Despite currently sitting in the basement of the American League East, the Toronto Blue Jays have crawled out of a 6-17 hole and are within striking distance of a wild-card position.
With the MLB trade deadline six weeks away, it’s time for teams on the fringe to re-evaluate their 2017 plans and decide if they are looking to buy or sell. Jon Morosi of FOX Sports joined Greg Brady and Elliott Price on Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup on Monday and said the Blue Jays are likely to go with the former.
“If the Jays can find a way to get a good rental arm, they should do it,” Morosi said on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. “I think that’s the one part about the club, especially with the uncertainty of Aaron Sanchez’s blister and his health, you add the pitcher if you can.”
Jaime Garcia of the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox starter Derek Holland were two of the names Morosi said would be potential rental arms in a “surpringsly strong” trade deadline class.
The starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries in the first couple months of the season with starters Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Francisco Liriano all spending time on the disabled list. But the Blue Jays will not be the only AL East team looking to add depth on that front.
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The division-leading New York Yankees will try to complement Luis Severino, Michael Pineda and Jordan Montgomery with another starter. Masahiro Tanaka has looked shaky this season and at nearly 37 years old, C.C. Sabathia’s best years are behind him.
With an aging Blue Jays roster and the resurgence of a young Yankees squad, Morosi says the Blue Jays should take one more kick at the can with its current group.
“I think the Blue Jays look at this year in their organizational planning as a year they should go for it,” Morosi said. “There’s going to be a moment in the not-too-distant future when the Yankees, if they get a Harper or Machado, or they upgrade their pitching even more, where they’re going to be even harder to beat.”
You can listen to the full interview below.
