Sports

Hicks trade can be big win for Blue Jays, even if Cardinals get more WAR

Published

1 year ago

July 31, 2023

TORONTO — By acquiring Jordan Hicks, the Toronto Blue Jays did more than address one of their biggest needs ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. They also spent big in a rental market they’ve typically sidestepped while telling their fans and players that the current roster is worthy of meaningful upgrades.

With Hicks, the former Cardinals closer whose fastball averages 101 m.p.h., they added to the group of relievers they can trust in high-leverage situations. Toronto’s bullpen has been a strength this season, but with closer Jordan Romano on the injured list and three others ranking among the league leaders in games pitched, reinforcements will help. And, looking ahead a couple of months, winning four playoff rounds is a lot easier with an elite bullpen.

The cost — double-A pitchers Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse — was described as high by rival executives, yet that was the price of doing business in a sellers’ market. Viewed purely through the lens of projected wins above replacement, the Cardinals destroy the Blue Jays in this trade. To borrow a phrase once used by Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins, the Cardinals get way more years of control here. If even one of those pitchers becomes a back-end starting pitcher, the Cardinals will accrue more WAR. Within their team context, it’s a good trade for St. Louis.

What does trading for a potential rental in Hicks, say about the Blue Jays’ front office?

Yet there’s more to life than piling up WAR and years of control, which is why the Blue Jays were willing to part with two talented young pitchers who the Cardinals immediately assigned to triple-A. Because even if there are scenarios where Hicks loses his command and this trade flops, even if the pitching prospects have a chance to turn into useful big leaguers by next year, there are also scenarios where Hicks is getting the final out of the ALDS. Or the ALCS. Or… you get the idea.

And ultimately, the success or failure of this Blue Jays season will be determined in October, so acquiring arms who can help them win when the stakes are highest makes sense for Atkins this summer. In a sellers’ market, the price was bound to be high. The Blue Jays determined that the 26-year-old Hicks was worth it.

In years past, the Blue Jays have preferred controllable acquisitions at the deadline, including Whit Merrifield, Anthony Bass, Mitch White, Trevor Richards, Adam Cimber, Jose Berrios, Ross Stripling and Francisco Liriano. Rentals like Joakim Soria, Taijuan Walker and Scott Feldman have been less common, and none cost quite as much as Hicks.

When he joins the Blue Jays, he’ll augment a pitching staff that already leads the American League with a 3.75 ERA. The Toronto bullpen includes Romano, right-handers Erik Swanson, Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards and Nate Pearson plus left-handers Tim Mayza and Genesis Cabrera.

With righty Chad Green set to join triple-A soon as his rehab from Tommy John surgery progresses, the Blue Jays have a strong collection of relievers at their disposal. Yet by adding Hicks, they can ease the burden on some of their arms, including Swanson, who ranks third in the AL with 49 appearances and could use a break soon in the view of one scout.

Thanks to that triple-digit velocity, Hicks generates lots of strikeouts (59 in 41.2 innings) but he also allows plenty of walks (24). To this point in the season, he’s allowed only two home runs, one off his sweeper and one off his sinker. Even if the Blue Jays already have a closer in Romano, Hicks is a clear upgrade over Mitch White, who was designated for assignment to make space on the roster.

Why the Hicks acquisition is going to give the Jays a ‘shot in the arm’

Of course, there’s still more work to do for the Blue Jays. Beyond the pitching staff there’s a clear need for another bat before 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Yet with the Angels and Cubs deciding to go for it, high-end trade candidates like Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger are no longer available, creating a shortage of hitters.

“No bats at all,” said one executive on a team seeking offence. “It’s crazy.”

With the Mets clearly in sell mode outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha are considered available, as are Brent Rooker of the Athletics and perhaps Teoscar Hernandez of the Mariners. Those players could all fit on the Blue Jays, but there will be plenty of competition.

Perhaps a creative approach will unearth an unexpected hitter between now and Tuesday evening. After all, Merrifield wasn’t considered a likely target a year ago but he’s since performed at an all-star level, providing the Blue Jays with an excellent return for prospects Samad Taylor and Max Castillo.

A year later, more prospects are out the door as the Blue Jays map out another round of upgrades. If we’re judging this trade by years of control, the Cardinals have already won. But not all years are created equal and by acquiring Hicks, the Blue Jays front office took a significant step toward ensuring the 2023 season lasts as long as possible.

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Sports

Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

Published

14 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.

Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.

In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

Published

14 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.

Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.

Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.

He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.

The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.

Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.

He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.

George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.

Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.

In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.

St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ON DECK

Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.

The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Stampeders return to Maier at QB eyeing chance to get on track against Alouettes

Published

15 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.

It won’t be an easy assignment.

Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.

“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”

Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”

Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.

After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.

“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”

Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.

“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.

A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.

“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”

But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.

“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”

Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”

“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.

Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.

“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”

While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.

“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”

The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.

“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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