Getty The Toronto Blue Jays sought left-handed slugging this offseason and could still get it with a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Christian Yelich
The Toronto Blue Jays sought — but were unable to acquire — premier left-handed slugging power this past offseason, failing to entice Shohei Ohtani to join the team.
But they might make up for it, at least to some degree, with a blockbuster midseason trade proposed by Bleacher Report’s Tyler Ward that would bring in Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich in exchange for pitcher Alek Manoah, two top-20 prospects and cash considerations.
“The Blue Jays have been in dire need of a power bat from the left side of the plate,” Ward noted. “Yellich to the Blue Jays feels like a foregone conclusion right now.”
The Toronto Blue Jays Can Fill Critical Roster Gap With Christian Yelich Trade
Ward added that the likelihood of the Blue Jays trading for Yelich seems high as the organization and player have been connected in trade rumors for years, including during this past offseason, as reported by MLB Insider Jon Heyman.
“If (Yelich) is going to be dealt by the trade deadline, if the Brewers are going to be on the outside looking in playoff wise there in the (National League) Central, you have to be wondering if the Blue Jays come circling back again, the long connection,” Ward said. “This one almost feels inevitable in my opinion with how long these two have been connected, not only this past offseason, multiple offseasons.”
Yelich, who is in the fourth season of a seven-year, $188.5 million contract with the Brewers, has been off to a strong start in 2024, slashing .333/.422/.744 in 39 at bats so far. Those averages are in line with his MVP season of 2018 and three total seasons that saw him win Silver Slugger Awards, suggesting that he still has plenty left in the tank after his numbers dipped between 2020 and 2023.
As a result, Yelich might be one of the Brewers’ most enticing trade assets, even with his massive contract. And it seems likely the team will be in sell mode by this year’s trade deadline.
“The Milwaukee Brewers’ chances of contending diminished with the news that closer Devin Williams will miss around three months after being diagnosed with two stress fractures in his back,” Ken Rosenthal noted for The Athletic.
If the Brewers are looking to rebuild around their young core, particularly after they’ve already traded Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, parting ways with Yelich and his payroll hit could make sense.
As a result, the Blue Jays may be able to wrest the left-handed slugger in exchange for a pair of highly-ranked prospects as well as some cash-consideration help if the Brewers agree to eat a portion of Yellich’s remaining contract.
Former All-Star Alek Manoah Might Be a Rehabilitation Project for the Milwaukee Brewers
Per Ward, the Blue Jays might also throw in Manoah, who saw a startling regression in 2023 after an All-Star 2022 campaign that earned him a spot on the All-MLB first team.
The Brewers may feel like Manoah is worthy of a rehabilitation effort with a new home.
“There’s a few (teams) in the NL that I think could get him right and one of them is absolutely a great pitching lab there in Milwaukee with the Brewers,” Ward said.