Blue Jays: It’s rumour time, with even Odor’s name surfacing

It’s trade deadline season in the MLB, and with that comes one of the busiest times in the calendar when it comes to the rumour mill. The latest name linked to the Blue Jays is a surprising, albeit unlikely one, in Rougned Odor.

Before I really dive into this one, let me say that I see it as a serious long shot. I decided to address it, mostly because I have some fond memories around the players involved in the rumour.

According to Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com, the Blue Jays expressed interest in acquiring Rougned Odor. He does go on to say in the article that his sources didn’t indicate whether that was before or after “the punch”, but Heyman mentions them as a plausible fit either way.

First of all, I’m not sold on the Blue Jays being out of patience with Devon Travis. With the season going the way it has, it sounds like they’re looking forward to a clean slate in 2018, and Travis will be afforded the very same thing. He’s currently rehabbing from knee surgery, and has moved along nicely in the rehab process. With the Blue Jays being in a tough place in the standings, having as much patience as possible with his rehab is the smart play.

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

His upside is obvious, provided he can stay healthy, and I just don’t see the Blue Jays moving on from him that quickly. It’s possible they may want to try him at another position, but I’m not certain that playing second base has been the problem for him either. Sure, he has to turn double plays around the bag, but with the new sliding rules in place, middle infielders aren’t taking the beating they used to.

Secondly, this is Rougned Odor we’re talking about, possibility the most despised player in Toronto, at least from the baseball side of things. In case you somehow missed it, he’s best known north of the border for the punch he threw at Jose Bautista, landing a haymaker to the Blue Jay star’s jaw. Of course, Bautista and the Jays have had the last laugh several times over, but it doesn’t make the event less significant.

If the Blue Jays did acquire Odor, everyone in the clubhouse would be professionals about the acquisition, including Bautista. That said, why bring in someone that almost everyone in the clubhouse would dislike? There has been some bad blood between the Rangers and Blue Jays in the last couple seasons, amplified by their meetings in the playoffs (that’s the fond memories part I was talking about earlier).

Third, Odor isn’t having the greatest of seasons either, and is quickly developing into the type of player that the Blue Jays are looking to get away from. After looking like a more complete hitter earlier in his career, the 23 year old has become a power-first type, as he’s hitting just .215 this season, but has hit 17 long balls in the process. He went from a career high of 16 to 33 last season, and seems to have developed a taste for home run glory.

Granted, he’s only 23 years old and he’s shown immense talent in his short career, but the Blue Jays need to become a more well-rounded offensive team, not add another all or nothing type to the lineup.

Lastly, what would the Blue Jays have to trade in order to acquire someone like Odor? He’s making just north of 1.3 million this year, and we’re talking about a middle infielder who had 33 home runs and 88 RBI last season, while also posting a .271 batting average. Players with a resume like that require a huge return, and while the Jays have greatly improved their minor league system, it’s seems extremely unlikely that they would dip into their farm to the degree that it would take to acquire Odor.

Next: Blue Jays should look to trade Kendrys Morales

As I said, it’s that time of of the year, and with that comes all kinds of rumours, some more plausible than others. I’d have to file this one away in the “not bloody likely” pile.