One prospect the Blue Jays should not have traded at the deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a current battle to slip their way into the postseason while still brewing the thoughts of what next year and future seasons have in store. Although it is not the priority at hand, it is still important to understand where your stability lies along the field, position to position. This year’s trade deadline shipped off some of the Blue Jays’ promising future talent; most concerning to me was Infielder, Samad Taylor.

The Blue Jays’ rotation struggled early on in the season, putting pressure on an extremely parched bullpen. This forced the hand of Ross Atkins and his staff to go out and make moves to acquire arms such as Zach Pop, Anthony Bass, and Mitch White.

In return, the Blue Jays parted ways with top prospect Jordan Groshans, who struggled as of late and did not mirror the player he was evaluated as in the draft. Along with Groshans went right-handed pitcher Nick Frasso, Max Castillo, and lefty-pitcher Moises Brito. Also in the mix was the heavier loss, infielder and utility prospect, Samad Taylor.

Blue Jays:  Huge Loss in trading prospect Samad Taylor

I followed and spoke highly of Samad Taylor since last season, all the way through this year’s trade deadline. In 2016, the then Cleveland Indians drafted him in the 10th round of the MLB Amateur draft and a year later, they traded him to the Blue Jays as part of the return for RHP Joe Smith. This was a golden move by the Blue Jays, to pad their farm system strength.

From 2018 onward, Taylor climbed the jagged hills of the minors, touching AAA Buffalo, with a very possible call-up in sight. Taylor was showing big league potential, leading the team in home runs and displaying his value of speed on the base pads. He’s a player that’s easy to utilize around the field, playing second base and some outfield.  His quick feet, speed, and defensive skills were reliable all around.

Samad Taylor’s tools were very apparent, making him a threat on the base pads. His playing style was very comparable to the veteran, Rickey Henderson, former Blue Jays shortstop Orlando Hudson, and former Blue Jays outfielder, Reed Johnson.

His 2022 numbers are well presented with 63 hits, nine home runs, and 45 RBIs, all in 244 at-bats. Taylor snagged 23 bags with 28 attempts. Like Alek Manoah, Taylor was en route to a fast-track promotion to the show, with a strong projection to compete and produce. The Kansas City Royals now have that luxury but will have to add him to the 40-man roster, as he is Rule 5 eligible this offseason.