Blue Jays rumours: Failed medical linked to Jays prospect

Reports Tuesday morning indicate that the medical issue arising in the potential Jay Bruce trade belongs to a Blue Jays minor leaguer involved in the deal

The situation involving the Toronto Blue Jays, Michael Saunders, and Jay Bruce continues to grow stranger.

A report this morning from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports indicates that the medical issue that has derailed the deal is not with Saunders, as we had expected. Instead, an issue has arisen with a Blue Jays minor leaguer involved.

There is some shock value in the idea that Toronto was set to include more than just Michael Saunders in this deal, but I’ve felt since the initial rumour that there was more to this trade than Saunders, Bruce, and prospects.

It is entirely possible that multiple pieces were set to move between all three of the organizations, with the Blue Jays surrendering a minor league asset for more desirable depth at another position. Given that this Jays-specific detail was not leaked until this morning, further details on the now-halted deal could continue to trickle out through the day.

This also means that the Blue Jays could explore alternate avenues to acquire Bruce.

If the medical issue was with Saunders, it would be more difficult to work around the issue. Saunders is a pivotal piece of the reported deal going to Anaheim, who clearly intend on acquiring a major league calibre outfielder.

With a minor leaguer or prospect, however, it should be easier to find a relatively similar level of value. If, of course, the teams involved want to continue pushing. Given how close Toronto has gotten, and that they also pushed for Bruce at the 2015 trade deadline, I would expect them to circle back if possible.