The Toronto Blue Jays moved out a player who has been part of the organization since being drafted in 2004, getting a pitcher, and some roster flexibility, in return. Numbers Game breaks down the deal sending Adam Lind to Milwaukee. The Brewers Get: 1B/LF Adam Lind. Lind, 31, has been a productive power hitter, slugging more than 20 home runs four times in his career, but is coming off a season in which he was hitting for doubles power, hitting just six home runs in 96 games, yet hitting a career-high .321, with an .860 OPS that was his highest since 2009. Hes a crusher against right-handed pitching, hitting .293 with an .860 OPS for his career, but not nearly as capable when facing southpaws (.212 average, .588 OPS). That split does suggest that Lind is best suited as a platoon player, but the Brewers had Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay at first base last year and neither is under contract for 2015, so there is room for Lind in the Milwaukee lineup. That Lind is a subpar fielder is all the more reason for the Brewers to have another option available to support Lind at first. Linds contract has team options for $7.5-million in 2015 and $8-million for 2016, entirely reasonable for a productive offensive player, even if hes not ideally suited to a full-time role. Platooning against right-handers is still good for about three-quarters of the at-bats. The Blue Jays Get: RHP Marco Estrada. Estrada is a 31-year-old who surrendered a major-league leading 29 home runs last season, leaving him with a 4.88 ERA despite a 1.20 WHIP in 150 2/3 innings. He finished the year in the bullpen, and was lights-out in that role in September, not allowing a run and only six base-runners in 16 1/3 innings. That small-sample bullpen success might indicate a role in which Estrada can be effective for the Blue Jays, but his career numbers as a starter (4.20 ERA, 1.17 WHIP in 71 starts) are better than his career relief stats (4.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP in 83 relief appearances), which probably leaves Estrada as something of a swingman for the Toronto pitching staff. Maybe sixth or seventh on the starter depth chart, capable of making spot starts if necessary, but likely not the ideal solution to any teams starting pitching woes. Estrada has lost some velocity and his average fastball is clocked at 89.0 MPH (per Fan Graphs), which poses problems -- thats the pitch that gets hit. He has increased the use of his change-up, which has been very effective the past couple seasons, but hell have to get his fastball back if hes going to be a contributor. Estrada earned $3,325,000 in 2014 and is arbitration eligible, so that price will likely go up but its likely to present a cost savings to the Blue Jays after they shed Linds salary. The Blue Jays will need to fill Linds at-bats, mostly at designated hitter, but that could allow 1B Edwin Encarnacion to get more rest and there is likely some hope that Toronto might be able to salvage value out of their recent waiver addition, 1B Justin Smoak, a 27-year-old switch-hitter who hasnt lived up to advance billing, hitting .224 with a .689 OPS in 566 career games. Verdict: Hard to imagine that Estrada, a homer-prone pitcher going to a hitter-friendly park, will provide more value for Toronto than Lind will in Milwaukee, but maybe added salary flexibility can come into play for Toronto in other offseason deals. 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This fight card, which takes place in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, has had a number of changes, including headliner Lyoto Machida replaced by fellow Brazilian Rafael Natal. Dan Hamhuis Predators Jersey . Kuper, a fifth-round pick in Denvers 2006 draft, started 79 games at guard over eight seasons. He dislocated his left ankle in the last game of the 2011 regular season, and though he started another seven games after that, he never returned to his previous level.DUNEDIN, Florida – In one of his post-game scrums last summer, R.A. Dickey referred to his knuckleball as a "capricious animal," a phrase meant to describe the unpredictability, the figurative moodiness, of his strange pitch. Erik Kratz was behind the plate to start Thursdays 7-5 win over the Phillies. He was catching Dickey for the first time in game action and afterward, could attest to his pitchers apt terminology. Asked how he thought he did on Day One, Kratz turned the tables. "How did you think I did?" He was told he did fine. "Okay, well then I did fine," said Kratz. "It wasnt perfect. I had the anticipated anxiety that I thought I would." Just how anxious was he? "I caught myself not breathing a couple of times and everything like that." Armed with a first basemans glove rather than the oversized catchers mitt preferred by most knuckleball catchers, Kratz understands hell have to be a quick study in learning both the physical and mental requirements of the job. "Just the idea of trying to relax, being out there, getting a different visual but I felt like it went very well," he said. "I felt like there is plenty of room for improvement but I think a lot of things Ive seen in his bullpen sessions, it was good to see in the game. Good to see him be able to change speeds and everything like that." Dickey laboured through the first inning, giving up a lead-off dunk single to Ben Revere. One out later, Brett Lawrie airmailed a throw to second on a Bobby Abreu chopper, putting Phillies on the corners. After Darin Ruf walked to load the bases, a Dickey knuckleball to Maikel Franco eluded Kratz for a passed ball which scored Revere from third. Its not how you would think Kratz would prefer to have drawn it up. Its his first game catching Dickey, in the first inning and the first time with a runner on third and a knuckler gets by him. But he was more than happy to make a mistake in a spring game. Passed balls are going to happen. The key is to not get psyched out; dont make the same mistake twice. "You can say, okay, well, it was a passed ball, wild pitch, it was a tough one to get but you have to be ready for the next one," said Kratz. "I was proud of myself. I was happy about the way I was able to relax." Dickey limits the in-game responsibility of his catcher to receiving his pitch. He calls his own game, communicating velocity to his catcher in ways he wont describe publicly. Hes not going to tip his hand. Dickey doesnt even want Kratz to form a hard target with his glove. "Its probably better for the catcher and for me, for that matter, if hes just nice and relaxed," said Dickey. "Im far enough along in my process where I can pick out a shin guard and hit a fastball.dddddddddddd I dont need him to give me a target. "Plus, if hes only giving a target on fastballs then everybody in the stadium is going to know that hey, if he gives you a target its going to be a fastball and if he doesnt give you a target its going to be a knuckleball so I just like him to be nice and relaxed back there, whatever gives him the best chance to consistently catch the ball." Given the uncertainty over Dioner Navarros ability to catch more than 100 games - since Navarro hasnt done so since 2009 - the Jays are looking for more offence from their second catcher. Kratz, with 18 home runs in a back-up role over the last two seasons with the Phillies, fits the bill. Josh Thole, who caught Dickey and served as the back-up catcher after Henry Blanco was released last June, appears to be the odd man out. "Hes going to play a lot," said Gibbons. "We want to make sure he gets some playing time and then well see how it develops. Kratz is going to catch (Dickey) early on, see how that develops, and then go from there." Dickeys knuckleball topped out at 73 miles per hour on Thursday. He struck out two Phillies over two innings, one on a 61-mile-per-hour knuckler and another at 63 miles per hour. He wants his hard knuckleball at 77 by opening day, his floater at 65. Dickey says hes on target to achieve those radar gun readings, adding hes feeling much stronger than he did at the end of last February, when his knuckleball was topping out in the low-70s in early Grapefruit League action. ENCARNACION HAPPY AT FIRST BASE Edwin Encarnacion chuckled at the suggestion he wants to be, or has asked to be, a full-time designated hitter. "No, whatever the manager wants to do Im ready for it," said Encarnacion. "If I have to play every day at first, Ill play. If I have to play both, Im ready for it." Encarnacion played 79 games at first base last season. He served as the designated hitter on 55 occasions. "I like to play DH sometimes because I have more time to go to the computer, watch the pitcher, watch the video," said Encarnacion. "When you play defence you dont have time to do that but for me, if I have to play first base, I dont have a problem with that." Funny, Encarnacions numbers last season were almost indistinguishable. As a first baseman, he compiled a .272/.367/.527 slash line with 19 home runs in 294 at-bats. As a DH: .270/.374/.530 and 13 home runs in 200 at-bats. ROGERS A FATHER Congratulations to Esmil Rogers, the proud father of a baby daughter. Mom and little Elaina are in Denver and doing well. Rogers was there for the birth, returned to Dunedin on Wednesday and pitched in Thursdays game, giving up two runs in one inning of work. ' ' '