Berrio’s trade gave Blue Jays a spark. Can the 2022 team get a similar schedule boost?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Last summer, when the Toronto Blue Jays weighed their options before the close, their record was 51-48 with playoff odds of 26.2 percent. It could have been a valid reason to get conservative, hoard prospects and wait for a better opportunity. They didn’t, instead taking on Jose Berrios, electrifying their clubhouse and fan base and sparking a 40-23 finish that left them a game short of the postseason.

That experience carried over into 2022, and with less than 24 hours to go before the August 2 close, they held the first wildcard spot 57-45, with playoff odds at 97.2 percent, according to Fangraphs. The difference from year to year is clear to midfielder George Springer and underscores why this group deserved more arrivals.

“This year we understand what it takes to get there and we expect to be there,” Springer says. “Last year we should just enjoy this ride and see what happens. Obviously that’s where we got Jose. He was incredible for us. I know he would say he’s had his ups and downs, but that’s the game. I just think mentally we’re in a very different position as a team than saying, well, it would be great to get there. We expect to be there. That is the biggest change.”

How that will affect the Blue Jays’ thinking in the final hours before the cutoff is unclear.

While rivals like the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays have all made reinforcements to change their field position, the Blue Jays have yet to strike. According to industry sources, the expectation remains that they will as they focus on adding pitching. They are believed to have the ability and financial capacity to take effective action.

One such source believes the Blue Jays were “neck-tie” with the Yankees for right-hander Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino. The inclusion of pitching prospects Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina, who are ranked 5th and 9th in their system by Baseball America respectively, probably tipped the scales for New York.

That deal was the third from the Yankees, who have a 11.5-game lead over the Blue Jays in the American League East by 69-34 and are eyeing the World Series. Before the deal, their FanGraphs odds of going all the way were 13.1 percent, behind the Dodgers (17.3%), Astros (15.9%), and Mets (14.5%).

Atlanta was next at 11.6 percent, followed by the Blue Jays at 6.8 percent, and while a few trades won’t necessarily change that dramatically, this question is more relevant: How often will they face this type of opportunity ?

The Blue Jays, as always, intend to keep an eye on the future while chasing the present, but it’s crucial they know their prospects well and make sure they don’t trade the wrong ones.

It’s not easy to pinpoint because two years ago no one would have dared part with Nate Pearson, now it’s a different story due to the right-hander’s injuries and bad luck.

Closing a deal without sacrificing their best pieces is the challenge and perhaps a reason why nothing has happened yet. However, there is a risk of overemphasizing future potential at the expense of current impact.

The bullpen is an obvious area of ​​need and the Blue Jays could use starting depth as well. It’s assumed they like David Robertson’s combination of experience and stuff and as a temp worker he fits into their comfort zone. Taking his mind off the Chicago Cubs is the challenge.

A more complicated matchup is with the Detroit Tigers and there has been speculation that some of their players would switch to the Blue Jays this weekend.

Their motivation is clear, concluding that what they did this year didn’t work and if nothing changes, well, nothing changes. At the same time, unlike tenancy lawyer Michael Fulmer, who’s on the Blue Jays’ radar, by dealing with aides with longer contractual control periods like Joe Jimenez, Gregory Soto, Alex Lange or Will Vest, they could end up looking for backup guns down the street .

This latest account of trade talks from Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black reflects the dilemma facing the Tigers: “‘Hey, you got a Range Rover. We’ll take your Range Rover and give you our Honda Accord. “And teams expect you to do that,” said Black. “Why should we do that? “How could you not trade in your Range Rover?” Because we could try to keep our Range Rover instead of trading it in for your Subaru.”

The bigger point is that for the Blue Jays to get more than a lease, they need to influence the other side. Has the Luis Castillo deal created such a strong inflationary effect that they won’t pay current prices? Are they just waiting to see who blinks first to get the deal they want?

All Blue Jays players can do is wait and see what happens.

Springer recalls the deadline added by the regular Astros and the boost they provided.

“They’re huge,” he says. “Anyone added, whoever it is, I’m sure we’ve met as a team before or know what they can do. But at the same time, I think every guy in this room is perfectly content and extremely happy with the guys we have here. This is a playoff team as of now. We believe that. Anyone that’s brought in, whether it’s now or not, we’re going to take it and still have the same mentality.

In case nothing happens, that’s right, but for the front office, it would be wrong.