Sportsnet will take a daily look at Toronto Blue Jays news and rumours leading up to Friday’s 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline.
The Toronto Blue Jays are a flawed team with a mediocre record.
But even at 50-50 they’re still positioned to make a run at the playoffs, as long as they improve their starting rotation. With 13 games remaining against the New York Yankees, the American League East isn’t out of reach. Plus, Toronto’s just 3.0 games back in the AL Wild Card race and the team they’re trailing, the Minnesota Twins, looks beatable.
The Blue Jays have a decent shot, especially if they upgrade over Felix Doubront in their starting rotation.
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That doesn’t mean it makes sense to give up top prospects for a short-term rental this side of David Price, but pushing some chips in on 2015 makes sense. The pitching questions have been apparent for a while. Now it’s a question of addressing that need by Friday’s deadline and taking advantage of a powerful Toronto lineup.
In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the latest Blue Jays-related rumours…
Jays linked to Kimbrel, Ross
The Blue Jays, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros are among the teams with interest in San Diego Padres closer Craig Kimbrel, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, who reports that Tyson Ross has also drawn interest from Toronto.
Kimbrel’s one of the best relievers in baseball, and he’d improve any bullpen, Toronto’s included. The 27-year-old’s striking out more than a third of the batters he faces, with 55 whiffs in 39.1 innings.
But acquiring elite relievers at the height of their value comes with plenty of risk. And as much as acquiring someone like Kimbrel or Aroldis Chapman would help, the Blue Jays’ biggest need exists in the starting rotation.
Ross walks more than his share of hitters, but he still makes sense for the Blue Jays given his ability to generate swings and misses and the fact that he can be controlled for two seasons beyond 2015. With Mark Buehrle and Marco Estrada set to hit free agency this winter, Toronto would benefit from adding a controllable piece such as Ross or teammate Andrew Cashner.
Jays still in on Samardzija
The Blue Jays and White Sox have actually lost the exact same number of games (50), but Toronto’s buying and Chicago’s contemplating selling. Prying Samardzija away from the White Sox wouldn’t be easy, but Chicago would surely be tempted if the Blue Jays showed willingness to part with one of their top prospects. If the Blue Jays want to get creative, they could even ask the White Sox about expanding possible deals to include someone like controllable reliever Zach Putnam.
Well-regarded prospects were involved in both of last week’s trades for rental starters, with Jacob Nottingham going to Oakland in the Scott Kazmir deal and Brandon Finnegan going to Cincinnati in the Johnny Cueto trade. As those deals show, the White Sox have reason to expect one top young player plus supplementary pieces if they do deal Samardzija. And if no team makes a suitable offer, they’ll be able to recoup a top draft pick in 2016.
