Toronto Blue Jays: Trading Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is a bad idea

Lourdes Gurriel Jr has had his ups and downs with the Toronto Blue Jays these past two seasons, but trading him this off-season would not benefit the organization in terms of moving forward.

In 2016, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to a 7 year, $22 million dollar deal after he defected from Cuba and became an international free agent.

Over the past two seasons, Gurriel Jr. has spent time at shortstop, second base and in left field. After a successful rookie season where he slashed .281/.309/.446 in 65 games, Gurriel Jr. struggled mightily out of the gate in 2019. His slash line was an unfortunate .175/.250/.275 by mid April, but his defensive errors and throwing miscues meant his issues were more mental than anything. This resulted in a brief demotion to AAA Buffalo, where he would spend over a full month with the Bisons.

When he returned to the active roster, he was placed in left field and was excelling at the position before a left quad strain saw the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder on the injured list for over a month.

After being switched to the outfield role, Gurriel Jr. was much more confident both offensively and defensively, with the latter being showcased through his numerous highlight reel worthy assists.

With it being the off-season and the Blue Jays in the midst of a rebuild, rumours are swirling that the Toronto Blue Jays could potentially move Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for pitching depth if the right deal arises.

While the Blue Jays are in desperate need of starting pitching, trading Gurriel Jr. would not be a smart option.

At 26 years old, Lourdes is still under a team friendly contract until becoming a free agent in 2025, and has shown flashes of brilliance over his brief tenure in the MLB. Gurriel has his fair share of injury issues over the past two seasons, but he does prove to be a contributor when he’s in the field.

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The one key argument about Gurriel Jr. is that he still is relatively new at being an outfielder. Trading him now, when the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t realized the full value of what he can be as in left fielder, could prove to be a misfire even if the Blue Jays trade him for an established starter. With a young player like Gurriel Jr. still learning the position but already seeming quite confident in his arm and his glove, there is still untapped potential on what he could arise too.

The Toronto Blue Jays would be much better off to explore the free agent market for starting pitching, and let Gurriel Jr. keep improving in the outfield on a rebuilding team, where he will continue to get reps as long as he is healthy.

The Blue Jays also do not possess strong outfield depth within their organization, so unless they are going to explore the outfield free agent market (which could happen), trading Gurriel Jr. without a suitable replacement makes even less sense, even if the team is rebuilding.

If management still feels like exploring his market potential, it would be better suited for when he has a full season(s) as an outfielder instead of just a player with a mixed bag of tricks as a “possible” utility man.

Ross Atkins has made some positive trades during his tenure as general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, but the possibility of trading Lourdes Gurriel Jr. seems like a step backward instead of a step forward.