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9 outfielders the Blue Jays should target at the trade deadline

Who should the Blue Jays target as a power bat to help propel their offence in the right direction?

ByEdward Eng|
Seattle Mariners v Baltimore Orioles, Teoscar Hernandez
Seattle Mariners v Baltimore Orioles, Teoscar Hernandez | Mitchell Layton/GettyImages
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Jurickson Profar, Colorado Rockies

If the Grichuk option doesn’t pan out, the Jays can look no further than to his teammate in Jurickson Profar. As one of our suggested 2022-23 offseason targets back in January, Profar’s switch-hitting ability could bring another unique element to the Jays’ lineup, along with his versatility in playing multiple positions in the field (both infield and outfield), making him a highly attractive “jack-of-all-trades” target for the Jays to pursue.

For the 2023 season, he is currently hitting .245, with an OPS of .703, with 36 runs scored, 19 doubles, six home runs and 32 RBI in 79 games played. He may not be the super power bat the Jays are looking for, but he definitely can easily put up double-digit home runs, along with 55-60 RBI of run production. Having just turned 30 earlier in the season, Profar definitely has plenty of game left, and definitely enough to convince the Jays to take another closer look at him once again as the deadline approaches.

Teoscar Hernández, Seattle Mariners

How about a nice reunion times two? When the Jays dealt Teoscar Hernandez to the Seattle Mariners during the 2022-23 offseason for reliever Erik Swanson, many had thought it was an unbalanced trade. After all, he was a two-time Silver Slugger and was just a year removed from his career season in 2021 where he hit .296 with 32 home runs and 116 RBI, providing the strong run production that the Jays are certainly missing currently this season. Fortunately, at least Swanson has turned out to be a solid piece of the Jays’ bullpen; otherwise, the trade would have been viewed more lopsided than it was.

For 2023, Hernández had a slow start to begin the season, but have since picked it up big time for the Mariners. To date, he has posted a stats line of .250 batting average, .745 OPS, 42 runs scored, 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBI, as well as five stolen bases to boot. Moreover, he has definitely come through when it comes to hitting in the clutch with RISP, as he has hit .322 with three homers and 35 RBI in such situations, an area that has definitely been the Jays’ Achilles Heel for much of the 2023 season. Perhaps it may be about time the Jays think about bringing back that firepower, along with the character, passion and fun that Hernández provided the clubhouse when he was with the team.

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