Clement turns down Jays' offer
Matt Clement may be heading to the American League, but he won't be calling Toronto home.
The much sought-after free-agent pitcher informed the Blue Jays of his decision on Friday.
"They said no to us," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi told the Toronto Sun. "We found out today. It was just a matter of where the kid wanted to play [which wasn't Toronto]."
Boston appears to be Clement's preferred destination, with The Toronto Star and Boston Globe reporting the right-hander has agreed to a three-year, $25 million US contract with the Red Sox.
Clement, who pitched for the National League Chicago Cubs the last three seasons, went 9-13 with a 3.68 earned-run average while earning $6 million US in 2004.
The 30-year-old has a lifetime mark of 69-75 with a 4.34 ERA, pitching for San Diego (1998-2000), Florida (2001) and the Cubs.
"You go into these things with your eyes wide open," Ricciardi said. "You never think you're going to get everybody."
Ricciardi made Clement, who struck out 190 batters in 181 innings this past season, one of his two priorities at last weekend's baseball meetings in Anaheim, Calif.
The other, Canadian third baseman Corey Koskie, agreed to a three-year, $16.5 million US deal with the Jays after passing a physical on Monday.
With Clement going elsewhere, Ricciardi has said he will implement Plan B, which means starter-turned closer Miguel Batista will return to the rotation.
Batista, 33, went 10-12 with a 4.88 ERA as a starter in 2004. As the Jays' stopper, he was 0-1 with a 3.12 ERA and 5-for-5 in save situations.
with files from Canadian Press