Hendriks on Jays incoming arms: Liriano, Feldman, Bolsinger

By Andrew Hendriks
Canadian Baseball Network
For the second time in three years, the Toronto Blue Jays found themselves in playoff contention when the major league trade deadline drew to a close on Monday.
 
Unlike the last time when Toronto found itself a game out of the second wild card spot on the day of the deadline, the teams decision makers were able to pull the trigger on a number of moves aimed at complimenting the already potent core of talent that has carved out a 59-46 record on the season.
 
“We were able to add experience, add depth and add net talent.” explained Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins via conference call Monday night. “We feel like we made our team incrementally better in several ways while adding depth to our organization.”
 
In all, the Blue Jays made a trio of moves prior to the 4PM deadline, all of which have the potential to net instant dividends as the club vies to get back to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
 
“Our focus going into it was how do we make our team better, increase our depth, increase our experience and talent. We feel like we did that.”
 
 
HELP IS ON THE WAY
Unquestionably, the most pressing area of need for the Blue Jays entering the deadline came in the form of starting pitching.
 
With Toronto’s American League Cy Young Award candidate Aaron Sanchez having already eclipsed his previous season high in innings pitched, Toronto’s brain trust continues to be steadfast in their decision to move the 24 year-old to the bullpen in an effort to limit his risk of injury down the stretch.
 
“We feel like (Sanchez’s) transition to a relief role will be the best thing for us if we’re in a Game 7 of the World Series” explained Atkins on Monday.
 
Although the club remains noncommittal with regards to when they plan on making that transition, we now know that experienced southpaw; Francisco Liriano will be the starter who claims Sanchez’s spot in the rotation.
 
Liriano, 32, is a veteran of over 270 contests, and comes with experience pitching in the post-season play. Although it wasn’t Toronto’s main focus in the deal, that experience played a role in helping entice to Blue Jays to acquire the once hard throwing Dominican native.
 
“The fact that he’s been there before in a playoff chase, pitched in a major playoff game and still has very good stuff, were hopeful that, if we get him back to just close to where he was, then it’s better than our alternative” said Atkins.
 
That alternative was Drew Hutchison, who Toronto flipped to Pittsburgh in order to complete the deal.
 
Over the course of four seasons, Hutchison appeared in 76 games with the Blue Jays while posting an ERA of 4.92 across 406 1/3 innings.
 
Along with Liriano, the Blue Jays also received a duo of minor leaguers in catcher Reese McGuire, and outfielder Harold Ramirez.
 
McGuire, 21, has slashed .259/.337/.346 over 77 games with double-A Altoona in 2016. Prior to the trade, he was ranked as the Pirates No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
 
Ramirez, 21, has also spent 2016 with Altoona where he’s slashed .306/.354/.401 across 98 games with the Curve.  Prior to the 2016 campaign, MLB Pipeline had him ranked as the Pirates No. 6 prospect, but he’s since slipped to No. 9 after the web site’s mid-season update.
 
Signed through 2017, Liriano’s addition also addresses one of Toronto’s offseason needs as the club would have needed to find a replacement for R.A. Dickey who is currently in the club option portion of his four-year deal with the Blue Jays.
 
 
COME ON OVER
For the second time in six days, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired a player from the team they were scheduled to face later that day.
 
Amidst a flurry of moves that came in advance of the trade deadline on Monday, the club dispatched Rookie-class hurler, Guadalupe Chavez to Houston in exchange for right-handed pitcher Scott Feldman.
 
Feldman, 33, has pitched to an ERA of 2.90 over 26 appearances with the Astros this season. Used predominately as a reliever in 2016, the former 30th round draft pick has also started five games for the 55-49 Astros.
 
Owed roughly $2.75 million for the remainder of the season, Feldman will be a free agent in 2017 and currently provides the Blue Jays with an added element of depth in the bullpen.
 
For the season, right-handed batters have combined to produce a .232/.265/.401 slash line off the product of Burlingame High (Calif.), while lefties have fared better slashing .310/.364/.500 in an even 100 at bats.
 
A large part of Feldman’s success in 2016 has been predicated on his ability to bare down with runners in scoring position. In 66 plate appearances with RISP this year, the right-hander has allowed a mere eight hits, which is good for an OBA of .143.
 
“The fact that Feldman is trending very positively, and has thrown the ball very well over the course of the year made all of the moves make sense,” added Atkins during Monday’s conference. 
 
MLB Pipeline had ranked Chavez, 18, Toronto’s 20th best prospect earlier this season. In six appearances with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays prior to the trade, the native of Sinaloa, Mex. had recorded an ERA of 1.69 while striking out 26 batters of 32 innings of work.
 
CHAVEZ RAVINE
In addition to adding both Lirano and Feldman to the roster, the Blue Jays also sent reliever Jesse Chavez to the Dodgers in exchange for fellow hurler, Mike Bolsinger.
 
Chavez, 32, had at times been successful during his second stint with Toronto, but had begun to see his production begin to slip as the season wore on.
 
From April 4-to-May 16, the hard throwing righty posted an ERA of 3.14 to go along with an impressive K/9 rating of 10.67 across his first 15 appearances on the season. In 24 appearances following that point, his ERA rose to 5.33 while the K/9 dropped to 8.33.
 
In Bolsinger, the Blue Jays receive 28 year-old righty who is under team control through the 2022 season. 
 
A year removed from posting an admirable ERA of 3.62 over 21 starts with the Dodgers, the Texas native struggled to recreate the success he demonstrated in 2015, and has spent the majority of this season at triple-A Oklahoma.
 
Like Rule IV standout Joe Biagini, Boslinger, should he return to form, could see his name added to the list of potential starters for the Blue Jays in 2017 and beyond.

-Follow Andre Hendriks on Twitter (@77hendriks)