Two of Toronto’s needs may be solved with one trade.
The Minnesota Twins are cutting payroll, according to Bob Nightengale, and the team that beat Toronto in the American League Wild Card series could be a good partner. This is because they have outfielder Max Kepler and middle infielder Jorge Polanco, both of whom have been receiving a ton of interest.
Let’s take a look at what the two players offer.
Max Kepler:
The Blue Jays needed a left-handed batting outfielder last off-season, and I was the conductor of the “bring Max Kepler to the Blue Jays” train. He had a rough season in 2022, slashing .227/.318/.348 with nine homers in 446 plate appearances for a 95 wRC+ and 2 fWAR.
Minus a fantastic 2019 season, Kepler’s trade value at the moment has never been higher, as the 30-year-old corner outfielder slashed .260/.332/.484 with 24 homers in 491 plate appearances, with a 9.2 BB% (the lowest since 2017), and a career-high 21.6 K%. Still, this gave him a career-high 124 wRC+ and a 2.6 fWAR.
Kepler’s defence took a hit in 2023, as he posted 10 Defensive Runs Saved and 12 Outs Above Average in 891.1 innings played in right field in 2022. In 2023, that dropped to 2 DRS and 4 OAA in 972.1 innings.
The Twins exercised Kepler’s team option worth $10 million. This is the final year of his deal before becoming a free agent after the season is up. Essentially a rental, he should have a relatively low cost considering the Twins want to drop payroll, and American League Central teams don’t have to be good to win the division.
Jorge Polanco:
Admittedly, second base is less of a need than outfield, a designated hitter with power, and a third baseman. However, Polanco could be a good offensive pickup.
Last season, the 30-year-old switch hitter slashed .225/.335/.454 with 14 homers in 343 plate appearances, along with a 10.5 BB% and a 25.7 K% for a 118 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR. This was a bit of an off-season for Polanco, who slashed .269/.323/.503 with 33 home runs in 644 plate appearances for a 124 wRC+ and a 4.2 fWAR in 2021.
Defensively, Polanco should only be playing second base, as his defensive numbers at shortstop are… not great to say the least. In 4178 innings, he has -42 DRS and -31 OAA> His numbers at second base aren’t great either, as he has 2 DRS and -16 OAA in 2316 career innings at the keystone.
Unlike Kepler, Polanco has at most two full-season remaining on his deal. The Twins exercised his team option for the 2024 season, with his salary being $10.5 million. The 30-year-old has a second team option for the 2025 season worth $12 million. Still, Polanco will consistently put up a wRC+ above 110, so that’s pretty good value for him.
So would the Jays do it?:
Who knows what the Blue Jays are thinking after Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. What we do know is that they offered a deal to the two-way superstar in the same vicinity financially as the Dodgers did, so this team is committed to winning.
My ideal off-season would be to trade for Kepler and Polanco, sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and trade from their surplus of starters for a controllable third baseman like Isaac Paredes, but I’m definitely just dreaming here.
Either way, it’ll be a fun off-season, because you know the Jays front office won’t just sit on their hands!
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