Yankees appear to be interested in Chad Green - should the Blue Jays trade him?

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi is reporting that the New York Yankees are interested in reacquiring reliever Chad Green from the Toronto Blue Jays.

After signing a creative contract with the Blue Jays while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Green debuted for Toronto last September, and went 3-0 with two holds and 16 strikeouts over 12 innings in 2023. He’s built upon that return with an excellent 1.88 ERA in 28.2 innings this year after the team exercised their 2-year, $21M club option for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Green was expected to be part of a dominant back-end of the Toronto bullpen this year, that also included 2023 All-Star closer Jordan Romano, Yimi García and Erik Swanson. While that hasn’t worked out as planned on the 45-54, last place Blue Jays, two potential postseason runs with the now 33-year-old righty certainly hold value given his $10.5M AAV contract runs through the end of next season.

Green spent 7 years with the Yankees after he was acquired from the Detroit Tigers organisation in December 2015. He made his MLB debut with New York in 2016, and compiled a 33-22 record for them, with 11 saves and a 3.17 ERA and 3.29 FIP over 383.2 innings, with 494 strikeouts for an 11.6 Ks/9 ratio. He had a 7.8 fWAR in New York, and he still throws that same, easy 95+ mph four-seamer that he had as a Yankee, a pitch he relies on still over 64% of the time.

While his strikeout rate is down to a career low 21.8% from an average of 31.7% in his 9 seasons, he’s still close to the MLB average of 22.2% this year. His walk rate is up to a career high 8.2% from an average of 6.5%, but he’s still been very effective with a 1.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

Those two potential playoff runs with Green hold trade value. Using the Jordan Hicks two month rental last year as a minimum hurdle to trade him, moving him to the Yankees should get back a few Double-A pitching prospects nearing promotions, like 21-year-old Brock Selvidge and 24-year-old Zach Messinger. Or rising talents like 6-foot-6, 23-year old Cam Schlittler and 22-year-old Luis Arejula at High-A. Or a top ten Yankees prospect, like Henry Lalane, who was ranked New York’s No. 8 prospect on MLB’s preseason ranking, and has a 60-grade fastball.

What do you think Blue Jays fans? If Toronto is truly committed to competing again in 2025 in their final year of team control of Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., would it make sense to trade Chad Green for anything less than a difference maker who could help in 2025? Or should the team be looking to add top prospects who could help in 2026 and beyond?