Das Team » ng injury, but Bielema is hopeful the senior will

PITTSBURGH -- In the mix of a heated playoff race, the Toronto Blue Jays added depth in search of a second straight postseason appearance. On the fringe of the wild card in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates did their best to clear the books for 2017.Toronto acquired pitcher Francisco Liriano from the Pirates on Monday in exchange for Drew Hutchinson, hoping a return to form by the veteran starter will help the Blue Jays escape a crowded log jam near the top of the AL East.The move was the latest and highest profile of a busy deadline day for Toronto, which also nabbed right-hander Mike Bolsinger from the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-hander Jesse Chavez and $1.15 million and received right-hander Scott Feldman from the Houston Astros for minor league pitcher Lupe Chavez. Toronto also picked up a pair of promising minor league prospects from Pittsburgh in catcher Reese McGuire and outfielder Harold Ramirez.Liriano gives the Blue Jays an experienced starter to replace 24-year-old Aaron Sanchez in the rotation. Sanchez is 11-1 and hasnt lost since April 22, but hes also at 139 1/3 innings this season. His previous high was 133 1/3 across the majors and minors in 2014.Toronto has been planning to move Sanchez to the bullpen to reduce his workload.What we did decide was before the deadline we felt like our best chance for us to win the World Series was if Aaron Sanchez was a part of the team, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday. So we felt like the best odds of Aaron Sanchez being a part of the team was at some point a transition to the bullpen. So with that in mind we considered alternatives and now we have the option to do that.The Pirates were busy too, but coming off a weekend sweep at the hands of Milwaukee and with hopes for a fourth consecutive playoff appearance fading entering August, Pittsburgh instead chose to jettison expensive disappointments Liriano and Jon Niese, who was shipped back to the New York Mets for reliever Antonio Bastardo. Pittsburgh also acquired right-hander Ivan Nova from the Yankees for two players to be named.Liriano revived his career in Pittsburgh, going 35-25 from 2013-15 while helping the Pirates to three straight playoff berths. He has struggled this season, posting a 6-11 record with a 5.46 ERA. Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington called the decision to move Liriano challenging but one he could not pass up, even if it meant throwing McGuire and Ramirez in the deal, because Liriano is signed through 2017 and is due $13.66 million next season.The financial flexibility and adding Drew Hutchinson with our ability to reallocate those dollars onto this club in different ways going forward (were attractive), Huntington said.The trade came shortly after the Pirates sent Niese back to the New York Mets. Sent from New York to Pittsburgh last December for second baseman Neil Walker, Niese never found a rhythm during his time with the Pirates. He went 8-6 with a 4.91 ERA and was moved to the bullpen earlier this month.The 29-year-old Niese is making $9 million in the final season of a deal he signed with the Mets in March 2012, a contract that includes a $10 million team option for 2017 with a $500,000 buyout.Pittsburgh enters the final two months of the season with just one starter remaining from the opening day rotation: Gerrit Cole. Niese and Liriano have been traded while Jeff Locke and Juan Nicasio have been moved to the bullpen, though Locke will get a spot start this week in Atlanta.Huntington stressed the Pirates still believe they can compete this season and believes in a way addition by subtraction might help. Nova will take Lirianos spot in the rotation. Ryan Vogelsong, out since May with facial fractures, will return this week. Rookie Jameson Taillon has shown signs of promise and rookie Tyler Glasnow will also be back in the rotation when he returns from shoulder fatigue.We had some guys that werent getting the job done, Huntington said. How do we improve our rotation to give this club thats three games out in the loss column an opportunity to regain (positioning)? The starting pitching was our biggest challenge and we felt like we addressed that somewhat internally and somewhat externally.Over the weekend, Pittsburgh sent All-Star closer Mark Melancon to Washington in exchange for hard-throwing reliever Felipe Rivero and minor league pitcher Taylor Hearn.Feldman gives the Blue Jays some versatility. The 33-year-old went 5-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 26 appearances for the Astros this season. Hes made five starts but has pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen since the end of April. Feldman is 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA as a starter this year, and hes gone 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA in relief.The Blue Jays were playing at Houston on Monday night, making Feldmans move pretty easy.Its always weird getting traded to begin with. It was kind of convenient actually, he said. Just drove to the field today like normal and just switch clubhouses. Say bye to all the old teammates, coaches, everybody.The 28-year-old Bolsinger was 1-4 with a 6.83 ERA for the Dodgers this season. Hes also spent some time in the minors in 2016. Bolsinger made 21 starts for Los Angeles last year, going 6-6 with a 3.62 ERA.The cash payment from Toronto to the Dodgers, due Sept. 1, is to offset part of Chavezs $4 million salary.---AP Sports Writer Noah Trister in Detroit contributed to this report. Larry Ogunjobi Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. 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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- If Arkansas coach Bret Bielema had a kindred spirit of sorts who he modeled the Razorbacks after when entering the Southeastern Conference, it was Alabama and coach Nick Saban.The No. 1 Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) might not look like Bielemas pro-style offense quite as much anymore, but its success is still the standard by which the Razorbacks and the rest of the SEC measure themselves.Its a standard No. 16 Arkansas (4-1, 0-1 SEC) -- loser of nine straight to the Crimson Tide -- would like to meet for a change when it hosts the defending national champion on Saturday night. And it hopes to do so using the style of power offense Alabama has used less and less of in recent years.From a defensive point of view, its kind of a whole new preparation, Bielema said about Alabama. In recruiting, we used to compete with them quite a bit in pro-style offense settings and they dont look like that now. Alabamas in the Spread market now.Regardless of the style of offense used by the Crimson Tide these days, the results have remained constant during the Saban era.This season is no different, and Alabamas 17-game winning streak is currently the longest in the nation and the second longest under Saban -- trailing only a 19-game stretch over the 2009-10 seasons. Its a streak that will be put to the test over the next three weeks with games against No. 9 Tennessee and No. 8 Texas A&M on deck, one that begins with the Razorbacks.Arkansas enters the game with the SECs most efficient quarterback in junior Austin Allen, but it has stayed true to Bielemas traditional offensive approach -- foregoing the hurry-up style that has taken over much of college football.Its a welcomed breather on defense for Alabama defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson.Im glad its not fast ball because as a defensive lineman, you like the slower teams so you get time to recover and just play old football, just like the old days, Tomlinson said.Some other things to watch as Arkansas tries to end its nine-game losing streak to the mighty Crimson Tide:STOPPING HURTS: The Razorbacks have struggled in defending the running of quarterbacks like Texas A&Ms Trevor Knight.dddddddddddd Now, they face freshman Jalen Hurts , the Tides No. 2 rusher with 276 yards and three touchdowns. Bielema expects offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to continue using Hurts running ability. As we all know, Lane is a very creative, very good play caller, and I think theyre using his strengths as good as anybody Ive witnessed this year on film, the Razorbacks coach said. Hes a very talented player thats getting used in all the right ways, and hes got some good players around him.RAGNOWS STATUS: Arkansas starting center Frank Ragnow missed much of practice this week after flying home to Minnesota last weekend following the death of his father. However, the junior returned to the Razorbacks on Thursday night and is likely to play on Saturday night.HEALTHY AGAIN: It appears likely that Alabama will have tailback Damien Harris and wide receiver ArDarius Stewart back. Harris, the leading rusher, was limited against Kentucky with a sprained right ankle. Stewart has missed the past two games with a knee injury after totaling 203 receiving yards in the first two games. He returned to practice this week.HATCHERS HAMMY: Arkansas wide receiver Keon Hatcher missed last weeks win over Alcorn State with a hamstring injury, but Bielema is hopeful the senior will be able to return on Saturday. Hatcher missed most of last season with a broken foot, but hes returned to form this season -- with 14 catches for 281 yards and three touchdowns in four games.N-O-T AGAIN: Alabama has already scored seven non-offensive touchdowns in five games, and that knack proved huge in the Tides only other road game, against Mississippi. Thats two on interception returns, three on fumble returns and two on punt returns. Safety Eddie Jackson has returned a punt and an interception all the way.---AP Sports Writer John Zenor in Tuscaloosa, Ala., contributed to this report. Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Wholesale Jerseys China Jerseys NFL China ' ' '