Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says he isn't optimistic he'll be able to upgrade his club's starting rotation via free agency, but he has identified three starting pitchers to target in trades.

"It's so hard to make a trade that I can't handicap the likelihood that it's going to happen, but we're certainly trying," he said Wednesday during his annual meeting with the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

"As the prices in free agency sit today, I'm not optimistic. But that could change. We're definitely having dialogue in trade. I wouldn't say that we're necessarily close, but we're having active dialogue. Where that leads to, I don't know yet."

The Jays owned the second-worst starters' ERA in the majors last season and landing at least one front line starting pitcher remains Anthopoulos's top priority heading into next-week's winter meetings in Orlando, Fla.

But even if he's not able to add another starter to bolster the rotation, Anthopoulos said he believes the team's pitching will be better than last year simply because they have much more depth, given the development of prospects Marcus Stroman and Sean Nolin, the returns of Drew Hutchison and Kyle Drabek from Tommy John surgery, and the emergence of Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond.

"Starters six through 10 are so much stronger than they were last year ... (So) there's definitely upside there. What you don't have is certainty. That's where you'd like to go out and get someone where you have that certainty and those guys can be depth in the minor leagues."

On Monday, he addressed one of the club's other major weaknesses by signing free-agent catcher Dioner Navarro to a two-year deal, while non-tendering incumbent backstop J.P. Arencibia.

Anthopoulos discussed a wide range of topics on Wednesday. Here's a sampling.

On why the Jays weren't involved in the Doug Fister trade

Fister, who owns a 3.53 career ERA over five seasons, was dealt by Detroit to Washington on Monday for a package of underwhelming players. The 29-year-old right-hander would seem to be a great fit for the Jays, whose bullpen depth should have been attractive to Detroit. Anthopoulos agreed, but the Tigers were apparently not interested in anything the Jays could offer.

"I don't think we lined up with Detroit," he said. "(Tigers GM) Dave Dombrowski has got a good as track record as a GM as you're going to find; it seems there was just a better fit with the Nationals than there was with us . you can't force something that isn't there."

On Tuesday's trade of Brad Lincoln to Philadelphia

The Jays made a minor deal Tuesday night, sending reliever Brad Lincoln to the Phillies for backup catcher Erik Kratz and minor-league left-hander Rob Rasmussen. Anthopoulos explained that since Lincoln was out of options he would have had to make the club out of spring training, which was unlikely given their depth in the bullpen.

Rasmussen, on the other hand, still has three option years remaining. "You get to turn back the clock a little bit," Anthopoulos explained.

Kratz, who was drafted by Toronto and spent six years in their minor-league system, will compete with Josh Thole for the backup catching job and, if he loses, will serve as minor-league depth at the position. The main responsibility for the Jays' secondary backstop is catching R.A. Dickey's knuckleball, and Anthopoulos said Kratz has experience with the pitch, having caught journeyman Charlie Zink in the minors.

"Obviously the quality of that pitch is not the same as with R.A., but he's not completely foreign to it," Anthopoulos said, adding Kratz will have the opportunity to work with Dickey in spring training.

On the situation at second base

Anthopoulos said he would like to add a veteran second baseman who could compete with impressive youngster Ryan Goins and veteran infielder Maicer Izturis for the everyday job, but as it stands he is prepared to enter next season with a combination of Goins and Izturis in the position.

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"But we have talked about some guys that could upgrade us there," he said. "Defensively we feel great with a guy like Goins. He's as good defensively as we've had here in a long time. The question is the bat and how much is he going to hit."

Goins still has options left, so he could start the year in the minors if the Jays were to acquire another infielder.

"We've talked to some free agents, we've talked to some teams about trade . but if I had to guess second base might be something that we do in January. . For right now we're not going to force anything."

On getting a platoon mate for Adam Lind

While Lind bounced back with a solid campaign in 2013, he still struggled against left-handed pitching, and with Mark DeRosa retiring and Rajai Davis electing free agency, the Jays no longer have an obvious platoon mate for the 30-year-old DH.

Outfielder Moises Sierra, who is out of options and would have to make the club out of spring training or be lost to waivers, has been taking reps at first base in the Dominican Republic, and Anthopoulos said he could serve as Lind's other half against left-handed pitching - if no other option can be found.

"We've definitely talked to clubs about getting a platoon-type guy," Anthopoulos said. "Sierra's definitely not a lock to make this team, but because he's out of options we'd like to find a way we can keep him."

Other club notes

• Anthopoulos said that Brandon Morrow, who missed two-thirds of last season due to a nerve injury in his right forearm, has fully recovered and has been throwing at 100 per cent. "He's completely healthy, completely healed."

• Of all the organization's young pitchers, Anthopoulos appeared to be most excited about the return of Hutchison, who made 11 starts for the club in 2012 but missed the second half of that season and almost all of 2013 recovering from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. Hutchison pitched in the Arizona Fall League last month and Anthopoulos liked what he saw from the 23-year-old. "I think he's going to make it very hard on us in spring training."

• Anthopoulos said he expects to announce the team's first-base coach in about a week. "We're getting close to getting it done."

• Anthopoulos wouldn't discuss what he expects the team's payroll to be in 2014, but he said it will "certainly go up" from the $120 million that was spent in 2013, and that Rogers $5.2-billion deal to purchase the exclusive NHL broadcast rights in Canada won't change how much money he has to spend.

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