Blue Jays: Donaldson trade rumours bound to fire back up

After the Cardinals were informed that Giancarlo Stanton would not approve a trade to St. Louis, it’s assumed they’ll revisit the idea of trying to trade for Josh Donaldson.

Things are finally starting to happen on the free agency and trade markets now that we’re into December, with several notable moves taking place including Shohei Ohtani deciding on the Los Angeles Angels, and Dee Gordon being traded to the Seattle Mariners.

One thing that hasn’t happened yet is a trade of Giancarlo Stanton, the National League’s home run leader from 2017, and arguably the most powerful bat in baseball. The problem of course, is that he’s got a 10 year, 295 million dollar contract attached to him, so trading for him isn’t a simple proposition. That said, there are interested teams and among them were the Cardinals, until they were informed that Stanton would not approve a trade to St. Louis, shutting the door on discussions between the two clubs.

The Cardinals haven’t hid their desire to add a power bat to the middle of their lineup this offseason, and were among the first to express interest in Stanton, and other potential options to fill the need. One of the other options we know they’ve explored is asking about Josh Donaldson, and whether or not the Blue Jays would consider trading him before the final year of his current contract.

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For now, the Blue Jays have repeatedly stated that they intend on competing in 2018, and trading away Donaldson would be a sure sign that they were surrendering the immediate term. Still, despite the repeated claims by the front office, many writers around baseball won’t give up on the idea of Donaldson becoming available, especially if the market develops a certain way. St. Louis missing out on the Stanton sweepstakes would qualify as a step in that direction.

There’s little doubt that if the Cardinals haven’t called back to check on Donaldson, that they’ll do so in the near future. As the market continues to develop, the pressure will only intensify on their front office to bring in an impact bat, and Donaldson would be a perfect fit to match their needs. That said, a player as talented as the 2015 AL MVP would be a perfect match for a lot of teams, including the Blue Jays.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that serious talks take place, but one would think that Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro would want to make that decision early, as it would shape a lot of the rest of their offseason in the process. They would also be well served to shop him before potential suitors sorted out their roster, which is already starting to happen across the league.

Which is why I believe the front office when they say that the “Bringer of Rain” isn’t going anywhere this offseason, and that the Blue Jays will enter the campaign with their best hitter still on the roster. Another slow start in the standings could potentially change that, but I don’t think the Cardinals missing out on Giancarlo Stanton will have any effect on where Donaldson plays next year, regardless of how much president John Mozeliak and GM Mike Gersch would like to see him in red and white.

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