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CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Rod Barajas era with the Blue Jays can be measured in days.
Barajas was scheduled to be the Jays' No. 1 catcher in 2007, so the Ontario, Calif., native thought.
So, the Jays thought.
As they say ... hold that thought.
"I had an agreement on Wednesday (Nov. 22), I'm not trying to say anything bad about Toronto, but I didn't hear from either the Jays manager or GM," Barajas said in the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse at Bright House Networks Field yesterday.
Barajas had a two-year, $5.25-million US deal to be the Jays' No. 1 catcher when he discovered on Sunday that Henry Blanco had signed a two-year deal for the same amount to be the Chicago Cubs backup.
Rather than taking a scheduled Monday flight to Tampa for his physical, Barajas changed his mind.
"I didn't sign anything," Barajas said.
No, but his agent did the Jays say. So, after turning down a $5.25-million, two-year deal, after switching agents, after talking to the New York Yankees and the Colorado Rockies, Barajas signed with Philadelphia.
The Phillies gave him a one-year, deal worth $2.5 million, with an option for $5 million for 2008, which as Jack Morris used to say "is no option at all."
"From other free agents I've talked with they get calls and visits from their new clubs," Barajas said.
Maybe Barajas thought he was being recruited by the University of Texas Longhorns.
That in a left shin-pad capsule is Barajas' side of the story. The Jays version, the right one, is different.
They say they had an agreement Tuesday afternoon and a signed term sheet that night.
They say they told Barajas to forget the physical, what with the U.S. Thanksgiving on Thursday and told him to enjoy his holiday weekend.
Travelling secretary Mike Shaw sent Barajas tickets for he, his wife and children to fly to Tampa from Phoenix on Monday. After the physical that day, they were to fly to Toronto for a Tuesday news conference. The news release had been written.
The Jays were the only club to offer a two-year deal.
"I wanted to go to Toronto, it's a good team, with a chance of winning," Barajas said. "There wasn't too much communication. A lot of things weren't done right."
By that the catcher meant he didn't catch news of Blanco's deal and amount, until 11 days after the Nov. 15 signing.
Rather than starting for the Jays, Barajas is trying to impress Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and prove he's better than Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz.
With the Texas Rangers in 2006, Barajas, 32, hit .256 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs. Coste, 34, started 46 times for the Phillies batting .328 with seven homers and 32 RBIs. Ruiz, 28, started 18 games, hitting .261 with three homers and 10 RBIs.
"Lyle Overbay and I are at the same condo complex, we talked the other day, mostly about our kids," Barajas said. "When we play Toronto, I'm not going to be looking into the other dugout, thinking what if?"
Barajas started 94 games for the Rangers in 2006, 117 and 102 the two seasons before . He started 65 games with the 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks, 41 in 2002 and 31 in 2001.
He hit what might have been a memorable post-season homer when he took Mike Mussina deep in the fifth inning to put Arizona up 2-0 in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series against the Yankees.
Miguel Batista pitched 72/3 scoreless that night before Scott Brosius hit a two-run homer off Byung-Hyun Kim in the bottom of the ninth with two out. The Yanks won in 12.
"I know the Series went seven, but our first three wins were lopsided and we won Game 7 with two in the bottom of the ninth against Mariano Rivera," Barajas said.
Great memories of his time with Arizona.
Poker player Barajas will have none from playing in Toronto.