5 pitchers the Blue Jays could target before the trade deadline
As they say in baseball that you can never have too much pitching. While the offence was supposed to be the strength of the Blue Jays this season, their starting rotation and bullpen have instead kept them in most games, not their bats.
As the gruelling dog days of summer continue, the Blue Jays discovered the hard way they need reinforcements heading into next week’s MLB trade deadline. Right now, their starting pitching depth is on fairly solid ground, and the bullpen is okay, but a lot can change between now and October.
While Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins’ primary focus should be on bolstering the starting lineup and the bench, bringing in some mercenaries to round out the rotation and the bullpen would strengthen their roster on the pitching side.
There aren’t tons of sexy names on the trade market this year, but these are some arms the Blue Jays should target ahead of the August 1 trade deadline.
1. Michael Lorenzen – Detroit Tigers (SP/RP)
Since the Blue Jays have a bit of a roster crunch coming in the pitching department, it might not be a bad idea to acquire a pitcher who could bounce between the bullpen and starting rotation as needed. Enter Michael Lorenzen.
The Detroit Tigers’ sole representative at the All-Star Game is having a good season, his second consecutive year as a starting pitcher prior to six years as a reliever with the Cincinnati Reds.
Considering that the status of Alek Manoah isn’t for certain in the Blue Jays rotation, Toronto could acquire Lorenzen as starting rotation insurance for Manoah or a returning Hyun-Jin Ryu. And at the very least, he becomes a bulk guy in the bullpen.
2. Jordan Hicks – St. Louis Cardinals (RP)
The St. Louis Cardinals are in fire sale mode at this trade deadline, and that means they might liquidate everything that isn’t bolted down. Their team has a lot of pitchers on expiring contracts, and Jordan Hicks is an interesting relief piece for contending teams.
After struggling the last few years with the Cardinals, he’s reemerged as their closer and has a 3.67 ERA in 40 games with eight saves. His 31.2% strikeout rate is the highest of his career, and his 12.7% walk rate is the lowest of his career.
Hicks’ ability to throw gas at 100+ MPH is one of his biggest selling points, and while the Blue Jays already have a ton of swing-and-miss in their bullpen, another fireballer back there wouldn’t hurt one bit.
3. Joe Kelly – Chicago White Sox (RP)
When it comes to veteran reliever rentals, there isn’t a better fit out there than Joe Kelly. He signed a $9 million one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox and will almost certainly be on the move this trade deadline.
Kelly recently returned from an elbow injury, but is good to go for any potential suitor out there. He’s also enjoying a career-high strikeout rate this year at 32.3% and has pitched well in high leverage situations (albeit, there haven’t been many with the White Sox this year.)
The right-hander also seems to have gained a few ticks on his fastball this season, as he’s averaging 99 MPH on his four-seamer. That’s a deadly weapon for a team like the Blue Jays, who could always use more veteran relief experience.
4. Jack Flaherty – St. Louis Cardinals (SP)
Back in the day, there was a rumour floating out there that the St. Louis Cardinals were willing to trade their young starting pitcher Jack Flaherty for then superstar third baseman, Josh Donaldson.
While the Bringer of Rain may be on the last leg of his career, Flaherty is poised to hit free agency this winter at 27. His numbers have been okay with the Cardinals at this season, but the Blue Jays may acquire a pitcher of his ilk to raise the floor on their starting rotation.
Flaherty has averaged 5.5 innings per start, which are higher than Kikuchi (4.8 innings per start) and Manoah (5.2 innings per start). Acquiring Flaherty would give a little more length to the number four or five slot in the starting rotation.
5. Michael Fulmer – Chicago Cubs (RP)
The Chicago Cubs are one of the more interesting teams to watch as Tuesday’s trade deadline approaches. If they decide to sell, they have the potential to ship off trade chips like Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger and make off like bandits.
Among the less talked about trade chips on the Cubbies’ roster is Michael Fulmer. The long-time Detroit Tigers reliever owns a 4.40 ERA in 40 appearances for the Cubs this year and he’s enjoying a career-high 26.3% strikeout rate.
Dating back to his debut in 2016, he’s been one of the most durable arms in baseball. If the Blue Jays swing a deal for the veteran righty, he may not see action in high leverage, but he’d come in to improve the bottom end of the bullpen to usurp someone like Mitch White, Jay Jackson or Genesis Cabrera.
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