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Ive never been a fan of opt-out clauses in contracts. The Dodgers two-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw who just signed a 7-year $215-million dollar pact, can get out after five years if he so chooses. Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka can escape from his seven-year $155 million dollar deal with the Yankees after four seasons. Zach Greinke and C.C Sabathia both have these kinds of deals as well. Its easy to see why the players and agents want them. If they truly grow to detest a city or an organization they can move on. If the player continues to perform at an optimum level, he can opt out early and get an even better deal, and from the agents perspective can set the market bar even higher for every other pitcher or player in the majors. However, there just seems to be something mercenary, and sort of having your cake and eating it too kind of feel about the whole thing. I can see player option years on contracts or club options or mutual options, but opt-outs just dont feel right. Talking about these kinds of clauses brings back memories of the deal the Blue Jays signed with Roger Clemens back in December of 1996. At the time, the four-year contract looked like an incredible coup for the Jays organization. They had lured one of baseballs all-time great pitchers -- albeit seemingly fading a bit at 34 -- away from the mighty Boston Red Sox. Not only that, but they outbid the Yankees for his services. Paul Beeston actually travelled down to Clemens home in Texas to personally deliver the sales pitch. Initially -- at least based on Clemens stats, over two years -- it was an incredible deal for the Jays. Clemens won over 20 games twice, captured the American League Triple Crown for pitchers both years and won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. Unfortunately, over the ‘97 and ‘98 seasons, the Jays finished a combined 24 games under .500 and attendance never really spiked the way you might have expected when Clemens pitched at home. Then there were stories that Clemens helped pushed for the ouster of Cito Gaston as manager late in the 1997 season, and when Cito was gone campaigned for Red Sox coach Tim Johnson to take over as skipper in 1998. All of that paled in comparison to the news that leaked out late in ‘98 about the exact details of Clemens contract. He had a five-point secret handshake agreement with Paul Beeston and the Blue Jays, as reported by Murray Chass in The New York Times. The key points included Clemens having the right to demand a trade two years into the four-year deal. He also had to approve which team he was traded to. He could also demand a trade to the Houston Astros at any point in the contract. The reason for that was there was a chance his agents Randy and lan Hendricks were going to buy the Astros and the “Rocket Man” really wanted to play for them. None of that transpired, but when news of this secret deal came out, the commissioners office was not impressed. The Jays were fined for entering into a secret deal that was against major league rules. Oddly enough by that time, Paul Beeston had left the Blue Jays and was working for MLB as the number two official below only the Commissioner himself Bud Selig. On Feb. 18, 1999, the Blue Jays ultimately did trade Clemens to the Yankees for Dave Wells, second baseman Homer Bush and lefty reliever Graeme Lloyd. Clemens went on to get his first World Series ring in ‘99 and got another in 2000, though Clemens embarrassed himself by throwing a piece of a broken bat across the path of the Mets Mike Piazza as he ran towards first base. The next time the Blue Jays offered an opt-clause to a pitcher it was legal, and all the “Is” were dotted and the “Ts” crossed. A.J Burnett signed a five-year deal with the Jays on Dec. 6, 2005 for five years and $55 million dollars. It was nine years after the Clemens signing, but Burnett was nowhere near the pitcher Clemens was and got more term and money. Unfortunately for the Jays, Burnett battled injuries in 2006 and 2007 and finished with identical 10-8 records. Finally in 2008 he pitched like an ace and wound up 18-10. But that was a contract year because in effect, since Burnett had the option to opt out of his deal after three years. He did just that and signed with the Yankees, helping them beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. I dont dislike the opt out just because of the Blue Jays experiences. No, its because it simply creates the impression the pitcher or player is just using that club as a springboard to a better deal with a perennial contender when the time is right. I hope this becomes a major battle ground when the next labour deal comes up in a couple of years. The Blue Jays opening home series is a three game set against the Yankees to cap the opening week of the season. Id wager we wont get to see Masahiro Tanaka though. The Yanks open the season in Houston and the best bet would be Tanaka would start the second game of the season after staff ace C.C Sabathia. That would mean Tanakas next turn would be at Yankee Stadium for the home opener against Baltimore. The lowest I could see him being in the rotation is number three. That would put him in line to start the finale in Houston and the second game at home against the Orioles. So well have to wait till later in the season to see Tanaka face the Jays. Authentic Eli Ankou Jersey . Smith has spent the last three seasons with the Rockies, playing both left and right field, and has a .275 batting average with 51 homers and 181 RBIs in 487 major league games. Authentic A.J. Bouye Jersey . - Mark Sanchez found out the New York Jets had acquired Tim Tebow on a conference call with team management. http://www.cheapjaguarsjerseysauthentic....s-jack-jersey.J. -- Kevin Gilbride retired Thursday as offensive co-ordinator for the New York Giants. Wholesale Jaguars Jerseys .A. Dickey earned an American League Gold Glove on Tuesday to become the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win the award. Authentic Logan Cooke Jersey .Before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks won for the 29th time in 31 games to extend their Eastern-best record to 36-8.As usual, pretty much everyone chipped in.Four starters were in double figures and backup point guard Dennis Schroder led a spurt at the start of the fourth quarter that helped the Hawks pull away.SAN DIEGO -- It was an emotional day for Shelby Miller, who said goodbye to friend and teammate Joe Kelly and then went out and helped the St. Louis Cardinals rebound from their ugliest loss of the season. Miller and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, and Oscar Taveras hit a two-run homer for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 Thursday to avoid a three-game series sweep. The victory came hours after the Cardinals traded Kelly and Allen Craig to Boston for right-hander John Lackey. Miller teared up afterward while talking about Kelly. "Thats a tough one for all of us, to lose two guys like that, especially Joe for me," Miller said. "I grew up with him and came up through the farm system with him. Hes going to do well there. I wish him all the best." Miller (8-8) held San Diego to two runs and three hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked none in his first win since June 7. St. Louis roughed up rookie Odrisamer Despaigne a day after playing what manager Mike Matheny called the teams ugliest loss of the season, a 12-1 defeat Wednesday night. "Theyre pros," Matheny said. "I mean, things are going to happen in our lives that weve just got to be able to compartmentalize. These days here I think prove the toughness that these guys develop through the season. You have to put it aside and get the job done." Taveras connected with two out in the second, sending a drive to right for his second homer. But St. Louis 2-0 quickly evaporated. Jedd Gyorko, on a tear since returning Monday from a 44-day stay on the disabled list, homered to right off Miller with one out in the bottom half. It was Gyorkos second in two games and seventh overall. Will Venable homered to right with two outs, his fifth. "There were a couple of solo homers there that got him on the edge a little bit, and then he stepped in and started making some really nice pitches," Matheny said. "I saw him driving the ball down through the bottom of the zone. He pitched a little more." Said Venable: "I didnt see a pitch fromm him other than a fastball and it was a good one.dddddddddddd He just pitched well. When you are aggressive with your fastball you have the option of going to your off-speed stuff. It wasnt like we were beating him on his fastball. We hit a couple of them but he was doing what he wanted really." St. Louis jumped in front again on Matt Hollidays two-run single in the third, and Peter Bourjos added an RBI single in the sixth. Despaigne (2-3) allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings. He won his first two starts but is 0-3 in his last five outings. TRADES Cardinals: St. Louis got Lackey in exchange for Kelly and Craig. Lackeys first start with the Cardinals will come during a series against his former Red Sox teammates in St. Louis from Tuesday through Thursday. Padres: Outfielder Chris Denorfia was traded to Seattle for outfielder Abraham Almonte, who will report to San Diego on Friday, and right-hander Stephen Kohlscheen, who will report to Triple-A El Paso. Almonte was Seattles opening-day starter in centre. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: Catcher Yasmani Grandal was scratched because of some fluid that built up in his right knee, which was surgically repaired last year after a collision at the plate. "When he squatted in the bullpen, it shifted to the back of the knee and it sort of buckled him a bit," manager Bud Black said. "He was in quite a bit of pain squatting." Black said Grandal should be fine to catch Friday night against Atlanta. ON DECK Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (13-5, 1.92 ERA) gets the ball in the opener of an important home series against NL Central-leading Milwaukee on Friday night. Wainwright Is 10-6 with 2.19 ERA in 27 career games against the Brewers. Padres: Eric Stults (3-13, 5.22 ERA) pitches in the opener of a weekend set against Atlanta. The left-hander has won only once in last 13 starts. SURGING GYORKO Gyorko is 7 for 14 in five games since being reinstated from the DL, including two homers, a double and six RBIs. He has 30 career homers, tying him with Mark Loretta for the franchise record by a second baseman. ' ' '