Getty Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The MLB trade deadline is known to yield some fireworks, and with no shortage of big names rumored to be on the market, this year should be no different. Will the deadline be wild enough, however, to send Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the Houston Astros, Bo Bichette to the Cleveland Guardians, and the top prospects in both those teams’ farm systems back to Toronto?
Just imagine. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller did. He proposed eight “outrageous” trades leading up to the deadline in a piece published on Sunday, June 30. In it, he suggests the Blue Jays could “[burn] it all down in one fell swoop.”
Here’s the proposed trade:
Astros Receive: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (from TOR), RHP Chris Bassitt (from TOR), OF Kevin Kiermaier (from TOR), LHP Parker Messick (from CLE)
Guardians Receive: SS Bo Bichette (from TOR), LHP Yusei Kikuchi (from TOR), C Danny Jansen (from TOR), OF Colin Barber (from HOU)
Blue Jays Receive: RHP Cristian Javier (from HOU), OF Chase DeLauter (CLE No. 1 prospect), OF Jacob Melton (HOU No. 1 prospect), SS Brice Matthews (HOU No. 3 prospect), RHP Daniel Espino (CLE No. 4 prospect), RHP Jake Bloss (HOU No. 5 prospect)
Got all that? From Houston’s perspective, it means giving up a lot, both from their minor league system and their star-studded injured list. But in return, it gives them a fighting chance at an eighth-straight trip to the American League Championship Series.
Houston Would Solve Its First Base Problem — And More
The Astros finally cut Jose Abreu loose a couple weeks back and since then, have been riding with Jon Singleton and Mauricio Dubon at first base. Singleton hasn’t hit at a level that befits a first baseman and Dubon is playing out of position.
Guerrero hits, fields, and is one of the most exciting young players in the game. He also has one more year of team control.
Elsewhere, Bassitt would be a welcome addition to a rotation beleaguered by injury. With Javier and Justin Verlander out of commission — not to mention Jose Urquidy who hasn’t pitched this year and Lance McCullers Jr., who hasn’t pitched since 2022 — Houston needs arms.
Bassitt has a 3.45 ERA in 91.1 innings this season with 83 strikeouts. He has also made at least 30 starts the last two seasons and 27 the year before that, meaning that even at 35, he’s durable.
Toronto Would Go Full Rebuild by Trading Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Keep in mind the Blue Jays would give up six Major League players in this deal, including two infield stars in Guerrero and Bichette. The team indicated as recently as early June that it wanted to build around them. The team would demand a monstrous return, and this deal gives them exactly that.
DeLauter and Melton, aside from being the top prospects in the Astros’ and Guardians’ organizations respectively, are both top 100 in the game, per MLB.com. The other three prospects in the deal are all top five in their respective systems. Then there’s Javier, who is signed through 2027, though he will miss the rest of this year and maybe all of next year recovering from Tommy John surgery.
It’s a case of high risk, high reward for Toronto. If it wants to sell, then a bonkers deal like this could truly be realistic. As Miller put it:
“The moral of the story, though, is that Toronto has become the linchpin of this entire trade deadline.
“If the Blue Jays embrace what is very clearly a seller’s market otherwise lacking in marquee names available, they could put together a monster of a trade / series of trades, likely getting more in return than the Nationals did for 2.5 years of Juan Soto two summers ago.”
At a game below .500 headed into play on June 30, the Blue Jays are within 4 games of a Wild Card spot. Punting on an outside chance at a Wild Card berth in 2024 may be the prudent move.