FOX Sports: Jays might trade Rasmus for a starting pitcher

[polo007]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Chri ... mus-070312

Don’t look now, but Rasmus is rapidly evolving into the player that the Cardinals envisioned. He is on a 32-homer, 101-RBI pace, and is batting .310 with a .981 OPS since moving to the No. 2 spot in the lineup full time on June 5.

The Brett Lawrie-Rasmus combination at the top of the order has made a strong offense even more dynamic; the Jays ranked a close second to the Angels in runs per game in the AL in June. So, it’s understandable that GM Alex Anthopoulos told Rogers Sportsnet on Tuesday that he wants to buy, not sell.

The Jays’ immediate strategy might be to acquire a modest rotation upgrade, someone who could help compensate for the losses of three starting pitchers to injuries. Anthopoulos then could reassess at the deadline, knowing that righty Brandon Morrow is likely to return in August.

Still, talk of the Jays as sellers is not far-fetched, in part because they’ve got attractive potential free agents (most notably first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion) and in part because they’ve got prospects with higher upsides than some of their regulars.

Which is why trading Rasmus for a starting pitcher with comparable service time could make sense, particularly when so many teams are looking for center-field help.

Blue Jays Triple-A center fielder Anthony Gose likely will be ready next season, and the team has another highly regarded center-field prospect, Jake Marisnick, at High A.

Rasmus is a free agent after 2014. Obviously, the Jays could keep him, move him to left and put together a terrific outfield of Rasmus, Gose and right fielder Jose Bautista. But trading Rasmus also is something they should consider, if not before the deadline, then during the offseason.

[torontoaces04]

Ha.

[nonc]

Journalism > random internet people > Fox

[s e n s i]

rosenthal dropped the ball on this one

saying we should trade JP because we have d'Arnaud would make sense (well would've made sense i guess)

but saying we should trade a near-5 WAR CFer later this month because we have "prospects with higher upsides" at the same position just doesn't compute i'm sorry

imagine that. colby finally finds his comfort zone here in toronto and is on pace for a banner year...he loves it here, his family loves it too, and then we ship him off someplace else a year after he was acquired. i don't think anthopolous does business that way.

[Hamyltowne]

If you can believe it, bow-tie actually went on television and said as much. A clip of this nonsense can be found on mlb.com. I linked to it in the thread titled 'CBS: Jays Should Sell.'

It's one of the more irresponsible trade ideas I've read this year.

(Yes, I know the bow tie, last year, was for a 'cause.')

[Randle McMurphy]

Even stupider than the articles that keep suggesting the team should trade Yunel and his incredible contract (which would be a huge sell low anyway considering his poor season, AA doesn't do that).

The entire purpose of trading for Rasmus was to see him emerge into the player we're seeing right now. We're not going to move him as soon as he reaches that potential to make room for a light-hitting CF prospect who might never even be able to start at this level. Some of these national writers seem to still have a very poor grasp of what the Jays have and what they're trying to do.

[SCF99]

Come on Ken, you better watch it or fox might want to trade you because they have some high end sports reporters working for "The HillbillyTribune" doing a bang up job covering some high end high school ball.plus isnt you contract up and you will probably want a hole S##t load of money

[torontoaces04]

I expect better than this from Rosenthal

[duppyy]

If we trade rasmus i would be mad. He's my fav player.

[Brinbe]

what nonsense

[Attonitus]

Misleading title, never says anyone with the Jays have even thought about trading Rasmus, just a stupid suggestion by Rosenthal, should be talking about selling high on Lind instead.

[vaff87]

Rasmus has been pretty ******* good. Incredible trade by AA.

[TheDunc]

We have one of the best top 4 in all of baseball. This is the kind of top 4 jays should keep for years to come. Trading Rasmus would be a dumb move.

[TheDunc]

AA needs to keep making trades for underrated players who have upside. Trade for a pitcher who might be struggling and needs a change of scenery. We dont need great pitchers, we just need some solid ones.

[OldNo7]

I expect better than this from Rosenthal

+1

[Hamyltowne]

I expect better than this from Rosenthal

+1

I have to agree. I always thought bow tie to be very respectable. Good reporter, for the most part, or what I've read and seen from him, at least. Now, bow tie has gone from Churchill dots to floral paisleys, and it has tarnished his reputation.

Gose is one of the youngest players in the PCL and there are rumours that the plan is for him to start 2013 in Vegas again. And Marisnick is in A ball. Even if Gose realises his potential, Rasmus—this current version of him, anyway—is a better player.

Rosenthal putting his pet trade ideas out there like this... is just plain irresponsible.

[BigLeagueChew]

http://siriusxmsports.posterous.com/alex-anthopoulos-blue-jays-gm-talks-to-first

AA on satellite radio saying that he expects to add a pitcher or two via trade.

[dballislife]

if we get a young 1-2 pitcher with good contract for sure i part with rasmus

[Hamyltowne]

if we get a young 1-2 pitcher with good contract for sure i part with rasmus

Come off it!

[Hamyltowne]

if we get a young 1-2 pitcher with good contract for sure i part with Gose.

Fixed.

There we are.