This is not exactly how many baseball fans envisioned the first couple of months of the 2023 MLB season going for the Toronto Blue Jays. They have a solid 34-28 record and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, but there is still an underlying sense of disappointment surrounding this club.
As they stay solid, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles outperform them in the AL East, despite having more injury problems and lower expectations, respectively. The Tampa Bay Rays are fading into the distance, already nine-and-a-half games ahead of Toronto. Making up ground on those teams figures to be an arduous task, but it will be even more excruciating if Alek Manoah has forgotten how to pitch.
Or at least pitch adequately. The All-Star righty has been an unabated catastrophe this season. He has made it through the fifth inning in just five of 13 starts. The breaking point was Monday's 11-4 home loss to the Houston Astros. Manoah retired just one batter and surrendered six runs. The Blue Jays were left utterly stumped and saw no other solution but to send the 25-year-old down to rookie-level Florida Complex League.
It is a sad realization for the organization, but one they cannot just hope gets fixed in the minors. They have to prepare for the worst case scenario, which is that Manoah may not reclaim his Cy Young-caliber form or any form manager John Schneider would feel comfortable trusting in a postseason game. Toronto general manager Ross Atkins needs to go out fishing.
And the sooner the better. Lucky for him and the Jays, there should be a few appealing options to round out what is already a top 10 team ERA in the MLB. Here are 2 starters the Blue Jays must trade for to compensate for Alek Manoah's stunning downward spiral.
2. Jordan Montgomery
Full disclosure, I realize fans will see this as a pointless exercise, given that Hyun-jin Ryu is nearing a return from Tommy John surgery and minor league arms like Yosver Zulueta are available to fill in. This team is a legitimate World Series contender, though. Manoah's troubles have given them incentive to go all the way in.
And a good player to push your chips on is the St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Montgomery, because it is hardly a big gamble at all. The Cards remain stuck in the mud, eight-and-a-half games out of first place in the pedestrian NL Central. The 30-year-old's contract is expiring, so it makes sense to maximize his value.
Montgomery is one of the only competent starters on St. Louis' staff, posting a respectable 4.23 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. He is a fine depth option behind Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios. And that might be all the Jays need. A steady veteran who has been effective in a small postseason sample size, per StatMuse.
1. Eduardo Rodriguez
But….if Toronto is truly feeling that contender's itch, the front office can only scratch it by trading for one of the top hurlers in baseball right now. Eduardo Rodriguez is having a career year with the Detroit Tigers, boasting the third-best ERA in the league (2.13) and holding hitters to a measly .205 batting average. It will take a bigger haul than is required for Jordan Montgomery, but Rodriguez could be a surprise X factor for a team in their playoff push.
The timing is not great, as Rodriguez was just placed on the 15-day IL with a finger injury, but let's assume it's not a hindrance when he returns. His contract is also expiring, so Atkins would need to accept the possibility that the southpaw is just a rental. But he is still an investment worth making when considering all of the talent on this roster. Rodriguez has experienced a champagne bath before and is looking like a bonafide ace.
The Blue Jays are potentially just one move away from leaping into the top of the AL. Eduardo Rodriguez can push them there.
And if Alek Manoah does eventually figure things out, then the organization will probably have more flexibility, talent and confidence than any other team in baseball.
Follow Us
Subscribe