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Blue Jays may be looking to make another trade with the Cardinals: report

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Nov 9 2023, 11:19 pm
Blue Jays may be looking to make another trade with the Cardinals: report
Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Blue Jays manager Ross Atkins may not be done making deals with the St. Louis Cardinals just yet.

The Blue Jays, who are focusing on adding position players to their roster for the 2024 season, are showing interest in switch-hitting outfielder Dylan Carlson, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch.

Carlson, 25, appeared in 76 games with the Cardinals this past season, hitting .219 with five home runs and 27 RBIs. Two seasons prior, he hit .266 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs in 149 games, numbers that were good enough to have him finish third in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

While Goold mentioned that there are a number of other teams who have also inquired about Carlson, it would make sense for the Jays to bring him in. The two teams are quite familiar with each other when it comes to trades, as they made three just last season that saw Atkins bring in Genesis Cabrera, Paul DeJong, and Jordan Hicks. They’ve made four other trades with one another since 2017, including a deal that saw the Jays acquire outfielder Randal Grichuk.

If the Jays were to acquire Carlson, they would be getting him at a buy-low price due to his regression over the past two seasons. While he has struggled as of late, the 33rd overall pick from the 2016 draft boasts plenty of potential and may be able to rediscover it with a change of scenery. It would be well worth the gamble for Atkins to take given that the asking price shouldn’t be very high.

While this is one of the first players the Jays are rumoured to be in on, you can expect to hear plenty more in the coming weeks and months. Though Atkins recently said he thinks his team is in a great position right now, he is well aware that time is ticking for the Jays to start having some playoff success. If he is unable to help get this roster in a position to go on a run in 2024, he may very well hit the unemployment line.

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