The Toronto Blue Jays’ implosion in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series was followed by a knee-jerk reaction from fans: something had to change.
Maybe the Jays need a new manager. Well, that’s not going to happen, because Toronto has locked up skipper John Schneider for the long haul. How about a new GM? Again, unlikely. Ross Atkins is under contract until 2026.
So, is the answer a new bullpen? More pitch? A revamped outfield? Questions, questions, questions.
That torturous loss to the Seattle Mariners sparked innovative ideas on how to revamp this Blue Jays franchise. There was one idea, among many high-profile suggestions, that caught my eye: What if the Blue Jays did a franchise trade involving core players?
Ship Bo Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from Toronto? Madness. But I loved the audacity of such a theory, even if it’s rather improbable.
It would be amazing for Blue Jays fans if they got their own Kawhi Leonard moment, the same way the Toronto Raptors executed a jaw-dropping star-to-star trade and brought home a championship a year later. So let’s see how such a move could play out for the 2023 Blue Jays.
How a base trade could help the 2023 Blue Jays
A new voice. Fresh blood. These sports sayings – which are based on change for change’s sake – have some merit if the right pieces are added to the clubhouse. I saw firsthand the immeasurable impact that Matt Chapman’s presence had on his Jays teammates.
Chapman’s vocal leadership and in-game activity in the hot corner brought a unique flavor to Toronto’s roster, the same way Alek Manoah’s confidence or Kevin Gausman’s insight have come to define the staff. launchers. A different presence in the Toronto clubhouse could trigger something.
There is also the element of reallocation of unbalanced resources. A trade in depth from Toronto’s position player (to receiver, perhaps) seems like a logical first step to boosting the club’s rotation and bullpen.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly for fans, a seismic deal that would uproot the Blue Jays way of doing things would allay concerns about Toronto’s creative drive to compete at the highest level. It would counter the lukewarm reaction to the Jays’ 2022 trade delay effort and show this team is “all-in” for the remaining portion of its competitive window.
Previous MLB for a Basic Change Trade
Major league-to-major league trades can be a bit more difficult to resolve than prospect-rich packages. For the purposes of this analysis, we have also narrowed our scope to off-season trades only.
In January 2021, the Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets reached a deal involving superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor. The full deal saw Lindor and Carlos Carrasco go to the Mets for Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene. The crux of that trade had to do with Lindor’s upcoming free agency, so that element wouldn’t be a factor if Toronto wanted to deal a player like Bichette or Alejandro Kirk, for example.
The one-for-one trade between the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers in November 2013 also stands out. In that trade, the Tigers got second baseman Ian Kinsler and the Rangers got first baseman Prince Fielder. Clean and simple. Two main players of relatively equal value swapping shirts on competing teams. There is definitely a possibility for the Blue Jays to make a deal of this nature.
As an honorable mention, we might as well include the outrageous 14-player trade between the Jays and the Miami Marlins in November 2012. This trade, executed under the regime of Alex Anthopoulos, saw Toronto inherit players such as Mark Buehrle , Jose Reyes and Josh. Johnson for Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria and others.
Building trades with the Blue Jays
Blue Jays get: SP Sandy Alcantara, INF Miguel Rojas
Marlins get: SS Bo Bichette, C Gabriel Moreno
The deal trades outright offense, Toronto’s greatest strength, for elite defense and pitching, two of the Jays’ greatest weaknesses. Alcantara will win the NL Cy Young this year, which means it will likely take a player of Bichette’s caliber to snatch him from the ever-rebuilding Marlins. Rojas, while below average at the flat, is among the best defensive players in the game (+12 strikeouts above average at shortstop in 2022).
With Alcantara under control until 2027, the Jays would see their new star locked down for a while. The same goes for the Marlins with Bichette, who won’t enter free agency until 2026.
Blue Jays get: OF Dylan Carlson, SP Jordan Montgomery
Cardinals get: C Alejandro Kirk, OF Teoscar Hernández
This agreement makes sense on several levels. The Cardinals need to be caught up and the Blue Jays have too many receivers. Dishing Kirk for Carlson, a 24-year-old hitter, adds variety to Toronto’s right-hander roster and provides a future defensive back-up for George Springer in center field.
With Montgomery and Hernández both on expiring contracts, it’s a hit for a throwing trade, like our first trade. Southpaw Montgomery can become a great third or fourth starter depending on how José Berríos looks in 2023.
Blue Jays get: SP/DH Shohei Ohtani
Angels get: SS Bo Bichette, SP Yusei Kikuchi
This deal is fraught with risk for Toronto. The Jays would essentially play over four years of first Bichette for just one year of baseball’s most talented players. Is it worth it? If Los Angeles eats Kikuchi’s contract, the trade becomes a little more understandable. And the acquisition of Bichette would encourage the Halos to avoid falling into another reconstruction.
Contract aside, it’s obviously not hard to justify going all-in for Ohtani. The 28-year-old occupies just one spot on the roster and instantly fulfills Toronto’s two biggest needs: tee shots and left-handed hitting. As far as franchise-altering trades go, a deal for the Japanese two-way phenom would instantly become one of the most gripping offseason trades in MLB history.
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