Blue Jays mock trades: Hypothetical moves for Lane Thomas, Michael Lorenzen and more
The Blue Jays can add in several areas before the MLB trade deadline. Here are three possible moves that would bolster the roster.
TORONTO – As we inch closer to the Aug. 1 deadline, a storm of trades is brewing.
So far, it looks like a seller’s market. As obvious buyers, the Toronto Blue Jays might be pigeonholed into medium-impact acquisitions, acquiring players who aren’t stars but still make the club better. Still, that’s not to say the Jays' front office won’t surprise everyone and swing as big as it did back in 2021.
Toronto can add in several areas. Here are three mock trades we could see come to fruition.
Blue Jays acquire SP Michael Lorenzen from Tigers for INF Otto Lopez
Let’s warm up with a soft but important trade.
Call Lorenzen starting depth or multi-inning relief, but the Jays need the 31-year-old, especially after Hyun Jin Ryu’s return pushes the club to a six-man rotation. With Ryu going every sixth day, Toronto will pitch with just seven relievers, and that could get dicey.
Blue Jays fans witnessed how compromised the bullpen was during the club’s recent road trip. If Mitch White pitches multiple innings in August and September, the Jays are sewered. Lorenzen, a free agent at year’s end, helps the bullpen in the short term and offers a perfectly capable safety net in the event of either Ryu, Alek Manoah, or Yusei Kikuchi imploding down the stretch.
Lorenzen isn’t a highly coveted arm, making him a perfect rental for the Blue Jays. The lack of control with Lorenzen may dissuade Toronto's front office, but he’ll come cheaper as a result. Otto Lopez is a good bet to get shipped to Detroit in such a deal. He’s still young at 24 years old and is toolsy enough to slot in as a bench player on the Tigers' current roster.
Blue Jays acquire OF Lane Thomas and RP Kyle Finnegan from Nationals for INF Addison Barger, RHP Yosver Zulueta, and RHP Sem Robberse
Acquiring Thomas would represent a big swing for the Blue Jays, and the addition of Finnegan, who’s under team control through 2025, would only jack up the price. But it’s hard to deny the allure of Thomas’ power and speed nestling into the Blue Jays’ corner outfield through 2025.
The Nationals’ right fielder is having a career year at the dish, slashing .290/.338/.482 with 16 homers and 54 RBI. Thomas’ 94th-percentile sprint speed and 1.054 OPS versus lefties would revitalize Toronto’s batting order. The 27-year-old has red flags — he strikes out a lot and walks very infrequently — but he’d help Toronto this year and beyond, even if he regresses below his .819 OPS.
Since joining the Nationals' bullpen in 2020, Finnegan has quietly been a machine, relying primarily on his 97-mph heater. The 31-year-old has allowed more hard contact than normal this year, but he makes up for it with a vicious fastball-splitter combo. At worst, Finnegan is a middle reliever for Toronto this year. At best, he slots into leverage for this season and beyond.
With the market favouring the selling clubs, Washington would try to pry Orelvis Martinez from the Jays’ farm system. I don’t think Toronto bites on that – not in this trade, at least. Instead, the Nationals could immediately call Barger up to MLB, where he’d offer abundant upside from the left side of the plate. Zulueta still has a sparkle or two left as a future starter – he’s more boom or bust – and Robberse is a safe bet to pitch for the Nats as early as 2024.
If the Blue Jays value Thomas highly – similar to how the club saw Daulton Varsho last offseason – then this hypothetical trade plays fairly for both sides.
Blue Jays acquire 1B C.J. Cron, RP Brent Suter from Rockies for INF Davis Schneider
As the owner of a career .817 OPS versus southpaws, Cron is the perfect platoon mate for Brandon Belt. Playing at Coors Field helps, but the 33-year-old has still been a pure hitter throughout his career, racking up four seasons with 25-plus homers since 2018. Although Cron creates a defensive logjam at first base, he can easily replace Jordan Luplow as the club’s 26th man and start hacking away immediately.
Suter is a baffling reliever. Since the 33-year-old’s fastball rarely touches 90 mph, his whiff numbers hover in the 14th percentile, but he’s been a master at limiting hard contact. The lefty has earned his 2.51 ERA on the back of a 100th-percentile average exit velocity. Wild stuff. Suter would be a ton of fun in the Jays' bullpen.
With Cron and Suter hitting the open market at year’s end, Toronto won’t have to sweat this trade much. The Blue Jays could do without infielder Davis Schneider, despite him being a rapidly developing, hard-hitting prospect. The 24-year-old has 20 home runs and a .953 OPS through 82 games at Triple-A, making him perfect trade bait.
