Blue Jays should trade Brandon Drury before the season begins

As the 2019 season is set to begin, it is no secret that the Toronto Blue Jays will be using this year to rebuild with younger players making their major league debuts. With a loaded infield roster, the Jays should capitalize on the market for utility infielders and trade Brandon Drury this season.

The Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in a situation that quite a few teams wish they could have. There are just too many major league ready infielders within the system, and not enough space for every player to make the team.

Now currently on the team’s website, there are 9 players fighting for 6-7 infield roster spots (all of them except for Eric Sogard are on the active roster). As it sits, Kendrys Morales, Justin Smoak, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Brandon Drury and Freddy Galvis will all make the team come opening day (Devon Travis is currently on the injured list).

This leaves Richard Urena and Eric Sogard fighting for the last spot on the team as the utility infielder/bench player. It has yet to be determined which individual will make the team, and will probably be the last decision coming out of spring training.

Now position wise, barring any injury, the team will most likely look like this when we hit mid-summer: Morales at DH, Smoak 1B, Travis/Galvis 2B, Gurriel Jr/Galvis SS, and then Vlad Jr. at 3B.

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With this configuration, that means there will be no room for Rowdy Tellez, Drury, or Urena/Sogard on the Blue Jays. As I said, there is just not enough space on the team for everyone.

This leads us to the meat and potatoes and why I think Drury should be moved before the 2019 season begins. I should say that I truly have nothing against him and that he really is having a hot start to the year in Dunedin. If we look at the numbers, he is guaranteed to make the team out of spring training, but once Vlad Jr. returns from injury (and service time manipulation) to the team mid-April/early May, there will be no room for him on the squad.

If I were the Blue Jays management, I would sit down and find a scenario where you can trade him for some additional international slot money, or a recent draft pick pitcher, and let the player develop. If the Jays are really going to embrace the ‘rebuild’ year, then why not get some younger prospects started in the system and use them as trade bait or genuinely grow them to become everyday players on the team in 4-5 years.

This would also benefit Brandon Drury, as I am sure he would like to play in major league games instead of sitting on the bench and/or playing in AAA ball. Nobody wants to be considered the backup to one of the best prospects in all of baseball.

The only scenario I see where Drury stays on the team this season is if the Blue Jays move on from Devon Travis when he returns from the injured list. It would be the pros and cons game when comparing the two players, but Drury will command more trade value than Travis just due to health concerns alone (not that either has been exceptionally healthy the past few seasons).

Things get even more complicated infield wise when Bo Bichette becomes MLB ready and we see him move North of the border. Then there really won’t be any room for Drury on the team, and possibly see Urena get moved as well.

I believe the Blue Jays should capitalize now on Brandon Drury with his hot start and let both the team and player benefit in the end.