Blue Jays could be big sellers at next year’s deadline

The Blue Jays intend to compete in 2018, but if they struggle again there’s a good chance they could be baseball’s biggest seller at the deadline.

As the Blue Jays struggled through the first half of the 2017, many folks expected that they would become big sellers at the trade deadline. They did make a few moves, shipping out Francisco Liriano to the Astros, and Joe Smith to Cleveland, but otherwise veterans like Jose Bautista and Marco Estrada stayed put for the remainder of the season.

Part of the reason for that was the Blue Jays had a faint hope of crawling back into the race for the second Wild Card spot, as it took until the final weeks before the Minnesota Twins finally claimed that position. One of the other reasons however, was that the Blue Jays felt that they could compete in 2018 with a few roster tweaks, and shipping out assets would make that much more difficult.

Looking ahead to the 2018, there are several talented veterans who could be coveted on the trade market, if the Blue Jays aren’t in the running of course. The most talked about option would be Josh Donaldson, and at this point it would appear the Blue Jays are going to keep their word and enter next season with their former MVP on the roster. However, he could be one of the most sought after players on the market by the time July rolls around, as he would be now if the Jays were shopping him.

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There are others on expiring deals as well, and that’s without the team inking any one year deals yet this offseason. Marco Estrada had his contract renewed for a single year, so he could end up traded in July this season, as many expected he would be last year. His rotation mate, J.A. Happ, is also in the final year of his deal, and could net a decent return for a pitching hungry team.

There are more as well, as Steve Pearce is entering the second of his two year deal he signed last offseason, and will be a free agent at the end of year. Justin Smoak has a club option on his contract for 2019, but that would just increase his trade value. Russell Martin is also entering the fourth of his five year deal as well, and could be an enticing piece for a team in need of a catcher as well. We could go further and look at the players getting more expensive in arbitration, but I think you get the idea.

Of course, with a better season for the boys in blue, every one of these players could finish the 2018 season on the roster, and might even be joined by veterans from other teams if the Blue Jays are in the hunt. But if they’re falling behind in the standings early in the season, I would be very surprised if Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins held back for a second straight trade deadline.

Next: Dissecting the Donaldson trade three years later