Somehow the opening series of the second half didn’t go according to plan for either the Toronto Blue Jays or the Oakland Athletics.
The Blue Jays lost twice before salvaging the third game of the series Sunday. The Athletics played well for a while, but a blister to Rich Hill sidelined Oakland’s top trade chip after just five pitches Sunday.
Here’s what stood out from the three-game set…
THREE BACK IN THE EAST
The Blue Jays lost a game in the AL East standings, as the Red Sox and Orioles each won their respective series. The Jays remain in Wild Card position, trailing the Red Sox, and are 1.0 game ahead of the Astros, who could add Cuban import Yulieski Gurriel and top prospect Alex Bregman before too long.
REASONABLE DEAL
Justin Smoak‘s two-year, $8.5-million deal provides the Blue Jays with a switch-hitter capable of providing quality defence at first base. It provides Smoak with security beyond 2016, after which he’d been slated to hit free agency.
For context, what does $8.5 million buy you on the first-base market? Not Edwin Encarnacion, that’s for sure. (By the way, it seems as likely as ever that Encarnacion will hit free agency. The way he’s playing, why pass up the chance to hear how the other 29 teams value him?)
Based on last year’s free agent first-base market, $8.5 million buys you one year of Mike Napoli ($7 million) or two years of Bregman ($8 million). As one rival executive noted, it’s not the kind of commitment that will impede the Blue Jays in future seasons. If they are tempted to pursue other first base or DH types, they can do so. If first-base prospect Rowdy Tellez forces their hand a year from now, that’s a good problem to have.
And as for Smoak? He neatly avoids the possibility of being frozen out of a free-agent market that can be unforgiving to first basemen, as the likes of Pedro Alvarez and Chris Carter found out last winter. Right now the Smoak deal looks reasonable for team and player alike.
HIGH-STAKES BLISTER
Considering the Athletics signed Hill for just $6 million last winter, he’s come to represent a pretty important piece of their future. Not as a piece of Oakland’s core, of course—at 36, he’s a pending free agent—but because of what he can command as a trade chip.
In that context, the blister that sidelined him after five pitches Sunday has serious consequences in Oakland. If recent trade talks are an accurate reflection of Hill’s value, the Athletics have a premium trade chip on their roster. The Athletics reportedly asked the Red Sox for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza in Hill talks that took place earlier this month.
STROMAN STRUGGLES
The Athletics hit Marcus Stroman hard Friday, slowing the momentum that the right-hander had built toward the end of the first half.
With the outing in Oakland, Stroman’s ERA rose to 5.15. Just seven qualified starters have higher ERAs: Michael Pineda, Chad Bettis, Drew Smyly, Wade Miley, Jeff Locke, Patrick Corbin and Ricky Nolasco. The Blue Jays need more from Stroman, who showed signs of progress in his two starts preceding the all-star break.
MOMENTUM FOR GRILLI
When the Blue Jays acquired Jason Grilli his numbers weren’t particularly impressive. With a 5.29 ERA and 13 walks in 17 innings, he appeared to be declining quickly.
Sixteen appearances in Toronto suggest otherwise. After another stellar inning Sunday, the right-hander has 25 strikeouts against six walks in 14.2 innings with the Blue Jays for a 2.45 ERA. For John Gibbons, who navigated the ups and downs of setup relievers Drew Storen and Brett Cecil early on, the emergence of Grilli represents a welcome development.
