Sometimes, the best deals are the ones that you do not make. That is not the case for the Toronto Blue Jays, who had a chance to unload Josh Donaldson last winter.
The Toronto Blue Jays had hoped to receive a sizable return for Josh Donaldson this year had they fallen out of playoff contention. However, Donaldson got hurt, playing only 36 games for the Blue jays this season. When he was on the field, he underwhelmed, producing a .234/.333/.423 batting line, with five homers and 11 doubles over his 159 plate appearances.
At the end of August, with Donaldson still on a rehab assignment, he was traded to the Indians. In exchange, the Blue Jays will get a player to be named later, which was revealed to be Julian Merryweather. However, the Blue Jays could have received a much better return, as the St. Louis Cardinals made an offer during the offseason.
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Of course, at the time, the Blue Jays were hoping for a better return. However, after seeing how disappointing their season turned out, and the dearth of pitching in the system, Toronto likely wishes they could turn back time and accept that trade.
While one player would not single handedly turn around the Blue Jays season, Flaherty would have been a vital part in their upcoming rebuild. He has emerged as a dark horse candidate in the NL Rookie of the Year race, posting a 8-7 record, albeit with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.063 WHiP, striking out 168 batters against just 52 walks in 138.1 innings of work. That is the type of pitcher the Blue Jays need as they look towards the future.
It is possible that Merryweather becomes that type of arm, but that seems doubtful. He missed all of the 2018 campaign with Tommy John surgery, and while he had an upper 90s fastball before, one does not know how he will recover from surgery. Likewise, his 2017 statistics, when he posted a combined 5.23 ERA and a 1.376 WHiP, are fairly underwhelming. He did strike out 128 batters in 128.2 innings, so there is some hope for the future, but he will be 27 years old at the start of 2019. At best, he might be a back of the rotation arm.
The Toronto Blue Jays had a chance to accelerate their rebuild, as the Cardinals offered Jack Flaherty as part of a package for Josh Donaldson. In hindsight, they have to wish they took that deal.