The Toronto Blue Jays may be in the best position of any
team in this “Trade Chips” series.
Toronto has some young talent to build around. If they add
complimentary pieces to that core they should be able to compete for a return
to the playoffs…it is just not happening in 2018.
That sort of thing happens when you are in the same division
with juggernauts such as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
The silver lining for the Jays is that they also have some
veteran players on the roster who can help build up their system by bringing
back quality in return. I expect Toronto
to be an active seller at this year’s trade deadline, especially if they want
to position themselves for longer-term contention.
Here are the top three players I see the team dealing.
Donaldson has dealt with some injury and has only collected
137 at bats in 2018.
In those plate appearances he has slashed .234/.333/.423
with 5 HRs and 16 RBIs. The 32 year old, once healthy, should bounce back
closer to his career norms and provide solid production for any team that
acquires him.
Teams looking at Donaldson will be doing so knowing that he
could be a rental as he is set to hit free agency this winter.
Best Fits: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Atlanta
Braves
The connection between the Cardinals and Donaldson has been
known for quite some time now. I think this is finally the time when the team “gets
their man”. Unfortunately, they may have waited too long to get the most out of
such a move.
St. Louis does not appear, at least to me, to be in a real
position to reach the postseason this year. However, the Red Birds are one team
that I think would have a legitimate shot at retaining Donaldson if they make
the move to trade for him. In that case, he could definitely help with a
playoff push in 2019.
The 35 year old Happ is not a front-end starter, the
position he finds himself in for the Blue Jays.
In 105.1 IP he is sporting a 4.44 ERA, but a 10-5 record.
The lefty has notched 115 Ks compared to 34 BBs, numbers that make for a solid
middle of the rotation pitcher. He would be an asset in a Game 3 or 4 during
the playoffs.
Like Donaldson, Happ is a free agent after the season. With
big name SPs potentially available for trade, the cost to obtain Happ could
make him an affordable alternative.
Best Fits: Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs
The Braves are for real in the National League East; the
question is are they for real when the calendar hits October?
They need to improve their pitching if they truly want to
contend for an NL pennant. Happ would not give them an ace, but he would give
them quality depth to help bring them closer to where they are trying to get.
At 33 years old Clippard is still performing as a solid
bullpen piece.
In 43.2 IP in 2018 he has put up a 3.09 ERA with 6 saves, 51
Ks, and 16 BBs. Teams hoping to land a shut down closer before the deadline won’t
be looking at Clippard, but teams who need a seventh inning guy should be
interested.
Clippard is another free agent after the season, but like
Happ the price to acquire him should be affordable enough.
Best Fits: Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago
Cubs
As with pretty much any decent RP, there are plenty of teams
that could poke around for their services. In this case Cleveland seems like a
solid fit. The team has a good rotation, but their bullpen could use some more
help.
Clippard could slide in nicely in a seventh or eighth inning
role and help the Tribe come October (let’s face it, they could win the
American League Central if I was in their bullpen).
No comments:
Post a Comment