Blue Jays Trade Poll: Who Are You Willing to Part With?

Pitching Depth

If any team is going to give up one of their top talents, they’re going to expect to lessen the blow by obtaining an arm that could slot in as quickly as possible. They’ll look for pitching that is at or near “major league ready”. Luckily, the Blue Jays have some of that available. It is not clear just how comfortable they’d be with parting ways with some of that depth after sending Sean Nolin and Kendall Graveman to the Athletics as part of the package for Josh Donaldson.

The trick here is that, while there are no sure bets in baseball, you don’t want to part ways with guys who you believe will anchor your rotation for years to come. You don’t want to mortgage the future, as they say. But, you also want to get the most bang for your buck and trading a high level youngster for a high level veteran may pay off. The unknown factor plays a huge roll in the decision making. If AA had a crystal ball, he’d be much better equipped to pull off a deal. Instead, he’s going to have to go with his gut. Which is what I’m asking you to do. Which would you part with?

Jeff Hoffman- Every trade conversation will start with this name. The 9th overall selection in the 2014 draft was not even supposed to be there when the Blue Jays selected him. But, teams were scared off by his needing Tommy John surgery. Despite the surgery, many feel that he has the potential to impact a big league rotation very soon. He’s a complete pitcher already. He just needs to get healthy. Any potential deal could include this guy as a deal maker or breaker. I’m going to suggest that he is untouchable. 

Toronto Blue Jays

Aaron Sanchez- The once untouchable member of the “Lansing 3” is now in the big league rotation. He’s more or less holding his own. He’s about what you’d expect from a 22 year old rookie. He’s showing signs of brilliance along with signs of learning. He’s 3-3 in 7 starts but leads the league in walks with 29. He’s struggled to develop the ability to last deep into games. He’s averaging just over 5 innings per start. All of this aside, the Blue Jays (and fans alike) believe he has the makings of a top of the rotation starter. And, he’s just 22.

Daniel Norris– Another 22 year old who was supposed to be part of the big league rotation. Though, unlike Sanchez, Norris has been demoted to AAA. Here is another guy who has great potential, but hasn’t been able to harness it. His arsenal has the ability to play at the big league level. His work ethic and abilities mean he’ll be back in Toronto, or be a very nice piece in a trade.

Sean Reid-Foley– The 19 year old was drafted in the 2014 class and has started the year in Lansing. In 7 starts, he’s compiled a 0-1 record with a 4.87 ERA. But more important than those numbers are his very nice K/9 of 11.5 that goes along with a not nice BB/9 of 8. But, he’s 19!

There are many other arms to consider as well. If Marcus Stroman were healthy, he would be targeted. The Blue Jays may have to look at parting ways with Miguel Castro or Matt Smoral. None of these options may be ideal, but someone has to go if the Blue Jays are going to land that big fish.

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