Blue Jays: There are plenty of affordable rotation upgrades available

Tier Four- The Wildcards

I decided to make a fourth tier that included a few options the Blue Jays could take a chance on, and that could include a cheaper option like bringing back Clay Buchholz. However, if we’re looking at MLB trade rumors’ prediction list, there are a couple of names that stand out that I hope the Blue Jays check in on.

More from Jays Journal

• 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

One possibility that’s stood out to me for a while is Michael Wacha, even if he’s had mixed results with the Cardinals since his All-Star season in 2015. Still just 28 years old, he’s always had a lot of raw talent, but a variety of injuries have really hurt Wacha’s potential and he’s never quite lived up to the hype that he entered the league with. However, if he can be signed on a one-year, six million dollar pact like they’re predicting, then I’d say he’s a worthwhile roll of the dice.

The same could be said for Alex Wood, who has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and has seen his stock plummet as a result. If he can get his back healthy enough to make it through a full season then he’ll offer a lot of value to an acquiring club, and for the one year and eight million that they’re projecting, I’d take that gamble on the southpaw as well.

There are a few others listed like Ivan Nova (no thanks), Adam Wainwright (he’ll retire or return to St. Louis), or others, but I feel like the real wild card left will be the trade market. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have Chase Anderson on my list of possible rotation options for the Blue Jays, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they made another similar move, especially since they have a few redundant positions on their roster.

However Ross Atkins and company decide to further bolster the rotation, there should be plenty of options could there to bid on, and some likely some pretty reasonable price tags. All things considered, there’s no excuse for finishing the off-season without a substantial improvement to their pitching staff.