Blue Jays trade rumors: Team pursuing Mike Fiers?

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly interested in Milwaukee Brewers starter Mike Fiers. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was first with the news, and suggests that Fiers’ attractive salary and team control would require the Blue Jays to send multiple pieces in any potential deal. 


What we have here is the blueprint for a pre-deadline fluff rumor. Toronto is showing strong interest, but it doesn’t sound like there’s much traction to speak of and Fiers may not even become available. Public linking of Alex Anthopoulos to an available trade target rarely materializes, either, so is this worth any level of excitement?

Not yet, but Fiers does loosely represent the type of pitcher that we should expect Anthopoulos to target instead of a Johnny Cueto or Cole Hamels. An addition from Fiers’ tier or one slightly above could still leave assets left over to further address the bullpen or outfield depth, so this is a situation worth quietly monitoring.

More from Toronto Blue Jays Rumors

• Kyle Schwarber an ideal fit for the Blue Jays lineup
• Blue Jays: Could a 12-year old be the franchise’s future star shortstop?
• Blue Jays: Potential replacements for Marcus Semien
• Blue Jays: Time for an Old-Fashioned MLB Player for Player Trade?
• Are The Blue Jays Looking To Add Another Power Bat?

Fiers is making just $512,500 this season, which would be appetizing to ownership, and is not arbitration eligible until 2017. The 30-year old righty has been used as a full-time starter in 2015, and while he hasn’t lit the league on fire, he’s stayed above water for the most part.

He currently sits with a 3.79 ERA and 3.92 FIP to go along with a 1.36 WHIP that could afford to be lowered. Fiers forces ground balls at a rate of 38.4% and while he’s struggled with walks in 2015, his K/9 of 8.92 is encouraging given his pedestrian velocity. His fastball will top out around 90 MPH which he compliments with a curveball and decent changeup.

April and May saw Fiers struggle to reach the sixth inning with any level of consistency, but it’s been a totally different story since June 1st. In his nine starts since that time, Fiers has recorded 6.0 innings seven times with four outings of 7.0 innings. This has aided in dropping his ERA from a 5.00 mark on May 12th, but at his talent level, how much of a current upgrade is Fiers from someone like Daniel Norris, and is that level of upgrade worth the pieces Toronto would need to surrender?

Let us know what you think below, and what type of package you’d be comfortable losing, if any at all. Personally, I don’t see this as an arm worthy of any name-brand prospects. This rumor is all fluff at the moment, but it’s something, and more importantly, it makes some level of sense. We’ll follow this story closely and have any updates for you here at Jays Journal.

Next: Blue Jays bench providing consistency in 2015

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King