Toronto Blue Jays: Should the Rotation or Bullpen be the Priority?

With the Toronto Blue Jays’ options limited on the trade market, the team will likely have to decide between a starter or a reliever heading into the non-waiver deadline.

One benefit for the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the traded deadline, is they don’t have to do what they did last season to put the team over the top. While they are hoping to overtake the Baltimore Orioles for top spot in the AL East, their recent play should give them the belief that they can accomplish this.

However, there is always a chance to improve, especially by acquiring players at the trade deadline, although this often proves to be a challenge. This is mostly because other teams are willing to overpay to acquire players, like the Red Sox did when they acquired Drew Pomeranz for one of their top pitching prospects.

Last season, the Blue Jays paid a hefty price to acquire David Price, Troy Tulowitzki, Ben Revere, and Mark Lowe. However, it put the team in contention for the World Series, before losing in the ALCS to the Kansas City Royals.

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While Toronto will not be able to make the same type of deals they did last season, they should be able to add one or two pieces to compliment the roster. The question is, whether they should focus on acquiring a starter or a reliever?

In a perfect world, it would be nice for the Blue Jays to acquire both, but when it comes to the MLB trade market, this is usually not the case. What they would like to do is acquire a starter to replace Aaron Sanchez, if he is being put into the bullpen.

It would also help if Drew Hutchison could step in and be a starter for the rest of the regular season, then have Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, R.A. Dickey and Marcus Stroman make up the rotation in the postseason. If the team can add another starter, it would help make the Sanchez decision easier, although trading for a bullpen arm is probably the route they take.

It is tough to see the Blue Jays trade for a pure rental starter, because those are the pitchers every contender is looking at. In addition, the starters with options after this season will come at a high cost.

Bullpen arms usually cost less because, there are more options available. However, it really depends on the type of relief pitchers the Blue Jays need.

Feb 26, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitchers talk on the mound during spring training workouts at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Sportsnet’s Leonardo Coelho wrote a piece about potential relief pitching options Toronto could look at. He mentions Brandon Kintzler from the Minnesota Twins, and Tyler Thornburg, Will Smith or Jeremy Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Both the Twins and Brewers are seen as sellers at the deadline. The pitchers referenced. are not the high profile names being mentioned on the trade block, which include Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller.

When it comes to starting pitching, names like Rich Hill, Jeremy Hellickson, Andrew Cashner and Jorge De La Rosa are seen as rental targets. Pitchers with options after this season, who could be potential targets, include Jon Niese, Sonny Gray, Dan Straily and Ervin Santana.

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It was reported that Toronto were scouting Hellickson and De La Rosa as possible pitching options in the rotation, although the former apparently has a lot of suitors, including the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles. De La Rosa would be a cheaper option, given that he is not the most attractive option on the market, which is where the Blue Jays will have to look, if they want to get a deal done.

Going into the deadline, the Blue Jays would be better off focusing on acquiring a bullpen arm. There are more options available, and they will need that going into the postseason.

A starter would be nice to have, because it would give them an option, with the potential of Sanchez going into the bullpen. However, given that the bullpen has been a glaring need all season, the team should make that their primary target.

Next: Ross Atkins focused on winning this year

The team’s bullpen ranks 17th with a 3.95 ERA, but with the uncertainty surrounding Brett Cecil, Drew Storen struggling, and only a few trustworthy options, they should already know what they have to do. The question is whether or not general manager Ross Atkins will do what is necessary to get the matter resolved?

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