Transactions are comin’. And I can’t lie, I’m excited. Hard not to day dream of how the Jays could swing a deadline deal similar to how the Red Sox traded soon to be Christian Vazquez for Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu, or how the Pirates trade former Blue Jays star Daniel Vogelbach for Colin Holderman. Of course, there are a million dud trades. I don’t need to list them. But I was thinking, you know who’s made a lot of buyer trades at the deadline to examine? The Toronto Blue Jays. Let’s see what we can learn about what a team might give away to buy reviewing the last three deadlines.
First up is the biggest year: 2021. The Jays started trading earlier than the deadline to shore up the bullpen and went and added near the end as well. I’m going to list the trades starting with what the Jays gave up and then what they received, so you can picture what a seller’s trade looks like:
Rowdy Tellez for Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis
Joe Panik and Andrew McInvale for Adam Cimber and Corey Dickerson
Riley Adams for Brad Hand
J.J. D'Orazio and Yaifer Perdomo for Joakim Soria
Austin Martin and Simeon Woods-Richardson for José Berríos
Now to see 2022:
Samad Taylor and Max Castillo for Whit Merrifield
Jordan Groshans for Anthony Bass, Zach Pop, Edward Duran
Nick Frasso and Moises Brito for Mitch White and Alex De Jesus
And lastly 2023:
Matt Svanson for Paul DeJong
Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein for Jordan Hicks
Take it all in. Pretty deflating no? Not much immediate utility from these 10 trades. There’s a backup catcher and platoon first baseman, which isn’t unimportant, but that’s the big thing that sticks out. There’s the José Berríos trade, which might be the template for a Chris Bassitt trade if the Jays eat some money, which has turned into a backend starter who’s taken two years to surface, and an utility player. Now that’s what they became, Martin might’ve had some prospect shine then.
Some of these deals are also the antithesis of what the Jays will want to do: flex their financial might. There’s a couple Marlins trades here which are good players being salary dumped. The Merrifield trade is a little like that. Mostly, a ton of fringe 40 man guys. That’s generally what the deadline has becoming, exchanging 40 man questions. Just hope the Jays can identify worthwhile 40 man players. What funny little trades the Jays have done over the years.