The Toronto Blue Jays did their best to keep their team at full strength after losing an All-Star in Bo Bichette, but right now, they still have a few cracks in their armor. Currently, they have Ernie Clement and Andres Gimenez in the middle infield, but neither seems like an answer long-term.
FanSided’s Chris Landers believes that the Blue Jays could look to trade for their answer, and pegs Chicago Cubs infielder and former top prospect Matt Shaw as their answer.
“With Hoerner locked up, the Cubs have their infield for the foreseeable future, with Hoerner, first baseman Michael Busch, shortstop Dansby Swanson and third baseman Alex Bregman all under team control for at least the next four years. One name I didn’t mention in that list? 24-year-old Matt Shaw, who’s gone from consensus top-50 prospect and third baseman of the future in Chicago to on the outs in the span of 12 months…Toronto failed to bring back Bo Bichette this winter, and suddenly the infield is a big of a question mark — especially up the middle, where Andres Gimenez has slumped badly with the bat in recent years and Ernie Clement profiles best as a utility guy rather than an every-day second baseman. Even if Kazuma Okamoto proves to be a keeper at third (hardly a guarantee, no matter how impressive his bat has looked so far), the Blue Jays could stand to add some more talent here,” Landers wrote.
This past season, Shaw slashed .226/.295/.394/.690 with 21 doubles, 13 home runs, 44 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 126 games played. While these numbers are nowhere near Bichette’s, Toronto would see him for his potential. In the minors, he hit .301/.388/.527/.915 with 33 doubles, 35 home runs, 113 RBI, and 51 stolen bases in 183 games played.
He’d also be very cheap. Shaw’s under team control for around a half-decade, so the Blue Jays would have him for a while as well.
This trade is one they should consider. Maybe not now, but the Jays should definitely revisit at the trade deadline, especially if Shaw is doing well, and Toronto isn’t.
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