Bad news for Bill Hall. Great news for Moe’s Steakhouse. 3B Corey Koskie is headed from Toronto to Milwaukee in an obvious salary dump by the otherwise flush (with cash and corner infielders) Blue Jays. From the Toronto Star’s Geoff Baker.

A stunned Corey Koskie sat at his home in Minnesota on Friday night and contemplated just how quickly his dream job with the Blue Jays had come to an end.

Toronto had just traded the Manitoba-born third baseman to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league relief pitcher Brian Wolfe less than two weeks after acquiring Troy Glaus to take over the hot corner for the Jays. Koskie knew after Glaus arrived that his days in Toronto were numbered, but the reality of moving on just one season into a three-year deal still hit hard.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been traded,” a subdued-sounding Koskie said. “There’s been a lot of firsts this past year. It’s the first time I’ve ever been a free-agent, the first time I’ve ever lost a job and the first time I’ve ever been traded.”

Wolfe, 25, went 5-2 with eight saves at three levels of minor league ball but was considered a low-level prospect for the Brewers. That means this trade was all about how much of the remaining $11 million (all figures U.S.) owed to Koskie over the next two years the Brewers were willing to absorb.

A Jays source last night confirmed that Milwaukee would be eating more than half the total amount, but added that the final figures were still being worked out.

“It’s a real surprise,” Koskie said. “I signed up there. It’s really surprising, it’s just weird. You play in Canada. It’s just weird. One year later and they kick you out of town.”

Koskie quickly added that he understands the business of baseball and isn’t bitter about what happened.

“I’m not mad at anyone,” he said. “I’m not mad at J.P. (Ricciardi). He traded me. He felt I wasn’t going to be able to get at-bats with them.”

Trying to look on the bright side, Koskie noted that his favourite steakhouse, Moe’s, is located in Milwaukee, as well as his preferred chapel.


(the famed proprietor, ready to serve Corey a steak bigger than a toilet seat)