During baseball’s Winter Meetings, the White Sox trade their closer Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in exchange for Nestor Molina, a 22 year-old right-handed prospect with a 27-7 minor league won-loss record and a 2.21 ERA overall. Toronto’s new reliever, who recorded 30 saves in 36 opportunities with Chicago last season, will be an upgrade for the club, whose top closer in 2011 recorded only 17 saves.

Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun is named recipient of the Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award for 2012.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays fill some of the hole in their bullpen by trading for hard-throwing reliever Sergio Santos from the White Sox, giving up top pitching prospect Nestor Molina in return.

The Mets announce a number of moves at the annual Winter Meetings, held in Dallas, TX. First, they sign relievers Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco to free agent deals; the two were teammates in Toronto last season. Then, they trade OF Angel Pagan to San Francisco in return for yet another reliever – Ramon Ramirez – and OF Andres Torres­.

The Twins trade SP Kevin Slowey to Colorado for a player to be named. Slowey was 0-8, 6.67 in 2011 and did not figure in the Twins’ plans for next season.