3 biggest trade chips for the Blue Jays entering spring training

The Toronto Blue Jays offseason has been full of twists, turns and some pleasant surprises. Early on, it was an ‘unmitigated disaster.' Now, after some impact signings and trades, the mood has shifted toward it being a good (but not complete) offseason.

Now, as spring training gets underway, Toronto's front office will get their first look at whether they've done enough to compete for the postseason this season, or if there are some other areas they still need to address.

Toronto general manager Ross Atkins said recently that any additions during spring training would likely come via the trade market. Jays Journal recently looked at trade targets the Blue Jays could go after, but which players could end up going the other way in any potential deal? Lets take a look.

The three biggest trade chips for the Blue Jays entering spring training

Orelvis Martinez — SS

It would be really hard to give up on a 23-year-old that possess the kind of raw power Matinez has shown, as he's hit 110 home runs in the minor leagues since signing with the Blue Jays as a 17-year-old in 2018. Teams will look at those numbers and dream about that kind of production... while also trying not to think about this lack of plate discipline (484 strikeouts and 191 walks in the minors). He’s got some positional versatility as well, as he's played mostly shortstop but also slotting in at third and second.   

The Blue Jays enter spring with quite a bit of infield depth. Bo Bichette is penciled in at short, and Andrés Giménez is penciled in at second, while Martinez, Ernie Clement, Leo Jiménez, Davis Schneider, Will Wagner and Addison Barger are other guys who can move all over the infield. Out of all those names, Martinez would likely net the biggest return.

Chris Bassitt — SP

Bassitt is in the final year of his three-year, $63 million deal and was rumored to be available at last year's trade deadline, though the the Blue Jays decided to hang on to the 36-year-old right-hander. Bassitt has been one of the most reliable arms in the league in recent memory, as he's thrown at least 140 innings in every season since 2019.

While he took a bit of a step back last season, he was still a very solid, middle-of-the-rotation option. Every year, there are pitching injuries in spring, which means there will likely be one or two teams looking for a pitcher like Bassitt. If the Blue Jays get some good performances this spring from prospects like Jake Bloss, Adam Macko or non-roster invitees Eric Lauer, Adam Kloffenstein or Andrew Bash, Toronto could look to move Bassitt.

Addison Barger — 3B

Similar to Martinez, Barger is part of the group of Blue Jays who will be fighting for playing time at the Major League level this season. He is a left-handed hitter who can play all over the diamond — he got some starts in the outfield last year to go along with time at shortstop and third base. He has a huge arm, so there could be some teams out there would be interested in turning him into an full-time outfielder.

While Barger didn't hit well in his first taste of MLB acton (he hit an uninspiring .197/.250/.351, with seven home runs and 28 RBI in 225 plate appearances over 69 games last year), he hit everything in minors. He has a career slash line of .261/.355/.460 in 433 minor league games, and has cut down his strikeout rate every season.