The trade deadline for Major League Baseball is today, and as expected the Toronto Blue Jays are in what can only be called dump mode.
No one can fault the trade of Eric Sogard to Tampa Bay.
Sogard was having a career year that nobody saw coming when he was picked up by the Jays as infield insurance before the start of the season. All Sogard did as a Jay was flirt with .300, rarely swing at a pitch without at least some sort of contact, and played the infield and outfield as needed. He was arguably the most pleasant surprise on an overall ho-hum team this season.
But Sogard based on age, and the pending arrival of highly-touted middle infielder Bo Bichette, didn’t factor into the rebuild. So he was moved, which is understandable.
Next the Jays dumped Marcus Stroman to the Mets.
In what world where you are trying to convince fans you are legitimately rebuilding to contend was this a good move?
Stroman has another year on his contract, so the Jays had time to build around him for another off season without dumping him for ‘prospects’ those magical creatures of baseball where some materialize into players and others go poof and are gone.
Sure, the Jays are in a rebuild, hence the tumble toward a 100-loss season this year.
But rebuilds are not like the mythical town of Brigadoon, only materializing every 100 years. In a league where the salary cap is so soft winning teams go over it when required, and free agency is there to plug holes, you should be able to contend far more often than you flounder.
The Jays want fans to accept very bad teams for a half decade, maybe more, as the Stroman deal shows.
The Jays, with some pitching, could be solid by 2021, as players like Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero and a handful of other position players mature into their roles.
The fly in the proverbial ointment is starting pitchers. This year the Jays had one legit starter, an all-star, with an earned run average under three. That was Stroman. He would be only 30 as you legit contend in 2021.
Headed to next season the Jays have a few pitchers who all pencil out to be four-fives in a rotation. They need top end starters, one more than they needed a week ago with the asinine trade of Stroman.
The Jays get leftie pitcher Anthony Kay, 24. Being a leftie adds value, but being 24 you wonder why he isn’t on the Mets roster given their own struggles.
Simeon Woods Richardson is 18, which means he’s a long-shot with twigs in the way, as is the case with any 18-year-old arm. In 2021 he’s 20, not likely acing a staff, which pushes this rebuild out farther, which is simply a slap in the face to fans.
The Jays management clearly has no plan to win anytime soon, perhaps because ownership has a no spend policy, but whatever the reason the Jays are becoming difficult to watch because there is little to suggest they want to truly contend.
