Blue Jays: The best ways to take advantage of payroll crunches

Swinging for the fences

If I were drawing up a best case scenario for the Blue Jays this offseason (other than the one we’ll talk about later), it would be to trade for Nolan Arenado. Our own Josh Pedvis talked about the possibility the other day, and I have to admit that it would be a dream to have a two-way star like the 29-year-old on the roster.

The reason that Arenado is even coming up in trade rumours is because he has six years and 199 million remaining on his current deal (according to Spotrac.com), and the Rockies finished near the bottom of the National League this past season.

My guess is that the Rockies would probably like to rid themselves of the money committed to Arenado, but I doubt they’re ready to give up one of the best players in baseball in order to do so. For that reason, I’d be surprised if they were to trade the 5x All-Star, even if he’s one of the most expensive players in baseball.

Having said that, if there’s a time that they could be convinced to make a deal, it might be right now. The Blue Jays would have the young players and trade assets to make a tempting offer, but who knows how many other clubs would line up to do the same. The other big key is that Arenado has a full no-trade clause, so he’d have to approve a move to north of the border.

It’s probably a long shot at best, but at the very least it’s worth making a phone call to the Rockies.

A solution for the hot corner

It’s expected that the Blue Jays will look to add at least one starting-calibre infielder to the fold over the winter, and with Cavan Biggio‘s flexibility, it could be a second or third baseman.

If the Blue Jays are looking for a solution at the hot corner, there may be one available from the Seattle Mariners in Kyle Seager. The 33 year old has been a fairly productive two-way player for many years, and he should be readily available this offseason. The Mariners are looking to rebuild, and the veteran is owed 18 million for next season, and an option for 15 million in 2022 that becomes guaranteed if he’s dealt. Knowing that, any acquiring team would be signing up for a two-year commitment.

I don’t know that I see Seager as an ideal fit, but he would bring several upsides to the table. He’s a solid defender, a power-hitting left-handed bat to balance things out, and he posted an encouraging .355 on-base percentage last season. Having said that, he feels like a slightly better version of Travis Shaw, and is that really worth 18 million for the upgrade?

My guess is Seager could be a Plan D type, after the Blue Jays have pursued other alternatives to fill their infield vacancy. I also assume that he’ll be available for a while, and that the Mariners could struggle to find a taker at all.

It sounds like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has designs on moving back to third base as well next season, and I’m sure the Blue Jays would be happy if that was an option. If they find themselves running short on options though, Seager is likely to be available for very little in return.

Bringing back an old friend?

For what it’s worth, I haven’t heard any trade rumours associated with David Price yet, but I fully expect they’ll start at some point this offseason.

The former Blue Jay opted out of the 2020 season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and unfortunately missed out on celebrating a World Series championship with his teammates. Having been acquired from the Red Sox along with Mookie Betts last season, he’s actually yet to pitch for the Dodgers. That also makes me wonder if the defending champs will decide they don’t need him and his two years and 64 million left on his deal.

If the Dodgers look to off-load that money this winter, they’ll likely have to eat some cash in order to get it done. However, there’s an argument to be made that Price could be an interesting target to acquire on the trade market, especially after a season away from the mound to rest his body. At 35 years old, he’s not the dominant force that he once was, but I’m very intrigued to see how re-charged he looks in 2021.

Price was very open that he enjoyed his time in Toronto in 2015, and while the roster has seen a complete turnover since he was a Blue Jay, there are still plenty of factors that could appeal to the veteran. In theory, he’d also be a nice arm to slot along side Hyun Jin Ryu and Nate Pearson near the top of the rotation.

Honestly, there are probably better options available to the Blue Jays this winter, but Price is one veteran arm that I’d keep an eye on. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers were happy to rid themselves of as much of the financial commitment to him as possible, and that he could likely be had for a couple of low-level minor leaguers.

A(n) (im) perfect fit

The offseason rumours are usually pretty extensive, which is why I’m surprised that this player has never really come up in Blue Jays rumours. In my mind, he’s nearly a perfect fit for what they could use going forward.

After losing his long arbitration battle with the Cubs prior to this season, Kris Bryant has one more year to go before he’ll become a free agent. The Cubs have long been rumoured to be looking to save some money, and this could be the winter they break up their championship core. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cubs shopped Bryant and the 18.6 million he’s owed for next season.

The problem for the Cubs is that Bryant’s trade value has arguably never been lower. He had a hard time staying healthy this year and appeared in just 34 games. He also struggled when he was on the diamond, slashing just .206/.293/.351 with just four home runs, five doubles, and 11 RBI. Unfortunately that’s not going to help the Cubs to maximize their return.

I do think they’ll be aggressive in getting his money off the books though, and that could mean that it’s worth looking at what it would take to acquire him. If he had more than one year of contract control then I would be all over the idea of trading for the former MVP, as he’d be a great fit at third base, and is capable of playing in the outfield as well.

Would it be worth trading for him now on an expiring contract? I’m not so sure I’d go that far right away unless the return you had to give the Cubs was very minimal. In that case it could be worth gambling on showing him the bright future in Toronto with a first-hand look and hoping he’ll stick around beyond 2021, while also hoping Bryant is the healthy and productive version of himself.

At a time when there could be a lot of options available, Bryant could be someone that’s easily forgotten given the rough 2020 campaign we just saw from him. However, there’s plenty of elite baseball left in the 28-year-old, and I think he’d look fantastic in Blue Jay blue.

The best case scenario

Until Cleveland trades Francisco Lindor, you’re going to hear rumours linking him to the Toronto Blue Jays. That happens pretty much any time Cleveland has a player available, and that may always be the case as long as Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins work in Toronto, having come from Cleveland before starting their current roles.

Lindor is a true game-changer that could be available this winter, and we’ve already seen Cleveland shed the 10 million owed to Brad Hand in order to cut down their payroll. They’ve long been rumoured to be open to trading Lindor, which was always a head-scratcher as they’ve qualified for the postseason so many times over the last several years.

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

After seeing them jettison Hand, my guess is that this will be the time that Lindor is actually traded. He has just one year and 19.5 million remaining on his current deal, so there will be real motivation to trade him before Cleveland loses him for nothing.

Bringing in Lindor is a complicated one for the Blue Jays. They’d have to give up significant assets to acquire him, which is an obvious factor to consider. They’d also have to move Bo Bichette off of shortstop, his preferred position, although it may be easier to convince him if the Jays are acquiring an MVP-calibre player. They’d also have to bank on the idea that Lindor would stay beyond 2021, as I’m not sure they’re quite at the “win-now” stage that you usually see from teams chasing a player of this ilk.

Still, it’s a situation worth monitoring, especially because it’s pretty obvious that Shapiro and Atkins have been sniffing around for a while now. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is smack dab in the middle of is prime, and two-way stars like him don’t grow on trees.

Having said all that, we know that Cleveland will be motivated to get his contract off the books, and that there won’t be many teams willing to add that kind of money to their payroll, even for a premium talent. It might be the right opportunity at the right time for the Blue Jays, and it would be a game-changing acquisition.

What other high-salaried players could fit the bill for this list? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section below.