Blue Jays trade deadline grades: Underwhelming haul built on sound deals

The Toronto Blue Jays' 2023 trade deadline was a quiet one.

After three separate deals with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team will now have to make do with what it has within the organization for the stretch run.

The haul of former Cardinals improved the Blue Jays' bullpen and added depth to its infield while helping to compensate for injuries to shortstop Bo Bichette and closer Jordan Romano — neither of which seem major.

Looking at each of the deals in isolation, they all seem relatively promising from a Blue Jays perspective as the acquisition cost for each of the imports is reasonable, but it's unclear if they'll move the needle.

The team still lacks options against left-handed pitching and it will have to rely on internal improvements to raise up an offence that ranks 14th in the majors in run scoring.

Below is a rundown of the trades Toronto completed, and how the Blue Jays made out in those deals:

Blue Jays trade RP Matt Svanson for SS Paul DeJong and cash

DeJong doesn't provide much offensively, but he's an elite defensive shortstop capable of covering for Bo Bichette while he deals with his current knee ailment and serving as his backup after that.

The price the Blue Jays paid for his services was minimal as Svanson is an under-the-radar reliever prospect who was plying his trade at High-A.

His elite groundball rates and strong run prevention results in 2023 (1.23 ERA) suggest there might be something there, but most arms you'd worry about losing are starters — at least until they reach the upper minors. The 24-year-old may yet contribute to an MLB bullpen, but he wasn't showing up on any major public prospect lists prior to Tuesday.

DeJong isn't the kind of addition likely to catapult a team into a different stratosphere, but he's a handy floor-raiser for Toronto. Because they gave up relatively little for him — and even got the Cardinals to chip in on his contract — the team hasn't overpaid if he only ends up being a rental.

He could be more, though, as his contract contains club options for 2024 ($12.5 million) and 2025 ($15 million). Those price tags might be steep for a guy who has been well below average offensively since 2019 (82 wRC+), but if the Blue Jays see something they like he gives them a little more flexibility for 2024, when only starting infield spots have been claimed.

It's tough to give this deal too high a grade because the likely impact is modest, but the price was low enough that it's impossible to come down hard against it.

Grade: B

Before the deadline

Blue Jays trade SP Sem Robberse and SP Adam Kloffenstein for RP Jordan Hicks

Toronto ventured into uncharted waters by reeling in one of the biggest rentals on the market.

With Hicks in tow, a Blue Jays team that already ranks second in the majors in bullpen ERA has put together a special relief unit. The longtime St. Louis Cardinals closer is one of the hardest throwers in the majors, and he's in the midst of an excellent season that's seen his strikeouts spike well above his career norms.

After allowing eight earned runs in his first 5.2 innings of the season, Hicks has an ERA of 2.25 since. The right-hander can hold down the closer role until Jordan Romano returns from his back injury — then he can form a dynamite late-game duo with him.

Players like Hicks — even on expiring contracts — come with a significant price tag and the Blue Jays gave up two solid starting prospects for him.

Robberse is holding his own at Double-A as at the age of 21 and his velocity has jumped into the 92-94 mph range this season, which could help him survive at higher levels. His deep repertoire and solid command have him profiling as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Kloffenstein's Double-A numbers are better than Robberse's, but he's a year older and he pitched 86 innings at the level last season. Like Robberse he's not a fireballer, and if he makes the big leagues it will also most likely be as a back-end starter or multi-inning reliever.

Neither of those players project to be MLB stars, but they could provide the type of valuable rotation depth the Blue Jays have struggled to accumulate in recent seasons. If Toronto's veteran starters encounter injury problems in the years to come, there may come a moment they will wish they had one of Robberse or Kloffenstein.

On the other hand, Hicks could be a difference maker in a three-game series and neither of the prospects the Blue Jays relinquished are likely to ever reach that level — even if their development goes well.

Grade: B+

Blue Jays trade C Sammy Hernandez for RP Génesis Cabrera

It's hard to take umbrage with such a low-risk move for Toronto. The Blue Jays got another left-handed option in their bullpen at the expense of a 19-year-old lottery ticket with less than 200 plate appearances of professional experience.

While Hernandez has some upside, so does Cabrera. Toronto acquired the reliever when he was in the midst of a difficult stretch, but he possesses elite velocity for a southpaw and introduced a promising slider in 2023.

The lefty also came with a minor-league option meaning the Blue Jays can easily stash him in the minors if he struggles down the stretch — and he's under team control through 2025.

Since joining Toronto, Cabrera has been excellent. The 26-year-old has pitched five scoreless innings with the Blue Jays, allowing just one base runner.

Of course, that's a small sample and it's unfair to use the benefit of hindsight to grade this deal — but it's also silly to pretend that what we've seen thus far doesn't make the addition of Cabrera look a little bit better.

Grade: B+