Front-office sources with the Pittsburgh Pirates told Metro yesterday that, before MLB’s July 31 trade deadline, they made a two-for-one proposal in which they would have dealt Canadian all-star Jason Bay to Toronto for minor-leaguers Travis Snider and Brett Cecil.

The Jays mulled it over and declined. Snider is a power-hitting outfielder/first baseman. Cecil is a left-handed pitcher. Baseball America ranks the two as the Jays’ most promising minor-leaguers.

Bay, a B.C. native, wound up in the Boston Red Sox’s outfield as part of a three-way deal that sent the Pirates prospects and the Los Angeles Dodgers all-star outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Bay has excelled with Boston so far. He entered last night with six runs and a .315 average in 16 at-bats.

• Not that Ramirez has been slouching in L.A. He entered last night with a .615 average and five runs batted in after 13 at-bats.

And I’m sensing an all-L.A. World Series in October – the Dodgers and the Angels.

• The Stampeders and their fans are still fuming about their one-point loss to the Roughriders in Calgary Saturday night, partly because the officials mistakenly ejected linebacker JoJuan Armour after the game’s second defensive snap and partly because some Saskatchewan fans in attendance refused to abide by the moment of silence devoted to ex-CFLer Leif Pettersen.

But it’s the undefeated Riders who have filed an official complaint against Calgary, demanding league executives review what they considered an illegal, horse-collar tackle by the Stamps’ Brandon Browner on the Riders’ Carl Berman.

Should be an interesting rematch in Regina tomorrow, with Armour vowing that Rider running back Wes Cates won’t come close to the 139 yards he gained last week.

• The Beijing Olympics will enable a Canadian website to become the world’s first social networking company to make measurable income for sponsors.

“Online companies have long been trying to prove to sponsors that they can make money,” said Shawn Saraga, president of www.freemyteam.com, the all-sports version of Facebook, “but we’ll actually be proving it once and for all, without doubt.”

The lowdown: Users can sign on at freemyteam.com, enter a code and collect $10 off at a Shoeless Joe’s restaurant.

“Watch the Olympics there and cheer on our athletes,” Saraga said. “It’s a win-win. Shoeless Joe’s makes money and our users save money.”