A time of sweeping and changes
> RAYS 1 > BLUE JAYS 0 NEXT: FRIDAY VS. WASHINGTON
Prior to the Blue Jays’ series finale at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon, the respected website FanGraphs had set the Toronto’s chances of winning the division at zero and the odds they could earn a wild-card berth at 2.1 per cent.
That sounds like a number you’re more likely to see on a milk carton than attached to a playoff contender.
The Jays were looking to avoid dropping three straight to the Rays after an encouraging four-game sweep of the Orioles at home on the weekend. But the house of horrors that is Tropicana Field came up to squeeze the juice out of them again.
It always seems inevitable with the Jays at the Trop that something will happen at the end and the Rays will win. Such was the case Wednesday. With one out in the ninth, Mallex Smith laced a double to left centre field against Ryan Tepera, who was pitching his second inning.
That double was followed by a groundball to Aledmys Diaz with Smith on the move to third. With two outs and Smith at the corner, Matt Duffy singled to left giving the Rays a 1-0 win and a three-game sweep.
Jays starter J.A. Happ was on his game, filling the strike zone, but was forced to battle a pesky Rays lineup that has gone from a power-hitting bunch to just plain annoying. Happ worked five shutout innings, allowing one hit and three walks, but was forced to throw 98 pitches in facing just 20 Rays batters. That would be the equivalent of a 176-pitch, two-hit, complete-game shutout.
The Jays struggled offensively for the second game in a row against an array of Rays relievers, led by Wilmer Font, Matt Andriese and Diego Castillo. Against that trio, through eight innings, the Jays were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, with a pair of walks. The closest they came to a run was with two outs in the ninth when Aledmys Diaz launched a drive to left field that was caught against the fence by Johnny Field. They need Josh Donaldson back in the twohole.
The Jays are going to have to make some important decisions shortly as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. They’ll have to start divesting themselves of veteran pieces as requested by other bonafide contenders. Among the players that will draw the most interest and the biggest return in terms of future prospects is the veteran Happ. Whenever Marcus Stroman returns to the rotation and shows that he is healthy, GM Ross Atkins can begin to seriously consider offers for their ace left-hander Happ. There are not many other desirable pieces on the roster that the Jays would want to trade, except for veteran bullpen pieces.
With Stroman back and with Sam Gaviglio having impressed the coaches as a bottom-ofthe-rotation piece, the trade of Happ would require promotion of one of the three starting prospects from among Sean Reid-Foley, Ryan Borucki and Jordan Romano. There are other options if it was to be a short-term starting role, but the Jays need to see what they have looking forward to next year.
Make no mistake about it, at the age of 35, Happ might be the one pending free agent that the Jays would like to have re-sign with them for two years and an option moving forward. But trading him to another team as a two-month rental would not preclude his return to the Jays in 2019. Just look at the Yankees and their closer Aroldis Chapman. The Cuban flame-thrower was dealt to the Cubs for their World Series run in 2016 and then returned to the Bronx as a free agent in 2017.
Happ has a won-lost record of 57-38 with the Jays while his record with four other majorleague teams is 43-41.
The free-agent bidding for Happ in November would not be as fierce as it was for Chapman. As a 12-year major-league veteran, Happ has enjoyed himself as a human being and family man and had more success as a player in Toronto than at any of his other four stops.
Some teams just want a rental, especially at 35.
At first glance, there are as many as 11 current contenders, teams that are six games above .500 or better, that might be interested in Happ for the stretch run, including the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Brewers, Pirates and Cardinals. By July 31, Happ will be owed $4.3-million on his expiring contract.
If Happ leaves in trade with the quiet understanding that the Jays are still interested when he reaches free agency, and if the Jays receive the equivalent or more in trade of the draft pick they would have received if they had made him a qualifying offer, then there is no down side to making him available and trying to get better down the road. Plus they get to see two months of a young starter from the system.
Those decisions are coming soon and this Jays team may look far different, maybe even more interesting, in August and September.