5 prospects the Blue Jays should be happy they held on to at the trade deadline

Much have been discussed and debated about the Toronto Blue Jays having an underwhelming trade deadline by not making a big splash to improve the ballclub. However, at the same time, one has to truly appreciate the fact that by not giving up a chunk of the farm system at the deadline, the Jays have preserved some of their top prospects, along with some promising ones that could already be difference makers for them this year or in the very near future.

Among them include obviously their top-ranked prospect in their organization (according to MLB Pipeline) in Ricky Tiedemann, along with their second-ranked prospect in Brandon Barriera. With the organization already lacking in high-end starting pitching prospects, along with strong pitching prospects in both Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein being dealt recently to the St. Louis Cardinals, it was crucial for the Jays to avoid depleting their system by not giving up either Tiedemann or Barriera in trade deals this year. Both are destined to be front-end-of-the-rotation arms and will definitely help the Jays in the not-so-distant future. In particular, Tiedemann just had his recent rehab assignment and showed once again why he is the Jays’ top prospect.

It was just as important for the Jays to maintain a hold of their top hitting prospect in Orelvis Martinez, as his bat is MLB-ready, as well as he has the potential to be Matt Chapman’s replacement in the event Chapman does not resign with the team at the end of the season. Not only can Martinez cover for his offensive output, but he can play third base as well (along with shortstop if needed). In the case for Yosver Zulueta, he was also predicted by us that there was a high chance he could have been traded at the deadline, but now by keeping him with the high heaters he could throw, he has the ability to become the Jays’ next Tom Henke or Billy Koch once he hones his craft to be able to command his pitches a little more effectively.

But the most important part was that the Jays managed to keep their No. 28 prospect in Davis Schneider. With the impressive season he had been having at Triple-A Buffalo, he easily could have been an add-on trade chip at the deadline to entice a bigger deal. However, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make, as he has now made his MLB debut with the Jays and has been spectacular so far in what he has done for the team.

So we can all be frustrated and vent about what the Jays didn’t do, but sometimes the stuff they don’t do actually could help out the ballclub more than you think. At least they didn’t jeopardize their minor league system for potentially a one-and-done year, but instead, have kept in mind that they want to build a team that could be successful for many years to come, ultimately bringing the Jays’ faithful much more hope and excitement for a long time.