Blue Jays: The holiday wish list for the 2021/2022 offseason

The Toronto Blue Jays and the rest of the teams across Major League Baseball have been pretty quiet as of late with the owners locking out the players when the CBA expired in early December.

Prior to the lockout, the Blue Jays were pretty active on a few different fronts. They were interested in a few different free agents before they signed elsewhere but eventually got Kevin Gausman and Yimi Garcia to agree to deals in Toronto as well as some solid minor league additions in the form of David Phelps, Mallex Smith, and a few more depth pieces.

On the flip side, the Blue Jays also lost Steven Matz, Robbie Ray, and Marcus Semien this winter, with all three players signing lucrative long-term deals elsewhere, leaving a few holes in the lineup next season.

With the holiday season in full swing and Christmas only one day away, let’s take a look at what the Blue Jays wish list might look like when a new CBA is in place and Major League transactions can occur once again.

Acquiring Jose Ramirez without giving up Gabriel Moreno

Jose Ramirez is one of the most intriguing names that could be traded this offseason, with the Cleveland Guardians flirting between the idea of either trading him for prospect depth or trying to extend him to a long-term contract.

Cleveland had the lowest payroll in 2021 and realistically will sit at the bottom once again, both in payroll and potentially in the standings. The team is not projected to be a contender next season and could look to sell off their prized asset if the right deal comes along.

The key here is “the right deal”. Ramirez is a talented player, owning a career .278 batting average with a .855 OPS and is a threat to hit home runs from both sides of the plate. He fills a need on the Blue Jays at third base and is an absolute luxury when it comes to contract control over the next two seasons. This will obviously cost any team looking to acquire Ramirez a significant amount of player/prospect capital, and the Jays have a few players that could form a really nice package.

If you follow the Blue Jays on social media, you will see numerous trade proposals involving players like Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Orelvis Martinez, Jordan Groshans, and Alejandro Kirk. These are all players that could be brought into a potential package but are they enough to convince the Guardians to give up their top player?

It wouldn’t be surprising if they come asking for top prospect Gabriel Moreno in trade discussions and depending on who you ask amongst the Jays fanbase, some are ok with trading the catching prospect while some are in complete disagreement. This makes sense, considering Moreno is projected to be an everyday catcher at the MLB level but the Jays window for winning a World Series is at an all-time high right now, with the potential addition of Ramirez only accelerating those chances.

If Ross Atkins and co. are able to swing a deal that does not involve Moreno, this will be a huge win for the club who instantly posts one of the most dangerous lineups in all of the Major Leagues. Groshans and/or Martinez may head the opposite way, which would be a significant blow to the farm system, but creates one of the most feared lineups in all of Major League Baseball.