Blue Jays & MLB Trade Deadline: 5 Things that NEED to Happen

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Call up Pompey!

Dalton Pompey was supposed to be the starting center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. After rocketing through the system last season, the Blue Jays were banking on him making the transition to the big league stage. It didn’t happen. He struggled early on. His struggles led to a lack of confidence. At one point, he admitted to “playing scared”. If he made a mistake, would he be sent down to AAA? Ironically, it was this fear that led to just that. He was sent down to AAA after just 23 games.

Since then, the 22 year old had been sent down even further to AA New Hampshire under the notion that he’d face better pitching there. It seems to have worked. He hit .351 in AA over 31 games. The Blue Jays brought him back up to AAA where he’s been hitting .273 in 33 games. His OBP of .368 in Buffalo is showing patience at the plate. He has 20 walks to 22 strike outs. He’s also hit 3 triples and stole 8 bases there. If you look at his time in the minor leagues, you see a guy who has found success. Is it enough to play with confidence at the big league level?

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Who knows. But, what would surely give him that confidence is a general manager and a manager saying, “We’re going to get you to play left field every day regardless of results”. That’s what they need to do. Dalton Pompey needs to play everyday to develop that confidence. If that is all it is, send him the message that he’s safe. Look what playing everyday did for Kevin Pillar. And, many feel that Pompey has more to offer than Pillar. So, let the kid play!

What is the worse that could happen? Is he going to be worse than the platoon of Danny Valencia, Chris Colabello and Ezequiel Carrera? It is doubtful. Combined the Blue Jays are getting a line of .259/.305/.400 out of the LF position with 21 walks and 86 strike outs. What is also missing on this team is some speed. Pompey can provide that. You could make the argument that Pompey just might be a better option. Valencia and Colabello offer other versatility that does not extend to the outfield. Pompey is a better bat than Carerra and can play better defense than all of them. Fans will agree that it has been frustrating watching the LF defense this season. So, put Pompey there!

None of these moves are guaranteed to bring a championship to the city of Toronto. But, if followed would certainly go a long way to that end. They each come with their degree of cost and benefit. Alex Anthopoulos’ job is to weigh these things and make a decision. With the clock ticking before the July 31st Trade Deadline passes, he’s going to have to act quickly. Many feel that these next few days will go a long way to deciding his future with the organization. Does he feel the pressure? Does he feel the pressure to bring the playoffs to Toronto from Blue Jays fans everywhere? Does he feel the pressure to act swiftly? He certainly won’t rush into a decision. He’ll take his time to think things through. The question is whether he has enough time to do that anymore. It’s time to do something, not just think about it.

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