The rise and fall of 10 former Blue Jays

May 29, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Brett Lawrie (15, left) is congratulated by third base coach Mike Gallego (2, right) after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Yankees 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. Brett Lawrie – Oakland Athletics

The Brett Lawrie trade that brought over Donaldson was met with mixed feelings. Disappointment by many at losing a passionate fan favourite, but who can be unhappy with this trade, at least from a Blue Jays perspective? Let’s take a look for a second.

Here’s how Lawrie has fared thus far:

And then there’s Donaldson’s season:

I think that’s probably enough said. But in case it isn’t, Jays’ Journal Podcast talked about who won this trade in its’ latest episode, which you can check out here.

Some of Lawrie’s struggles this season aren’t surprising to those of us who knew him in Toronto, like consistency. But some are new, like his strikeout rate. Lawrie is currently striking out at a near-Colby Rasmus pace of 28.6 per cent. His career average is 17.9 per cent, so that’s a big jump.

He’s also walking a lot less, which combined have a lot to do with his awful on-base percentage.

Defensively, it also seems like Lawrie has taken a step back, posting a .954 fielding percentage and 2.67 range factor, both below his normal play.

It’s safe to say the Blue Jays have upgraded at third base.