Blue Jays: Grading reader-submitted trade proposals

I recently posted on both Facebook and Twitter that we're going to be grading some reader-submitted trade proposals in an article.

Thank you to everyone who participated, we got quite a few responses, some serious and some not-so-serious but we're going to take a look at some of the serious ones that have at least some sort of thought behind them.

Without further ado, let's get into it.

Proposal No. 1 - Submitted by Mark Armstrong on Facebook

On the surface, I don't hate this deal.

Luzardo, 25, would give the Jays another promising starter and is also quite a bit younger than Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi. Not to mention he's under team control through the 2026 season.

In parts of four seasons at the big league level, Luzardo is 13-18 with a 4.59 ERA and 91 ERA+. 2021 was a poor season for him and has done a lot to inflate his career numbers. Last year with the Marlins, he posted a 3.32 ERA in 18 starts, striking out 120 and walking 35 in 100.1 innings.

Chisholm is only 24 and emerged as one of the most exciting young infielders in the game of baseball last year. In 60 games before going down with season-ending injury, Chisholm hit 14 home runs and posted an OPS+ of 139.

The inclusion of Moreno in a deal like this would be a must for the Marlins, as the pair of Luzardo and Chisholm would ultimately be quite the loss for the club.

Pearson, 26, has shown brief glimpses of promise but has struggled to consistently stay on the field. However, now that he appears to be re-emerging as a relief option, he could offer a new set of skills for the Marlins at the back-end of their bullpen. For what it's worth, he just finished a 12-game run of 0.00 ERA-ball in the Dominican Winter League.

Espinal would also need to be included in this deal since he would effectively replace Chisholm in the Marlins' infield. In 135 games last season, he made his first All-Star Game, drove in 51 runs and was worth 2.2 bWAR along the way.

I think this trade could end up happening. If there was to be a hiccup, it'd likely be because the Marlins want another piece from Toronto. Ultimately, I do believe the Marlins are open to moving Chisholm as there were a few instances last year of some clubhouse tension between player and management/teammates.

Grade: B+

Proposal No. 2 - Submitted by Marco Oldenbuettel on Facebook

In theory, this trade would be nice for the Jays since two young and exciting outfielders would be joining the organization.

However, I'm not convinced that A.) the Diamondbacks would deal two outfielders in the same deal or B.) that the Jays would send both Kirk and Zulueta in such a trade.

McCarthy, 25, came out of nowhere and finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 on the heels of a 99-game showing in which he hit eight home runs, drove in 43, stole 23 bases and posted a 118 OPS+.

Thomas, 22, had been a regular name atop the Diamondbacks' top prospects list and made his big league debut last year. In 113 games, Thomas hit eight home runs and drove in 39 but limped to the finish line with a .231 average and 76 OPS+. His bat seemed to have stalled once he made it to the majors but he looked incredible on defense.

Again, it would be cool for the Jays to land both of these players. However, the addition of Zulueta alongside Kirk is where the main disconnect would lie between the two clubs. Of course Arizona would love Zulueta but he would ultimately be too big of a piece to pair with Kirk, who would demand a significant haul just on his own.

It is also worth pointing out that the always-flawed BaseballTradeValues is the main source cited by this reader. While I love casually using that site for trade proposals, this deal is a perfect example of how flawed the system can be.

BTV has the total value going to the Blue Jays at 59.10 and the total value going to Arizona set at 62.00. I find it hard to believe that either team would be okay with this one as it currently stands.

Grade: C-

Proposal No. 4 - Submitted by @langilleeli on Twitter

At first glance, I was prepared to shoot this deal down instantly.

However, upon further review this one actually may be pretty close to a done deal on both sides.

Thomas, 22, was covered in a previous proposal. His bat is very much still developing and he showed last year that he is an incredible defender in the outfield, so there's a great chance the Jays could acquire him and either immediately slot him into the big league outfield or give him a bit more time in the minors.

Jansen, 27, showed a ton of promise last year in a 72-game showing in which he hit 15 home runs, drove in 44 and posted a whopping 141 OPS+. Point being, his value is absolutely at an all-time high right here, right now.

Jimenez is still just 21-years-old but he is coming off of a disappointing season last year. In 69 games for the High-A Vancouver Canadians, he hit six home runs and drove in 40 but saw his average dip all the way down to .230, a far cry from the .320 he had the previous year.

Since he is still so young, there is still time for Jimenez to develop. I don't hate his inclusion in this deal because the Jays would still have the infield prospect depth to carry on after his departure.

Then there's Robberse, who quietly emerged as one of the best starting pitcher prospects in the Jays' system last year. The 21-year-old righty went 4-4 in 17 starts, posting a 3.12 ERA with 78 strikeouts and just seven home runs allowed in 86.2 innings.

This is actually a solid proposal that I could see happening. Jansen's value is at an all-time high while Jimenez and Robberse are young and promising. Since Thomas didn't quite deliver on the expectations last year, it speaks volumes that the Diamondbacks are even listening to offers on him.

Grade: A