A break for the Blue Jays? MLB’s trade season could come early this year

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/06/2021 (1610 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There has been a lot of negativity surrounding the Blue Jays lately and understandably so. A recent five-game losing streak, an 8-10 record in June and a seven-game deficit in the American League East isn’t exactly cause for celebration.

Through 70 games of the season, it has become painfully obvious that, while the Jays have one of the most exciting everyday lineups in baseball, the roster as constructed isn’t good enough to be considered a legitimate contender.

The starting rotation has stabilized following the recent turnaround of Ross Stripling and the promotion of Alek Manoah, but it’s missing another front-line piece to complement veterans Hyun-Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray. The bullpen, meanwhile, is burning to the ground, with six blown saves and a 5.68 ERA since May 20.

The Jays need to find help sooner than later to stop the season from spiralling out of control. This normally wouldn’t be the time of the year to do it, with the trade deadline almost six weeks away, but a recent change to MLB’s calendar of signature events has provided a beacon of hope. Perhaps the wait won’t be as long time this around.

Historically, the MLB draft is held in early to mid-June and teams don’t spend much energy on trades until it’s over. Front offices pour their resources into scouting amateur players and war rooms are constructed to go over every possible scenario of the 40-round draft. This year, the selection of amateurs won’t take place until mid-July, which is typically when the rumour mill is just getting started.

That creates problems as teams are forced to plan for the future while simultaneously mapping out of the rest of 2021. It was thought the new date might delay trades by pushing them into a shorter two-week window in late July. Instead, according to Jays GM Ross Atkins, it might be having the opposite effect.

“I think there has been a lot of dialogue amongst the teams that are maybe thinking proactively about that time we’re going to be pulled in different direction,” Atkins said. “There’s a lot of really constructive dialogue going on across the industry right now.”

The unusual draft date, pushed back because of the pandemic, might help avoid the awkward dance that always happens between sellers and buyers during the early stages of MLB’s trading season. The sellers aren’t inclined to act until they have a clear picture of which teams intend to spend prospect capital. The buyers want to avoid moving on one target, only to see a superior option hit the market a week later when another team folds up its tent.

With the season not yet at its halfway mark, a lot of teams are still trying to decide whether they’re in or out. Two weeks ago, the Washington Nationals were headed for a fire sale but they’ve since gone 8-2 to pull within five games of first place. Their trajectory over the next couple weeks will determine whether a guy like Max Scherzer becomes available.

Similar situations are playing out elsewhere. Baltimore, Detroit and Texas are among the American League teams that will be sellers in the coming weeks. Kansas City and Minnesota, which has won four in a row, might still be clinging to the hope of a mid-season turnaround before they follow suit.

The only thing that speeds up this decision-making process is a deadline, a drop-dead date when teams must decide whether to go for it or trade away veterans on expiring contracts. That normally wouldn’t happen until closer to July 31, but the timing of this year’s draft could motivate at least a couple teams to strike early.

Even though the Jays are fourth in their division with a .500 record, their conversations are centred around adding talent to their current core, not taking some of it away.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

“We feel very good about our effort and feel very good about this team and the shape of this organization moving forward,” Atkins said. “We absolutely need to think about improving it, short term and long term, and we’ll continue to do that. (We are) more focused on the day to day and how we can improve individual performances that will turn into team performances than we are on the standings.”

The Jays made two moves over the weekend to buy time until additional help can be found. They acquired right-hander Jacob Barnes from the Mets on Saturday in exchange for Troy Miller. The following day, they signed veteran John Axford to a minor-league deal, pending a physical.

Barnes had a 6.27 ERA in 19 appearances for the Mets earlier this season while Axford hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since 2018. It’s possible neither one will make an impact but, based on the struggles elsewhere in the bullpen, surely they can’t be worse than what’s already down there.

The trade season should be in full swing soon. The faster it arrives the better it will be for a Jays team that desperately needs to make some moves. The team, as is, has too many holes, but that doesn’t have to be the case a few weeks from now — if they make the right moves at the right time.

Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca