Just a few days ago the Toronto Blue Jays made a move to beef up an already elite offense. It was a strong move (acquiring shortstop Troy Tulowotzki), but was one that raised eyebrows considering Toronto’s greatest weakness is by far their pitching.
The Blue Jays have addressed that need, too.
Per reports, Toronto has swung a deal with the Detroit Tigers that will bring pitching ace David Price to town. Daniel Norris is said to be part of a package of players headed to Toronto in return for Price, but it’s clear the Blue Jays are the winner in this deal.
Toronto isn’t exactly the likeliest winning of this trade war, since high profile teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees were also seeking top shelf pitching. They did a great job securing one of the hottest names on the trade market, though, and now could be one step closer to competing for the playoffs this season.
That said playoff run is no longer a pipe dream, as Toronto is a solid 51-51 and just seven games out of first place in the ultra competitive AL East. Toronto is in an interesting spot, as a hot run to end the year could absolutely put them in position to steal the division from the first place New York Yankees. The Blue Jays already beat the Yanks in the trade department and now may have the balance of offense and defense needed to make a deep playoff run. Getting there first is the task at hand, and now Price bolsters a formerly shaky pitching rotation that also includes the likes of Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. If everything goes according to plan, Toronto may finally have the arms to match their elite offense, which obviously got another boost after the trade for Tulo (homered in debut).
The key with the David Price trade is it’s this year or bust. Price is highly likely to hit the open market as a free agent following the season and Toronto can’t be sure he’ll return to the team that just traded for him. With uncertainty lurking after this season, Toronto knows the time is now to make their run. Price gives them the pitching they need to combat some of the top teams if they can make it to post-season play. Now it’s just on everyone involved to find a way to make it happen.
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