Toronto Blue Jays: Josh Donaldson to the St. Louis Cardinals make sense for everyone
THE PROSPECTS
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
RHP – Alex Reyes (#9 MLB Pipeline) – The 22 year old would probably be in the majors already if not for an injury. A torn UCL in his pitching arm forced him to have Tommy John Surgery in February.
He is expected to miss 12-18 months which means he should be ready to start the 2018 campaign.
In 46 innings with St. Louis in 2016, Reyes went 4-1, with a 1.57 ERA, and 52 Ks. He was considered one of the front runners for this year’s NL Rookie of the Year.
If Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano are not back in 2018, having a young arm like Reyes that can step into the rotation would be a huge asset.
MLB ETA: 2018
C – Carson Kelly (#32 MLB Pipeline) – Also 22, Kelly appears ready for the majors. A back catcher may not be Toronto’s most pressing need for 2018, as Russell Martin is under contract for the next two seasons.
He is a top-tier defender and is doing well offensively for Triple-A Memphis.
MLB ETA: 2017
RHP – Luke Weaver (#56 MLB Pipeline) – The 2014 first round pick is dominating at Triple-A going 7-1, with a 1.93 ERA, and 60 Ks.
At 24, Weaver could also make the leap to the Bigs real soon. He too could be a part of Toronto’s 2018 rotation.
MLB ETA: 2017
SS – Delvin Perez (#77 MLB Pipeline) – He is the furthest away of the five prospects, a 2016 draft pick. Perez is a solid defender, with great speed but his bat still needs some development.
With Troy Tulowitzki under contract until 2020 and top prospects Richard Urena, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Bo Bichette all playing short, Perez may not be a great fit.
MLB ETA: 2020
RHP – Jack Flaherty (#96 MLB Pipeline) – Like Weaver he is a 2014 first round pick, that is now dominating in Triple-A. He is 7-2, with a 1.42 ERA, and 62 Ks in Memphis this season.
He is younger though, 21, being drafted out of high school but he could be close to moving up from Triple-A soon enough.
MLB ETA: 2018
If Toronto was to move Donaldson then trading other soon to be free agents will be inevitable. The Blue Jays biggest concern, moving forward, will be their starting pitching. With only Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, and JA Happ under contract for 2018, Toronto would have to rely on Joe Biagini or Double A prospects like Sean Reid-Foley and Conner Greene to fill the void.
With three top pitching prospects that all appear on the cusp of joining the Cardinals, Toronto may be wise to listen to an offer from St. Louis.
The Reyes injury situation makes things complicated, as the Blue Jays may be hesitant to go after a player only half way through recovery from Tommy John.