Blue Jays could look to Cardinals for outfield help

The Toronto Blue Jays will leave no rock unturned this offseason in their quest to become more athletic and speedier afoot when the 2018 campaign kicks off next April. The Jays trek to a well-rounded roster should lead them to the Gateway City where the Cardinals have outfielders to spare.

The Cardinals have seven outfielders who all saw time on the major league roster in 2017 and who all have the potential to be everyday players if provided the opportunity. Further to Dexter Fowler, Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, Jose Martinez, Harrison Bader, Magneuris Sierra the Cards also have Tyler O’Neill honing his craft in the minors.

The Blue Jays are looking to replace right-fielder Jose Bautista and could be a match with the Cardinals if they decide not to replace Joey Bats in-house or from the available free agents. They were linked to Lorenzo Cain earlier this week however it was more than likely just the brain trust doing their due diligence touching base with the available crop of talent.

Randal Grichuk is an interesting outfield talent from the Cards plethora of outfielders. The 26-year old is a former 1st round pick from the 2009 amateur draft but has yet to live up to his expectations consistently day in and day out at the major league level.

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Grichuk has back to back 20+ homer seasons but strikeouts a ton and struggles to get on base prompting for demotions the past two seasons. In 2017, he slashed .238/.285/.473 with 133 whiffs in 122 games. With the likes of Fowler, Pham, Sierra, and Piscotty in the picture, Grichuk may be available for the taking.

Magneuris Sierra is another interesting option who performed well in limited opportunities. The 21-year old hit .317/.359/.317 with 2 stolen bases in 22 games, all of his 19 hits were singles. The youngster hit .270 with 20 stolen bases between High-A and Double-A last season.

Jose Martinez burst onto the scene as a 29-year old hitting .309 with 14 homers in 106 games between the outfield and first base. Martinez was purchased from the Royals in 2016 and won’t hit free agency until 2023.

Fowler is owed $66 million over the next 4 years, Pham had a breakout season and Piscotty struggled but had a great 2016 so it’s a safe bet those three will remain as the Cardinals outfield trio to start 2018. Bader made his MLB debut as a 23-year old in 2017 and showed 20/20 potential in the minors, he should make the team out of spring training.

Next: Minor League Free Agents worth the gamble in 2018

Who knows what the Cardinals will covet in return for any of their talented outfielders but the Jays should be knocking on their door regardless.