If the Toronto Blue Jays are truly desperate for a left handed bat, they should target the cost effective outfielder Corey Dickerson
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The Toronto Blue Jays will come out of the lockout (whenever it ends…) with a few more moves to make. Among their rumoured needs are another starter, some bullpen additions and a left handed bat. The latter being a widely assumed need for this right handed heavy team. While, I tend to think that good hitters are good hitters and their handedness is secondary, the talk of needing a left handed hitter won’t go away. So, if we are to assume they are looking for a lefty, they should consider a reunion with Corey Dickerson.
Coming over to the Blue Jays last summer in the same deal that brought Adam Cimber, the Blue Jays benefited from the .282 Dickerson hit. Add that to his career OPS of .845 against righties and he makes a whole lot of sense for Toronto. That is especially true in the context of what it might cost to obtain a left handed hitter on the open market. It is even more interesting when you consider what Dickerson has said about his time in Toronto.
Shi Davidi brings us an interesting piece on Dickerson and his comments about Toronto are quite positive: “I was grateful for where I ended up,” Dickerson said. “I lost my grandfather in 2020. I lost my dad last year during All-Star break, right after I got traded, and in between that, my dad was going through a rough time. That, with my broken foot, being away from my family, I just feel like the last two years really, really weighed on me. I’m very service-oriented and treating others well and being around a good environment is what it’s all about. And when I came to Toronto, it lit my fire again.”
Dickerson went on to discuss how the Blue Jays players brought him out of his shell a bit and how much he enjoyed that. He also described his offseason focus, which could lead to a bit more power from the 32 yr old. As well, his discussion of his workout focus seems to fit rather nicely with what the Blue Jays have focused on in the last few years – not bulk, but working with one’s body. In the past, he sacrificed power for making contact and he is looking to get back to ‘doing damage’. Currently, he is projected to hit 12 HR, 101 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR (from Steamer), which seems a little conservative, especially if his offseason works.
So, on the surface, there seems to be a fit between Dickerson and the Blue Jays, at least from a philosophical perspective. But, we all know that a baseball offseason is not theoretical or philosophical, it is concrete and a deal has to be reached. There are certainly other options out there that the Blue Jays will consider. For example, Michael Conforto is still a free agent. As is Kyle Schwarber. The latter is predicted by MLBTR to see a 4yr/$70M deal while the former is predicted to see 1 yr/$20M. The Schwarber deal, if accurate, is likely beyond the price tag Toronto is willing to pay. For Conforto, the Blue Jays could do a repeat deal of one year with a high end salary. After all, it worked when they signed Marcus Semien.
However, the list of what the Blue Jays need, while not overly long, is going to cost quite a bit. The signing of Conforto would be a big one for them, of course. He is a better hitter than Dickerson and he’s younger. However, if the club is looking to add a starter and some bullpen pieces, and save money for the summer Trade Deadline, it might make more sense to aim a step below Conforto.
That is especially true if they are not successful in trading away Randal Grichuk, leaving them with 4 big league outfielders already. Injuries do happen and having another big leaguer to step in will go a long way to covering potential losses. But, a guy like Conforto is not a ‘just in case option’. Even if Toronto is able to deal Grichuk, with the knowledge that they nearly did so for an equally costly Jackie Bradley Jr.tells us that there is likely not any money to be freed up if Grichuk is dealt. So, a less expensive insurance/lefty bat is in order.
If all the chatter is true and Toronto is looking to add a starter AND bullpen pieces AND a lefty bat, Corey Dickerson just might be the solution for them. He hits right handed pitching rather well, is a solid bench piece for a competitive team and will not use up precious resources earmarked for other areas.
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