Historic GM Meetings trade could be a blue print as Blue Jays search for infield upgrades

Twelve years ago this month, at the GM Meetings in Phoenix, Alex Anthopoulos pulled off a deal that was met with some skepticism, but gave the Blue Jays the roster piece they were looking for. The Blue Jays former general manager sent centre fielder Anthony Gose to the Detroit Tigers for Devon Travis, a 23-year-old second base prospect almost nobody outside the Tigers' system had heard of. It was the last time Toronto made a trade at the GM Meetings, and the two players took very different paths afterward.

The deal was struck on November 12, 2014. According to reports, the teams had talked weeks earlier, revisited it on Tuesday at the meetings and locked it in Wednesday evening, with Anthopoulos crediting scout David May for the push. Travis was a 13th-round pick in 2012 out of Florida State, but Baseball America had just ranked him Detroit's No. 1 prospect after he hit .298/.358/.460 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI in 100 games at Double-A Erie.

Second base had been a long-standing hole in Toronto, and the Blue Jays dealt from outfield depth, which also showed their faith in the time in Dalton Pompey. Gose, meanwhile, reunited with Rajai Davis in Detroit, where Dave Dombrowski planned to play him in centre field regularly. Not everyone liked it. ESPN's Keith Law called it "a failed prospect (Gose) for a non-prospect (Travis)," while Baseball America's Ben Badler called it a "great move" for the Jays.

Travis made the team out of spring training and homered off Chasen Shreve in his debut on April 6, 2015. He was the AL Rookie of the Month, hitting .325/.393/.625 in April. Injuries slowed him from there, and he retired in April 2021 at 30-years-old with a .274/.314/.437 line and 35 home runs in 316 games, all with Toronto.

Gose, meantime, is still in the big leagues today, but not as a centre fielder. After the Tigers asked him to try pitching in 2017, he worked his way through three organizations and made his MLB pitching debut for Cleveland on September 20, 2021, topping out at 100.9 mph. The highlight of his career is likely when he won an Olympic silver medal with Team USA in Tokyo.

Can the Blue Jays make a trade to address second base again this winter?

The situation from the 2014 GM Meetings looks familiar to today. Second base is a question mark again. Even though Ernie Clement was an All-Star in the first half of 2026 he faded badly down the stretch, and GM Ross Atkins said Clement would have to "earn every bit of" the starting job in 2027. MLB Trade Rumors even listed Clement as a possible trade candidate, so an upgrade at the position makes sense.

The free agent market offers some obvious names, with Brandon Lowe and Luis Arraez tat the forefront. Lowe hit 35 home runs for the Pirates in 2026, and Arraez is one of the best pure contact hitters in baseball. But Atkins has never been shy about the trade market, and that's where things get interesting.

CJ Abrams is the dream target. The Nationals shortstop is expected to be available after he hit a career-high 33 home runs with 106 RBI in 2026 and would add the speed Toronto lacked last year . He's projected to earn $10.2 million in arbitration, but he would not come cheap and the Blue Jays would likely have to part with two of their top young pitchers such as Trey Yesavage, Johnny King and Nolan Perry. Abrams has also been vocal about not wanting to move to second base full time.

Jeremy Peña of the Astros is also an option as the Astros look to shed some salary. He could come in and play shortstop or second base and he would be an upgrade in the lineup. His .802 OPS would have led Toronto's qualified hitters. Though he is in the final year of his contract and the Blue Jays may be hesitant to get a guy with less term.

Matt Shaw of the Cubs could be more of an upside-driven gamble. Peña and Abrams are both clearly win now players while Shaw is young, controllable and versatile, but has yet to show he can produce over a full season in the big leagues. He owns a .230/.305/.399 slash line with a 97 wRC+ and 18 home runs in 203 regular season games.

Nobody is promising another Travis-Gose type trade, but the template is very similar. The Blue Jays have a clear need to upgrade at second base, allowing Clement to go back into a utility role. The trade market has some options, it's a matter of what price the Blue Jays are willing to pay.

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