The Toronto Blue Jays had a dream season from a personnel standpoint.
Not only was the club able to acquire a pair of all-stars in Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin before the 2015 season, but they also managed to add high-quality talent with one of the best trade deadline periods in baseball history.
The flurry of moves helped transform Toronto into division champions and now Blue Jays fans don’t need to pull their hair watching Noah Syndergaard pitch in the post-season.
LISTEN: At the Letters previews Blue Jays vs. Rangers ALDS
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos got rid of plenty familiar faces over the winter and during the regular season, so it’ll be a bit strange for some former players to see Toronto in the post-season.
So, in our final edition of our Ex-files feature for the 2015 season, we look back at the performance of 13 prominent former Blue Jays.
Brett Lawrie, Oakland Athletics: Lawrie had a decent first season in Oakland, but he didn’t come close to matching the production of Donaldson. The Canadian infielder hit .260/.299/.407 with a career-high 16 home runs while adding quality infield defence at both second base and third base. He played a career-high 149 games, which is notable given his previous durability issues, but his strikeout rate (144 strikeouts in 149 games) remains a bit concerning.
Jose Reyes, Colorado Rockies: Reyes was a beloved figure inside the Blue Jays clubhouse, but Toronto felt it had to move him in order to acquire all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Reyes didn’t light the world on fire after being dealt to Colorado, hitting .259/.291/.368 with eight doubles, three home runs, and four stolen bases in 47 games. Given his age (32) and contract status (scheduled to make $22 million per season until the end of 2018), it would be wise for the rebuilding Rockies to consider flipping him in the off-season.
Colby Rasmus, Houston Astros: Blue Jays fans can get a first-hand look at Rasmus, projected to start in centre field, during Houston’s wild-card game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. The veteran outfielder gave the Astros a decent return on investment after signing a one-year contract worth $8 million, hitting .238/.314/.475 with 25 home runs with a career-high 154 strikeouts in 137 games.
Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets: Syndergaard definitely lived up to expectations in his first big-league season with the Mets, going 9-7 with a 3.24 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 150 innings pitched. The 6-foot-6 right-hander, nicknamed Thor, is expected to start Game 2 of the Mets’ NLDS matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He looks like one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball.
Adam Lind, Milwaukee Brewers: The Blue Jays and Brewers both benefited from the Adam Lind-Marco Estrada off-season swap. Lind produced a solid 2015 campaign, even on a team with limited fire power, finishing with a .277/.360/.460 batting line along with 20 home runs and 87 RBI. The veteran left-handed has an $8 million club option for the 2016 season.
Melky Cabrera, Chicago White Sox: The White Sox were expecting immediate production when they handed Cabrera a three-year, $42-million deal this past winter. After a slow start, Cabrera got going in the second half, but finished the 2015 season with only 12 home runs and a .708 OPS. Cabrera had a slow start in Toronto as well so maybe his offensive output will improve in 2016.
Danny Valencia, Oakland Athletics: Valencia continued his strong offensive season after he was DFA’d by Toronto in early August, accumulating 11 home runs with an .886 OPS in 47 games. The 31-year-old is arbitration-eligible heading into the winter.
Kendall Graveman, Oakland Athletics: Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulous admitted it was tough to part with Graveman, who their staff projected as a major-league starter. Graveman held up in his first season pitching in Oakland, going 6-9 with a 4.05 ERA, 15 home runs allowed, 77 strikeouts and 38 walks in 115.2 innings (21 starts). The 24-year-old suffered an oblique injury late in the season, but enters the off-season without any real questions about his health.
Casey Janssen, Washington Nationals: Watching the Blue Jays qualify for the post-season must have been bittersweet for the 34-year-old Janssen, who was always a popular player in Toronto. Janssen had to believe he was a lock for his first-ever playoff appearance when he signed with Washington, but the Nationals turned out to be the biggest disappointment in baseball. Janssen’s numbers weren’t great, recording a 4.95 ERA with 27 strikeouts and five home runs allowed in 40 innings. Janssen has a mutual option for 2016, but it remains unlikely the Nationals exercise it.
Anthony Gose, Detroit Tigers: Gose is loaded with raw talent, but he remains a work in progress. The 25-year-old hit .254/.321/.367 with five home runs, 26 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 140 games with the Tigers. While he was capable of highlight-reel defensive plays, he also had his share of mental lapses, which basically sums up where Gose’s game is right now.
Daniel Norris, Detroit Tigers: The key figure in the David Price trade made a strong impact in his eight starts with the Tigers, recording a 2-1 record with a 3.68 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just seven walks over 36.2 innings. The 22-year-old lefty should be a staple in the middle of Detroit’s rotation for the foreseeable future. And hey did you know he lives in a van?
Matt Boyd, Detroit Tigers: Boyd appeared a bit over his head after being traded to Detroit, going 1-4 with a 6.57 ERA. He allowed 12 home runs while only registering 36 strikeouts in 50.2 innings. The Tigers would be well-served to develop Boyd in triple-A next season.
J.A. Happ, Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates acquired Happ from the Seattle Mariners just before the non-waiver trade deadline in an attempt to add rotation depth, but the veteran left-hander pitched like an ace once he came back to the National League. I had to double-check these numbers, but Happ recorded a 1.85 ERA, 1.03 WHIP with 69 strikeouts over 63.1 innings. Who saw that coming?