Toronto Blue Jays – Miami Marlins Blockbuster: Reactions From The Twitterverse

You’ve done it again, Alex Anthopoulos.

And how.

The Toronto Blue Jays general manager has lit up the baseball world tonight with a still-developing blockbuster in progress that will see somewhere around 12 players change teams between the bluebirds and Miami Marlins. Talk about silencing the skeptics – they weren’t kidding about ramping up the payroll.

It’s a move that, once finalized, should see the Blue Jays fill several major holes on their roster – most importantly in the starting pitching department. You know how the team has been talking about pursuing starting pitching through trade avenues? Turns out, one owner’s crookery (I’m looking at you, Jeffery Loria) is another team’s gain, as the Blue Jays have filled out their rotation with the additions of Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, while also acquiring shortstop Jose Reyes.

…and Anthopoulos managed to get the Marlins to pony up $4 million too.

Yes, there are more names in this salary dump, and there may be more names to come yet. I won’t have a chance to gather my thoughts on the deal (other than that it’s uh, massive) until it’s finalized; Twitter users, on the other hand, have been flooding timelines of baseball fans with initial reactions of the trade.

First, the gathering storm – a collborative effort from the dynamic duo of Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi:

#BlueJays and #Marlins are in midst of EPIC trade right now, sources say. And I mean EPIC.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 13, 2012

Inclusion of Reyes unconfirmed. What we know: Buerhle and Josh Johnson to #BlueJays. Escobar, Hechavarria to #Marlins. And more both ways.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 13, 2012

And then things really started to hit the proverbial fan:

Hey AL East, remember us? We’re back. -Signed, the Toronto Blue Jays — Greg Sansone (@GregSansone) November 14, 2012

This appears to be about to be the biggest trade #Bluejays have ever made. The splash all y’all wanted last week. Instant contenders. — Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness590) November 13, 2012

The Blue Jays-Marlins trade is done… This is going to be one of the all-timers, with Reyes, Johnson, Bonifacio, Buck, Buehrle…holy crow. — Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 13, 2012

But what do the remaining Marlins players think of it all?

Alright, I’m pissed off!!! Plain & Simple — Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012

I’m not gonna do whatever body thinks I’m gonna do and freak out! Ugh, I need a bath. — Logan Morrison (@LoMoMarlins) November 14, 2012

I think we can call that a…lukewarm reaction. What about the players from Toronto’s side?

Couldn’t have ask to be apart of a great group of people…but now it’s a new chapter! Looking forward to being apart of the Miami Marlins! — Justin Nicolino (@J_Nicolino22) November 14, 2012

And what might the team’s manager think of these additions to the club? Oh yeah, that’s right, the Blue Jays don’t have one, because the guy bolted for his “dream job”:

John Farrell just said, “Is that Toronto job still open? Always dreamed of managing a lineup like that.” — Dave Hodge – TSN (@TSNDaveHodge) November 13, 2012

That’s okay, though. Maybe Anthopoulos waited on the managerial hiring for a reason, after all.

Blue Jays only team in baseball without a Manager just became even more inviting to candidates — JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) November 14, 2012

…but most of all, let us remember the real moving force behind this trade – the one man who made it all possible:

Because of course. How did AA pull this off, seriously? RT @elliottbaseball: C Jeff Mathis to Miami — Andrew Stoeten (@AndrewStoeten) November 14, 2012

WE LOST MATHIS?! Trade just got better!

— Blue Jays Bat Boy (@bluejaysbatboy) November 14, 2012

Alex Anthopoulos traded Yan Gomes *and* Jeff Mathis for major league baseball players in a span of three weeks. That’s a damn miracle.

— The Org Guy (@The_Org_Guy) November 14, 2012