5 hitters the Blue Jays should target in trade this winter
Ask any Toronto Blue Jays fan what their holiday wish list is, and they’ll respond with the following; a left-handed hitting outfielder, a solid starting pitcher, and a relief arm or two.
Santa may not bring all those items before Christmas, but at the very top of the team’s list should be a middle of the order left-handed bat. Phase one of the offseason was set in motion with the Teoscar Hernandez trade.
Now it’s time to kick into phase two.
On paper, acquiring these players is much easier said than done. It takes two teams to tango, but with the Blue Jays’ window of contention wide open and several basement-dwelling teams looking to cash, it only makes sense for deals to line up with clubs like the Cubs, Diamondbacks and the Athletics.
Last year, the Blue Jays’ most crucial offseason position player trade involved acquiring Matt Chapman from the Oakland A’s, and that panned out pretty well.
So, let’s fire up the hypothetical trade machine this winter for some deals to make the Blue Jays a better club in 2023.
1. Ian Happ (outfielder)
- Age: 28
- 2022 stats: 17 HR, .339 wOBA, 120 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR
- Salary remaining: Final year arbitration-eligible
The Blue Jays just sent one outfielder out the door in the form of Hernandez, which means they have big shoes to fill in the lineup and a full season’s worth of games in the outfield. Enter Ian Happ from the Chicago Cubs.
Truthfully, he would’ve been an ideal fit for the Blue Jays at the 2022 trade deadline, but with one year of team control remaining, that limits the stable of teams willing to package coveted prospects for a one-year rental player.
But as far as one-year rentals go, Happ’s one of the best players on the market. After a career year with the Cubs, he was awarded a Gold Glove award and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
Acquiring a player like Happ would involve some juggling in the outfield since left field is his traditional position, but he has 240 games of experience patrolling centre field. The fact he’s a left-handed hitter is a bonus.
2. Daulton Varsho (outfielder)
- Age: 26
- 2022 stats: 27 HR, .323 wOBA, 106 wRC+, 4.6 fWAR
- Salary remaining: Four years arbitration-eligible
If you’ve never heard of Daulton Varsho, you’re not alone. Playing for the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks, he’s been under the cloak of relative anonymity, but Varsho made his debut during the pandemic-shortened 2022 season.
He’s been sneaky-good and one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball over the last three seasons, which means teams like the Blue Jays will circle clubs like the D-Backs who are rich in outfield depth.
Varsho has four years of team control remaining, and heading into his age 27 season, it would take a king’s ransom to pry him from the clutches of the Diamondbacks. But if the Blue Jays could somehow pull off a blockbuster, it will fill so many needs on their roster.
It puts an elite defender in centre field, which would shift George Springer over to right field, and it gives the Blue Jays a top of the order left-handed bat they so desperately need.
3. Tony Kemp (second baseman)
Age: 31
2022 stats: 7 HR, .287 wOBA, 91 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR
Salary remaining: Final year arbitration-eligible
Of all the spots on the diamond, second base might’ve been the weakest position for the Blue Jays in 2022. Second base was their most unstable position last season, as they used seven players at the cornerstone.
Why not add another? The Oakland Athletics seem to be in a perpetual rebuild stage, and veteran infielder Tony Kemp would be an attractive target for a team devoid of a starting second baseman.
Again, he’s a left-handed bat who could add some diversity to the Blue Jays lineup, although he doesn’t hit for a tonne of power. However, he’s no slouch defensively and can swipe the odd stolen base here and there, too.
4. Mike Yastrzemski (outfielder)
- Age: 32
- 2022 stats: 17 HR, .307 wOBA, 99 wRC+, 2.2 fWAR
- Salary remaining: Four years arbitration-eligible
Mike Yastrzemski is the quintessential definition of a “late bloomer.” At 28 years old, he made his MLB debut back in 2019, which puts the Giants in a precarious position as he heads into arbitration approaching his mid-30s.
2022 was a down year for the Giants outfielder as his OPS tumbled 71 points year-over-year and his home run output dropped from 25 in 2021 to 17 in 2022. However, Oracle Park isn’t exactly a hitter’s haven, and moving to the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre could provide an immediate boost to Yastrzemski’s offensive output.
If the Giants aren’t asking for a boatload of prospects, Yastrzemski might be a good complimentary piece on this Blue Jays roster. He still has the ability to play every day, but the bat needs to pick up to find a place in Toronto’s lineup.
5. Tyler O’Neill (left fielder)
- Age: 27
- 2022 stats: 14 HR, .307 wOBA, 101 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR
- Salary remaining: Two years arbitration-eligible
Did you hear Canadians are taking over the Blue Jays’ roster? It started with Jordan Romano, then picked up with the acquisition of Zach Pop at the trade deadline, then prospect Adam Macko as part of the Hernandez trade.
Why not add one more canuck to loot, eh? Tyler O’Neill has blossomed into an everyday outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals since his debut in 2020, and the Burnaby, BC native could be a piece to fill the vacant outfield spot for the Blue Jays.
O’Neill is a two-time Gold Glover and can play plus defence in both left and centre field. On base skills are not his strong suit, but the power is intriguing as he mashed a career-high 34 home runs during his 2021 season in St. Louis.
He was a monster in 2021 in every metric that measured exit velocity and hard hit rate, so it’s a little perturbing how his hard hit rate dropped by nine percent year over year. Although his plate discipline was a little better in 2022, his power numbers suffered.
There are a lot of parallels between the profiles of O’Neill and Hernandez; both power hitters, low OBP and a decent outfield arm. O’Neill is three years younger and could be a decent buy low candidate for the Blue Jays on the trade market.
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