White Sox trade Jason Frasor back to Blue Jays for two minor-leaguers

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Reliever Jason Frasor was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for two minor-league pitchers. | Genevieve Ross~AP

Updated: February 3, 2012 8:13AM

The White Sox’ payroll trimming and replenishing of their farm continued Sunday with the trade of right-handed reliever Jason Frasor to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-handed minor-league pitchers Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb.

It was the second salary-reducing trade in two days by general manager Ken Williams, who unloaded All-Star outfielder Carlos Quentin to the San Diego Padres for two pitching prospects on Saturday. The New Year’s weekend salary savings total about $11 million, dropping the Sox’ payroll for 2012 to an estimated $105 million, $22.8 million less than last season’s franchise-high $127.8 million.

Frasor, 34, was 3-3 with a 3.60 ERA with the Sox and Jays last season. The Oak Forest and Southern Illinois graduate was acquired from Toronto with pitcher Zach Stewart on July 27 in the trade for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen. Frasor was 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA for the Sox, who picked up his $3.75 million option for 2012 on Oct. 31.

Williams was not available Sunday because of the holiday. He has said the Sox are still “in win mode” despite the cuts. It’s clearly not the “all in” win mode of 2011, but with big contracts on the books, management will have to pin its ticket-selling hopes on a competitive pitching staff — albeit one that’s getting younger by the week — and potential bounce-back years from Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham.

Whether Gavin Floyd and Matt Thornton are part of the staff depends on how much trimming is in the plan. The bulk of the 2012 millions on the books is going to Jake Peavy ($17 million), Dunn ($14), Rios ($12.5), Paul Konerko ($12), John Danks ($8), Floyd ($7), A.J. Pierzynski ($6), Thornton ($5.5), Alexei Ramirez ($5), Jesse Crain ($4.5), Dayan Viciedo ($3.25) and Will Ohman ($2). Floyd and Thornton are the most movable pieces among them.

Neither Jaye nor Webb is considered a top prospect. Jaye, 20, pitched for Advanced Rookie Bluefield of the Appalachian League in 2011, going 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA over 54 innings. Jaye is 6-3, 170 pounds. He was a 17th-round pick in the 2010 draft.

Webb, 22, spent most of the 2011 season with Class A Lansing in the Midwest League. He went 4-5 with a 5.59 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 66 innings for Lansing. Webb is 6-3, 210 pounds. He was an 18th-round pick in 2009 but signed for $450,000 because of his commitment to attending college. Webb is 5-12 with a 5.11 ERA in two seasons in the minors.