Blue Jays improve but fail to make impact deal at deadline – TSN

The Toronto Blue Jays are a better team now than they were yesterday. With the trade deadline behind them, the Jays are who they are going to be for the rest of the 2022 season. There is no longer a pathway to add players via trade by putting them through waivers. This is it.

The Jays upgraded their bullpen by adding two relievers from the Miami Marlins: Anthony Bass and Zach Pop. 

Bass’ name may sound familiar as he pitched for Toronto in 2020. The 34-year old righty is having his best season. In 45 games, he is 2-3 with a 1.41 ERA. He has thrown 44.2 innings and has only allowed 32 hits with 10 walks and 45 strikeouts. Amazingly, he’s surrendered just one home run. He has not fared well when pitching in the ninth inning, but he has proven to be a solid seventh and eighth inning option. 

Pop is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA with the Marlins. He has appeared in 18 games this year, throwing 20 innings while allowing 23 hits, walking two and striking out 14. The right-hander pounds the strike zone with a power sinker and slider. He has only allowed one home run as well. He will be a good weapon to bring into the game with runners on base when the Jays need a double-play. He is a groundball-generating machine.

Bass and Pop add to the length and depth of the Jays bullpen. They will allow manager John Schneider to shorten the game because they are two good options to blend with the rest of the bullpen.

Toronto added another pitcher, Mitchell White, from the Los Angeles Dodgers. White is 27-years-old and has pitched in the major leagues over parts of the last three seasons. He has primarily been a starter but has also served as a long-reliever. He reminds me of Ross Stripling when he first came over to the Jays from L.A. He is a more than serviceable pitcher who protects Toronto’s starting pitching depth and fortifies their bullpen. If Yusei Kikuchi falters again in the rotation, White can take the ball in his spot.   

Finally, the Jays traded for Whit Merrifield from the Kansas City Royals. Merrifield was a long-time Royal who, in the past, was highly coveted by almost every team in baseball. He can play second base as well as the outfield. He has led the league in hits twice, doubles once, triples once, and stolen bases three times. He is a contact hitter with speed. Although he is having a bit of a down year (.240/.290/.352), he is still a hard-nosed gamer who can run the bases and put the ball in play. He is a great leader and teammate. I believe the change of scenery will reinvigorate him. I like that although he has played more corner outfield, he can play centre, and he may have to because of George Springer’s sore elbow. Springer may have to take at-bats out of the designated hitter’s position until his elbow heals. 

Interestingly, Merrifield was one of 10 Royals who could not travel to Toronto in mid-July because he was not vaccinated. At the time, he said he would consider it if he was part of a competitive winning team. The Royals were not quite that. One would have to assume that the Jays would not have traded for him if they had any doubt that he would get his shot. 

Are the Jays still contenders?

The Jays are certainly better because of these four acquisitions. But they feel a bit anti-climactic since they were tied to several more impactful players that ended up moving elsewhere or not at all.

The Angels’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani ended up not being traded while superstar outfielder Juan Soto was dealt to San Diego for a huge package of prospects that the Jays couldn’t match. Ace pitcher Luis Castillo was traded from the Reds to the Seattle Mariners, while Frankie Montas, Oakland’s No. 1 starter, is now a Yankee. They both would have helped the Blue Jays significantly but the Mariners and Yankees paid a big price in prospects to acquire them. In some way, I can understand that the Jays may not have been able to match.

But I am surprised they weren’t able to make a deal for right-hander Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds, who ended up being traded to Minnesota. Though it’s worth noting Mahle did not make the trip north when the Reds played in Toronto in May. Lefty starter Jose Quintana has resurrected his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. I thought Cubs closer David Robertson was a perfect target for the Jays, but he ended up getting traded to the Phillies. For one reason or another, the Jays passed on a number of more impactful players than what they acquired. 

Make no doubt about it – the Jays are still built as a playoff team. They are good enough to hold onto the top wild card spot, holding off the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. But to advance in the playoffs, the Jays will likely have to go through one or both of the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. Each team made significant upgrades at the deadline to their already superior rosters. So, as it stands, the Yankees and Astros would be my American League Championship matchup. I am not saying the Jays can’t win the pennant, but they have less margin for error if they play New York and Houston. They will have to be nearly flawless in a series to beat them.

Biggest deadline winners, losers

The winner of the trade deadline overall is the San Diego Padres for their acquisitions of fireballer Josh Hader, future Hall of Famer Juan Soto and switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell. The Padres gave up a lot, but I also think the Nationals are winners for the haul they brought back.

The Phillies traded for starter Noah Syndergaard from the Los Angeles Angels. He will help the rotation as long as he doesn’t run out gas in his first season after Tommy John surgery. I really liked their addition of Robertson as well to bolster their bullpen. Plus, they got young outfielder Brandon Marsh from the Phillies in a separate trade.

The Minnesota Twins upgraded their pitching by adding Mahle from the Reds and reliever Michael Fulmer on the heels of getting closer Jorge Lopez from Baltimore. 

The losers at the deadline are the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians. They have been able to keep pace with the Minnesota Twins until now, but I expect that to change. Their passivity will cost them group a shot at a division title.

The Texas Rangers fall into the loser category as well. They could have traded pending free agent starting pitcher Martin Perez, who is having a terrific year. Plus, Matt Moore has been effective as a lefty reliever. Neither of them were traded from a team that is going nowhere at 46-56. That is a missed chance to stock up on prospects. They could have traded the pitchers and then tried to re-sign them in the off-season. 

The Chicago Cubs were able to trade Robertson to the Phillies, but at the end of the day, they didn’t trade catcher Willson Contreras or outfielder Ian Happ. It is unclear why. It was known that the asking price was high, but at some point, make the best deal you can and get something in return. It may have been that they asked for so much that clubs went in different directions. So, after the emotional tearful goodbye, both Happ and Contreras will finish the season in Cubs uniforms. Again, a lost opening for the rebuilding Cubs.

Finally, the only team that did not make a single transaction at the deadline was the Colorado Rockies (46-59). No additions and no subtractions. They re-signed reliever Daniel Bard but failed to move shortstop Jose Iglesias or reliever Alex Colome. Last year, they didn’t trade pending free agents Trevor Story or Jon Gray. It was another lost opportunity as both signed elsewhere and the Rockies got nothing but draft picks for Story. Where is the creativity? The trade deadline is a time for general managers to compete. And they did nothing at all.

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