Deadline Decisions

The second half of the season is underway, so that means we are a little over a week away from one the biggest days of the season: the trade deadline. By now, most teams have an idea if they are going to be buyers or sellers, and if a team hasn’t figured it out, they have about a week to do so. The Jays are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture, but are still well within reach. If they want to catch the teams ahead of them, they should look to add a few pieces by the deadline.

Just prior to the All-Star break, the Jays did make a couple of trades that garnered them relievers Adam Cimber, Trevor Richards, and lefty-bat Corey Dickerson who is currently on the IL. However, the Jays should still look to add at least one more impact arm to the back-end of their bullpen. Chicago Cubs reliever Craig Kimbrel, who is arguably the best reliever likely to be traded by the deadline, would effectively satisfy this need. After a couple of disappointing seasons in 2019 and 2020, Kimbrel has seemed to have regained the form that he had in Boston when he was one of the best closers in the league. Kimbrel also has a vesting option for 2022 that becomes a club option (with a $1 million buyout) if it doesn’t vest, meaning that the Jays could have him for one more season after this year if they pick him up.

Another reliever expected to be traded is Pittsburgh Pirates closer Richard Rodríguez. While he doesn’t throw as hard or strike out as many as Kimbrel, Rodríguez is having an excellent season in his own right. Also, he doesn’t become a free agent until after the 2023 season, so the Jays would have control of him for two more seasons after this one. However, due to the higher number of years of control Rodríguez has over Kimbrel, he would likely require a bigger package of players to give up.

Kimbrel and Rodríguez are the two higher-end relief pitchers expected to be traded, but another name the Jays could look at is Ian Kennedy of the Texas Rangers. At 36 years old, he’s a veteran pitcher who is having a good season with Texas. As a free agent at the end of this season, he wouldn’t cost the Jays a lot to acquire. Similar to what LaTroy Hawkins and Jason Grilli were to the Jays’ pen in 2015 and ’16, Kennedy could provide that veteran leadership and be a solid reliever in leverage situations.

The Jays should also be mindful to look at acquiring another starting pitcher. The name that everyone seems to be focusing on is José Berríos of the Minnesota Twins. Berríos is a reliable top of the rotation pitcher that would fit in nicely with Ryu and Ray, but I don’t think the Twins are going to trade him. The Twins are having a terrible season, and will be sellers at the deadline, but given the fact that Berríos won’t be a free agent until after next season, I don’t think they would be inclined to trade him unless they’re completely blown away by an offer. The Twins should be better than the way they have been playing, and there is no reason they can’t be competitive next year, but that would only be possible if they keep Berríos.

The Jays could also look at grabbing another Texas pitcher, Kyle Gibson, who has been having a successful season. The Rangers would be inclined to move him now because his value may never be higher, and he also isn’t a free agent until the end of next season, so the Jays would get one more season out of him. Plus, with both Ray and Matz becoming free agents at the end of the season, Gibson could provide some stability for next year.

While pitching is the top priority, it never hurts to add some star position players as well. Three All-Star players that the Jays could look at are Twins’ DH Nelson Cruz, RF Joey Gallo of the Rangers, and Cubs’ 3B Kris Bryant. At 41 years young, Nelson Cruz is having a great season and is showing that he can still slug with the best of them. However, he is strictly a DH, so his addition would take away that spot in the lineup Montoyo uses in order to cycle guys through, so as to give them a day off the field – but how great would it be to have Cruz slotted in behind Vlad or Teoscar?

Joey Gallo is also another big slugger that would contribute more power to an already powerful lineup; plus, he’s left-handed. While he does have monstrous power, he does strikeout a lot, but he also leads the league in walks. Additionally, he adds value on the other side of the ball, as a gold glove defender in right field. He has one more year of control, so he would likely cost the Jays a decent amount, but when looking at trading for position players, it may be wise to focus on players who are controllable beyond this year.

Contrarily, another player that the Jays could look at acquiring is free agent-to-be, Kris Bryant. Bryant’s name is discussed amongst Jays fans primarily because he could fill the hole that the Jays have at third base. While Bryant is someone that can play multiple positions, similar to Biggio, he would likely play third mostly, if the Jays picked him up. Given that Bryant is only a rental, he would not cost as much as someone like Joey Gallo. Also, given the fact that the Jays aren’t one Kris Bryant away from a championship, it is unlikely they would go in this direction.

Of course, there are lots of other players that the Jays could look at bringing in, but these are just a few of the bigger names out there that are likely going to be moved by July 30^th. The Jays are expected to be buyers, but it will be interesting to see how aggressive they will be and what moves are going to be made. The Jays are still in contention for a playoff spot, but there are some areas of concern that need to be addressed in order to have any serious hope of contending. When the dust settles at 4:00pm EST on July 30^th, the roster could look very different, but whether or not it will be enough to make the postseason will remain to be seen.