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5 Teams That Would Benefit from a Trade for Ervin Santana

By Brendan Dlubala

Aug 21, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Ervin Santana (54) gets set before the first pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 21, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Ervin Santana (54) gets set before the first pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Blue Jays

It was previously reported that the Blue Jays had an interest in Ervin Santana before the trade deadline. Since then, they acquired Francisco Liriano from the Pittsburgh Pirates.  They should still consider Ervin Santana because outside of Marcus Stroman and J.A. Happ, their rotation is unstable.

Francisco Liriano was recently acquired but hasn’t performed well.  He has a 5.22 ERA, 1.577 WHIP (walks and hits per inning), and 5.2 walks per nine innings. He is better suited as a left-handed reliever with his severe lack of control this season. Putting him into the starting rotation in a playoff series is a huge risk.

Aaron Sanchez is an option for the Jays but they just recently shut him down temporarily. He has been incredible this season with a 12-2 record and a 2.99 ERA. But this is over 156 1/3 innings after only pitching 92 1/3 innings mostly out of the bullpen last season. While temporarily shutting down Sanchez is beneficial, moving him to the bullpen and having Santana start strengthens the team overall.

Marco Estrada is also an option as a starter in a playoff series but given his recent struggles, the Blue Jays are hesitant to commit to him. Estrada has a 3.47 ERA with a 1.100 WHIP over the course of the season but since the All-Star break, he has a 5.18 ERA in 6 starts where he has only pitched 33 innings.

R.A. Dickey would be another option Toronto considers given the knuckleballer’s experience and ability. The 41-year-old pitcher has a 4.43 ERA with a 9-13 record and a 1.341 WHIP but like Estrada, he has had some struggles since the All-Star break. Over his last 8 starts, he is 4-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 44.2 IP. Also, Toronto used him as a starter in the 2015 postseason unsuccessfully.  Against Texas, he pitched 4.2 innings and gave up 1 run on 5 hits but in his next start against the Royals he only lasted just 1.2 innings and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits.

The Blue Jays have experienced guys in their rotation, but they lack reliability. Santana could be brought in and allow guys like Sanchez and Liriano to enter the bullpen which would bolster the pitching staff as a whole entering the postseason.

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