The MLB trade deadline is just weeks away, and the Toronto Blue Jays new GM, Alex Anthopoulos, is expected to continue putting his stamp on the team.
With that in mind, here are the players Anthopoulos should consider trading:
John Buck
He was not meant to be much more than a stopgap catcher until a prospect (like JP Arencibia) comes up through the system.
Arencibia has been simply outstanding from the batter's box, hitting 25 home runs with a batting average of .319. His on-base percentage could improve, as its a paltry .369 and one of the main reasons his slugging is only .661.
However, if he works at better plate discipline, he could be an outstanding hitter. In the end, Arencibia is ready to be called up.
Trading John Buck while he is still hitting this great is crucial. The Blue Jays can get top-flight prospects if he continues playing this well.
They need to trade him while his value is still high, after all, he was only a backup for Kansas City last year. What are the chances of him keeping this up?
Lyle Overbay
Not because of Brett Wallace. I fully expect Wallace to be a great player and to be absolutely solid, but he is finally finding his groove defensively.
This, however, has cost him in offense, as his slugging is a paltry .497. He has an average of .296 with 14 home runs, but I think he needs a bit more seasoning.
The main reason for this trade is that Overbay's contract is up at the end of the year, so we may as well see if we can get something for him now as a rental player.
I don't think he would get us any compensation picks with the way he played this year. That's not set in stone yet, though.
Alex Gonzalez
Before people realize he's a one-trick pony (all he can do is hit home runs), we can see if we can sell him to the highest bidder for top-level prospects.
Once again, nobody is probably ready to go from the minors, so we would have to acquire a bad SS as part of the deal.
The Entire Bullpen
Seriously, if we can get Brandon Morrow for Brandon League, we should see if we can get a bunch of solid starting pitching prospects almost ready to go for them.
What's the harm after all? If we have a weaker bullpen, we can send in all these starters as relievers.
They would be much more effective, and if someone like Morrow is available (I'm looking at you, Matt Cain), then we have to take him.
Vernon Wells
The main guy. This guy has cranked it up a notch and has been hitting home runs like crazy, much like the entire Blue Jays offense. His slugging and OPS leave a little bit to be desired, but he has been solid this year.
If someone takes his fat contract (I'm thinking of a team with a payroll higher than $175 million, you get three guesses) we can have lots of money to spend.
Also, if we get a top-flight prospect like Jesus Montero, we can also use him as a catcher sooner rather than later.
With all the money we would have to spend, Anthopoulos can truly build this team the way he wants.
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