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DUNEDIN, Fla. Taj Gibson Jersey . -- Alex Anthopoulos spoke volumes with what he didnt say on right-hander Ervin Santana. The Blue Jays had been in the mix for the former Kansas City Royal with several Toronto players making a public plea to sign the 33-year-old former all-star. But Santana, a Dominican who counts several Jays as friends, elected instead to sign with the injury-ravaged Atlanta Braves. "I probably dont want to comment on how close I felt we got or didnt get," the Blue Jays general manager said Wednesday. Anthopoulos deflected many questions on Santana, leaving the impression he was not happy with the way the process had gone. Asked if he felt used, he said "No, no. But (thats) probably the only thing Im going to say." Money and terms apparently werent factors in Santanas decision to sign with Atlanta. "He had a strong desire to pitch in the NL and there was no way to compete with that," said Anthopoulos, who is also Torontos senior vice-president of baseball operations. Was that always the case, he was asked? "Very good question," Anthopoulos replied, before suggesting it was better directed at the pitchers camp. However the Jays GM did say he was told "recently" of that strong NL interest. Such hints aside, Anthopoulos was clearly looking to take the high road, "Obviously its done. He made his decision. Hes in Atlanta. Great signing for them. I wish him the best. Sorry it didnt work out with us." Certainly the NL East, home to the .sub-500 Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies last season, might seem more hospitable than the thorny AL East. Especially when Santana is eligible for free agency again after this season. Santana has spent his entire career in the American League, with eight seasons as a Los Angeles Angel before being traded to the Royals in 2013. His career record is 105-90 with a 4.19 ERA. He became a free agent after turning down a US$14.1-million qualifying one-year offer from the Royals. Its the same deal he accepted from the Braves and likely in the same ballpark as the Jays offer. Minnesota reportedly tendered a three-year offer but at a lesser annual rate. Unlike last off-season, the Jays have been quiet in player acquisitions. So the Santana snub stands front and centre. Anthopoulos said everyone in the organization wanted Santana to become a Jay. "I think we all feel we did everything we could," he added. With Josh Johnson gone and question-marks over J.A. Happ and Ricky Romero, the Jays have been looking to bolster a starting rotation that features R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Brandon Morrow. Asked about the paucity of additions, Anthopoulos instead pointed to the healthy return of players like outfielder Melky Cabrera and pitcher Drew Hutchison. "We think Drews got a chance to be outstanding and hes put himself in a great position to make this club. I think if he does make this club, hes got a chance to have a tremendous year." Anthopoulos acknowledged the questions from fans and other observers. "All that being said, I can understand skepticism that comes with the job, the performance we had on the field last year. I think we will show how good we are when we break (spring training). I think the guys that we have tremendous upside but we would have loved to add someone just to have depth." "We werent going to force a deal and do things we really didnt believe in just to make a splash," he added. The GM said the Jays were "extremely close" to landing another starting pitcher in a trade only to see it not happen. He did not provide any other details. Bottom line, he says, the Jays like their talent but know it lacks seasoning in some quarters. So the search continues for that experience. NOTES -- Happ, whose spring training progress has been delayed by back problems, threw a side session Tuesday and "everything felt good," according to manager John Gibbons. Closer Casey Janssen, who has had soreness in his shoulder, was scheduled to throw a side session Wednesday. Dustin McGowan is also back after losing eight pounds to the same stomach bug that hit fellow pitcher Sergio Santos. Cheap Swingman Timberwolves Jerseys . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Anthony Tolliver Jersey . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out. http://www.cheaptimberwolvesjerseys.com/ .com) - Jahlil Okafor erupted for 25 points and 20 rebounds as No.Despite sitting last in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers enter Thursdays tilt with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-game winning streak and are coming off Tuesdays 5-1 home victory over Nashville. Catch the game on TSN starting at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. Jordan Eberle had two goals and an assist to lead the Oilers in the rout of the Predators. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and two assists while Sam Gagner also scored for Edmonton. Eberle is also ailing, tending to a knee injury sustained in Tuesdays victory and will sit out tonights contest. Nail Yakupov has been sidelined by a sore ankle and will also miss tonights action. Gagner has 10 points in his last 11 games and recently told the Oilers official web site how hes playing with more confidence since the Olympic break. "Im feeling better, Im feeling more confident," Gagner said. "Im obviously not happy with how my year has gone. I think the Olympic break was good for me to just kind of refocus and Im feeling better and our team is playing a lot better" All told, the 24-year-old Gagner has eight goals and 25 assists in 56 games in 2013-14 after recording 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 48 tilts last season. Taylor Hall added the other goal for the Oilers and Viktor Fasth stopped 28 shots in the win. Edmonton improved to 13-16-3 at Rexall Place this season and is playing the second test of a six-game homestand tonight. The Oilers halted a six-game losing streak in the series with the Sabres by recording a 3-2 win in Buffalo on Feb. 3. Ilya Bryzgalov made 42 saves to help Edmonton register that regulation victory, but the goaltender has since been traded to Minnesota. Ben Scrivens gets the call between the pipes for the Oilers this evening. Meanwhile for the Sabres, it has already been a trying season. The club will try to avoid its longest losing streak of this difficult campaign when the Sabres visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Buuffalo is at the bottom of the NHL standings with just 46 points. Derrick Rose Jersey. . The next- worst team is the Oilers, but Edmonton is still 13 points ahead of the lowly Sabres, who have lost seven straight in regulation. The teams current skid matches a season-opening 0-6-1 stretch from Oct. 2-14 for the longest winless drought of 2013-14. Buffalo has managed just six goals over the course of its present slide. Buffalo began a five-game road trip Tuesday night in Calgary and dropped a 3-1 decision to the Flames. Mike Cammalleri and Paul Byron scored in the third period to help Calgary pull away for the win at the Saddledome. Drew Stafford scored the lone goal for the Sabres, who have lost four straight on the road and are 7-22-3 as the guest this season. Nathan Lieuwen made his first NHL start and turned aside 23 shots in the loss. Lieuwen was recalled from Buffalos AHL affiliate in Rochester on Sunday and made his NHL debut later that day in a 2-0 loss to Montreal after Jhonas Enroth left 36 minutes in with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old Lieuwen was playing for the fourth time in five days after starting games for Rochester on Friday and Saturday. "I thought he (Lieuwen) played well," Sabres interim head coach Ted Nolan said. "The second goal we kind of backed right into him and we lost our positioning. They got a good shot and tipped it in. Overall I thought he played well." With Enroth and fellow goaltender Michal Neuvirth expected to miss tonights game with injuries, Matt Hackett will get the call in net. Hackett, 24, has seen action in 13 NHL games, but last played at this level when he started for Minnesota at Dallas on March 29 of last season and he surrendered five goals on 33 shots to take the loss in that game. Hackett is 3-7-0 with a 2.64 goals against average over his 13 career outings. Buffalo still carries a three-game road winning streak in this series into Thursdays game. ' ' '