Tuesday Bantering: Giles was nearly traded?

Ken Rosenthal, over in the Athletic, tells us that the Blue Jays and the Yankees were very close to a trade that would have brought us three unnamed prospects.

Ken tells us that the Jays told other interested teams that the deal was done and then the Yankees pulled out too late for the Jays to find another deal. Apparently the Yankees were worried about his arm (which seems fair).

These thing are hard to judge, since we have no idea who might have been coming to the Jays. Everyone talks about Clint Frazier, but I don’t expect that if there were three prospects he would have been one of them.

Does he get traded this winter?

We may be dangerously close to have having an actual starting rotation for the last month of the season (with some openers): T.J. Zeuch, Clay Buchholz, Jacob Waguespack, Trent Thornton and Anthony Kay could be the way we go the rest of the way. I’d be very happy not to have a bullpen day the rest of the way.

Which ones will be in our rotation next year is another question. I wonder if they will try to re-sign Buchholz? I’m not against the idea. Matt Shoemaker should be back. Nate Pearson should push his way into the rotation at some point.

Waguespack has been surprisingly good. Thornton has had moments, good and bad (and he’s led the team in starts and innings). Kay and Zeuch have a month to make their case to be part of it.

I’d bet that Sean Reid-Foley, Yennsy Diaz and Patrick Murphy get some innings.

And odds are there will be a free agent signing before April.

We could be going into our last month with Justin Smoak. He hasn’t had a terrific season. At the moment he is hitting .212/.350/.409 with 20 home runs, and a 0.9 bWAR.

But then Rowdy Tellez isn’t doing any better. .220/.280/.424 with 16 home runs and a -0.5 bWAR.

First base is an easy spot to find a cheap free agent.

Personally, I’d likely give the job to Tellez next year and give him a couple of months to show if he can do it and, if that doesn’t work, look for someone in a trade.

It is going to be that much harder to judge prospects this winter.