Blue Jays show no mercy to Brewers, Tellez, but injuries continue to weigh on bullpen - Sportsnet.caToronto’s bullpen needed help even before Garcia joined Trevor Richards, Julian Merryweather, Tayler Saucedo, and Andrew Vasquez on the injured list. And Nate Pearson isn’t coming to help any time soon, as the 25-year-old’s rehab assignment with triple-A Buffalo came to an end last Sunday when he suffered a strained lat two pitches into an outing.
The club’s minor-league relief depth is similarly thin, with Adrian Hernandez and his screwball changeup likely the most interesting arm that could be called upon. The 22-year-old has a 1.80 ERA with Buffalo and has struck out 36.8 per cent of the batters he’s faced this season. Certainly, his opportunity will come. But there is some question as to how the 5-foot-8, 190-pounder’s low-90’s fastball will play at the big-league level. Of course, there’s only one way to find out.
All of that makes acquiring a reliever in the near to mid term a rather pressing concern for the Blue Jays. But you can’t force a trade if other clubs aren’t willing to deal. And the fact the Blue Jays let a seemingly serviceable relief arm in Roenis Elias pass through waivers untouched this week doesn’t project a sense of urgency. Veteran right-hander Sergio Romo also cleared waivers recently and was released by the Seattle Mariners. He’s only a phone call away if the Blue Jays feel there’s something left in his funky, sidewinding arm.
Of course, Tellez’s productive left-handed bat would look good in a right-handed heavy Blue Jays lineup, too. But the same issues that led to his trade persist today. Tellez can’t play anywhere other than first base, which is where Guerrero plays. And the Blue Jays need their DH spot open to get regular rest for Guerrero and Springer — the 32-year-old was out of the lineup Friday for a second consecutive game due to an elbow issue — while keeping Kirk’s prodigious bat in the lineup when he isn’t behind the plate.
There’s just nowhere to fit a player with a profile like Tellez’s in. If the Blue Jays are going to add an impact left-handed bat to their lineup ahead of the August 2 trade deadline, the cleanest way to do so would be in the outfield — ideally with someone who can play centre and spell Springer.
Andrew Benintendi is the name you’re going to hear plenty between now and the deadline, as the Royals flounder and the 27-year-old nears free agency this winter. Benintendi doesn’t barrel the ball much, but his contact-oriented approach has still produced a .295/.360/.390 line this season, good for 117 wRC+. David Peralta is another pending free agent on a team going nowhere and ought to interest a number of contenders thanks to his perennially strong exit velocities and defence. Even as he enters his mid-30’s, Peralta is still an above-average hitter and boasts a 91st percentile outs above average.
The Blue Jays had some interest in Robbie Grossman at last year’s deadline and could certainly revisit it with the 26-43 Tigers, who may look to clear playing time later this season for their glut of young outfielders. Grossman’s having a down year at the plate and striking out at a slightly alarming 30.7 per cent clip. But that performance stands in stark contrast to his track record, and getting him out of Comerica Park — one of MLB’s worst offensive environments this season — could help unlock what worked in the past.
Kole Calhoun, Ben Gamel, Ian Happ, Tyler Naquin — all candidates, as well. The work the Blue Jays are doing now is to determine who’s actually available and assign values to those players before testing the waters as to acquisition costs. All while simultaneously completing their draft preparations and considering day-to-day roster decisions. It’s a busy time, even if it doesn’t always seem like it on the transaction wire.
But last July’s Tellez deal — and the Adam Cimber acquisition the club made a week earlier — demonstrate it is possible to make moves at this time of year if you’re motivated to. As long as the Blue Jays are winning handily like they did Friday in Milwaukee, it won’t seem as pressing a concern. But next week the club hosts the Boston Red Sox for three and the Tampa Rays for five — not a typo — in what is lining up to be as critical a week as they get this early in the season.
Go look at the standings. Fewer than two games separated the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Rays entering Friday’s play. With the club’s next off day not until July 11, Toronto’s depth is about to be tested. It’s urgency, too.
