The Toronto Blue Jays made three moves at baseball’s trade deadline focused on the pitching staff.
Toronto general manager Ross Atkins acquired starting pitcher Francisco Liriano and two prospects from the Pittsburgh Pirates just before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline. The Blue Jays are sending Drew Hutchison to the Pirates.
Liriano could fill a rotation spot if Aaron Sanchez is moved to the bullpen, a move that Atkins said was a certainty in conversations on Monday afternoon with reporters. Sanchez, the 24-year-old right-hander, is having a magnificent season (11-1, 2.71 ERA in 21 starts), but recently passed his career high for innings pitched. In 2014, at three levels, he threw 133.1 innings. He is now at 139.1 (see chart at bottom).
Liriano, 32, is having not having a great year, compiling a 6-11 record with a 5.46 ERA in 21 starts. Atkins told reporters that the Jays still believe in Liriano’s stuff and hope he will benefit from being reunited with catcher Russell Martin. They were teammates in Pittsburgh in 2013 and 2014. Liriano is under contract for 2017 at US$13.67 million. He could help offset the loss of R.A. Dickey if the Jays decide not to re-sign the 41-year-old knuckleballer in the off-season.
Also joining the Blue Jays is Scott Feldman, acquired from the Houston Astros for Guadalupe Chavez, an 18-year-old pitcher from Mexico.
Reliever Jesse Chavez, who had an up-and-down season after being acquired from Oakland in the offseason, was also traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Mike Bolsinger. The Jays are sending the Dodgers US$1.15 million on Sept. 1 to offset the remainder owed on Chavez’s $4-million salary.
Feldman, 33, is a 12-year veteran who appeared in 26 games for the Astros, five of them starts. He is 5-3 with a 2.90 ERA this season. Feldman started the season in the Astros rotation, making four starts. He made his last start on June 28. Coming out of the bullpen, Feldman is 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA in his 21 relief appearances. Twelve of his relief appearances has covered more than one inning.
Bolsinger, 28, has split this season between the Dodgers and Triple-A Oklahoma City. He made six starts for the Dodgers during their stint of pitching injuries but he was 1-4 with a 6.83 ERA. In Triple-A in 13 appearance, he has made two starts and has a 2-1 record with a 3.41 ERA. Bolsinger made 21 starts for Los Angeles last year, going 6-6 with a 3.62 ERA. He is optionable without having to clear waivers.
Jesse Chavez was acquired by the Jays in the off-season from Oakland for Liam Hendriks. It was hoped Chavez would challenge for a rotation spot and would be a capable long-relief man. He was outstanding in April, pitching 9.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, 2 walks and striking out 13. Since the beginning of May, Chavez has pitched 32 innings and hasn’t allowed significantly more hits or walks, but has allowed seven home runs and 48 per cent of his inherited runners have scored. He was on the mound when Adam Jones hit his three-run homer in the 12th inning on Sunday. The runners on base ahead of Jones were inherited from Franklin Morales, whom the Jays designated for assignment on Monday.
Hutchison, 25, had been relegated to Triple-A Buffalo this season. He was 6-5 with a 3.26 ERA in Buffalo and has made three appearances for the Jays, including two starts. It appears the Jays took advantage of the Pirates’ desire to add Hutchison for the future to acquire veteran help in Liriano and to put two prospects — Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire — into the pipeline.
McGuire, a catcher from Covington, Wash., and Ramirez, an outfielder from Colombia, are both 21 years old and both were playing at Double-A Altoona. They were rated the eighth and ninth best prospects in the Pirates’ system by MLB Pipeline. McGuire is the No. 5 catching prospect overall on MLB Pipeline’s list.
— with files from The Associated Press