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The Blue Jays beat writer Scott Mitchell this weekend that * at one point * the Cubs and Blue Jays had talked about Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks. I did my best to give this context because of course the Blue Jays would have an interest there, as it could be an obvious 2-for-1 solution for them. This does not mean that the trade negotiations were serious, or ongoing, or that they were very likely to go anywhere.
Still, the report made a bit of noise and Mitchell wanted to point out what it was and what it wasn’t saying. It was interesting, however, that by confirming and clarifying what he was reporting, he took the extra step of adding another timeline:
Specific. It is also an agreement which I believe could be reviewed in February. That’s a scenario that could still be in play. That’s the connection.
– Scott Mitchell (@ScottyMitchTSN) January 24, 2021
Ah, but that was before the Blue Jays signed Marcus Semien to a one-year, $ 18 million contract last night. That certainly ends things, at least as far as Bryant is concerned?
Maybe not:
Wouldn’t necessarily rule out another addition to 3B, so don’t queue up yet.
Biggio can still play almost every day in a super-utility role.#Blue jays– Scott Mitchell (@ScottyMitchTSN) January 26, 2021
I’d be surprised if the Blue Jays relegated Cavan Biggio to a purely utilitarian role, but I guess if they have the money to deploy and they really want to play in 2021, so be it. We’ve seen teams aggressively add and create extreme quality depth. There is also a question of how much the Blue Jays can add to the salary, but Mitchell suggests there is flexibility to raise even more than $ 10 million, so depending on what the comeback looked like (it’s that is, paycheck going the other way around), and / or depending on whether Jays ownership goes even further for the right finishing touch, maybe the payroll consideration isn’t really the point. thing either.
So, putting post-Semien questions aside for a while, why could this come back in February? Presumably because that’s when more free agent options would be ruled out (Justin Turner at third base, for example?), And the Blue Jays might end up deciding they want to push for another great move like this. As we have seen in years past, large movements frequently occur in the first two weeks of February. But it tends to be the case so major trades are typically cut once players arrive for spring training for a variety of pragmatic, logistical and budgetary reasons. That’s not to say that you can’t perform a major trade during spring training, it’s just extremely rare.
That’s all to say, for this rumor – and the many others involving Cubs players heading for the gate – it’s fair to keep a close eye on and through February.
In the end, I stand by what I said in response to the initial report:
Would the Cubs actually part ways with the two in the same deal? Well, if you could put the optics aside, yeah, we know they’re ready to move Bryant, and the Yu Darvish deal strongly suggests that they would be willing to move Hendricks as well if the comeback was okay. Honestly, I’m not sure if the Cubs are concerned at this point about erasing their competitive chances in 2021, despite what they might say. I think the long term is now the top priority.
But, even still, it’s just hard for me to see the Cubs actually dealing with two faces of the franchise in the same trade, which would return absolutely enough for a financial element that some people would tear it apart. Returning prospects / players to the Cubs should be almost unthinkable, and while the Blue Jays have the parts to do so, I’m not sure if they’ll actually want to trade in one of the guys I am. SEO.
I think the Blue Jays make sense to Bryant, in particular, as we’ve discussed before (and since there have been rumors). But a twinning deal with Hendricks? I could see the Blue Jays asking, but I find it hard to see them ready to hit the real price the Cubs would need to receive to justify such a combined deal. Additionally, while Bryant is a free agent after this year and likely won’t return, Hendricks is in control for another four years. If the Cubs hope for a quicker turnaround than several years of rebuilding, they’re going to, uh, need a quality pitch like Hendricks in 2022+.
At this point, let me add here: if the reality is that the Blue Jays just want to add a good starting pitcher so that they don’t waste their offensive unit in 2021, then you should think Zach Davies would at least be a target. as plausible as Hendricks (who, again, means a lot to the Cubs after 2021, when Davies would be a free agent). I just think out loud.
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