Reyes traded to Jays

THE MIAMI MARLINS' spending spree a year ago didn't work, so now they're trying another payroll purge - trading away their biggest stars in one blockbuster deal.

Rebranded in a new ballpark at the start of 2012, the Marlins were up to their old ways Tuesday, swapping top names for top prospects. Miami sent All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes, lefthander Mark Buehrle and ace righthander Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the agreement said.

The person confirmed the trade to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams weren't officially commenting. The person said the trade sent several of the Blue Jays' top prospects to Miami.

The stunning agreement came less than a year after the Marlins added Reyes, Buehrle and closer Heath Bell in an uncharacteristic $191 million spending binge as they moved into a new ballpark. The acquisitions raised high hopes, but the Marlins instead finished last in the NL East.

The latest paring of salary actually began in July, when the Marlins parted ways with former NL batting champion Hanley Ramirez, second baseman Omar Infante and righthander Anibal Sanchez, among others. Bell, the team's high-profile bust, was traded to Arizona last month.

Under owner Jeffrey Loria, long the target of fan acrimony, the Marlins have usually been among baseball's thriftiest teams. Management pledged that would change with the new ballpark, but team officials were disappointed with attendance in 2012, and revenue fell far short of their projections.

Even so, the blockbuster deal came as a shock. The players involved must undergo physicals before the trade becomes final.

Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins' precocious slugger, wasn't involved in the deal, but wasn't happy about it.

Stanton said he was mad about the deal "Plain & Simple," he tweeted shortly after the news broke.

The housecleaning was also the subject of much mirth on Twitter.

"Good trade, I think we won it," tweeted FakeSamson, a site that mocks Marlins president David Samson.

The swap was easier for the Marlins to swing because of their longstanding policy of refusing to include no-trade clauses in contracts.

The deal gave an immediate boost to the Blue Jays, who have not reached the playoffs since winning their second consecutive World Series in 1993. Toronto went 73-89 last season and finished fourth in the AL East for the fourth straight year, again falling short in a division that includes big spenders.

Davey Johnson, of the Washington Nationals, and Bob Melvin, of the Oakland Athletics, were named managers of the year after guiding their teams to huge turnaround seasons.

Melvin beat out Baltimore's Buck Showalter for the AL honor in a close vote by a Baseball Writers' Association of America panel. Under Melvin, the A's made a 20-game improvement, finished 94-68 and won the AL West.

Johnson was an easy choice for the NL prize after the Nationals - who had never enjoyed a winning year - posted the best record in the majors and made their first playoff appearance.

Johnson, who turns 70 in January, was honored for the second time. He was tabbed as the AL's top manager in 1997, hours after he resigned from the Orioles in a feud with owner Peter Angelos.

The Nationals announced this month that Johnson will guide them in 2013. He's set to leave the dugout and become a team consultant in 2014.

"World Series or bust," Johnson said on the MLB Network. "It's going to be my last year, anyway."

Melvin also became a two-time winner, having been chosen in 2007 with Arizona.