In what has been a stellar week for the Toronto Blue Jays on the trade front, the team made a few more big moves as trade deadline day came to a close.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been a team who has lingered around the final playoff spot for years. This year with the team in the hunt for their division lead as well as the wild card, the team is going for it all.
Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos has really made it clear that the club is trying to bring playoff baseball back to Toronto for the first time since their last World Series win in 1993.
The Price Was Right:
The madness began at the beginning of the week when the GM was able to pull off a deal which nobody saw coming. He then put himself in the mix for a few big names and was able to acquire one of the biggest arms on the market. On the final day, Anthopoulos was able to get some bullpen help, along with an outfielder to help with depth and take the load off a few banged up players.
In total, the Blue Jays made five moves this week with four of them being major for the ball club. In one week the Blue Jays depleted their minor league pitching, but if they make a run for it, it’s all worth it in the end.
Monday night a trade was announced around midnight eastern time involving the Blue Jays and the Colorado Rockies. The Jays acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the Colorado Rockies for three pitching prospects and shortstop Jose Reyes.
The second deal came Thursday just after noon eastern time when the Jays acquired the ace they’ve been seeking since they traded Roy Halladay. The Jays acquired left-handed pitcher David Price from the Detroit Tigers for three more pitching prospects.
At this point, general manager Alex Anthopoulos had the entire city of Toronto buzzing with excitement. Just when it was thought to be all over, the GM announced there were a few more deals he was looking to get done.
It wasn’t until after lunch that the Blue Jays announced their final three moves. The Jays announced they acquired bullpen help and also an outfielder in two separate moves. The first move came as the team acquired right-hander Mark Lowe from the Seattle Mariners for three pitching prospects. In the second move, the Jays acquired outfielder Ben Revere from the Philadelphia Phillies for two more minor-league right-handers.
In the final deal of the afternoon for the ball club, the team sent lefty Felix Doubront to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations.
Going For It All:
The Blue Jays are no doubt going for it all this season after trading away a majority of their prospects. This season may be the best chance for the Jays to sneak into the postseason, whether it’s by a division title or by taking one of the two wild card spots.
The city no doubt has the support from its fans and they will need it down the stretch. The team is chasing the New York Yankees for the division lead, and with the team just six games back of the Yanks with 13 games left between the two teams, things could get very interesting.
Deadline Grade:
With the team going for it all, they made massive moves to bring in support for their roster. The vibe in the city hasn’t been this big in a very long time, and the team itself feels it.
The Blue Jays deserve full marks for all of the moves they have made over the past week. Although their minor league system has been dismantled, they needed to give up talent in order to get some. If one thing is for sure, if they are able to get into the playoffs, there will be a celebration win or lose.