Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce
After an excellent May and improved prospects for the season, the Jays have begun to sputter. Their offense isn't very good (Pillar, Tulo and JB are absolute zeros right now), their starting pitching isn't great either (Estrada and Liriano are struggling, Sanchez is injured and Biagini is unpredictable). Even their defense has been poor of late (Tulo has lost a step and even Goins has looked very ordinary).
So here's the question: what does the FO do as the trade deadline comes into focus? Rumour has it that the team is taking calls from teams on Osuna and Donaldson among others. The point has been made before that Osuna will never be better than he is right now. That relievers are unpredictable and that Osuna's injury history make him a ticking time bomb of sorts - i.e. trade him now. And then there's the Donaldson situation - 1 more year of control and then he's gone. Trading him would likely net the team a decent return of young players. It would, however, be a publicity nightmare.
My inclination is that they will stay the course. Spend money. Push for the playoffs. Hoard prospects. Generally, continue the slow-motion rebuild while still attempting to make the playoffs. |
A lot can change in the 5+ weeks remaining until the trade deadline. It seems that the team is having significant difficulty in getting over that psychological .500 hump these past weeks. If things turn one way or the other, it will make the decision easier.
As for what they can do, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to blow up the team, since they are limited in how much of the team they can actually blow up. Tulo and Martin are still locked up long-term and, as high-priced, on-the-wrong-side-of-their-prime veterans, would be hard to move and even harder to get good future value for them. Outside of Donaldson, Osuna, and Sanchez, there would be little to get in return for any other players they'd try to move (although I'd accept you'd be selling very high on Smoak at this point).
I'm of the opinion that it would probably be wiser to try to ride out this year, in which the team has been riddled with injury, and with some luck, perhaps get into the WC picture, but try and tune the team for next season, which will hopefully have much better injury luck.
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