As trade deadline looms, Jays know change is likely
TORONTO BELIEVED TO BE DANGLING ASSETS AS NEXT TUESDAY’S CUTOFF APPROACHES
As the clock ticks amid mounting rumours, the Blue Jays were at least able to enjoy an off day Monday following a win over the visiting Detroit Tigers that spared Toronto the indignity of getting swept at home.
Now the attention is focused on next Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline.
The Jays are viewed, correctly, as sellers leading up to next week. Yusei Kikuchi and Yimi Garcia are generally seen as the two best assets the Jays have to offer any contending team.
In his first appearance since he was activated from the injured list (elbow), Garcia struck out the side Saturday on the same day Kikuchi gave up five runs in five innings.
Who stays, who goes, and how deep of a roster makeover is Blue Jays management willing to tolerate? Who ultimately will be making potentially franchise-altering decisions?
When a respected and connected baseball insider such as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that Jays shortstop Bo Bichette had informed his friends that he would “welcome a trade,” people take notice.
Bichette is on the injured list (calf) and isn’t expected to return any time soon. He’s already acknowledged that he wouldn’t be surprised if he’s moved by the deadline, but that revelation was made weeks ago.
Even when healthy, Bichette wasn’t producing.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been producing and is far and away the Jays’ best player.
Each is under contract for one more season beyond 2024.
As of today, it’s clear the player worthy of a long-term deal is Vlad Jr. Just as clear is the uncertainty the franchise must navigate, not only leading up to next week, but also this coming off-season and looking down the road beyond the 2025 season.
Fangraphs, as of Monday, pegged the Jays with a 1.2 per cent chance of advancing to the post-season, which seems quite charitable.
The chances of Kikuchi pitching for the Blue Jays beyond next week are next to zero. He’s in line to make his next start Friday.
“Yes, obviously, I’m thinking about the deadline sometimes, but every start out there I tell myself that I’ve got to focus on the game,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter following Saturday’s outing.
“It’s in the back of your mind and it’s hard not to think about the deadline. It’s been tough, but I’ve just got to go out there and do it.”
Pro athletes, at least the good ones, block out the noise.
Even though many say they pay no attention to the rumours, truth is they’re fully aware of the talk and potential deals being bandied about, but they don’t allow the gossip to compromise their performance.
A veteran such as George Springer, who hit two home runs Sunday, has been around long enough to know players need to embrace the moment in front of them.
“I want us to go out and compete, to leave it all out there every day,” he said, “to not look at standings or look too far ahead, but just go out there and fight.
“There are times where guys might get down, but over the next two months the guys here can lay their groundwork for what we expect next year and in the future. It’s all about fight. I don’t want anybody to lay down.”
To their credit, the Jays haven’t thrown in the towel. They’re just not that good. They’re thin on talent, and even thinner on depth.
The Jays close out their nine-game homestand with visits by Tampa and Texas before heading off to Baltimore and into the unnerving trade deadline.
Springer has turned the page from his horrid and extended stretch. In his past 21 games, he has batted .377, has hit eight homers and driven in 25 runs.
In Sunday’s win, Springer scored three times and drove in three runs on an afternoon he recorded 10 total bases.
“Over the span of a year, over the span of a career, everybody is going to have ups and downs,” he added.
“It’s more about how you respond. Are you going to quit or are you going to stand back up and fight? And for me, I refuse to quit and here we are.”
The Jays are in a place where the likes of a Leo Jimenez, recalled from triple A on July 2, has been cast as an everyday player, as the auditions are in full swing.
“I’ll be an open book,’’ continued Springer. “I will do anything I can to help (call-ups).
“Obviously, there’s going to come a point in time when I’m not here. It’s my job to help anybody I can and make a smoother transition in their career. Hopefully, I can leave them in a good place.”