Blue Jays: Which AL contenders could come calling for a starting pitcher?

With the Blue Jays expected to trade veterans before the July 31st deadline, which possible contenders could come calling for a starting pitcher?

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays won’t be making the playoffs in 2019, and with that reality is that the rebuild will continue in Toronto.

That was pretty much always part of the plan anyway, but the fact that they’re on pace for more than 100 losses right now cements the idea that they’ll trade veterans like Justin Smoak, Freddy Galvis, and possibly several others.

The most appealing part of their roster (other than the minor league system) would be in their starting rotation, where the Jays have a few potentially useful pieces for a contender as the 2019 season enters its stretch run. Chances are that Ross Atkins and the front office have already started fielding some calls on guys like Marcus Stroman and maybe Aaron Sanchez as well, but they could have others to offer if Clayton Richard and Clay Buchholz can be healthy and productive before the deadline.

So if we can agree it’s likely the Blue Jays will at least field calls on their starting pitchers (I’m not saying they’re guaranteed to trade Stroman, or Sanchez), then who will be on the other end of the phone? A lot can change in the next two months, but we’re already starting to get an idea of what the playoff picture could look like, and who might be interested in upgrading their rotation for 2019, and potentially beyond.

Boston Red Sox

As the Red Sox have turned their season around from an ugly first month or so, they’re now firmly back in the playoff picture where they belong.

What they may have learned through some of their early-season struggles is that they’ll need some more help if they’re going to defend their World Series title. That becomes an even bigger priority when you consider that Mookie Betts will be a free agent in a couple of years, and it doesn’t sound like he’s interested in entertaining an extension before he gets there. That means they are firmly in “win-now” mode in Boston.

I’d be surprised if the Red Sox didn’t prioritize their bullpen over their rotation, but I would argue that both areas could use some help before the stretch run. Maybe that means the Red Sox are more interested in someone like Ken Giles, but I think they could be intrigued by a starter as well.

Right now their rotation features Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, and Eduardo Rodriguez, and they continue to wait for options like Nathan Eovaldi and Brian Johnson to get healthy enough to return as well. It’s that precarious health that makes me wonder if the Red Sox won’t at least call to get the asking price on someone like Stroman. If things go south and Sale, Price, and/or Rodriguez can’t stay healthy, they could be looking for arms in general as well later in the year.

All that being said, the Red Sox don’t have a terribly strong minor league system right now, so the Blue Jays probably want to look elsewhere if they want to get the most value for their top starters like Stroman or Sanchez. There’s also the complicating factor of being in the same division, although with the Blue Jays being firmly in a rebuild I don’t know that it would matter as much as it has in years past.

Likelihood= 1/5

New York Yankees

For a team that has been mauled by injuries the way the Yankees have this season, it’s pretty amazing that they’re at the top of the American League East right now. That said, this is a deep and dangerous roster.

If there’s an area of weakness though it’s probably in the starting rotation, and that’s mostly because of the absence of Luis Severino all year. It still sounds like he’ll return at some point in the second half, but counting on him to be a staff ace in the playoffs might be a bit of a reach, although it’s hard to say.

The Yankees do have a talented staff that still includes Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, J.A. Happ, C.C. Sabathia, and Domingo German, but I don’t know that they’ll be confident taking that group into the postseason. Sabathia has battled injuries so far and Tanaka’s health is a frequent wild card as well. It feels like the Yankees will be shopping for rotation help, and even some members of the New York media could see there being a fit with Stroman.

The Yankees would have the prospect capital to get a deal done for any of the starters that could be available, it’s just a matter of seeing if a mutually beneficial deal can be reached. They found common ground and got a swap done last year with Happ going to New York in exchange for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Brian Cashman goes back to the well again.

Likelihood= 3/5

Tampa Bay Rays

As much as the Red Sox or Yankees could use a boost to their rotation depth chart, you could probably argue that the Rays could use it even more.

Or, maybe not?

The Rays have continued to use unconventional methods in 2019 and they’re currently at the top of the Wild Card standings, so it’s working whether old school baseball fans like it or not. Right now MLB.com has only three starters listed on their depth chart, which are Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Ryan Yarbrough. They also have Tyler Glasgow and on the injured list, but they’re not shy about using the “opener” strategy.

Perhaps they’ll be comfortable continuing to go with that method throughout the year, but it wouldn’t be surprising to me to see the Rays “go for it” a bit this season, especially if the Yankees’ health continues to make them vulnerable. They should have payroll room despite their putrid attendance, and they have a very strong system if they want to part with prospects to improve their chances this year.

Maybe it’s possible they could pursue Stroman, but I would be less surprised to see the Rays inquire on Sanchez (on a discount because of the injury concerns), or even Buchholz or Richard if they’re healthy and performing. As I said above, they operate in unconventional ways and yet find a way to consistently compete with some of the best teams in baseball, even with a fraction of the payroll to work with.

I don’t think it’s likely that they’re a match here, but I wouldn’t rule it out.

Likelihood= 1.5/5

Los Angeles Angels

You don’t hand out the biggest contract in MLB history if you’re not planning on competing, so the Angels signalled their extensions when they gave Mike Trout a contract to keep him on their roster for, potentially, his entire career.

Because of that, I have to believe that the Angels will be interested in upgrading their starting rotation later this summer, as long as they look like realistic contenders. As of this writing (prior to games being complete on Tuesday evening), they are 2.5 games back of the Texas Rangers for the second Wild Card spot but would have to leapfrog four other teams to get there.

Their experiment with Matt Harvey didn’t work out this year, and right now their depth chart has Tyler Skaggs at the top, which isn’t a good sign (with all due respect to Mr. Skaggs). The Angels could desperately use the rotation help, and I could see them being a team that would be very interested in one or both of Stroman and Sanchez. The former would provide the rotation stability they so badly need, and Sanchez would be a high-reward lottery ticket who would be coming home to California if this type of deal went down.

As I mentioned before though, the key may be whether or not the Angels have a shot at making the postseason this season, and right now that’s an uphill climb. I don’t believe that the Rangers are going to stick in the race, but they still have to compete with the two of the three that don’t win the AL East, as well as teams like the Cleveland Indians and Oakland A’s. If they don’t believe they have a realistic shot this season, they might wait until the winter to do their rotation shopping.

Likelihood= 3/5

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland A’s and Toronto Blue Jays have been fairly frequent trade partners in recent years, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see it happen again.

Like the Angels, the A’s need to pull themselves back into the playoff race, but as their roster continues to get healthier that seems like a more realistic scenario. They started the season without Matt Olson because of a broken hamate bone, and have missed others like Khris Davis to the injured list as well, but they’re getting healthier and more dangerous.

Oakland has the most rotation depth of any of the teams I’ve mentioned so far, but the chance to upgrade with someone like Stroman could certainly be of interest. They’re also a third team that would need to be in playoff contention come late-July, as they’re currently 2.0 games out of the 2nd wild card spot as well.

They were serious contenders last year though and it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see them pull into one of the wild card spots. They’re already 11.0 games behind the Astros in the West division so that would be a tough hill to climb, but there is still plenty of season left, so that’s not impossible either.

Would the two clubs be able to link up on another trade? That may be a matter of need, but at the right price I could see the A’s investing in Stroman or Sanchez. We’ll see where they are in about six weeks time, and if their current depth is getting the job done.

Likelihood= 2/5

Minnesota Twins

Arguably the surprise team of the 2019 season so far, the Minnesota Twins look like they’re a lock for the postseason this year. There is a lot of talent on this roster and a lot of reason for optimism for the present and the future, but this feels like a “year-early” story to me.

That said, they are definitely for real, and they’ll likely spend the next two months deciding if this is the year to spend some resources on taking a shot at the World Series, or if they can rely on the what they currently have. Their rotation features Jose Berrios, Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi, Martin Perez, and Devin Smeltzer, and they also have Michael Pineda, who is currently on the IL.

I really feel like the Twins may be one of the better fits for the Blue Jays, especially if they are serious about trading Marcus Stroman. The Twins could use another starter that’s worthy of making a playoff start, and Stroman has already gone through the battle a couple of times and came out on the other side looking pretty good. His extra year of contract control would figure to be a big plus here as well, as the Twins should be in the thick of things for a few years going forward.

Berrios is a top-end talent, but if I’m the Twins I’d really like the idea of having another guy with ace-level upside, and the idea of acquiring someone like Stroman could be just the right boost they need. They’re not going to be trading Royce Lewis in order to get him, but with four pitchers and three outfielders among their top ten prospects, there could be a deal to be made here.

I do expect that the Twins will regress a little as the season goes on, but I don’t think it’ll be enough for them to miss the playoffs. If they believe this is a legitimate year for them to make a run, they might be as good of a fit as any in the American League to make a trade with the Blue Jays.

Likelihood= 4/5