Do you remember where you were on the night of November 28th, 2014, between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00 PM? Myself, I was in the middle of an all-too-early Christmas get-together when a startled friend yelled across the room, “The Toronto Blue Jays just traded Brett Lawrie!”
It’s strange to remember that as being the initial shock of the trade. Pitcher Sean Nolin and shortstop prospect Franklin Barreto would later be revealed as the entire package, and despite the heavy hearts of many as we said goodbye to the Red-Bull-fueled Maple Hero, it was evident that Alex Anthopoulos had come away with an All Star calibre player.