Blue Jays: The argument for and against trading the top prospects

The Blue Jays have clear designs on returning to the playoffs in 2022, but how far should they go when it comes to trading more of their top prospects?

That’s a complicated question, and one that Blue Jays fans love to debate on Twitter. At this time last year the Blue Jays had one of the best minor league systems in baseball, and while they still have a lot of talent in their system, a July blockbuster with the Twins took a bite out of the depth. That’s the price of bringing in a talented arm like Jose Berrios, which came at a cost of Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson. However, now that the Blue Jays have locked up Berrios to a seven-year extension, it feels like a gamble that should pay off well for this team going forward.

The Jays could afford to sacrifice some depth by giving up Martin and Woods Richardson, but it’ll be interesting to see how much further they’re willing to go. It’s widely expected that the Blue Jays will engage in trade talks once a new CBA is in place and that kind of thing is allowed again. That said, are they willing to trade from the top of their prospect pile again? In particular, would Ross Atkins and the front office team actually considering trading Gabriel Moreno and/or Orelvis Martinez?

I’ll state right away that I don’t think they’ll trade either of their top two prospects, but I wouldn’t go as far as putting my money where my mouth is. I say that because the Blue Jays are on the cusp of what could be playoff greatness with the amount of talent they already have in place, and Atkins and company might decide that the sacrifice is worth it.

However, I’d like to take you through what I see as the argument for and against the idea of trading Moreno or Martinez. Even if I don’t think it’s going to happen, I’ll admit that it’s possible, and I’ll even acknowledge that there’s an argument to both sides of this debate.