Some people remember it as if it was yesterday. Other people consider it a distant memory. It doesn’t matter how you view the Toronto Blue Jays playoff runs of 2015 and 2016, because those days are long gone. It seems too good to be true to picture a time where the Blue Jays could field consecutive playoff teams, while the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are not the dominant ball clubs that they are now. In 2015, the Blue Jays lost in 6 games to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), while the Yankees lost in the wildcard game and the Red Sox failed to qualify for the playoffs. Blue Jays fans will remember that this playoff run was headlined by the famous Jose Bautista bat flip. In 2016, the Blue Jays lost in 5 games to the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS, while the Red Sox fell victim to Cleveland the round prior and the Yankees failed to qualify for the playoffs. Blue Jays fans will remember that this playoff run was headlined by the Edwin Encarnacion walk off home run in extra innings against the Baltimore Orioles. Ah, the good ol’ days. It can be very hard to cope with the fact that the Blue Jays couldn’t take advantage of a time where the MLB’s toughest division was up for the taking, as we have now reached a point where the Yankees and Red Sox, through both deep pockets and strong young talent, are set up to control the division for the foreseeable future. In knowing this, the Blue Jays had the tough position this trade deadline of looking to acquire prospects to build for the distant future, while also acquiring players that can make the team competitive enough in the near future to surround the number 1 prospect in baseball, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (VGJ) with enough talent to not waste too many of his prime, controllable seasons in a Blue Jays uniform.  So, let’s find out what they did at the trade deadline and look at the future implications of each deal. 

WHAT DID THEY DO?

Trade OF Steve Pearce and cash to Boston Red Sox for INF prospect Santiago Espinal:

With Pearce on an expiring contract, and forming a very useful platoon situation with Curtis Granderson at the time, the Blue Jays were able to flip an asset for a good prospect. Espinal is the number 24 prospect in the Blue Jays farm system, according to the most recent MLB pipeline prospect list of each team. The 23 year old SS prospect was hitting .262 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI in 17 games with the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays, before a recent promotion to the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats has him hitting .298 in 13 games. Considering that Pearce was a platoon option on an expiring contract who was often injured, the Blue Jays did well to turn that into a good prospect. 

Trade RHP Seung-hwan Oh to Colorado Rockies for prospects Chad Spanberger (1B) and Forrest Wall (OF):

Oh could be seen as the Blue Jays most sought after relief pitcher, due to his performance this season and the fact that he has a very affordable team option next season (that will almost certainly get picked up by the Rockies). With this return, the Blue Jays continued to stock a prospect pool that had been depleted in recent years. Wall, a former 1st round pick in 2014 who can play centre field and left field, had hit .206 in 46 AA games after his May promotion, with 6 home runs. He has joined he New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In Spanberger, the Blue Jays acquired a power hitting lefty who has hit .315 with 22 home runs in Single A this season. He has joined the Single A Lansing Lugnuts. Wall was added to the Blue Jays top 30 prospects, coming in at number 26, while Spanberger was left off the list.

Trade LHP J.A. Happ to New York Yankees for 2B/3B/OF Brandon Drury and prospect Billy McKinney (OF):

The Blue Jays starter was their biggest rental trade piece at the deadline, and they took a unique approach to dealing him. Instead of acquiring teenagers or prospects who are years away, the Blue Jays acquired a young major league player and a prospect who is on the cusp on being major league ready. As mentioned, Toronto needed to find the balance between acquiring long-term prospects and players who can surround the next wave of great Blue Jays players (VGJ, Bo Bichette, Danny Jansen, Anthony Alford, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Ryan Borucki, etc.). Jays brass did very well in this deal, especially considering that Happ had a very tough month of July that reduced his trade value. GM Ross Atkins has been very clear in his attempts to acquire/produce utility players who can play multiple defensive positions to help his manager put out versatile lineups. Examples of this in the past have been the way that the team has handled Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Yangervis Solarte. Drury joins a crowded infield that already includes the aforementioned Gurriel and Solarte, along with Aledmys Díaz, Devon Travis and Josh Donaldson. Drury has had 2 full major league seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, hitting .282 and .267 with a total of 29 home runs and 68 doubles, while maxing out his on-base percentage at .329. The Blue Jays acquired a major league ready player who can play multiple positions and has not yet reached his potential. In McKinney, the Blue Jays acquired a AAA outfielder hitting .226 this season, who also played 4 games with the Yankees to begin the year before getting hurt (in Toronto of all places). He recently cracked the Blue Jays top 30 prospects, coming in at number 19. 

Trade RHP Roberto Osuna to Houston Astros for RHP Ken Giles, RHP pitching prospects Hector Perez and David Paulino:

Wow. This one caught people off guard. The Blue Jays decided internally that Roberto Osuna would never pitch for the team again, so being able to acquire a closer with 2 more years of team control, along with 2 pitching prospects, the Blue Jays did a wonderful job of ridding themselves of a potential major headache. Roberto Osuna was a dominant closer for the better part of the previous 4 seasons, before a domestic abuse allegation landed him a 75 game suspension and ultimately ended his tenure in Toronto. In Giles, the Blue Jays have a closer with some problems in his own right, as the right-hander was a dominant closer throughout the regular season last year, earning 34 saves, before becoming untrustworthy in the World Series and into this season. His 4.99 ERA this year led to his demotion to AAA, as did a couple blow-ups, punching himself in the face after being pulled in a game and shouting at his manager in the dugout one time. A change of scenery should help the 27 year old, as a lot of his underlying numbers this year were in line with his career normals, which suggests that he can get back to be being the dominant pitcher he was last year. He uses a fastball and slider, and can touch 98 M.P.H. on his fastball. Perez, 22, will join AA New Hampshire, and joins the new wave of solid pitching prospects in the system. His best pitch is his fastball, which ranges from the mid to high 90’s, touching 99 M.P.H. He owns a 3.72 ERA across 2 levels this season. The problem that will need to be fixed is his very high walk rate, which leads some to believe that he will eventually move to a bull-pen role. David Paulino, 24, had an up and down tenure as an Astros prospect. He was once the number 3 prospect in their system, before an 80 game PED suspension last season and injuries throughout the years stalled his development. Paulino has had a cup of coffee in the majors, pitching 36 innings for Houston. He also features a heavy fastball, touching 98 M.P.H. and the ability to throw strikes with his other 3 pitches. He will join AAA Buffalo. 

Trade LHP Aaron Loup to Philadelphia Phillies for RHP prospect Jacob Waguespack:

The longest tenured Blue Jay was dealt to the Phillies on deadline day, passing that torch to Kevin Pillar. This was a depth move, but Waguepsack has some potential, as his first game in AAA Buffalo saw him go 6 1/3 innings and strike-out 12. He has a 4.75 ERA across AA and AAA this season. 

Trade RHP John Axford to Los Angeles Dodgers for RHP prospect Corey Copping:

Axford was dealt late on deadline day, and in Copping the Blue Jays acquired another pitching prospect to build up their farm system. Copping has a 2.52 ERA in AA this season, and will join AA New Hampshire. Turning an expiring contract who had pitched very well lately in Axford for a young arm was another good deadline move by the front office. 

FUTURE OF THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

The Blue Jays unloaded 6 players, and received returns that hinted that they want to stock a prospect pool, while also not going into a full blown rebuild. The Blue Jays brought in pieces (headlined by Drury and Giles) that show that they want to surround Guerrero Jr. with a solid team in the near future to avoid wasting his prime seasons, as the Los Angeles Angels have done with Mike Trout. It looks like this team is aiming to be a playoff contending team in 2020. 

There were some players who didn’t get moved at the deadline that could be seen as a surprise, headlined by Curtis Granderson and Yangervis Solarte. There was speculation that Solarte would get moved based on the fact that Gurriel Jr. and Drury are also utility infielders, but the Blue Jays ultimately held onto him. There are still a chance that some Blue Jays pending free agents get traded in August, including Granderson, Donaldson and Marco Estrada (they would just need to slide through waivers, and there is a high chance that those players would). 

This team will have a much different look come 2019. The summer shopping list will probably include bringing in a starting pitcher on a cheap contract that can eat up some innings on a young starting staff that should include Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Sam Gaviglio and Borucki, along with the possibility for the likes of Paulino and Sean Reid-Foley to start their full-time major league careers. Don’t be surprised to see the Blue Jays attempt to bring back J.A. Happ, as a deal makes sense for both sides if Happ is open to coming to a team that doesn’t look like it will be a playoff contender until at least 2020. Additionally, look for the team to continue to go bargain diving for relief pitchers, as this regime has found success in late off-season bull-pen arms that help the team win ball games, while also being options to deal at the deadline, such as Joe Smith and John Axford in the past 2 seasons. It will be interesting to see where else the Blue Jays add in the off-season, but don’t expect too much action, as many positions will be looked to be filled internally via prospects, such as Alford in the OF and Jansen at backup catcher. 

Bautista. Encarnacion. Donaldson. Now it’s Guerrero Jr. This will officially become VGJ’s team next season, with the most likely scenario seeing him become a late April call- up to preserve an extra year of team control, similar to what the Atlanta Braves did with Ronald Acuna Jr. this past year. Blue Jays fans will be treated to seeing the leagues 5th best farm system start to fill out the major league roster in the years to come. This years trade deadline kickstarted a re-tool, and the Toronto Blue Jays front office did a very good job of flipping assets to contending teams while acquiring talent that will help the team in the following years.

REFERNCES:

MLB.com

MiLB.com

MLB Pipeline Prospect Watch

Sportsnet.ca

5) ATLANTA BRAVES

The Braves are a team that are surprising many this season, as they are probably a year away from when they should have been contending. On the backs of strong bats such as Freddie Freeman, and young phenoms Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albeis, the Braves have scored the 5th most runs in the NL this season. Their need at the deadline was pitching, specifically a starting pitcher, and with the plethora of strong prospects at their disposal, along with a GM in Alex Anthopoulos who has proven in the past that he is not shy of deadline deals, the Braves were able to shore up their rotation, their bull-pen, and their bats. In doing this, they were able to add without giving up one of their highly touted prospects.

In the end, they acquired starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (who has 2 more years of team control, essentially acquiring him for 3 playoff runs at a very affordable salary), relief pitchers Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Jonny Venters, and outfielder Adam Duvall to gear up for what is looking like a very close playoff race between them and the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. The Braves took full advantage of the Orioles fire sale, as 3 of the arms that were acquired came from Baltimore.

4) BALTIMORE ORIOLES

When you have assets that appear very unlikely to re-sign, paired with being very far out of playoff contention, it is crucial that you are able to turn those into future pieces. The O’s were able to deal Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Zach Britton to the New York Yankees. Although that seems like an easy task, teams often hold onto assets longer than they should, and they end up losing value (such as the Toronto Blue Jays with Josh Donaldson) or departing via free agency for nothing. The O’s and their 32 wins this year were in need of major changes, and this trade deadline signalled the beginning of a rebuild. On top of those 2 all-star players, Baltimore dealt Kevin Gausman, Jonathan Schoop, Darren O’Day and Brad Brach.

Being able to acquire prospects, headlined by Dodgers prospect Yusniel Diaz, young major league talent, such as Jonathan Villar, international signing pool money and shedding over $35 million in salary, will all help kickstart a rebuild that was very evidently needed. This need was highlighted by both their record this season and the way that the Yankees and Boston Red Sox look to have put a stranglehold on the AL East division for the foreseeable future.

3) PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Sometimes it isn’t the quantity of deals made, but the quality. The Pirates were once seemingly in no position to be a buyer at the deadline, but a recent 11 game win streak changed their plans, as they made one of the biggest moves of this years trade deadline by acquiring Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays. Archer will not only slide into the top of their rotation, but he is under team control through 2021. Although Archers numbers haven’t been as strong this year as in recent years, a move out of the daunting AL East should do wonders for the 29 year old.

The Pirates also added relief pitcher Keone Kela from the Texas Rangers in a deal that will shore up their bull-pen. The moves made around the trade deadline will go a long ways in helping the playoff chances for the Pirates, as they compete in the NL Central alongside the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.

2) LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The Dodgers, seemingly always interested in bringing in big names, made arguably the biggest acquisition of the deadline in bringing in Manny Machado from the O’s. Machado, unlike his peers Josh Donaldson and Bryce Harper, is having a tremendous season leading into his free agency, and the move to LA should only help his off-season value. By bringing in Machado and Brian Dozier, a player who has shown the ability to have a strong second half in recent years, to join a crowded infield that already includes the likes of Justin Turner, Kike Hernandez and Chris Taylor, the Dodgers will be able to roll out versatile lineups.

The Dodgers also brought in veteran relief pitcher John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays for a minor league pitcher, to help in the bull-pen. The trio of moves should separate LA in the NL West ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, and provide depth for what could be another long playoff run.

1) NEW YORK YANKEES

The Yankees were somehow able to stack an already playoff caliber roster, while also keeping an eye on the future by adding international signing pool money and not dealing one of their top prospects, including Justus Sheffeild and Clint Frazier. The Yanks biggest need was starting pitching, and they went out and got the top rental arm on the market in J.A. Happ, along with rotation depth in Lance Lynn (who may get most of his playing time out of the pen).

However, by also adding Zach Britton to an already loaded bull-pen that features the likes of Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, and Dellin Betances, NY can now beat you on any given night via a quality starter, a dominant bull-pen, or a strong offence. It was a little surprising that NY didn’t add a bench bat, especially after dealing Brandon Drury to Toronto in the Happ deal, along with the injury to Aaron Judge, but the Yankees have plenty of offence to go around as it is. The battle between them and the Red Sox should prove to be a very entertaining playoff race.

SURPRISING MOVES OF THE DEADLINE

– The Milwaukee Brewers acquiring Mike Moustakas (a 3rd baseman, which would move Travis Shaw to 2nd base) and then Jonathan Schoop (a 2nd baseman) was a bit of a head scratcher. Don’t get me wrong, those are big bats, and in Schoops case, controllable talent, but there is only so much playing time to go around (especially in the NL where there is no designated hitter). Additionally, none of them play SS, which already belongs to Orlando Arcia anyways. It will be interesting to see how the Brew Crew deploy their lineup on any given night.

– The Toronto Blue Jays being able to move on from Roberto Osuna before his court case was settled definitely took people by surprise. The Jays were able to get a very good return from the Houston Astros, not as good as it could have been last summer, but given the fact that ownership could have received a lot of backlash from fans had the Jays decided to allow Osuna pitch again this season, the return was worth it. The Jays would have been in the tough position of deciding to play him to enhance trade value, or sit him to send a message to their fans that they do not tolerate his behaviour. In the end, dealing him for controllable closer Ken Giles and 2 minor league pitching prospects, the Jays rid themselves of a potential major headache.

REFERENCES

MLB.com

 

Hello everyone! Welcome to my sports blog. You can expect to read numerous pieces about different professional sport leagues such as the NHL, MLB, CFL, NFL and NBA. There will be a focus on the teams that I am more heavily involved in following, the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Blue Jays, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Toronto Raptors. There will also be special pieces revolving around fantasy sports, and major events such as trade deadlines and free agency periods.

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Matty Ice