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The Blue Jays have made several trades over the last decade, and many of those traded players are still active in the MLB.
Yesterday I took a look at an All-Former Blue Jays Free Agent team, building a team out of the available free agents with former ties to the Blue Jays. Since the hot stove is anything but hot, today I decided to take a look at active players who have been traded by the Blue Jays.
What would a roster comprised of those players look like? How much value have the Blue Jays sent around the MLB in trades in recent seasons? Let’s take a look.
Starting Lineup
A few decent pieces in the lineup to be sure, but here’s a list of some of the players who came back in trades for the above list: Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, Marco Estrada, Devon Travis, and several more. That’s not to say that every trade worked out in the Blue Jays’ favour (see: Gomes & Mike Aviles for Esmil Rogers), but the Blue Jays have fared well on the position player side of trades.
I wouldn’t argue with you if you wanted to slot the lineup completely differently either. The only “star” in the group last season would be Napoli, and he’s no guarantee to repeat his 2016 numbers. Eric Thames is also expected to play first base in Milwaukee after returning from Korea, but I included him in the outfield to “strengthen” the lineup.
Rotation
This is where the most value has been traded away. Every Blue Jays fan remembers the trade with the Mets that sent Noah Syndergaard to the Mets, as it’s the most painful recent prospect trade, even if R.A. Dickey provided plenty of value while in Toronto.
For those who forgot, the Jays traded Happ to the Mariners for Michael Saunders prior to the 2015 season, and then re-signed him as a free agent a year ago. Boyd and Norris were sent to Detroit in the David Price trade last year, and Graveman went to the A’s as part of the Donaldson trade two seasons ago.
Bullpen
Just missed: Miguel Castro, Justin Nicolino, Henderson Alvarez, Edwin Jackson, Jeff Hoffman
Not a lockdown bullpen by any means, but there are some decent arms here as well. Farquhar and Hendriks have late inning experience and recent success, and Storen has experience as a closer, albeit not for a while. Rzepczynski gives the bullpen a capable lefty.
I included Hutchison in the bullpen, although he’ll likely start for Pittsburgh eventually. Joe Musgrove is included for his upside rather than major league accomplishments, but he figures to have a reasonably bright future in Houston.
Bench
Just missed: Jake Marisnick, Jeff Mathis, Travis Snider
Hechavarria would likely start if this was a real team, as he has by far the best glove of the group. I chose to start Lawrie/Reyes/Escobar to give the team a little more offence, but it’s not a substantial upgrade with the bat anyway.
d’Arnaud still has the potential to grow into a star, but injuries have held him back in his young career. Ben Revere makes the team as a back-up outfielder, and Aaron Hill narrowly beats out Marisnick and Mathis for the last spot on the bench.
So there you have it. A lot of professional baseball players who have passed through the system and found homes elsewhere in the MLB. That said, the Blue Jays have done well overall via the trade route, and perhaps will look to do the same before this offseason is over.
Who did I miss? Feel free to fill me in, or tell me how wrong I am in the comments section below. It’s December and there’s not much else happening, why the heck not?
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