Blue Jays Acquire Whit Merrifield

[John_Havok]

Return is Samad Taylor and MAx Castillo

 

5:04pm: Kansas City is receiving Samad Taylor and Max Castillo, Feinsand reports.

 

5:03pm: The Royals have traded Whit Merrifield, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link). He’s going to the Blue Jays, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (on Twitter).

[Angrioter]

Great deal.

 

Samad Taylor and Max Castillo

[Stangstag]

Site crashing lol.

 

I’m guessing this move means Springer to the DL and Merrifield sharing CF with Tapia

[Stottlemyres_Bloody_Chin]

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[BTS]

Gross

[Angrioter]

Merrifield is decent and can play 2B/CF.

 

Time to DFA Zimmer

[Deadpool]

I kinda feel like letting Castillo go was a bad move, he could have provided some needed swing-man depth...

[Abomination]

I like this move.

[204Jays]

Early split on this? I quite like it. Has some good numbers historically and comes with some control.

 

Taylor was never going to come up in the OF, no?

[Carlos Danger]

This will be Ben Zobrist trade 2.0 except this time we get him... CD likes..

[Jonn]

I don't hate this move. Samad Taylor is such a Royals type of player and doesn't look like he was ever going to get an opportunity here. He's probably off the roster if the Rule 5 didn't get cancelled. They didn't protect him or planned to.

[Dr. Dinger]

So is he vaccinated now, or just gonna play road games?

[RustyTrombone]

I know positional flexibility is all the rage for smart teams these days but holy f*** is this a underwhelming and sideways move when paired with the Mitch White deal. You give up Castillo who is basically a less established White for a 33 yo below average hitting speed/defense outfielder/2b. Oh and you had the privilege of giving up Frasso to make this all happen when he happens to have maybe the best or 2nd best stuff in the system. Perplexing combination of moves to say the least.

[Solaxys]

I know positional flexibility is all the rage for smart teams these days but holy f*** is this a underwhelming and sideways move when paired with the Mitch White deal. You give up Castillo who is basically a less established White for a 33 yo below average hitting speed/defense outfielder/2b. Oh and you had the privilege of giving up Frasso to make this all happen when he happens to have maybe the best or 2nd best stuff in the system. Perplexing combination of moves to say the least.

 

Happ wasn't traded so we were running out of/had no options

[RustyTrombone]

Happ wasn't traded so we were running out of/had no options

 

So basically we panicked and over payed for both of em?

[BlueRocky]

Remember when we turned 14 years of control into 42 years of control?

 

Good times.

Edited August 2, 2022 by BlueRocky

[Solaxys]

So basically we panicked and over payed for both of em?

 

With Springer maybe heading to IL and uncertainty with SP, kinda... ya.

 

Unless you wanted Zimmer to be your CF for the majority of games.

[Laika]

Not a big fan of this one but I don't think Samad and Max are consequential losses, really.

[Ehjays]

I like this move.

[Dr. Dinger]

Tabby says he’s a professional hitter who knows to go first to third.

[The Iceman]

I know positional flexibility is all the rage for smart teams these days but holy f*** is this a underwhelming and sideways move when paired with the Mitch White deal. You give up Castillo who is basically a less established White for a 33 yo below average hitting speed/defense outfielder/2b. Oh and you had the privilege of giving up Frasso to make this all happen when he happens to have maybe the best or 2nd best stuff in the system. Perplexing combination of moves to say the least.

 

Wait to see how intense Whit plays. He brings some much needed sand paper to the team and much needed depth at 2nd base and CF. Can't have Tapia starting in the playoffs.

[Terminator]

I kinda feel like letting Castillo go was a bad move, he could have provided some needed swing-man depth...

 

Yeah the biggest things we needed were relievers and starting pitching depth. We got the relievers in one trade and added the depth in White. White becomes our #6 SP with Kikuchi being a very shaky #5. I thought Castillo slotted in nicely as the #7. But now he's gone and Hatch is the #7? Yikes.

[jaysblue]

I kinda feel like letting Castillo go was a bad move, he could have provided some needed swing-man depth...

 

Agreed. Tough letting go of Castillo in this deal. He definitely is an arm who could help the Jays and make 3 to 4 starts in the rotation if somebody went on the IL.

[DigitalRock]

Don’t like this trade , oh well priove me wrong.

[jaysblue]

Tabby says he’s a professional hitter who knows to go first to third.

 

He needs to get on first first before he gets to third haha.

[DigitalRock]

Bo was out by a mile lol

[jaysblue]

Who knows, maybe Merrifield goes all Matt Carpenter for the Jays!

[jaysblue]

Regardless, Merrifield is a nice bat and player to have especially in the Postseason. Don't think he was a huge priority though at least he gives the Jays a 2B/CF and someone with speed who could hit atop of the lineup when Springer isn't playing. I definitely think he's better than a 90 wRC+ he's posted thus far. Outside of his 2020 and rookie season, he always has posted a WAR above 3 so he's been a proven bat. He's not the same guy he was in 2018/2019, though he can still be a solid contributor IMO. Plus his speed can be a huge asset in the Postseason. I would rather start and give ABs to Merrifield instead of Tapia or Zimmer.

[Jonn]

Yeah the biggest things we needed were relievers and starting pitching depth. We got the relievers in one trade and added the depth in White. White becomes our #6 SP with Kikuchi being a very shaky #5. I thought Castillo slotted in nicely as the #7. But now he's gone and Hatch is the #7? Yikes.

 

I don't like Mitch White but I hope he ranks ahead of Kikuchi on the depth chart now.

[ValiantJaysFan]

Merrifield 3 years ago, this is great. Merrifield today...this is bad.