Now that Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have declined their qualifying offers—and with the news that the team has already entered into an agreement with Kendrys Morales—it seems the likelihood of either player returning to the Toronto Blue Jays next season is growing increasingly remote.
The Blue Jays won’t just be losing two pillars of the franchise: they’ll also be losing two of their best hitters. Today, we take a look at some of the hitters available on the free agent and trade markets to see who might fill the void in Toronto…
Free Agent Outfielders
Josh Reddick
Age: 29 | Bats: L | 2016 stats: .281/.345/.405, 10 HR, 1.2 WAR | Signing team doesn’t have to surrender draft pick
Reddick, who’d been in Oakland since 2012, was traded to the Dodgers in August. He had a slow start in Los Angeles but eventually wound up hitting .248 across 47 games in the NL. In his eight-year MLB career, Reddick has reached the post-season four times. If Toronto were to sign him, he could be a platoon partner for Melvin Upton Jr., primarily going up against right-handed pitchers.
Jon Jay
Age: 31 | Bats: L | 2016 stats: .291/.339/.389, 2 HR, 1.1 WAR | Signing team doesn’t have to surrender draft pick
Like Reddick, Jay is a left-handed bat who could be platooned with Upton Jr. The Miami native, who spent six years in St. Louis before he was dealt to the Padres in December 2015, had an OPS+ of just 97 this season in 90 games. His biggest asset is his versatility; he can play all three outfield positions.
Ian Desmond
Age: 31 | Bats: R | 2016 stats: .285/.335/.446, 22 HR, 3.3 WAR | Signing team must surrender draft pick
Desmond spent 2016 with the Texas Rangers after having spent his entire MLB career with the Nationals (he was taken by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2004 draft). The veteran outfielder rejected the Rangers’ qualifying offer and he’s now expected to land a multi-year deal after a bounce-back season. He’s positioned to do better than he did last winter, when he rejected the Nationals’ qualifying offer in search of more term only to sign for one year with Texas. But Desmond, a well-rounded hitter who can also play shortstop, put up bigger numbers in 2016, and his services will appeal to a number of teams.
Dexter Fowler
Age: 30 | Bats: Both | 2016 stats: .276/.393/.447, 13 HR, 4.7 WAR | Signing team must surrender draft pick
Like Desmond, Fowler was a free agent this time last year, having rejected the Cubs’ qualifying offer in search of a multi-year contract. He wound up re-signing with Chicago on a one-year deal, and the switch hitter from Atlanta earned a World Series ring. He’s on the market again after rejecting Chicago’s qualifying offer.
While Fowler had a career year at the plate, his defensive play also improved—his FanGraphs defensive rating for 2016 was 2.7, up from 0.6 in 2015 (and a horrifying -20.6 in 2014). His ability to hit from both sides of the plate would be a boon to a Blue Jays team looking for better results against right-handed pitching, and his consistency makes him an ideal leadoff hitter.
Yoenis Cespedes
Age: 31 | Bats: R | 2016 stats: .280/.354/.530, 31 HR, 3.2 WAR | Signing team must surrender draft pick
Widely considered the top free agent on the market this winter, Cespedes opted out of his deal with the Mets and is expected to landed an even bigger contract (he’d earned a three-year, $75 million deal with the Mets last winter, but took the opt-out following an All-Star season in which he hit 31 homers).
Is he a defensive liability? Sure—FanGraphs gives him a defensive rating of -9.2 for the 2016 season. But Cespedes, who played 80 games in left field last season and 63 in centre, hits for power and gets on base.
Outfield Trade Candidates
Jay Bruce
Age: 29 | Bats: L | 2016 stats: .250/.309/.506, 33 HR, 0.9 WAR | Contract: Signed through 2017
The Mets picked up Bruce’s $13 million team option for 2017, and if they choose to deal him this winter, the Blue Jays are once again a natural fit. The team nearly acquired him ahead of the 2016 season, before a three-team trade fell apart. If Bruce heads to Toronto in 2017, he could be platooned with Upton Jr.
Ender Inciarte
Age: 26 | Bats: L| 2016 stats: .291/.351/.381, 3 HR, 3.6 WAR | Contract: Under team control through 2020
Inciarte, who is in his first year of arbitration eligibility, spent almost a month on the DL between April and May of this year, but his production improved as the season went on. He picked up a Gold Glove for his work in centre field this year, and while he doesn’t have much power, the versatile outfielder would provide a much-needed option against right-handed pitchers, along with exemplary defensive skills.
Adam Eaton
Age: 27 | Bats: L | 2016 stats: .284/.362/.428, 14 HR, 6 WAR | Contract: Signed through 2019 + two option years
The White Sox outfielder led the AL in triples last season with nine. He’s signed for three more seasons, and is guaranteed $21 million through 2019—which makes him a bargain given his performance two years into the five-year deal he signed with Chicago.
If the White Sox were to entertain trading him—and it was rumoured to be a possibility this summer—he would be a difference-making left-handed bat for Toronto, though the asking price would be huge.
Charlie Blackmon
Age: 30 | Bats: L | 2016 stats: .324/.381/.552, 29 HR, 3.9 WAR | Contract: Under team control through 2018
Blackmon, who’s now entering his second year of arbitration eligibility, made $3.5 million in 2016. He had a career year at the plate in 2016, with 35 doubles, 29 homers and an OPS+ of 130. The Dallas native has spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies, who picked him up in the second round of the 2008 MLB draft. A number of teams are rumoured to be interested in his services.
Free Agent First Basemen
Steve Pearce
Age: 33 | Bats: R | 2016 stats: .288/.374/.492, 13 HR, 2 WAR | Signing team doesn’t have to surrender draft pick
Pearce, who has suited up for five teams across 10 MLB seasons, was dealt from Tampa Bay to Baltimore this summer, marking his second stint with the Orioles. Should the Blue Jays sign him, the veteran first baseman could be a possible platoon partner for Justin Smoak because of his prowess against left-handed pitching.
Mike Napoli
Age: 35 | Bats: R | 2016 stats: .239/.335/.465, 34 HR, 1 WAR | Signing team doesn’t have to surrender draft pick
Napoli is the oldest player on this list, but the veteran first baseman is still putting up good numbers. He saw a slight dip in 2015, but in 2016—on a one-year, $7-million deal with Cleveland—Napoli performed well, hitting 34 homers and 22 doubles. He also has a wealth of post-season experience. While Napoli’s run production is huge, there are obvious downsides; he had the second-most strikeouts in the AL in 2016 (and the third-most in the majors) with 194. His defence also appears to be on the decline.
First Base Trade Candidates
Joey Votto
Age: 33 | Bats: L | 2016 stats: .326/.434/.550, 29 HR, 5 WAR |Contract: Signed through 2023 + team option for 2024
If there’s one possible trade that’s seemingly been analyzed to death, it’s “Joey Votto to Toronto.” After a ridiculously good second half in 2016—in which he hit .408/.490/.668—much has been made of a possible Votto trade. The idea that the Toronto native could return home is an enticing one from many fans’ perspective. Votto brings star power, and the hometown narrative adds cachet.
The Cincinnati Reds first baseman led the AL in on-base percentage this season (his OPS+ of 160 was also tops in the league). The biggest downside is the price: Votto is still owed $179 million.
