with Colby Rasmus on a one-year deal worth $4.675 million and avoided arbitration with a young outfielder. Rasmus hit .223 last year with Toronto, with 23 home runs and 75 RBI. Rasmus made $2.7 million last year. Rasmus was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade in July of 2011, and has a career .243 batting average with 76 home runs and 246 RBI. The deal leave three Blue Jays remain eligible to file for arbitration, including second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, left-hander J.A. Happ and catcher Josh Thole.
The Blue Jays also signed outfielder Adam Lowewen to a minor-league deal. Loewen hit .227 with eight home runs and 26 RBI last year with the New York Mets AAA affiliate in Buffalo. Expectations in Toronto are at an all-time high following major off-season moves including the megadeal with the Miami Marlins to acquire shortstop Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Bonifacio and Mark Buehrle. The Blue Jays also signed free-agent outfielder Melky Cabrera to a two-year deal and traded for National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey in a deal with the New York Mets
