Depth of young catchers could seal deal on trade
If there’s one position the Blue Jays should be able to leverage more than any other this offseason it’s behind the plate, where excess depth in the minor-league system could be the key to pulling off a big trade.
General manager Ross Atkins is expected to do most of his work this winter through free agency, but with holes to fill in the starting rotation, bullpen, infield and centre field it seems inevitable he’ll be forced to make some trades as well.
Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor, Chicago’s Kris Bryant and Yu Darvish, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado, Seattle’s Kyle Seager and Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell are just a few of the big-name players who are reportedly up for grabs this winter. Teams across baseball are slashing
payroll and looking to acquire cheap, controllable assets, something the Jays have in spades.
Depending on the calibre of player in return, Atkins likely will be forced to give up some major-league talent. That could be in the form of Lourdes Gurriel
Jr. or potentially even someone such as Cavan Biggio, but no matter who it is, there will have to be a package of prospects included as well. The catching position figures to be a part of it.
The Jays have all kinds of depth behind the plate. Most of it just hasn’t developed yet. They have a starter in Danny Jansen who has yet to live up to expectations, but was once a top prospect and still has only 181 games under his belt at the big-league level. While there are questions about his bat, he’s well liked by the pitching staff and figures to get another crack at a fulltime job.
Behind him there’s Reese McGuire, who has been overrated around these parts because of strong showings in small sample sizes as a September call-up. McGuire appears to be little more than a backup, but he’s a decent fit off the bench because of his lefthanded bat and competent glove.
If the Jays manage to keep him out of the Dollar Tree parking lot, he should be passable in that role.
Most of the trade value can be found below these two. The Jays currently have three catchers ranked among their top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. By now, everyone is familiar with No. 6 Alejandro Kirk. He’s followed closely at No. 8 by 20-year-old Gabriel Moreno and further down the list by 24-year-old Riley Adams at No. 22.
Kirk is the player everyone wants, and the Jays will be reluctant to trade.
He might not be considered untouchable, but he’s close and it doesn’t much make sense to give up six-plus years of control for an overpriced impact player, or someone who’s one season away from free agency. Over the last several years, Atkins frequently rebuffed offers for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, and the same approach likely will be taken here.
Instead, Moreno is the piece the Jays figure to offer up. The former international signing hits for contact, doesn’t strike out a lot and projects to have a plus bat. Behind the plate, Moreno’s arm is considered average, but he has the athleticism and game-calling skills to stick at the position long term. Moreno on his own wouldn’t be enough to pull off a big deal, but the Jays can hope his talent is enough to be the centrepiece of a package of prospects going the other way.
If the Jays aim lower or use an infielder such as Jordan Groshans as the primary trade bait, Adams could become the odd-man out. On his own, the native of California won’t net much in return, but he could be used to target a piece for the bullpen or bench while also being an option to round out a package of prospects for a bigger name.
“We’re extremely satisfied, but are you ever good enough?” Atkins said when asked about his catching position. “You’re always thinking about getting better and there are several ways to do that. You could acquire talent, you could trade away talent, or you can get better (internally).
“Jano finished really strong. He’s working out in Florida already ... What he has done this far has been more than enough for us to be extremely encouraged. Alejandro Kirk has obviously exceeded our expectations so far. Moreno and Adams are extremely exciting prospects. Reese McGuire will be better than he was, for sure. He was fine defensively and just never got anything going offensively. It’s definitely an area of depth for us.”
Untouchables don’t really exist in baseball, but you don’t have to be an expert to understand that some players just aren’t going to be moved. Guerrero, Bichette, Nate Pearson and Austin Martin aren’t going anywhere. The same likely could be said about Kirk and right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson.
The Blue Jays’ ability to pull off a big trade in the coming weeks likely comes down to how highly other teams value Gurriel Jr., Groshans and the slew of options Toronto has behind the plate. Will it be enough to acquire another star? We’re about to find out.