The Toronto Blue Jays are a better team now than they were yesterday. With the trade deadline behind us, the Jays are who they will be for the remainder of the 2022 season. There is no longer a way to add players via trade via waivers. That’s all.
The Jays improved their bullpen by adding two relievers from the Miami Marlins: Anthony Bass and Zach Pop.
Bass’ name may sound familiar when he pitched in Toronto in 2020. The 34-year-old righty is having his best season yet. In 45 games, he is 2-3 with a 1.41 ERA. He has pitched 44.2 innings and allowed just 32 hits with 10 walks and 45 strikeouts. Amazingly, he has only given up one home run. He hasn’t fared well when pitching in the ninth inning, but he’s 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, pitching 20 innings while allowing 23 hits, walking two and striking out 14. The righty hits the strike zone with sliding power. He has allowed just one home run as well. He’ll be a good weapon to bring into the game with runners on base when the Jays need a double play. It is a ground ball generating machine.
Bass and pop add length and depth to the Jays bullpen. They will allow manager John Schneider to shorten the game because they are two good options to pair with the rest of the bullpen.
Toronto added another pitcher, Mitchell White from the Los Angeles Dodgers. White is 27 years old and has played in the major leagues for parts of the last three seasons. He has mainly been a starter, but has also served as a long reliever. He reminds me of Ross Stripling when he first came to the LA Jays. He’s a more than serviceable pitcher who protects Toronto’s starting pitching depth and strengthens their bullpen. If Yusei Kikuchi fails the rotation again, White can take the ball instead.
Finally, the Jays traded for Whit Merrifield from the Kansas City Royals. Merrifield was a longtime Royal who, in the past, was highly coveted by nearly every team in baseball. Can play second base and 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. While he’s having a bit of a down year (.240/.290/.352), he’s still a tough player who can run the bases and put the ball in play. He is a great leader and teammate. I think the change of scenery will reinvigorate him. I like that even though he has played more corner outfield, he can play center, and he may have to because of George Springer’s sore elbow. Springer may have to take at-bats out of the designated hitter position until his elbow heals.
Interestingly, Merrifield was one of 10 Royals who were unable to travel to Toronto in mid-July because he was not vaccinated. He then said he would consider it if he was part of a competitive winning team. The Royals weren’t exactly that. One would have to assume the Jays wouldn’t have traded for him if they had any doubt he would get his shot.
Are the Jays still contenders?
The Jays are undoubtedly better because of these four acquisitions. But they feel a bit anticlimactic, as they were tied to several more impactful players who ended up moving elsewhere or not at all.
Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani ended up going untraded, while superstar outfielder Juan Soto was dealt to San Diego for a big package of prospects that the Jays couldn’t match. Pitcher Luis Castillo was traded from the Reds to the Seattle Mariners, while Frankie Montas, Oakland’s No. 1 starter, is now a Yankee. Both would have helped the Blue Jays significantly, but the Mariners and Yankees paid a hefty price to acquire them. In some ways, I can understand the Jays not being able to match.
But I’m surprised they couldn’t make a deal with righty Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds, who ended up getting traded to Minnesota. Although it’s worth noting that Mahle didn’t make the trip north when the Reds played Toronto in May. Lefty starter Jose Quintana has resurrected his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was traded to the St. Louis. 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 they acquired.
Make no doubt about it: The Jays are still being 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 to the playoffs, the Jays will likely have to get past one or both of the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. Each team made significant improvements at the deadline to their already superior rosters. So as it stands, the Yankees and Astros would be my matchup for the American League Championship. I’m 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 term winners, losers
The overall trade deadline winner is the San Diego Padres for their acquisitions of shortstop Josh Hader, future Hall of Famer Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell. The Padres gave up a lot, but I also think the Nationals are the winners because of the run they got.
The Phillies traded for starter Noah Syndergaard from the Los Angeles Angels. He’ll help the rotation as long as he doesn’t run out of gas in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. I also really liked their addition of Robertson to bolster their bullpen. Also, they got young outfielder Brandon Marsh from the Phillies in a separate trade.
The Minnesota Twins improved their pitching by adding Mahle from the Reds and reliever Michael Fulmer after approaching Jorge Lopez from Baltimore.
The losers at the deadline are the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians. They’ve been able to keep up with the Minnesota Twins so far, but I expect that to change. Their passivity will cost them a group shot at a division title.
The Texas Rangers also fall into the underdog category. They could have traded pending free agent starting pitcher MartÃn Perez, who is having a terrific year. Also, Matt Moore has been effective as a left-handed reliever. Neither was traded from a team that went nowhere at 46-56. This is a missed opportunity to stock up on prospects. They could have traded pitchers and then tried to re-sign them in the offseason.
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 not clear why. The asking price was known to be high, but at some point, make the best possible offer and get something in return. They may have asked so much that the clubs went in different directions. So, after the emotional tearful farewell, both Happ and Contreras will finish the season in Cubs uniforms. Again, a lost opener for the rebuilding Cubs.
Finally, the only team that did not make a trade at the deadline was the Colorado Rockies (46-59). No additions or subtractions. They re-signed reliever Daniel Bard, but couldn’t 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 missed 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.