Blue Jays Need To Trade For Billy Hamilton. Now.

After a couple months of free agency, many good players have come and gone. Now with spring training coming close, the offseason is coming to an end, and most of the free agents have found homes for the season, and there aren't many good options left, and the Blue Jays, like many teams, still have holes to fill.

Going in to the offseason, the Blue Jays had a hole at first due to Encarnacion being a free agent, and holes in the outfield, with both Bautista and Saunders hitting free agency. Fortunatly, they have filled the 1B and DH role with the signings of Steve Pearce, and Kendry Morales, and some of the outfield gap, by re-signing RF Jose Bautista. But with Bautista's fielding ability getting worse, and the lack of a starting Left fielder, AND a proper lead-off guys, it looks more and more likely that the Blue Jays will need to look elsewhere than the remaining free agents. And this time, elsewhere might just mean the Reds.

Over the past couple seasons, the Reds have been raising the switch hitting, fielding specialist, speedster OF, Billy Hamilton to the player that he is today. Hamilton is known best for his base running ability, and his speed, which landed him 2nd in the MLB in steals with 58.

Hamilton, only being 26, clearly has a huge upside, however, he is still having trouble with the bat, as he is only a career .248 batter who hit for a much improved .260 last year. Clearly he is improving with the bat, but it is a small down factor.

Now to the good stuff. Billy Hamilton can be a perfect trade target for Toronto as he has the potential to be an amazing lead-off hitter. With some good coaching, he can become a good hitter, and with his speed, he is a perfect lead-off package. The only real reason why this is bad, is because the Jays will have to give up a lot for him, as the Reds value him very, very highly.

After going the whole season without a proper lead-off man, the Blue Jays must have learned that they need one. After a good season, Toronto was eliminated in the ALCS by the Indians, the main reason being because they couldn't get on base. Over the series, the whole team had trouble with their batting average, as all of theirs were really low. This destroyed the team because even though they hit a double, or a home run every so often, they had nobody to drive in! Nobody was on based, which is why they struggled. The other main reason that they struggled is because they didn't have speed, which is what Hamilton brings to the table. The odd time someone hit a single, they couldn't swipe two! So if the next guy hits a single, he is stuck at second or third when Hamilton could have swiped second and gone for home!

When it comes to acquiring Hamilton, it will obviously take a lot. As mentioned before, the Reds value Hamilton very high, and the question is, do they have enough to do it? Of course.

If the Blue Jays traded for Hamilton, they will need to go all out. They will need to put their farm system dead last in the league. I believe that they need to say now or never, because Donaldson is getting older, Martin is getting older, Estrada is getting older, Troy Tulowitzki is getting older, and so are many more players. You probably get the point.

With most of the Blue Jays getting older, these players only have so many good years left, and Toronto has to take advantage of them. So, what can they do?

Dump their system.

It is time for the Jays to go all out for the world series. In order to acquire someone like Hamilton, the Jays might have to give up several top prospects, such as Urena and Alford. However, if this is what they have to do to get the team to the position where they need to be, then it is time. If the Jays want to go all the way, then it is time for them to put their farm system in 30th, and this move and maybe one more might just do the trick.

A possible deal for Hamilton could include the Blue Jays #1 Prospect Jose Urena, #3 Anthony Alford, Ryan Goins, and another high rated prospect of choice. For a Hamilton deal to get done, there will have to be a lot of prospects, but it will help the Blue Jays move forward.

For the Jays to go all the way, this would be a critical move, as it would fill their outfield gap, and their lead-off spot (if it works out). However, to go all the way, they would need to complete one more trade for a left handed reliever, such as Padres Robbie Erlin, or Phillies minor leaguer Elniery Garcia. These moves would complete the roster and make the team world series contenders, and maybe take the team all the way. But, Hamilton is a fantastic first move.