Tuesday bantering

Just when you thought Trent Thornton was getting better, he doesn’t. He lasted just 1.1 innings at Fenway Park yesterday, the shortest outing of his career and falls to 3-7 on the season.

Sam Gaviglio didnt fare much better, allowing five earned in 1.1 innings too.

In fact you know its a bad day at the office when Edwin Jackson is the best pitcher of the day. Jackson went three scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out two. According to Montoyo he will serve primarily in long relief. Which given how are starters are doing, means he is in for a lot of work.

Its no secret that Marcus Stroman is looking increasing likely to be traded, especially as he and the Blue Jays have nothing to say to each other. And his performances speak for themselves:

Jacob Waguespack is making his first career start later today. He has a 5.00 ERA after two big-league outings out of the bullpen covering nine innings. The pitcher for Thursday’s finale is still listed as “to be determined.”

So if Stroman is dealt, Clayton Richard can’t return to health and/or form, Aaron Sanchez can’t find his form (or the strikezone) and Thornton struggles for the rest of the year (in what is clearly a big learning process) where does it leave us on the pitching front? A tad thin...

In better pitcher news, Ken Giles, who is dealing with a nerve issue in his right elbow and hasn’t pitched since the all-star break, threw 30 pitches on flat ground on Monday and is expected to throw off the mound before todays game. He might be available for the second game of the series, which would help maintain his trade value before this month’s deadline.

In other Jays news:

Jays give Rowdy Tellez simple message: Go get hot and return better for it

Could a Blue Jays reunion with Edwin Encarnacion benefit the younger players?

Kevin Smith of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats made the MLB Pipeline prospects team of the week with a line of .400/.389/1.267, 4 G, 15 AB, 6 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO

After a huge first full pro season (.302/.358/.528 with 25 homers) in 2018, Smith hasn’t crossed the Mendoza Line since the end of April. He connected for home runs in each of his games over the weekend, including two blasts on Friday, and paced all Top 30 Prospects with his 1.267 slugging percentage for the week. His season line now stands at .195/.253/.397 with 12 homers in 72 games.

MLB trade news

As the trade season is just around the corner, its best to be prepared:

• Here are this year’s best non rental trade candidates
• The worst blockbuster MLB trade deadline fails since 2000 (Jays at no 6!)
• There are no untouchables in the Yankee farm system (which may bode well for a Stroman trade)

I would also highly recommend checking in with Fangraphs as they start their excellent trade deadline coverage:

2019 Trade value into and honourable mentions

2019 Trade value: Numbers 41-50

Play of the Day

Albert Pujols shows off his ‘baserunning’ prowess...