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PHILADELPHIA - Although general manager Alex Anthopoulos insists he hasnt read any of the rumours, he saw fit to comment on frequent reports out of Chicago that the Blue Jays are hot for Cubs ace right-hander Jeff Samardzija. "I havent read them or seen them, but whatever they are, I guess I can say this; I have not had any conversations with anybody about active trade talks," Anthopoulos told assembled media on Tuesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. "If that ends up shooting down reports like we do every so often ... no, I have not engaged in dialogues, exchange of names, nothing. Its so rare that teams engage in trade conversations so early (in the season.") Read between the lines. There is a difference between speaking to his Cubs counterpart, Jed Hoyer, and having scouts watching Samardzijas starts. The Blue Jays are hardly alone in tracking Samardzija, whos winless in seven starts despite posting a 1.62 ERA. The 29-year-old has one year left of club control before becoming eligible for free agency following the 2015 season. The Cubs are rebuilding and multiple reports suggest previous efforts to get Samardzija signed long-term havent been fruitful. Anthopoulos repeated he will not mortgage the future for short-term gain, citing the Jays relatively uneventful offseason as proof he wont make moves for the sake of saving his job. What about if the right deal comes along? Would he be willing to part with a top prospect or two? "I think you value everything on whats the contractual status, whats the control, how much do you value your own players, wheres the club at, short-term, long-term, all that stuff," said Anthopoulos. "Just like anything there are a lot of players you are reluctant to move and that would be reflected in the price to really push those players. But I just dont know that youre ever in a position where players are untradeable. I think sometimes the value you place on them makes them almost untradeable because no one will pay you the ask. But I dont look at it that way that under no circumstances you hang up the phone." WILL MORROW NEED SURGERY? On Monday via Twitter, Brandon Morrow shared a photo of the splint hell be wearing for the next week or so on his injured pitching hand. Morrow tore a tendon sheath at the base of his right index finger on his second-to-last pitch of the fifth inning on Friday night in Pittsburgh. The injury will require season-ending surgery if an attempt to rehabilitate the finger fails. "From what I was told that wasnt going to be needed," said Anthopoulos of surgery. "If something changes down the road, but from what I was told at the time, surgery was not required." In striking an optimistic tone, Anthopoulos said he expects Morrow to return some time around the All-Star Break in mid-July. "We expect him to come back, we expect him to recover," said Anthopoulos. "He wasnt necessarily rolling but I thought he looked great against the Indians that game. But Brandon has the stuff to get on a streak at any time and even in that last game, I followed it obviously, it didnt seem like his slider was there and command but I think Brandon at any point can get hot and when he comes back hell be a big add for us." In six starts this season, Morrow is 1-2 with a 5.93 ERA. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) statistic, a measurement of ERA based on factors only the pitcher can control, is 4.03, suggesting hes been better than his actual ERA. Morrows 1.720 WHIP, which includes 30 hits and 17 walks in 27 1/3 innings pitched, is bloated. Efficiency was an issue prior to Morrows injury. He pitched into the sixth inning only twice. LIND LIKELY FOR THURSDAY Anthopoulos hadnt spoken to manager John Gibbons to confirm Adam Linds return date but the aim is for Thursdays series finale against the Phillies in Toronto. "The plan is to play nine innings of first base tomorrow in a Florida State League game," said Anthopoulos. "Ill talk to Gibby about it but hopefully we would look at potentially activating him on Thursday. I havent talked to Gibby about it but that would be one of the thoughts I have." Lind, 30, went on the disabled list April 16 with tightness in his lower back. FRANCISCOS FUTURE The imminent return of Lind will force the Blue Jays to make a decision on Juan Francisco. "Wed like to keep Juan," said Anthopoulos. "Hes playing well and ideally you want to be able to hang on to him. I know Gibby is fond of him and rightfully so. Hes played well." Entering Tuesdays play, in 14 games played with the Blue Jays, Francisco was hitting .280/.390/.520 with three home runs and seven RBI. His history suggests Franciscos batting average and on-base percentage will come down significantly. But hes a power threat off the bench and can spell starters at first base and third base. The Blue Jays would surely lose Francisco to another team on waivers should the club decide to designate him for assignment. Hes out of options, meaning he cant be sent to the minors and remain on the 40-man roster. Anthopoulos credited one of the clubs Dominican stars - Francisco is from the Dominican Republic - with helping lure Francisco to Toronto after he was released by the Milwaukee Brewers in late March. "Edwin Encarnacion was a big help in signing him," said Anthopoulos. "I think he really encouraged him to sign with us." Encarnacion and Francisco also were teammates, briefly, with the Cincinnati Reds in 2009. LAWRIES POSITION The Blue Jays have an offensive hole at second base. Prior to Brett Lawrie going down with tightness in his right hamstring, hed started at second base in three games in National League parks. The position switch allowed manager John Gibbons to keep Juan Franciscos bat in the lineup by putting him at third base. Would the Blue Jays consider extending the defensive alignment into American League games when Adam Lind is back? A lineup featuring Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind, Juan Francisco, Brett Lawrie, Colby Rasmus and Dioner Navarro would be potent. It certainly would be better offensively than what any of the alternatives provide at second base. "There hasnt been any talk of full time like that at all," said Anthopoulos. "No, its strictly for right now. We know he can do it, I know he had a two or a three game stint last year but Bretts athletic enough you could put him anywhere on the field, I really believe that. I do believe that if you gave him enough time at any position and you gave him enough reps he could be a gold glove defender anywhere." Fake College Jerseys . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday. College Jerseys Outlet . The 19-year-old from Westmount, Que., was edged 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-3 by third-seeded Alize Cornet of France. Cornet broke Bouchard twice in the last set and saved six break points in the three-hour match. https://www.ncaajerseys2020.com/ . Catch the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Wild lead the Northwest Division and look to get back into the win column after having a season-high seven-game winning streak cut short with Tuesdays 2-1 loss at Winnipeg in the finale of a five-game road trip (4-1-0). Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . Teams one through twenty competing in Englands top flight are each fatally flawed. A wide-open, highly competitive and mistake-filled season has followed. Cheap College Jerseys 2020 . Bell Medias 12-year partnership with the Ottawa Senators includes five major components: - English-language regional television broadcast rights for TSN – a minimum of 52 regular season and pre-season games - French-language regional television broadcast rights for RDS – a minimum of 40 regular season and pre-season games - English-language broadcast rights for TSN Radio 1200 – all games - French-language radio broadcast rights – all games - Telecommunications and retail sponsorship and activation rights "We recognized early on that our regional broadcast rights coming up for renewal was a very important asset," said Senators owner Eugene Melnyk.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hi Kerry, Im sure youre getting a ton of emails about the goal at the end of the Carolina-Toronto game on Thursday night but I noticed something that most of the stories and comments on the play seem to be missing. Looking at the replays it appeared as if the linesman waives off icing when Bernier went out to play the puck and before a player for either team made it to the face-off dots, therefore hybrid icing didnt matter at all on this play. Can you tell me if Im correct in this observation? Thanks for your insight. Peter AshtonToronto, ON Peter: You raise an excellent point given the fact that Leafs replacement goalie Jonathan Bernier did make an attempt to play the puck as it caromed off the end boards toward his goal crease. Berniers attempt to play the puck was sufficient reason, as per rule 81.3, for linesman Don Henderson to waive off the goal. This wasnt the exclusive reason, however. The hybrid icing rule kicked in even though Radek Dvorak had not quite made it to the finish line in the race to the hash marks. These two factors caused double-jeopardy for the Leafs in nullifying a potential icing on the play, allowing Bernier to deflect the puck into his own net. Kinks in the new hybrid icing rule are still being worked out for both the linesmen and players at this point and as unusual, situations occur like the one in last nights game. For our understanding, there are unique situations when the linesmen are required to make a quick split-second judgment as to which player will gain the hash marks first (within a stride) given player speed, momentum, direction and proximity to the puck. One such situation is when the puck has the potentiaal to rebound off the back boards, thereby becoming available and playable ahead of the goal line/in front of the net.dddddddddddd This enhances urgency for the linesman to render and communicate his call. A swift decision by the linesmen would enable the goalkeeper to either play the puck or remain in his net should icing result. Similarly to a referees "intent" to blow the whistle there is always a slight delay between the brain receiving a visual picture, processing the information to make a judgment and then transmitting that signal to the motor senses for a response. The end result of this process would be for the linesman to either wave the play good or blow his whistle and then raise an arm for icing. On all counts, linesman Don Henderson made the correct judgment given the flood of information that he received in the same instant on this play. Radek Dvorak was in the lead lane when he blew past Cody Franson, as the Leafs defenceman was turning from backward to forward skating posture. Dvorak clearly had the speed, momentum, closest proximity to the puck and lead position on Morgan Rielly as they were just about to cross the hash marks. Linesman Don Henderson factored all of these criteria in his determination to wave off icing combined with the fact that in the same instant Bernier made a play on the puck. In the footage available on TSN SPORTSCENTRE, we see linesman Hendersons arms still extended in the wave with Dvorak well past the hash marks and Rielly trailing. It will certainly take some time for everyone to adjust to this new rule. Radek Dvorak demonstrated the "safe" competition created by this new icing rule in his race for the finish line. Perhaps Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said it best; "The number one thing is never give up on the puck." ' ' '