Should The Blue Jays Trade Marcus Stroman?

Apr 19, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher

Kyle Drabek

(51) in the dugout against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Drabek – Although he was not drafted and developed by the Jays, he was acquired in the infamous Roy Halladay trade, and with a lot of promise and potential. Drabek, if you recall, was the crown jewel for the Halladay trade and was said to be the difference maker for the future rotation. The hype was not misleading, as he threw a no-hitter for Double-A New Hampshire in 2010, only to be called up by the Jays in September of the same year. Yet, it was the following year that we came to realize that the hype of Drabek was overstated, as he found himself spending more and more time in Triple-A Las Vegas (and Buffalo), trying to establish his command. After flip-flopping up and down between the Bigs and Triple-A, the Jays would ultimately place Drabek on waivers, and was claimed by the Chicago White Sox earlier this year.

Jun 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman

Brett Lawrie

(15) fields the ball against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Brett Lawrie – Here was a guy that was positioned to become the face of the franchise, post Jose Bautista. HIs passion and aggressive approach – not to mention the fact that he is also Canadian – was admired and loved by Jays fans all over Canada. Acquired from a trade that sent Shaun Marcum over to Milwaukee, Lawrie was set to be the club’s future 3rd baseman with a boatload of potential.  This was a talent that both the Front Office and most Jays fans agreed to be untouchable. In fact, Alex Anthopoulos went as far as saying this, verbatim, as we have seen in the leaked trade discussions with the Houston Astros. Yet, in hindsight, it seems that we considered Lawrie untouchable mostly due to the intangibles that he brought, instead of his abilities on the field. Ultimately, Lawrie is proof for Jays fans that even though we considered him to be untouchable, trading him for the right return turned out to be very beneficial. Josh Donaldson anyone?

Now, I understand that I have the benefit of hindsight working very well in my favor, as there is no real way to know which prospects will meet the expectations set out by scouts, fans, and management. I also understand that Anthopoulos has traded high-level prospects in the past. However, the point is to illustrate that those we value so highly now, may not be as great as we expect them to be later. If there is an opportunity for the Jays to trade potential for proven talent, I see no good reason for them not to. Which leads me to what many Jays fans will find as a blasphemy. Check it out on the next page.

Next: Could the Blue Jays do the Unthinkable?