TORONTO — We know the Toronto Blue Jays are buyers heading into the July 30 trade deadline.
But what will they have to sell in order to get what they need?
Luckily, armed with a minor-league system that is robust enough to deliver whatever major-league talent GM Ross Atkins wants to go get, the Jays are in a great position.
Thanks to the depth and redundancy in certain areas, the Jays will not need to completely tear the system apart to make an impact trade or two, either.
Taking a look at each type of trade chip, here are a handful of names — you can get more in depth on all of them here in our top 50 Jays prospects list for 2021 — to keep in mind this month as Atkins’ trade targets start to become clear.
Big-league chips C Alejandro Kirk LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. C Reese McGuire
The two most asked about areas of the Jays’ roster over the past couple of off-seasons have been their deep catching pipeline, as well as outfielders Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez.
While Hernandez has settled in to become an all-star, Gurriel has struggled both with the bat and defensively in left field. Under control for three more seasons after this one, LGJ’s still a valuable trade chip, but the Jays would love for him to get hot over the next three weeks.
Ditto for Kirk, who’s hitting well on a Triple-A rehab assignment as he recovers from a hip injury.
The Jays need to sort out their catching situation and Kirk is by far the best bat, but he might also fetch the most in a trade, with Danny Jansen and McGuire, who cleared waivers earlier this year, probably not having much value.
If Atkins is going to subtract from his group of big-league position players, Kirk and Gurriel and are the most likely candidates.
Elite trade chips 3B/SS Jordan Groshans 3B/SS Orelvis Martinez RHP Sem Robberse
You’ll notice there’s no Austin Martin, Gabriel Moreno or Simeon Woods Richardson here. I don’t think those three top prospects are on the table, so we have to dig down a little further to the next level of elite depth in the system.
Groshans and Martinez are the top trade chips, but they won’t be on the move for anything less than an impact arm with control left. Rentals won’t be able to pry these guys away.
Robberse isn’t an elite trade chip from a national perspective, but the 19-year-old Dutch hurler is impressing at Low-A Dunedin, striking out 11.8 batters per nine with a four-pitch mix that’s led by a whiff-generating curveball.
He’s the type of lower-level pitching prospect you can build a package around.
Upper minors chips SS Kevin Smith C Riley Adams INF/OF Otto Lopez
Kevin Smith’s resurgence this year at Triple-A has been lovely for the Jays, giving them an upper-level middle infielder with speed and power, one who any team could’ve plucked for nothing in the Rule 5 Draft last December.
Having just turned 25 on July 4, Smith is close to major-league ready and could help solve the Jays’ own third base hole as a utility bench option, but every rebuilding team should be trying to give this guy an everyday shortstop role to see whether the 12 homers and 10 steals from Triple-A will translate to the majors.
As mentioned above, there’s a logjam of catchers in the upper levels and the front office will have to make a move sooner or later.
Lopez is already on the 40-man roster and quietly enjoying another productive season with the bat, slashing .354/.410/.485 with a pair of homers and six steals in 49 games.
Lower level gems SS Leo Jimenez INF Miguel Hiraldo RHP Roither Hernandez
Jimenez, 20, added some size and strength this off-season and while it hasn’t manifested in over-the-fence power, there’s definitely some more juice in the bat. When you combine that with his solid actions and tools at shortstop, you quietly have one of the better prospects in the system.
The third name in the prospect-heavy infield at Low-A with Martinez and Jimenez is Hiraldo, who has yet to have the breakout season with the stick that many are imaging.
A third base/second base tweener type, the compact right-handed hitter has started walking more than ever this season, upping his BB rate to 11.3 per cent. That’s a good sign for the 20-year-old.
Hernandez, who I had at No. 41 on the top 50 list back in February, is a live arm with the typical fastball/slider bullpen look.
The gangly Dominican has been touching 98-99 mph and getting good results in A-ball with a 2.52 ERA and 34 Ks across 25 frames.
As with any organization, there are a few under-the-radar arms flashing in A-ball that will draw interest, including Naswell Paulino, Alejandro Melean, Lazaro Estrada, Adrian Hernandez, Jol Concepcion and Luis Quinones.
THINGS I PROBABLY TWEETED Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Marcus Semien, Teoscar Hernandez and Bo Bichette landing on the AL all-star squad is impressive, but it still doesn’t equal the seven players the 1993 Jays sent. Chalk up a point for yourself if you can name them without Googling … You can make the case Semien is trending towards being worth George Springer money on the open market this winter. Heading into his age-31 season, Semien will be the same age Springer was last winter, he’s graded out as one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball and earned his all-star game start on the back of 21 homers and a huge .286/.349/.542 slash line. It’s doubtful he’ll get the 6/150 Springer did, but what’s he worth? It’s clearly a lot if he keeps up anything close to this pace … At the exact halfway point of the season over the weekend, the Jays landed on 43-38, which means nothing unless you have them winning 86 games this year. The issue with that March prediction is they’re better than their record shows, without a doubt … You can’t say the Jays haven’t been consistent in the first half. From 12-12 in April to 15-13 in May to 14-12 in June to now 2-2 in July, the .500 mark has been a constant companion.
STAT DIG: 670 or 691 If the Blue Jays have their way, that’s the number of days they’ll have mercifully endured between games at their home ballpark in Toronto. A year after their first attempt to convince the federal government to allow them to play games north of the border, the Jays are back at it again this month, eyeing two potential dates and hoping to get approval: July 30 or August 20. Both mark the start of homestands and — like last year — the municipal and provincial arms of government, according to sources, have already given their support, once again leaving the closed border and all of the quarantine nuances that come with it as the most important hurdle.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I think we’ve done what we’ve done this year, and we haven’t clicked on the same cylinder all at once yet. We’ve had some moments in this series and this homestand, but we can definitely be better. We’re really confident. We know we’re better. We’ll just continue to work hard, play hard and see what happens.” —Bo Bichette on clubhouse mood ahead of all-star break
THE CALL-UP LIST
Five players closest to a promotion to the big leagues when a need arises: 1—LHP Ryan Borucki, Triple-A rehab: Borucki hasn’t pitched since May 7 when he was shelved with another elbow injury, but the lefty threw live BP recently and should be ready for a rehab stint this week. 2—C Alejandro Kirk, Triple-A rehab: He’s slashing .385/.474/.692 in five games with the Bisons, but he may have to bide his time for a couple weeks. 3—RHP Thomas Hatch, Triple-A rehab: Hatch spun his longest outing of the year in his most recent tuneup, going five full frames while allowing three earned runs and walking three. 4—RHP Julian Merryweather, rehab: The oft-injured 29-year-old’s rehab continues to inch along from an April oblique injury and he’s expected to throw off a mound soon. 5—1B Rowdy Tellez, Triple-A: He’s running out of chances, but Tellez has hit .297 and swatted three homers in 10 games since being demoted.
PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT
Highlighting one player in the system that you need to know about: 2B/OF Samad Taylor, Double-A New Hampshire
Acquired four years ago at the trade deadline from Cleveland in exchange for reliever Joe Smith, Taylor has always been a toolsy prospect, blessed with great wheels and some pop.
Until this year, however, Taylor had failed to put it all together, even spending some time dabbling in Australian winter ball this year.
Assigned to a team littered with top prospects, Taylor has been right alongside the now-injured Gabriel Moreno in stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis, slashing .303/.393/.567 with 12 homers and 17 stolen bases.
The main issue in the profile is Taylor is still striking out at a 31 per cent clip, but the swing-and-miss becomes more acceptable with this newfound pop.
Like Kevin Smith a level above him, Taylor needs to be added to the 40-man roster by November so his timely breakout could turn him into a trade chip.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
