TORONTO -- General manager Alex Anthopoulos gave his battered pitching corps a little relief Friday. The Toronto Blue Jays acquired pitchers J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter in a 10-player deal with the Houston Astros. They also recalled outfielder Travis Snider from triple-A Las Vegas. Toronto sent pitcher Francisco Cordero and outfielder Ben Francisco along with four minor-league players -- right-handers Joe Musgrove and Asher Wojciechowski, left-hander David Rollins and catcher Carlos Perez -- and a player to be named later to Houston. "This was a depth deal," Anthopoulos said during a conference call. "I think it looks like a greater deal because of the quantity of players but at the end of the day we gave up some guys in A ball that we think have a chance to be all right and we got some much-needed depth that can help us for the current year and going forward. "I dont think Im saying anything crazy by acknowledging that these are not our top prospects and I dont think anyone wouldve expected us to include those guys. We need some depth going forward for the current year and beyond that . . . with the guys that are up here, our depth has really been attacked." Left-hander Happ and Lyon, a right-hander, are expected to join the Blue Jays on Saturday and both will throw out of the bullpen. However, Anthopoulos said Happ could find himself in the starting rotation if a current member struggles or is hurt. Carpenter, a 27-year-old right-hander, will report to triple-A Las Vegas. It has already been a bizarre year for Torontos pitching rotation with starters Henderson Alvarez, Brandon Morrow, Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison all hurt. But the Blue Jays injury woes havent been limited to its pitching as slugger Jose Bautista (wrist) and third baseman Brett Lawrie (calf) are also among the clubs walking wounded. The addition of Happ and Carpenter does offer Toronto some security as Happ is under club control through 2014 while Carpenter is signed through 2017. Lyon is slated to become a free agent at the end of the season. "We like Happs ability to strike guys out," Anthopoulos said. "Obviously a guy like Brandon Lyon is having a solid year. He has been hurt in the past but Cordero obviously hasnt pitched as well as hes certainly capable of and we think swapping out Lyon with Cordero will help our bullpen for the current year. "A guy like David Carpenter is someone we liked at the end of last year. I know he hasnt been up with the Astros very long and was sent back down but hes a guy with pretty good arm strength and has some upside." Happ, 29, is in his sixth major league season and has a 7-9 record and 4.83 earned-run average in 18 starts this year. The six-foot-six, 195-pound left-hander has a 32-33 career record and 4.16 ERA with Philadelphia (2007-10) and Houston (2010-12). Lyon, 32, is 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 37 relief appearances. The right-hander is returning to Toronto after breaking into the majors with the club in 2001-02 but only appeared in 15 games last year due to tendinitis in his right biceps. Carpenter is in his second major league season having posted an 0-2 record and 6.07 ERA in 30 relief appearances. Snider, 24, hit .335 with 13 homers and 56 RBIs in 56 games with Las Vegas. He is scheduled to be in uniform for Friday nights game in Boston. "We may have given him a few more games (at Las Vegas) because it looked like he was starting to get hot," Anthopoulos said of Snider. "But with the trade being done it was obviously the time to make the move now." To make room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Robert Coello was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Anthopoulos couldnt say whether hell make another deal before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. "I really have no idea," he said frankly. "We dont have this expectation that we have to make a move. "All we continue to do at all times is try to make the team better whenever we can. We continue to be active year-round and whenever we can make a trade to get better we will." Cordero, 37, was 3-5 with two saves in 41 appearances for Toronto this season. He has 329 career saves, second among active players behind Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees (608). In 794 career relief appearances, Cordero has a 3.28 ERA and registered 40 or more saves three times in his career. "I just dont think he could ever get on track here, we couldnt get him on track," Anthopoulos said of Cordero. "I think hell perform a lot better for the Astros with a fresh start. "The one thing is this guy was an unbelievable teammate, hes a pro. You cant help but admire the way he went about it day in and day out. Even with just the struggles he had this year, the way he carried himself the way he handled himself he definitely was one of the most respected guys in our clubhouse so from that standpoint youre sad to lose that element that he brought." Francisco hit .244 in 23 games for the Blue Jays this season and has .259 career average with 45 homers in 483 career games with Cleveland, Philadelphia and Toronto. "This is a very good deal for us," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow told The Associated Press. "Once again, we are adding depth to our minor-league system with quality young players. "We really feel this will help us moving forward and are extremely excited about the players weve added to our organization." cheap nfl jerseys . The Daily News reported Thursday that there were rumours in Major League Baseball and New York banking circles that the Steinbrenner family "is exploring the possibility of selling the Yankees. wholesale jerseys . 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CHARTRES, France -- For Bradley Wiggins, the Champagne on the Champs-Elysees is about to flow. He all but locked up Tour de France victory with a tour-de-force in winning the final time trial, putting him on the cusp of becoming the first Briton to win cyclings showpiece race. Wiggins blew away the field in Saturdays race against the clock in Stage 19, his second stage victory in a time trial, his specialty. "I really wanted to go out there and finish with a bang, and fortunately I was able to do that," said Wiggins, who noted the breadth of emotion for his historic achievement when he spotted his mechanic in tears. Even before the Tour, Wiggins was the favourite. But in the yellow jersey since Stage 7, he had to handle questions about the unity of his Sky Team, pre-race preparations, and ability to get up mountains -- all of which he put to rest. There was also the absence of two-time Tour champion and cycling superstar Alberto Contador, whos serving out a doping ban, that led many to question whether Wiggins was really the sports best. Wiggins has been vocal in his criticism of doping in cycling and said the sport may be changing after tough new controls put in place by the sports governing body, the UCI, in recent years to battle drugs cheats. "I think the Tour is a lot more human now with everything the UCI is doing," he said, suggesting that dopers -- and their intermittently incredible performances -- are being rinsed from the peloton. The three-time Olympic track champion made the tricky transition to road racing, and said he was driven to win this Tour after crashing out a year ago with a broken collarbone. He envied Australias Cadel Evans, who had the elation of winning the 2011 race. "That was my motivation: I want to feel whats hes feeling," Wiggins recalled. The Team Sky leader obliterated the pack in the 53.5-kilometre ride from Bonneval to Chartres and punched the air and shouted as he crossed the finish line. Again this year, Sundays ride to the finish on Paris Champs-Elysees will be largely ceremonial -- his three-minute lead was too large for any competitor to erase over the 120 kilometres from Rambouillet. And besides, second-placed was teammate and countryman Christopher Froome. Wiggins sighed and looked skyward as he hoisted the winners bouquet. "I have a lot of emotion right now," he said. "Its the stuff of dreams to win the final time trial and seal the Tour." Wiggins was timed in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 13 seconds. Froome was second, 1:16 behind. Luis Leon Sanchez of Spain was third, 1:50 back. Overall, Wiggins has a 3:21 lead over Froome. Italys Vincenzo Nibali was third, 6:19 back. Riders set off one-by-one in the race agaiinst the clock in reverse order of the standings, and Wiggins dominance was evident from the first time check.dddddddddddd He was 12 seconds ahead of Froome after (13 kilometres). Wiggins had a formidable lead coming into the stage. His only threat of any kind was from Froome, a successful time-trial rider, and less so from Nibali, whos not quite as strong in this discipline. Despite rumblings about behind-the-scenes competition between them, Froome proved a faithful teammate to the end. "As we saw today, hes stronger than me," Froome told French TV, after hugging Wiggins. "Im very happy. The (Sky) goal this year was to win the Tour with Bradley. To be second (for me) is an added plus." The standings below them were the biggest question mark: Whether young American Tejay Van Garderen could overtake Jurgen Van Den Broeck for fourth -- he didnt -- or whether Frenchman Pierre Rolland, a strong climber but not a time-trialer, would stay in the top 10. He did. The main change at the top concerned Evans. He was passed by BMC teammate Van Garderen despite a three-minute head start and fell one spot to seventh in the overall standings. The mostly flat course passed fields of corn and wheat into Chartres, known for its towering cathedral with asymmetrical spires. The route presented few challenges other than the breeze. In the last 10 kilometres, Wiggins thoughts turned to his family. Born in Belgium, he was raised by a single mother in the working-class area of Kilburn in northwest London. His father, a former racing cyclist, was largely absent from his life; he died in 2008. "Just thinking back to my childhood. My father leaving us when I was a kid and growing up with my mum in a flat," Wiggins said, recalling his grandfathers death during the 2010 Tour. "My grandfather brought me up -- he was my father role-model." Wiggins also gave a nod to the legions of British fans who have flocked into France to watch the race, some dressing up as English knights or unfurling Union Jacks in their car windows. "Thats something that touches me more because its difficult for the English with the French," Wiggins told French TV, in French, "because I know France doesnt like the English." Wiggins has been the odds-on favourite to win after showing dazzling form with three stage-race victories this season. He was fourth in the 2009 Tour and 24th in 2010. This Tour has been about as favourable as it could come for Wiggins: He is among the worlds top time-trialists. Mountains, not his specialty, carried relatively less importance this time. But he proved through two days in the Alps and two in the Pyrenees that hes among the best climbers, too. cheap jerseys from china ' ' '