Toronto Blue Jays: Just getting started in the 2019 trade market

With Eric Sogard and Marcus Stroman getting traded days before the deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays are just putting their foot in the water when it comes to trading away veteran talent.

The Toronto Blue Jays currently find themselves; smack dab in the midst of a rebuild where the young prospects are officially being given the keys to the Rogers Centre.

With the latest prospect in Bo Bichette being called up to the active roster, the Blue Jays keep progressively getting younger and younger, with other prospects like Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Danny Jansen, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. making their presence known in the starting nine.

Now with Marcus Stroman officially in New York, one can only imagine that the Toronto Blue Jays are not done when it comes to squeezing out as much prospect capital in terms of trading away their veterans on the roster.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Closer Ken Giles has been generating a lot of trade interest, with teams like the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves enquiring for his services. Other playoff-bound teams could also come calling for the hard-throwing righty, and I would be shocked to see Giles playing with the Blue Jays after July 31.

Another potential trade candidate is first baseman, Justin Smoak.

The hard-hitting switch hitter becomes a free agent at the end of the year, and with contending teams looking to add some power to their lineup, Smoak checks off a lot of boxes.

Smoak is also an above-average bordering on an elite defender on the right side of the diamond, committing only two errors on the season. He can also play in the DH role if any contending team has an established 1B, but I cannot see a scenario where a rebuilding team like the Blue Jays keeps Smoak on the roster with players like Rowdy Tellez waiting in the minors.

Other potential trade candidates on the Blue Jays include shortstop Freddy Galvis, as well as relievers Daniel Hudson and Joe Biagini being in some recent trade rumors.

It is safe to say that veteran players on the Toronto Blue Jays roster should not feel too comfortable North of the border.

With the rebuild in full swing, management has made it very aware that the more prospects in their organization, the better. The more players under team control, the better the rebuild can focus on who the front office wants around for the long haul and who may be lost in the shuffle over the next few years.

Prospects and player with control are worth their weight in gold during this era of major league baseball, and the Blue Jays are beginning to poise themselves into position to try and contend within the next 3-5 years.

Gambling on the prospects panning out to be major league contributors can be a risky investment, but the Blue Jays have jumped into the deep end hoping to either sink or swim on their young stars.

With position players like Biggio and Vladdy in the majors, the organization will most likely be looking to add prospect pitchers like Nate Pearson and recently acquired Anthony Kay into the fold sooner rather than later.

No veteran player is safe in Canada.

Let the fire sale begin.