Alex Anthopoulos knows full well the risk he took Tuesday dealing away some immensely popular Blue Jays.

“My house might get egged tonight, moving these guys,” the general manager said after shipping fan favourite John McDonald and Aaron Hill to the Arizona Diamondbacks for second baseman Kelly Johnson.

“Jose Bautista was joking there are going to be riots in Toronto tonight because of how well liked these players are.”

But to hear Anthopoulos talk, and to listen to McDonald and possibly Hill discuss their future plans, the trade may end up just being a five-week hiatus.

“I know for the fans, this will be a tough one,” said Anthopoulos said of dealing free-agents-to-be. “This was an opportunity to put them on a team that’s in first place ... I have not ruled out either player being back here in 2012.”

McDonald sounded like a return is far more likely.

“Alex has made it clear there’s an opportunity for me to be back here and I think that’s what made it so easy to through this process because the dialogue is so open,” said McDonald, who had to agree to the trade because he’s a 10-year veteran who’s spent at least five seasons with his current team.

“I’ve known Alex for a handful of years now and I’ve had a lot of conversations with him about me and what type of player I am, how he sees me, how he sees me in this organization and what he sees going into the future. It’s all been positive.”

But until then — and no one has a crystal ball to see how the off-season will unfold — McDonald and Hill get to join a team leading the National League West and experience a true pennant race for the first time.

It may rejuvenate the regressing Hill and give McDonald a chance to experience first-hand something he never has.

“I think I’m harder on myself than anybody and … I know I can bring something to the ballpark every single day with a chance to help the team win and that’s what I’m going to be doing in Arizona now in a pennant race,” said Hill.

McDonald departs as possibly the biggest fan favourite of any player. The utility infielder, who’ll likely split time at shortstop in Arizona, saw his career take off during his seven seasons in Toronto and that’s the biggest thing he takes away.

“I didn’t know where my career was going to go when I was traded here seven years ago and to have had this opportunity to play with this organization, to establish myself as a major league player — which I didn’t think I had done in Cleveland — and to have worn a Blue Jays uniform up until today, I’m extremely thankful.”

Johnson, a left-hand hitting 29-year-old, struggled at times with Arizona this year, hitting just .209 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. He’s also a free agent this fall.

“It’ll give us a chance to investigate the second base free agent class a little bit more,” said Anthopoulos.

It speaks to McDonald’s popularity that Hill cited one of his teammates accomplishments as one of his best memories of his Jays tenure.

“A big part of what I remember, something that hit me pretty hard, and I’m always going to remember, is the Father’s Day home run, John McDonald,” said Hill, recalling a McDonald homer in the first at-bat following the death of McDonald’s father.

“That was very special for me to be part of that and to be his teammate, and to witness a miracle, which is what I felt that day.”

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McDonald was a bit more philosophical.

“The Father’s Day home run is right at the top of my list (of) memories of accomplishment but it’s more of finally feeling like a major-leaguer, someone who’s going to come to the ballpark every day and do something for your team,” he said.

“It’s feeling like you belong, feeling like you’re a part of that fraternity of major league baseball players. That’s something I really wanted.”

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