Blue Jays Gold Glove Finalist Named Potential Trade Candidate

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Blue Jays Brandon Valenzuela named as a potential trade chip.

The Toronto Blue Jays could be very active this offseason, in both free agency and the trade market.

Toronto missed the playoffs a year after reaching the World Series and losing in Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The offense struggled a ton this year, so the Blue Jays should look to bolster it this offseason.

The Blue Jays have plenty of money coming off the books, which also gives them flexibility to be active.

Blue Jays Could Trade Brandon Valenzuela

The Blue Jays could shake up their roster with trades, and they have some intriguing trade chips.

Blue Jays analyst Matthew Sookram of FanSided named rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela as a potential trade chip this offseason.

“That depth is valuable, but it also brings up a legitimate offseason question,” Sookram wrote. “With Kirk entrenched as the starter, would the Blue Jays be better served keeping Valenzuela as a high-end backup or using his rising value to address a more pressing need elsewhere on the roster? …

“Valenzuela’s age and years of club control would certainly be intriguing for prospective teams. Getting a 26-year-old catcher who has already shown he can handle a major-league staff is the type of profile that could be the centre of a decent trade package.”

Whether or not teams view Valenzuela as a starting catcher is unclear, but Sookram believes he could fetch Toronto a decent return.

“To be fair, rookie catchers often wear down under the physical and mental demands of the position, and teams will likely value his defence first,” Sookram added. “But it does, limit the return Toronto can reasonably expect. Valenzuela alone is unlikely to fetch an established middle-of-the-order bat or a frontline starter. A more realistic outcome would be a need-for-need deal involving a player with similar control and upside.”

The Blue Jays would then have to find another backup catcher, but if the price is right, perhaps flipping Valenzuela makes sense.

Valenzuela Named Gold Glove Award Finalist

With Alejandro Kirk missing time due to an injury, Valenzuela took over as the Blue Jays’ starting catcher.

The rookie was known for his defense, and he showed it off this season. He ended up being rewarded as he was named a Gold Glove Award finalist for the season.