Report: Blue Jays Have Expressed Interest in Josh Reddick
With the MLB Trade Deadline just over 24 hours away, the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly interested in another player on the Oakland Athletics.
According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Toronto Blue Jays have contacted the Oakland A’s about outfielder Josh Reddick, in addition to their recently reported interest in starting pitcher Rich Hill.
#Dodgers tried for Hill/Reddick package, as @pgammo reported. #BlueJays also contacted #Athletics about both players, per sources.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2016
No sense on whether #BlueJays or any other club has traction on #Athletics’ duo, together or separately. Difficult to assess Hlll’s value.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2016
Susan Slusser, A’s beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, confirmed this report and added that the Blue Jays have had scouts at every A’s game for the past month.
The #BlueJays have had scouts at every #Athletics series for a month or more scouting Hill and Reddick, including current one.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 31, 2016
The Blue Jays interest in Hill wasn’t much of a surprise, but their interest in Reddick is. With Jose Bautista, Kevin Pillar, Michael Saunders, and recently acquired Melvin Upton Jr. already in the outfield, Reddick is an interesting target for the Blue Jays.
More from Tip of the Tower
- Cam Phillips making his mark on Toronto Argonauts offence
- Toronto Argonauts: 4 storylines ahead of matchup against Redblacks
- Federico Bernardeschi ready for new challenge with Toronto FC
- Toronto Argonauts overcome Roughriders in entertaining Touchdown Atlantic
- Buffalo Bills: Von Miller drawing inspiration from Bruce Smith
In the immediate future, the Jays could possibly platoon first base and designated hitting duties between Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, which would mean demoting Justin Smoak to the bench. That would open up right field for Reddick and keep Upton as their fourth outfielder.
In the long-term, much like Hill, Reddick is set to be free agent after this season. So before we all assume this signals the Blue Jays are looking to move on from Bautista and Saunders, keep in mind that Reddick is essentially a rental player and carries no term if acquired by the Blue Jays.
Guessing what Reddick would cost to acquire is difficult because it’s unknown if Hill must be a part of any deal involving Reddick. I’d guess that any deal would have to start with two above average prospects and cash. Players like Richard Urena and Sean Reid-Foley are likely not available since both Reddick and Hill are rental players, but I’d guess names like Rowdy Tellez, D.J. Davis and Max Pentecost have been discussed. Hill’s lingering blister also adds difficulty to this situation.
Related Story: Report: Blue Jays 'Working Hard' to Acquire Starting Pitcher
If the Blue Jays were to acquire Reddick, their lineup could look something like this:
DH – Jose Bautista
3B – Josh Donaldson
1B – Edwin Encarnacion
LF – Michael Saunders
SS – Troy Tulowitzki
C – Russell Martin
RF – Josh Reddick
2B – Devon Travis
CF – Kevin Pillar
Have fun pitching to that lineup.
Next: Blue Jays: Is AL Cy Young Possible for J.A. Happ?
The Blue Jays are not the only team looking at the A’s, though, as the Los Angeles Dodgers are also reportedly interested in Reddick and Hill. The Dodgers farm system is well stocked, which will certainly interest A’s general manager David Forst, and executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane.
What do you think about the Blue Jays reportedly being interested in Hill and Reddick? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.