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 Los Angeles Dodgers will acquire Mat Latos from the Miami Marlins, reducing the supply of available starting pitchers by one, an industry source confirmed to Sportsnet.
Though Latos doesn’t appear to have been a Toronto Blue Jays target, he was one of the many names on the radar of clubs seeking pitching. He’s a rental, set to hit free agency after the season, but the Blue Jays are willing to consider short-term additions under the right circumstances.
Meanwhile, Latos gets the chance to pitch for a contender along with a guarantee that he won’t be tied to draft pick compensation as a free agent. That’s a welcome bonus for any pitcher looking to maximize his open market value.
With two days remaining before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, let’s check in on the Blue Jays and the rest of the pitching market…
Bidding war for Price?
The struggling Tigers are now 49-52, and at this point it looks like Detroit will sell and re-tool for 2016. The ask on David Price will presumably be extremely high given his track record, even though he’s a rental who’s set to hit free agency after the 2015 season.
Even if the Tigers expect a major haul for Price, it makes sense for the Blue Jays to keep tabs on the left-hander. He’d give their vulnerable rotation a huge boost down the stretch.
Speaking in general terms Tuesday, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos explained that he’d prefer to acquire controllable players when possible.
“Ideally you don’t shop in the rental market, that doesn’t mean we’ll rule it out, we’re open to it, but our preference is always to have guys under control that can be here for a while,” Anthopoulos said.
The GM said he’s not opposed to trading from the organization’s prospect depth if necessary, something that would be required in a deal for any frontline starter. Top prospects like Daniel Norris, Dalton Pompey, Anthony Alford are familiar to Blue Jays fans, but players such as Conner Greene, Jon Harris, Jairo Labourt, Alberto Tirado, Jimmy Cordero, Mitch Nay and Richard Urena are also impressing in the minor leagues.
“Their names all come up in deals. It doesn’t mean we’re going to trade any of them, but we feel like we’re pretty deep,” Anthopoulos said.
As always it’s worth keeping in mind that Anthopoulos has often passed on names in the rumour mill and pursued unexpected targets instead. Still, it’s pretty hard to imagine that the Blue Jays wouldn’t be checking in on the top arm available.
Samardzija off the table?
If the Chicago White Sox decide not to sell, there will be one less potentially intriguing pitcher on the trade market. Jeff Samardzija, who was traded last summer and again last off-season, could finally be staying put.
With a 3.94 ERA and four times as many strikeouts to walks in 148.1 innings, the right-hander has the potential to help many contenders. Unless, of course, the White Sox make a run for it and force interested buyers to look elsewhere.
Leake in play
Mike Leake doesn’t have a Cy Young on his resume, and he’s a rental. That said, he’s well-positioned to help a contender down the stretch:
- He gets ground balls, with a 51.5 percent ground ball rate this year that’s in line with his 50.1 percent career mark.
- He’s steady, with a career ERA of 3.87 and a track record of staying healthy.
- He’s affordable, with approximately $3.3 million owed before the season ends.
- He has experience pitching in a hitters’ park.
