Deadline Acquisitions

As the August 31st trade deadline passed, the Blue Jays found themselves to be one of the most active teams. Deciding to move forward as buyers, the Jays made three trades, as well as two additional trades leading up to the deadline. The team’s main priority was pitching, but they were able to patch far more issues than that.

Leading up to the trade deadline, the Jays traded for 1B Daniel Vogelbach, as well as SP Taijuan Walker, both of which came from the Mariners in separate trades. On the day of the deadline, the Jays also brought in LHP Robbie Ray from the Diamondbacks, utility man Jonathan Villar from the Marlins, and RHP Ross Stripling from the Dodgers.

The first trade the team made leading up the the deadline was Vogelbach. The 2019 all-star was acquired for cash considerations after being DFA’d by Seattle. With Shaw, Tellez, and Guerrero Jr. it really didn’t make much sense to make the acquisition, but the front office likely felt that it was too much talent for such a cheap price, and simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Vogelbach has struggled thus far in 2020, but a comeback seems like a real possibility, especially after reconnecting with his AA hitting coach in Guillermo Martinez, and Dante Bichette, who he knew growing up after being teammates with Dante Jr. The team is betting solely on a resurgence, as there really isn’t room for him considering how crowded a position first base is. Going forward he likely won’t hold a large role with the team (assuming there are no significant injuries) unless he goes on a huge hot streak. Overall, this wasn’t a very significant trade for the team in 2020, but could work out as more of a long term move, especially considering how easy he was to acquire.

The second move for the Jays came only a few days after the addition of Vogelbach, which was his Mariner teammate Taijuan Walker. The Jays announced they would be giving up a player to be named later, so no specific name was given. However, it was announced that it is a position player rated a top 30 prospect who is not currently in the 60 man player pool. Many media outlets consider either Leonardo Jimenez (rated 17th), or Will Robertson (26th, a former 4th round pick) the most likely candidates to be the PTBNL. Either player is a fairly reasonable price for the 28 year old starter. Walker has been a fairly consistent starter his whole career, but has had significant injury concerns the last couple years. Fortunately his injury riddled history isn’t such a big deal in a shortened 60 game season. As a Blue Jay he projects to be a middle of the rotation starter who was primarily brought in to go deep into games and save the bullpen. Prior to the trade he averaged over 6 innings per outing, and ended up pitching 6 shutout innings in his Blue Jays debut. The only concern about this trade is that Walker will be a free agent at the end of the year. Otherwise, he seems like a very good option at a cheap price, and it would become a great decision if they manage to sign him to an extension as well.

Come August 31st, the first trade for the team was for SP Robbie Ray. In past years Ray was an ace for the Diamondbacks, even getting an all-star nod in 2017. He has been consistently good until the 2020 season. Ray has been on the trade block for around two years now, and being a free agent at season's end in his career worst season, Toronto picked him up at his lowest value ever. Going to Arizona is Travis Bergen, a 26 year old left handed reliever. Despite having an ERA above 7.50 on the year, the trade looks like a steal to many, and the possibility of a resurgence seems very likely, and Bergen is a cheap price to pay. Fans could see Ray come out of the bullpen until the team feels he has fixed his mechanics, but it is equally as likely that they throw him in the fire and let him start right out of the gate. Either way, this will be a project for Pete Walker and the rest of the staff as they try to get him back to previous form before the playoffs begin. Although a risk, Bergen was a low price to pay, and a comeback year could be a huge step forward for Toronto, making this a worthwhile trade.

The second trade from deadline day came in the form of infield help. The Jays acquired Jonathan Villar from the Marlins in exchange for Griffin Conine, a 23 year old prospect who was a second round pick. Conine is also rated the 16th best prospect in the organization. Griffin’s father, Jeff Conine, was a two time all-star with the team, earning the nickname Mr. Marlin, so it is only fitting that his son is the player going the other way. On the flip side, Villar is a huge pickup for Toronto. The 29 year old plays all around the diamond, and projects to fill in at shortstop while Bichette is on the IL. Villar spent 2019 with the Orioles, where he held a .274 batting average, a .339 OBP, and a .453 slugging percentage alongside his 40 stolen bases, and career high 24 home runs. Considering speed is an issue for the Jays, acquiring the league's active leader in stolen bases is a big positive. He will likely slot in at the leadoff spot, moving Biggio to the second spot in the order. He is a great fit for the team, but like Walker and Ray, he is a free agent at the end of the year. Extending/resigning Villar could be another very significant move for the team going forward, making the trade look great.

The final pickup for the Jays was Ross Stripling, a starter/reliever for the Dodgers. The 2018 all-star was acquired for 2 PTBNL. Stripling is very much like Robbie Ray in that he has a very strong history (finishing with an ERA under 4.00 his entire career), but is having a terrible 2020 (5.61 ERA). He seems to be another project for the team, but a low risk project nonetheless. 2020 is the first season of his career that he has solely been used as a starter, and it is still unknown if he will receive a starting rotation spot with Toronto. Over the last two years Stripling has played in 65 games, 36 of which were starts. He is capable of being a full time starter, but the loaded Dodgers rotation really didn’t have a spot for him, leading to the trade in his first real rocky season. He is yet another strong bounce back candidate that the Jays bought at a low point. It is still unknown what players will be sent back to LA, but it seems likely that this will be a solid trade for the Jays, especially considering the team still has two more years of control before he hits free agency for the first time.

Although no blockbusters were made, it was still a big trade deadline for Toronto. Three new starters really bolsters the rotation, and eliminates the team's pitching needs both in the rotation, and the bullpen (longer outings means less bullpen usage). Vogelbach and Villar were also big additions for the team, Vogel in the short term, and Villar in the short term. Villar will undoubtedly be a big factor for the team as they make a push for the playoffs, and he is a perfect fit for the team. The Jays managed to maintain their entire top end prospects, and didn’t trade anyone from the active roster. All of the team’s trades seemed reasonable, and they didn’t overpay for anything. Sure there are some risks, and many if’s, but for the price they paid, it is well worth it. Despite many new faces, it will be a fun season for fans to experience in their first playoff push since the Donaldson era.