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Blue Jays GM Anthopoulos says Donaldson 'excited' about trade to Toronto

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos spoke to the media late Friday night after he did what he does in November: swing a big trade

Josh Donaldson, acquired from the Oakland Athletics for Brett Lawrie and three prospects, is excited about the move, Anthopoulos said, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, who posted a transcript of Anthopoulos's conference call at his North of the Border blog.  

Donaldson, who said he studied his new teammate Jose Bautista's swing, will help form a fearsome middle of the order at home-run happy Rogers Centre. 

(Related: Blue Jays answer rivals with acquisition of Donaldson)

About Lawrie, Anthopoulos said it was "tough to see him go. We would have loved to have kept him, we tried, but I don’t think this deal was getting done without Brett."

Anthopoulos also talked about the three prospects headed to Oakland: Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman, and Franklin Barreto. It's tough to trade prospects, the 37-year-old executive said, going into detail about the attachment that comes with drafting and developing young talent. 

At the end of the day, though, the Blue Jays didn't think Donaldson would be available. "You don’t really target guys with two years of service and four years of control," Anthopoulos said. "You just know the likelihood of getting those guys is so rare." Once Donaldson could be had, that meant trading Lawrie, who Toronto had every intention to keep. "We wanted to keep Brett and add to the team," Anthopoulos said. 

Anthopoulos called the entire process "a blur," saying Lawrie's name became involved in trade talks "maybe Monday or Tuesday." He also added that Lawrie's injury history didn't come into play, as Donaldson was the guy he wanted, and you have to give something to get something. Especially considering Donaldson's under team control for four years. 

Like Donaldson, the Blue Jays are certainly excited about what they've got in the soon-to-be 29-year-old, a presence at the plate and at third base, "who solidifies things in the middle of our order," Anthopoulos added.  

Check out North of the Border for more on Anthopoulos's take on the trade, the prospects he gave up, on Lawrie and whether he didn't develop the way Toronto hoped, the Canadian's reaction to the trade, and more. 

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