Moderator: JaysRule15
bluerap23 wrote:EH15 wrote:Would you guys do Bo+Moreno+Orelvis+Groshans
Soto is only 1 less year than Bo. At that point, wouldn't it be better to just pay Soto? It's no guarantee Bo extends either.
No I wouldn’t give up our only 3 viable Ss nor would that be necessary.
Fairview4Life wrote:bluerap23 wrote:EH15 wrote:Would you guys do Bo+Moreno+Orelvis+Groshans
Soto is only 1 less year than Bo. At that point, wouldn't it be better to just pay Soto? It's no guarantee Bo extends either.
No I wouldn’t give up our only 3 viable Ss nor would that be necessary.
I wouldn’t want to trade all that either, but Espinal can play SS.
Better to add a starting pitcher now, especially because there’s no late-August waiver trade deadline anymore. If you want to acquire help, this is the time.
Because Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios could all be trusted to start playoff games, the Blue Jays aren’t lacking frontline arms. With that in mind, they should determine the availability of pending free agents like Martin Perez, Jose Quintana, Drew Smyly, Chad Kuhl, Noah Syndergaard, and Zack Greinke. It’s not the most exciting group, but it doesn’t have to be.
While Perez and Quintana likely have some real trade value, history tells us that veteran pitch-to-contact types simply don’t command big hauls at the deadline (even Syndergaard, the hardest thrower of this group and someone the Blue Jays pursued last winter, has a below-average strikeout rate). Of the pitchers listed above, Perez may be the best fit as he’s a ground ball pitcher who commands the strike zone reasonably well (14.2 per cent K-BB%).
Regardless, adding a pitcher from this cohort would address a need at the big-league level without meaningfully depleting Toronto’s prospect ranks.
Now, the need for relief remains as glaring as ever, and this time the Blue Jays must prioritize quality, even if that means paying a higher price. Yes, shopping for something as inherently volatile as relief pitching can backfire, but not adding relief would be an even riskier choice for a team with so much potential.
Among the relievers worth investigating further: Gregory Soto and Joe Jimenez of the Tigers, Joe Mantiply of the Diamondbacks, Jorge Lopez of the Orioles, David Robertson of the Cubs, A.J. Puk of the A’s, Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals, Scott Barlow of the Royals, David Bednar of the Pirates, Matt Bush of the Rangers and Anthony Bass of the Marlins.
The Blue Jays wouldn’t have to give up their very best prospects to shop in this tier (especially for Robertson, a rental), but if they have to give up some intriguing talent to add here, so be it. And realistically, the Blue Jays would be better off with multiple arms from this group.
So far, the needs we’ve examined cover the 2022 season, but since Hyun-Jin Ryu will likely miss all of next year and Kikuchi’s something of an unknown as well, there’s also a case to be made for adding a pitcher with multiple years of control.
Pursuing Reds trade candidate Luis Castillo makes sense even if the acquisition cost is much greater than it would be for, say, Quintana. Along those lines, it’s worth asking the Marlins about Pablo Lopez and others. Maybe the price is prohibitively high, in which case the Blue Jays don’t need to act desperately, but there could be an opportunity here, too.
Last summer’s deal for Berrios showed the Blue Jays aren’t opposed to this type of trade under the right circumstances. Starting here makes sense and if it doesn’t work out, a short-term fallback starter could still help this team reach the 2022 playoffs. And either way: the Blue Jays' front office must add impact relief for the deadline to be a clear success.
Which team is likely to give the Reds the best package for Castillo? What could they realistically get? — Matthew R.
Obviously, the teams with the deepest farm systems have the best shot, but you also need a general manager who will part with the prospects to land Castillo. The Dodgers, Blue Jays and Mariners are all willing and able. I think the Reds will get a package that includes three of an organization’s top-25 prospects.
I’ll ask the question on the mind of every Nats fan: Where does Josh Bell end up? Could Washington receive some decent pitching prospects in return? — Griffin H.
Bell will be traded. The Blue Jays, Rays, Astros and Mets are all possible landing spots. The Nationals will probably net a decent pitching prospect and a mid-level prospect in return.
You are given control over the Blue Jays for the next month. What moves would you make (or not make) to increase their World Series chances and window as much as possible? — Jason B.
I would make a serious run at Juan Soto and Luis Castillo. This Blue Jays team’s window to win a World Series extends three to four years, and it’s time to go for it. Can you imagine Soto hitting between Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the next several years.? The Blue Jays need a left-handed impact bat to better balance their lineup. They also need another quality starter, and Castillo is a difference-maker. The Blue Jays’ farm system is strong at the top and deep; they have the financial and prospect resources to get one of those stars, maybe even both. It’s go time.
polo007 wrote:
Fairview4Life wrote:The Jays can meet the price, probably. The issue is then paying Vlad, Soto etc and maintaining a cheap prospect pipeline to fill in, and get pitching etc etc etc. just having a couple studs, no matter how good, isn’t enough in baseball.
Asianiac_24 wrote:Fairview4Life wrote:The Jays can meet the price, probably. The issue is then paying Vlad, Soto etc and maintaining a cheap prospect pipeline to fill in, and get pitching etc etc etc. just having a couple studs, no matter how good, isn’t enough in baseball.
TBH if the difference between Soto and Bo is 10 million or so, I’d rather pay the extra money for Soto. I’m not very keen on paying Bichette 20-25 million a year. I’m not very high on Bichette, and his .730 OPS has a lot to be desired, not to mention his shoddy defense. Soto is a proven commodity in the PS and having Vlad behind him means pitchers won’t be pitching around him like they do on the Nats.