The American League East is easily the most competitive division in the MLB. Heading into today's action, every team boasts a record of above .500 and is in contention for a playoff spot. Among the teams looking to fight their way out of the AL East is the Toronto Blue Jays, and they made a big move to help them accomplish that goal when they swung a trade with the Kansas City Royals for Whit Merrifield. In return, Toronto sent a pair of prospects in pitcher Max Castillo and infielder Samad Taylor to K.C.
Merrifield has been one of the most consistent players in the majors ever since he earned himself a starting role with the Royals back in 2017, but he has been surprisingly average so far this season. The Blue Jays are hoping that a change of scenery, which will result in him immediately joining a competitive playoff race, will bring out the best in him.
Given Merrifield's production this season, the Blue Jays are taking a risk. But this could help them make some noise in the playoffs this season. Let's hand out grades for both sides and see who came out on top from this deal.
Grading the Whit Merrifield trade
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto was aggressive in making some big moves at the deadline, but picking up Merrifield could be the biggest move of them all. Throughout his career, Merrifield has been an on-base machine who is a fantastic contact hitter that can wreak havoc on the basepaths. Stolen bases aren't as common as they once were, but Merrifield has led the American League in stolen bases three times throughout his career.
But this season, Merrifield simply hasn't been the same player. His numbers aren't in line with his past production (.240 BA, 6 HR, 42 RBI, .643 OPS) and in some cases, he has hurt the Royals more than he helped them. Maybe he's beginning to decline, or maybe he just struggled to succeed in a very weak Royals lineup.
The Blue Jays are hoping for the latter to be true. Merrifield was an All-Star just one season ago for Kansas City, and given how Toronto has gotten virtually no production from their designated hitter spot this season, they can justify picking up Merrifield's bat even as he struggles. If he hits the heights we have seen earlier in his career, though, this deal could be a real win for the Blue Jays.
Merrifield has a lot of positional versatility, meaning they could throw him at his natural second base spot or in the outfield, and just slide someone else over to designated hitter. They could also just throw Merrifield in at DH, but those are good options to have if you are Toronto.
Final Grade: B+
Whit Merrifield is going to have to produce in order for this deal to work, but even then, this is a fairly low-risk/high-reward move for the Jays. Merrifield is playing on a cheap contract, and would still be an offensive upgrade even if he doesn't improve to his usual standard of play. Toronto also gave up fairly little to get him, so this could work out quite well for Toronto if Merrifield can improve his play.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals had struggled to pull the trigger on trading Merrifield throughout his career, and it probably cost them a lot. Rather than deal him at the deadline last season when he was still producing, Kansas City waited too long and paid the price. They brought back a pair of prospects in Castillo and Taylor, but it's a far cry from what they could have gotten from Merrifield a season or two ago.
Castillo made it to the majors this season, and has been solid in limited action for the Jays. He's appeared in nine games (two starts) posting a 3.05 ERA with 20 strikeouts. He figures to take on a bigger role with the Royals throughout the rest of the season, and could turn into a valuable arm for them in the future.
Taylor has more potential of the two, and could get called up for the Royals shortly. He's spent the entire season at triple-A for the Blue Jays, hitting .258 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs, while also picking up 23 stolen bases as well. Taylor has some good traits that could help him stick in the majors, and the Royals could be the perfect spot for him to develop.
Final Grade: C
Castillo and Taylor are a pair of solid young players, but the return feels fairly light given Merrifield's track record of success with the Royals. He's laboring through the 2022 season, yes, but he's still proven to be a very effective player when he's on, and it's hard to believe Kansas City couldn't have pulled out a bigger return here. Even when you ignore the fact that the Royals waited far too long to trade Whit Merrifield, this deal leaves something to be desired on their end as they continue to limp towards a rebuild.
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