TORONTO - Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista spent part of the off-season in Mexico, went to the Dominican Republic for the New Years holiday and was home in Tampa for the last two weeks to begin training for the 2015 season.He kept the shorts and sunscreen at home for his latest trip, a venture north to his summer stomping grounds for the Blue Jays annual Winter Tour.It was a different look for Bautista on Friday as he sported a thick, hooded winter jacket during a media availability at Rogers Centre. The different look of the team he anchors was one of the main topics of conversation.Were not that far away, Bautista said. We were very close last season. At the (trade) deadline, two games out of first place. Youre talking about minimal changes that can have a great effect and weve had some great moves so far already that can make us better. I truly feel like we have a contender.I felt that way two years ago, last year and again this year. I feel like we have a better roster now than we did a few years ago.After a disappointing third-place finish in the American League East last season, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos quickly went to work. Canadian catcher Russell Martin was signed to a lucrative long-term deal and third baseman Josh Donaldson, pitcher Marco Estrada and Canadian outfielder Michael Saunders were acquired via trade. Pitcher J.A. Happ and infielders Adam Lind and Canadian Brett Lawrie were shipped out.There is more work to be done. The bullpen needs to be shored up and the team could use an upgrade at second base.But the upgrades have been significant. Martin gives the team a big defensive boost behind the plate and Donaldson is considered one of the best third basemen in the major leagues.The way I hope that they impact the team is by doing what theyve done in the past with other clubs and doing it here, Bautista said. Just by doing that, it will be a huge influence I believe on wins and losses at the end of the season.Toronto played a solid first half last season but faded after the all-star break, winding up with a mediocre 83-79 record. Bautista again posted big numbers with 35 homers and 103 RBIs but the team was essentially out of the playoff hunt in early September.There are some exciting young players on the roster but the teams core is built to win now.Bautista, for one, is 34 and entering the last guaranteed year of his contract. However, those factors — along with the teams long post-season drought — are not something that affects his preparation.Theres no urgency on my end in any aspect, Bautista said. The thing that Im focused on is figuring out how to help to win more games and winning more games and making it to the playoffs. Because we have such a good core and such a good team, I dont feel any sense of urgency.Joining Bautista for the Winter Tour kickoff were Canadian outfielder Dalton Pompey and pitchers R.A. Dickey, Todd Redmond and Aaron Loup. Other players are tabbed to participate in events next week in Calgary, Banff and Vancouver.Dickey, the 40-year-old knuckleballer, also felt that the off-season moves will help the team.Its nice to look on paper and see some names there throughout the lineup that you know are going to be special players, he said. Its comforting is what it is. Im trying to hold back my expectation until we get rolling but its nice to see those names for sure.Martin has expressed an interest in learning how to catch Dickeys knuckleball, a floating, tricky pitch thats difficult for all backstops to handle. Dickey has primarily worked with Josh Thole but hes looking forward to developing a rapport with Martin as well.Ive thrown 75 or 80 per cent of my starts since 2010 to Josh Thole and I love him like a brother, Dickey said. But to have a guy who can step in there and do it as well is a nice commodity.Also Friday, the Blue Jays avoided arbitration with Estrada and Saunders by agreeing to terms on one-year contracts. Estradas deal is worth US$3.9 million while Saunders will earn $2.875 million.Toronto also signed infielder Munenori Kawasaki to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training and outrighted right-hander Cory Burns to triple-A Buffalo.Pitchers and catchers will begin working out at spring training on Feb. 23. The Blue Jays will kick off the regular season April 6 at New York.———Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter. Air Max 97 Clearance . -- Quarterback Josh Johnson has returned to the San Francisco 49ers and his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh. Cheap Womens Air Max 97 . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. http://www.outletairmax97.com/air-max-97-plus-cheap.html.com) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quickly found themselves a new offensive coordinator, and one thats quite familiar with the NFC South. Nike Vapormax 97 Metallic Gold . - Vince Wilfork has played only two career games in Kansas City. Air Max 97 Valentines Day 2019 . Wheeler scored at 4:58 of overtime, with Scheifele getting an assist, and the Jets beat the slumping Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night.LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Frankie (The Answer) Edgar dominated B.J. Penn en route to a third-round TKO on "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 19 finale card Sunday night, defeating The Prodigy for a third time. Penn, who had come out of retirement for the fight, promptly called it quits again. Edgar (16-4-1) was too quick for a sluggish Penn, who had no answers in a lopsided battle of former champions before 6,500 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Penn (16-10-2) occupied the centre of the cage but did little while Edgar circled and attacked. When Edgar took Penn down, he hurt him repeatedly. Referee Herb Dean finally stopped the carnage at four minutes 16 seconds of the third round. "Frankie did a great job," said Penn. "I shouldnt have come back. I shouldnt have been in the ring tonight." And the 35-year-old Hawaiian said hes headed back to retirement. "Of course, this is the end," an emotional Penn told the post-fight news conference after getting stitches. "Im thinking to myself why did you step back in the Octagon after the beating that Rory MacDonald gave you (in December 2012)? The reason is because I really needed to find out. If I didnt make this night happen for myself, I would have always wondered ... I guess I just needed some closure." Despite the bloody loss, Penn said he would have regretted not fighting more. UFC president Dana White didnt stick around to watch the whole fight. "What more do you want, B.J.?" he told the post-fight news conference before Penn arrived. "Theres nothing left to prove." Penn, a baseball cap hiding the damage around his eyes, lowered his head to the table at one point when asked about his legacy. He was too emotional to speak. White jumped in to fill the void. "Hes one of the best 155-pounders of all time," White said. "He built that weight class and he was responsible for helping build the UFC. Thats his legacy." Unlike the first two fights, which were held in the lightweight (155-pound) division, Penn and Edgar met this time as featherweights (145 pounds). Edgar, who was a 4-1 favourite Sunday, took away Penns lightweight title in 2010 and then beat him again in a rematch four months later. He later lost the 155-pound crown to Benson Henderson. Penn, who also once held the welterweight title, last fought in late 2012 when he was beaten comprehensively by Canadas MacDonald in Seattle. He asked to come back to have another crack at the 32-year-old Edgar, with the UFC appointing them rival coaches on the reality TV show. Edgar had gone 2-3-1 since their first two fights while Penn went 1-2-1 before retiring after the MacDonald loss. Sunday marked Penns 23rd fight in the UFC, fourth most in UFC history. It was Edgars 16th trip to the Octagon. A serene Penn ran out to cheers and the familiar Hawaiian strains of the late Israel Kamakawiwoole, although the music quickly morphed into an uptempo remix. The lights dimmed and the pro-Penn crowd started booing. Edgar ran in to "Kick in the Door" by The Notorious B.I.G. The fight started as the first two did. Edgar darted in and out while Penn looked — unsuccessfully — to connect. Edgar scored an early takedown, alternating with launching kicks at the downed Penn and jumping back on top of him. Dean eventually let Penn get up, to cheers from the crowd. It was more of the same in tthe second as Penn chased the speedy Edgar to little effect before being taken down.dddddddddddd The round ended with Edgar scoring with heavy blows from above. Penns face was showing damage as the third round began. The Hawaiian tripped midway through the round, finding himself on his back again. An elbow opened Penns face up as Edgar scored at will in a painful round to watch. "I almost feel bad about it," Edgar said of the finish. The card, coming on the heels of UFC 175 Saturday night, marked the finale to International Fight Week in Las Vegas. The Season 19 finalists were all from Edgars team, marking only the second time in TUF history that one team filled all four spots (Canada also did it in the "TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia" series. Middleweight Eddie (Truck) Gordon overpowered Dhiego Lima in 71 seconds to win the 185-pound Season 19 crown. Gordon (8-1) put Lima down with a pair of overhead rights at the fence and then landed a dozen more blows until Montreal referee Yves Lavigne stepped in. The 30-year-old Gordon, who trains with UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, has a degree in finance, marketing and communication from Fordham University. Lima (10-2), who fought five times in the Edmonton-based Maximum Fighting Championship, was competing one division above his normal welterweight class. It was an almost exact replay in the 205-pound final as Corey (Beastin 25/8) Anderson hurt Matt (Gutter) Van Buren (7-3) early and often. The fight was stopped after just 61 seconds. Anderson (5-0) has a degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a liberal arts degree from Lincoln College. Both winners earned a UFC contract and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Coaches aside, Season 19 was seen as one of the more disappointing in the series history. White admitted Saturday night that he tried not to think about it any more. Saturdays fight was Penns first at 145 pounds, adding another chapter that has seen him fight all over the weight map, including heavyweight. He looked ripped at Fridays weigh-in — "awesome," according to White. While an icon in the sport and one of only two fighters to win UFC championships in two different weight classes (Randy Couture was the other), Penn came into Sundays card having won just one of his last six bouts. Two of those losses were to Edgar. Also beaten by Nick Diaz, he defeated former welterweight champion Matt Hughes and fought Jon Fitch to a draw. Canadians went 1-1 on the undercard. Sarah (Cheesecake) Moras (4-1) of Kelowna, B.C., won her UFC debut with a 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 decision over Alexis (Sneaky Zebra) Dufresne (5-1) in a fight contested mainly on the ground. Lightweight Jesse (The Body Snatcher) Ronson (13-5) lost a 29-28, 28-29, 30-27 decision to Kevin (The Motown Phenom) Lee, finishing on the wrong end of a split decision for the third UFC fight in a row. Earlier on the main card, flyweight Dustin Ortiz won a 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 split decision over Justin (Tank) Scoggins (9-1), Ortiz (14-3) is ranked 13th among 125-pound contenders. Heavyweight Derrick (The Black Beast) Lewis stopped American-based Brazilian Guto Inocente (6-3) with some nasty ground-and-pound in the first round. Then the 264-pound Lewis (11-2 with on no contest) somehow made it to the top of the fence to celebrate his second win in as many UFC fights. ' ' '