How the Blue Jays can find outfield help via trade

With the offseason officially on for the Toronto Blue Jays, perhaps the most obvious hole on the team resides in the corner outfield. On either side of Kevin Pillar there are no starters right now, just candidates to start.

There are a couple of free agent names the team could consider, but the trade market also has its gems. At this point it can be difficult to know who precisely might be available, but if you read between the lines there are some educated guesses to be made about how this trade market shakes out.

Here are a few outfielders the Blue Jays could swing a deal for:

The Biggest Fish: Giancarlo Stanton

Age: 27
Position(s): Right Field
Hits: Right
Throws: Right
2017 stats: .281/.376/.631, 49 HR, 132 RBI, 6.9 WAR in 692 PA
Contract Remaining: 10 years $295.45 million ($25 million club option for 2028 with a $10 million buyout), player opt-out after three years

How it works: The price tag here is unabashedly massive. Not only would an acquisition of Stanton mean taking on a mammoth contract, the Miami Marlins would also command a substantial return. The Shapiro-Atkins front office doesn’t seem the type to be comfortable paying both dollars and big-time prospects for a player. That’s more of an Alex Anthopoulos move. So it’s fair to think of this one as highly unlikely.

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That said, if the Blue Jays were willing to throw caution to the wind a bit, Stanton is the guy to do it for. In a league where the ball is flying farther than ever, the 2016 Home Run Derby champ showed that he’s a cut above the rest, leading the league in longballs by a wide margin. Rarely does a superstar in his prime become available, and although Stanton’s contract is sizeable, it could wind up downright reasonable as salary inflation around the game continues. He’s also at an age where he could help anchor the probable last ride of Josh Donaldson in 2018 and stick around to contribute to the next wave.

Ultimately, the uncertainty caused by Stanton’s upcoming opt-out and an injury history that is a little scary is likely to prevent the Blue Jays from diving in. That said, it appears the frugal Derek Jeter-led Marlins ownership is dangling him and there wouldn’t be a more impactful — or fun — move available.

The Bounce-Back: Andrew McCutchen

Age: 31
Position(s): Centre Field and Right Field
Hits: Right
Throws: Right
2017 stats: .296/.363/.486, 28 HR, 88 RBI, 3.7 WAR in 650 PA
Contract Remaining: One year $14.5 million

How it works: Technically speaking, McCutchen is eligible to be a free agent this offseason, but the Pittsburgh Pirates have a team option and there’s no chance they don’t exercise it. That doesn’t mean they won’t move their longtime centre fielder though.

Last year they were hesitant because an ugly 0.6 WAR 2016 season lowered his value and 2017-2018 looked like it could be part of their window. Now he’s coming off a strong campaign and the Pirates can see 2018 almost certainly won’t be their year. At this point they’d be better off swapping him in for some young assets.

The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are playing with a serious sense of urgency in 2018 due to the Donaldson window. McCutchen isn’t cheap, but he’s a bargain for what he’s capable of producing. You certainly won’t get the same impact for that price in free agency. Because he’s controllable for a single year, the prospect haul required to bring him into the fold couldn’t be too outrageous either.

If McCutchen doesn’t have a problem playing in a corner — something he dabbled with for the first time in 2017 — he’d be an excellent fit. He even has the ability to add a dash of speed and lead off if need be.

The Buy High: Avisail Garcia

Age: 26
Position(s): Right Field
Hits: Right
Throws: Right
2017 stats: .330/.380/.506, 18 HR, 80 RBI, 4.2 WAR in 561 PA
Contract Remaining: Arbitration-eligible 2018-2019, projected salary of $6.7 million for 2018

How it works: The Chicago White Sox have an exceedingly impressive farm system, but they are still more about asset acquisition than building a short-term winner. As a result, a guy like Garcia — who is only under control for two more years — might be considered movable for them.

What makes the Venezualan a bit tricky is that he’s only had one good season. After last year’s 4.2 WAR performance his next best performance is a 0.6 mark and he’s lived in the negatives before. For most of his career he’s been an overrated player with obvious potential, but limited consistency. His breakout is also a little tricker to buy because his BABIP of .392 is the kind of number that’s luck-aided and virtually impossible to replicate.

Even if there’s some regression on the way, there’s still a lot to like here. Garcia’s walk rate is unimpressive, but he cut strikeouts considerably last year — a rare feat considering the way the league is going — and flashed more power.

He’s also a line drive hitter who rarely pops up, allowing him to run a career .340 BABIP, making a fall off the cliff in that regard unlikely. His chances of hitting for a good average with a little power next year are pretty good and he’s young enough that his approach could improve. It certainly seemed to as his 2017 campaign wore on:

The All-or-Nothing Man: Khris Davis

Age: 29
Position(s): Left Field
Hits: Right
Throws: Right
2017 stats: .247/.336/.528, 43 HR, 110 RBI, 2.3 WAR in 652 PA
Contract Remaining: Arbitration-eligible 2018, projected salary of $11.1 million

How it works: Stylistically speaking, Davis is not the kind of guy Blue Jays fans — or probably even manager John Gibbons — wants to see. He strikes out a tonne, he’s certainly not burning it up on the bases and defence has not been his strong suit.

On the other hand, the man socks dingers.

Playing in a big ballpark down in Oakland, Davis has hit 85 home runs in the last two years. That’s the second best mark in baseball; only Stanton has been better, and only by one home run. If Davis was let loose at Rogers Centre, he could get the kind of boost that helped Donaldson collect his hardware.

It’s clear that the slugger isn’t the ideal fit, but especially on a one-year basis improvement is more important than reshaping your attack. Davis would make the Blue Jays better, and he’s undoubtedly available. Athletics players making any kind of money always are.

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