The Toronto Blue Jays and Possible Moves - by Moses

   As I stated in a previous article on the Toronto Blue Jays, I strongly suggested that we should pick up a couple of top three starters in entering the '21 Campaign.  Well Trevor Bauer is looming as one of the hottest pitchers in the free-agent market.  Likely to be a good pitcher for at least another five years, the Blue Jays would be wise in signing him to a multi-year contract.  Say four years at $15 Mil U.S.D/year.  With the additions of the prior trades coming in, that would leave us with seven starting pitchers that most teams would employ as top three starters;

1.  Hyun-jin Ryu (LHP)

2.  Trevor Bauer (RHP)

3.  Corbin Burnes (RHP)

4.  Zach Plesac (RHP)

5.  Taijuan Walker (RHP)

6.  Robbie Ray (LHP)

7.  Nate Pearson (RHP)

  This may seem to be overkill but many teams have adopted the philosophy of having a couple of extra guys on the staff to accommodate any possible injuries over the course of the year (the Dodgers come to mind in this scenario) to their starters.  This isn't even including Matt Shoemaker (and I'm high up on him), or Chase Anderson.  That's how dominating this staff looks on paper. 

  In fact, although we're losing five pitchers to gain two arms (in the article prior's' trades), we're not losing any ground for our projected relief core for the '21 season, and we're picking up two solid starters in the proposed trades in Corbin Burnes and Zach Plesac.  Here is our projected relief core for '21 after the Bauer signing and fulfilling the two trades (in acquiring Burnes and Plesac);

Swingmen

1.  Robbie Ray (LHP)

2.  Nate Pearson (RHP)

Left-handed Specialists

1.  Ryan Borucki (LHP)

2.  Anthony Kay (LHP)

3.  Kirby Snead (LHP)

7th Inning Men

1.  A.J. Cole

2.  Shun Yamaguchi

3.  T.J. Zeuch

8th Inning Men

1.  Jordan Romano

2.  Anthony Bass

3.  Nate Pearson

Closers

1.  Rafael Dolis

2.  Jordan Romano

3.  Anthony Bass 

  If you thought that giving up five arms to make these deals is counter-productive, realize this;  When you can secure 600-700 Innings for your staff (among three starters) this is invaluable to breeding winning organizations.  The interesting placement may be with young phenom Nate Pearson.  Do you let him negotiate his early time in the Majors as a dominant swing-man, or do you let him come in the eighth or ninth to showcase his 103 MPH Fastball?  Plus, the Jays have Joey Murray (RHP), Maximo Castillo (RHP), Nick Allgeyer (LHP), and Simeon Woods-Richardson (RHP) as top prospects to rely on in future years for a deep pitching rotation for years to come alike what the Atlanta Braves had going on for the entire decade of the nineties.