"When the Blue Jays started shopping Scott Rolen these past couple of weeks it was as a courtesy to a player who had asked to be moved closer to his Indiana home for personal reasons.

But when the deal was struck, it was so attractive to the Jays that general manager J.P. Ricciardi said he would have had to consider it under any circumstances.

Rolen was dealt to the Reds yesterday in exchange for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and pitchers Zach Stewart and Josh Roenicke.

"We were able to get younger at third base and we really, really like the arms we got back, plus we saved $6 million (on Rolen's 2010 salary)," said Ricciardi. "We weren't going to trade him just for the sake of trading him but, even if he hadn't asked (for the trade) we would have had to take a hard look at this as presented."

Encarnacion is making $2 million this year and will earn $4.75 million next year, about $6.25 million less than Rolen. In limited playing time this year, the 26-year-old from the Dominican Republic was hitting just .209 with five home runs, well off his career averages.

In 514 big-league games he has averaged .261 with 71 homers and 263 RBI."