What will the Toronto Blue Jays do to address their middling rotation?
For the Toronto Blue Jays, the trade deadline is a golden opportunity this season.
Toronto wasn't at the top of many preseason American League East projections, but more than 60 percent of the way through the season, they're in first place. If they can address a fairly obvious weak point, they'll have a great shot at a division title.
That weak point is the rotation, which currently ranks 25th in starter ERA at 4.60. Whether it's a rental or (preferably) someone with some years of control to take over for the potential exits of Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer, they've got to find reinforcements.
Recently, an ex-big-leaguer predicted that the Jays would find a veteran pitcher with years of control, but not necessarily cost-effective ones.
During the most recent episode of the "Talkin' Baseball" podcast, Trevor Plouffe of Jomboy Media predicted that the Blue Jays would acquire Luis Severino from the Athletics ahead of the Jul. 31 trade deadline.
"(In) 12 games started at home, he's got a 6.8 ERA, and that's gross," Plouffe said. "But away, eight games started, he's throwing to a 3.04. He's got postseason acumen, and he's already been in the AL East, so he's familiar with the division.
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"There's a couple of impending free agents there (in Toronto). He could kind of bridge that gap. And I think he needs to get out of the A's."
Severino signed a three-year, $67 million contract with the A's before the season, and most agree that move was made so the A's wouldn't risk losing their revenue-sharing payments. It was the biggest total contract value in franchise history.
Yet, if Severino arrived in Toronto and gave the Blue Jays a mid-threes ERA for the next couple of years, it would be worth taking every penny off the Athletics' hands.
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