Blue Jays: Prospects who should not be involved in trade deadline talks

The Toronto Blue Jays boast a very strong farm system, with a wealth of prospect capital primarily in the catcher and infield positions. As of right now, the Blue Jays have five players ranking in the top 100 prospects as per MLB Pipeline: Nate Pearson (#10), Austin Martin (#17), Jordan Groshans (#35), Simeon Woods-Richardson (#73), and Alek Manoah (#95).

Considering Manoah will most likely be removed from this list once he gets enough games/appearances at the major league level, the Toronto Blue Jays could still use some help at the major league level, mostly within their pitching corps considering how well the batting order has been performing lately.

With the organization most likely not making any large impact acquisitions until the July trade deadline, Ross Atkins will definitely have to deal from within the farm system to acquire a high-impact pitcher if they want to make a run for the World Series this year. That being said, there are a few prospects that should shut down any trade talks if any opposing team brings them up.

Nate Pearson – RHP

This one is pretty much a given, even if Nate Pearson is struggling this season.

The Blue Jays top prospect, Pearson features a flamethrower of a fastball and an arsenal of offspeed pitches that has fooled hitters for most of his minor league career. The right-hander has had a rough transition to the major league level, crafting a 6.64 ERA through six appearances with 18 walks and 16 strikeouts since his mid-season 2020 debut, struggling with his command on the mound. Injuries have also been an issue for Pearson, as he has missed a significant amount of time with various ailments throughout his professional career.

The Toronto Blue Jays possess a lot of talented prospects, and while it would be wise to dip into the farm system to acquire some major league talent to push for the playoffs at this year’s trade deadline, there are a few players that need to be considered as “off-limits” territory in trade discussions.

Even with the current struggles, trading Pearson right now would be a bit ridiculous considering the potential he has in the starting rotation. It is tough for a major league pitcher to become a full-time starter at the highest level without some bumps in the road, and this difficult stretch should subside sooner rather than later with some adjustments and refresher down in the minor leagues, however long that may be.

Hopefully, he figures it out soon and will be the impact pitcher fans and the front office was hoping he would be.

Austin Martin – INF/OF

One of the top position players in the organization, Austin Martin fell to the Blue Jays during last season’s amateur draft at fifth overall. Regarded as one of the top hitters in the draft, Martin has the ability to hit across the diamond for both contact and above-average power.

So far this season in AA, the Vanderbilt product has slashed .267/.396/.411 with two home runs, nine RBI, and a .808 OPS. He has split his time between shortstop and the outfield, with no clear indication yet as to where the Blue Jays plan to have him play as of yet, although a move to the outfield will most likely speed up his progression to the outfield.

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1401605204215320580

Trading Martin now might net a big return from opposing teams but one that would most likely have management kicking themselves down the line if the batting ability performs like scouts are predicting he will form into. His athletic ability and eyes in the batter’s box have him being a potential top of the lineup type of hitter, one that the Jays would really benefit from in the near future with George Springer, Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. surrounding him in the batting order.