Blue Jays rumors: Is Toronto ready to deal for Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks?

In last week’s edition of the “MLB Hot Stove,” the Toronto Blue Jays quickly became one of the main players. Toronto added two of the bigger-name free agents after signing George Springer and Kirby Yates. Still, this roster has some obvious needs at starting pitcher and third base. Enter the Chicago Cubs as we examine the latest Blue Jays rumors.

Chicago is clearly in another sell-off cycle, looking to shed its payroll. The Cubs have already dealt away Yu Darvish, while names like Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks and others have been linked to multiple trade rumors.

Blue Jays rumors: Are Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks heading up north?

Scott Mitchell, an MLB and Blue Jays analyst for TSN Sports, added fuel to these potential rumors. Mitchell confirmed conversations between the two sides surrounding this potential deal.

Mitchell simply confirmed that the two sides have been in discussions, which could be the extent of these Blue Jays rumors, but let’s examine this possibility.

On the starting pitching side, Hendricks is a great fit for Toronto. Last year, for the first time in a long time, the Blue Jays made a big splash in signing Hyun Jin Ryu. Ryu stepped right in as the ace of the staff, but Toronto struggled with depth behind him. While Ryu pitched to a 2.69 ERA in 12 starts last season, the Blue Jays staff still ranked 24th in the MLB with a 4.55 ERA.

Hendricks has ace potential. The 31-year-old owns a career 3.12 ERA. In seven years of MLB experience, his ERA has only climbed above 3.50 once, in his first full season as a starter. Hendricks also owns a 1.105 WHIP and has finished in the top 10 in the Cy Young Award voting twice.

Adding both Springer and Yates signifies the Blue Jays aren’t just looking to contend. Rather, this team is looking to build a championship-caliber roster. If Toronto could roll out Ryu and Hendricks as Game 1 and Game 2 starters, that’s a headache for other potential playoff teams.

Now, let’s turn our attention to third base. Last year, the Blue Jays experimented with Travis Shaw as a temporary solution. Shaw took over the starting role from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who now projects as more of a first baseman or DH option. I

n 37 games at third Shaw was average, posting a solid .977 fielding percentage, but struggling at the plate with a .239 batting average and .717 OPS.

In Keegan Matheson’s offseason checklist for MLB.com, he noted the Blue Jays are in a position to only fill this hole at third base temporarily. Jordan Groshans and Austin Martin, the two top prospects in Toronto’s system, appear to be the long-term solution, but that’s a year or two away.

Bryant has struggled through two injury-riddled campaigns recently, but poses as a major threat when healthy. The 29-year-old owns three All-Star Game nods and averages more than 30 home runs and a .280 batting average over 162 games.

Chicago avoided arbitration with Bryant this offseason, keeping him locked up for another single year. Again, this presents as a plus for Toronto in this deal.

A healthy Bryant makes this Blue Jays lineup deep from top to bottom. If Bryant rebounds with a fully healthy campaign next year, then they think about keeping him around until the prospects are ready. If not, you let him walk without much harm to the club’s future.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Blue Jays continuing to add championship pieces this offseason. The squad from Toronto is looking to contend.