According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Blue Jays reliever Joe Biagini is garnering trade interest from the Atlanta Braves.
The Atlanta Braves are seeking bullpen help for the postseason push and have been previously linked to Blue Jays closer Ken Giles as well. Joe Biagini would obviously cost less than the aforementioned Giles unless Alex Anthopoulos is attempting to rectify his reliever issues with one fell swoop acquiring both arms from the Jays.
Biagini has once again found his niche as a reliever now that the starter experiment has been officially exhausted. The 29-year old is 3-1 with a tidy 3.75 earned run average in 48 appearances this season. Biagini has also accumulated 11 holds and a save to go along with his 0.7 WAR rating.
The reliever also comes very cheaply earning an affordable $900,000 this season and not eligible for free agency until 2023. The Blue Jays plucked Biagini from the Rule-5 heap shortly after Anthopoulos had left the organization following the 2015 playoff run.
More from Toronto Blue Jays News
- Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
- Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
- Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
- Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
- Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King
The Braves currently sit 5.5 games ahead of the Washington Nationals atop the National League East, however, their bullpen has been in flux all season long due to injuries. The Braves have eight different pitchers that have registered at least a save this season with Luke Jackson leading the pack with 17.
Atlanta has a stocked farm system full of arms that could definitely persuade the Jays to unload both Biagini and Giles for the right offer. With the Marcus Stroman cloud no longer hanging over the front office, they can now concentrate on moving their relievers.
Another possible option is Daniel Hudson who has better numbers than Biagini but will be a free agent at season’s end.
The Jays aren’t done wheeling and dealing so don’t be surprised if Biagini along with a handful of others are moved before the Wednesday deadline at 4 pm.