Blue Jays have checked in on Nick Markakis of the Braves

According to a tweet by Jon Morosi, the Blue Jays have checked in with the Braves on the availability of outfielder, Nick Markakis.

With the Blue Jays having told Jose Bautista that they will not be re-signing him this offseason, there’s a good chance that Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins will seek another solution to fill their vacant corner outfield spot. It’s possible they could use a variety of internal solutions like Teoscar Hernandez or Ezequiel Carrera, but it’s widely expected the team will pursue other options as well.

According to a tweet from respected writer Jon Morosi, the Blue Jays have checked with the Atlanta Braves about the availability of veteran outfielder Nick Markakis. Now 34, the lefty swinger has played for the Braves for the last three seasons, and spent nine years with the Baltimore Orioles before that, so he’s familiar with the AL East.

Morosi also mentions that talks haven’t gone very far, and for all we know they may not pick up again this offseason. The trade discussions have another layer of course, with former Blue Jays Gm Alex Anthopoulos now being in charge of the Braves front office. His knowledge of the system is as intimate as anyone’s outside of Blue Jays’ circles, so it’s not surprising that he’s potentially interested in some players in the system, many of whom were drafted while he was there.

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For the Blue Jays, Markakis would make a bit of sense, though he’s not the sexy option that many fans are likely hoping for. He’s in the final season of a four year, 42 million dollar deal, and is due 10.5 million in 2018, so he’s affordable. Last season he slashed .275/.354/.384 with eight home runs, 76 RBI, and 39 doubles in 160 games played. He’s been known for a plus arm in the outfield for a number of years, but unfortunately he rated -1.1 dWAR in 2017 according to baseballreference.com, so perhaps his best years are behind him.

I actually suggested that the Blue Jays should pursue him last offseason, before they had re-signed Jose Bautista, but of course that never came to fruition. While he’s not an All-Star calibre player these days, he’s still capable of getting on base at a decent clip, and also swings from the left side.

So far this offseason we’ve seen rumours tied to the Blue Jays including Jake Arrieta, Lorenzo Cain, and J.D. Martinez, so it would appear that Shapiro and Atkins are checking in all over the place on their options for next season.

Next: Dissecting the Donaldson trade three years later

It’s hard to say what the price tags are looking like in free agency, or with other possible trade acquisitions, so at least the front office is doing their homework, if nothing else.