Monday Bantering: Trade rumors and Hall of Fame ballot

Happy Monday.

After having the house to myself, during the day, since my wife started a new job, today there are people all over. My wife’s company has closed their office ‘for a couple of weeks’ (I’m guessing until the New Year) and we have workers putting in new windows (which seemed like a good idea when it was to happen in August or September. In the cold of November it isn’t quite as much fun). It should be a one day job, but I’m cold today.

Over at MLB.com they give “7 potential Lindor trade proposals”. For the Blue Jays they suggest:

Blue Jays get: SS Francisco Lindor

Indians get: LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr., C Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays’ No. 6 prospect), SS/3B Kevin Smith (Blue Jays’ No. 19 prospect).

As with all their trade suggestions, I hate it if it is for one year, but if they signed Lindor long term, it looks some better.

If Gurriel goes in the trade, they need to sign a CFer. George Springer would be terrific. I hate to give up Kirk, I think he could be one of the best hitting catchers in the league, but you will have to give up something good to get Lindor and there will be someone I’d be sad to lose. And we are pretty deep in catchers. I think Riley Adams could be very good too.

MLB has:

Who says no? The Blue Jays. It depends on what other offseason moves they think they can execute, but in a vacuum, the losses of Gurriel and Kirk might cancel out a good chunk of Lindor’s benefit — not to mention having to move Bichette. Combined with the distinct possibility Lindor goes one-and-done, that may give Toronto cold feet.

Let’s have a poll:

The Hall of Fame ballot is out. We’ll do polls on most of the guys.

There are some former Blue Jays: Mark Buehrle, A.J. Burnett, Roger Clemens (yeah I know, I don’t want to claim him as a Jay either), LaTroy Hawkins, Jeff Kent, Scott Rolen and Omar Vizquel.

Over at the Star, Laura Armstrong writes that the Jays might ‘target Jackie Bradley Jr. over George Springer’.

Atkins has made improved defence a priority, and there is arguably no better defensive centre-fielder than Bradley — who ranked in the 99th percentile for outs above average this past season, according to Statcast. He is also elite on the basepaths, another area where the Jays have struggled.

She goes on to suggest that Bradley would be cheap enough that the Jays could afford him and an “impact bat or starting pitcher”.

And, on Saturday, Laura wrote about how the Jays might go after Liam Hendriks or Brad Hand. I like that they are talking about top end relievers, after years of going after bargain guys.

Buster Onley suggests the Jays are one of four teams looking into Jake Odorizzzi. He doesn’t really excite me.

The Braves have signed Drew Smyly to a 1-year, $11 million contract. Smyly has made 26 starts in the past two seasons. Before that he hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2016. I’m surprised he got that much.