If Toronto is going to make noise they should acquire a controllable young front-line starter that is being run out of another city like they did with Escobar and Rasmus. I am sure AA can easily defuse this situation by pointing to the fact that he has acquired those two and has one of the best farm systems in MLB and his knowledge will only make it better. I seriously think Toronto could have the best farm in MLB when all is said and done and assuming Smoral signs.

If Toronto trades the farm to acquire a Matt Garza or Felix Hernandez it won't solve their problem. Those guys can only pitch once every 4-5 games. They would be better off to watch their prospects develop and watch them kick down the doors.

If you can't be patient you shouldn't be a Jays fan.

I'd take Blanton for peanuts.

Agreed. I'd be all for something like Marisnick/Gose + Nicolino + McDade/Jiminez for Samardzija. Samardzija owns a league best SwStr% and you'd get 4 years of a #2/3 pitcher minimum with potential for much more (ace upside). IMO with that trade we'd be retaining EE and a DH (David Ortiz?) away from contention.

Escobar
Rasmus
Bautista
Ortiz
Encarnacion
Snider
Lawrie
d'Arnaud
Hechavarria

Morrow
Romero
Samardzija
Hutchison
Alvarez

Santos
Stroman

"If you can't be patient you shouldn't be a Jays fan."

But Rogers is rich, and the "fans" deserve much, much more.

AA will no doubt be looking for guys like Escobar, Rasmus, Lawrie.

He will make a "baseball" trade - one that makes sense for the Jays now and for the future. It makes no sense to trade for a rental.

I love the Jays but they're more than one player away. Sure if we were one player away maybe you trade 4 quality prospects - The Jays have enough talent in the minors to make that trade and not create a big hole. But they probably need three players and trading 8 prospects is bad management.

So look at some of the disgruntled guys on other teams. Look for starters who carry a highish salary that teams want to unload to get something back. The Jays can trade their 2nd and 3rd tier prospects who are still better than many other teams 1st tier prospects.

You can't blame Jose for saying he wants the team to go for it - he's a winner and I want him to want to win. But it's probably 2014. It simply takes too long to develop pitching and with Hutch and Drabek gone until at least June next year (and Drabek wasn't very good when healthy) the Jays are going to need two more top of the rotation starters.

Where do we get them?

Good post. You are likely right as much as the Jays fan in me wants to see them go for it this year they just arent one player away.

OK that makes sense. gose plus another top prospect should get you a young pitcher.

Sorry wilko

The rest of us aren't living scared

We were so hesitant on trading snider n drabrk

Now they are both practically worthless

"Seriously

Kevin Millwood is making ONE MILLION DOLLARS this year.

There is ZERO excuse to fail to acquire a guy like that. Give them Jimenez or Perez + something else I don't really care just f*cking do it.

Colon, TWO MILLION

How could we not have offered a guy coming off a decent year like that 2M?"

I'm always a believer that you can never have enough pitching, which is why its important to stockpile on arms especially if they are inexpensive starters during the offseason such as guys like Colon, Millwood etc. If they don't pan out, big deal since it's not a lot of money and years thrown at them.

Funny thing is that I bet many posters on here would have thought in the offseason that signing Kevin Millwood or Colon was a waste of a time and a joke. Now all of sudden, a change in heart with posters coming from all over the place wishing AA signed Millwood and Colon to those deals.

"Knowing him he doesn't want to dump prospects for a rental, and I can't say I disagree. These guys were out there in the offseason for nothing but money though. That hurts."

+1

I don't see AA going after Colon or Millwood. He mostly targets guys under club control for more than 1 season. The Jays could have signed Millwood or Colon in the offseason for nothing and wasted that opportunity.

That's true. There are risks to hoarding prospects.

Is it fair to the current roster of Jays to make them wait for AA's draft picks to become contributors to the team.

"Is it fair to the current roster of Jays to make them wait for AA's draft picks to become contributors to the team"

No its not.

However all trade discussions aside, we arent asking AA for the moon, we are just asking him to acquire guys like Blanton, Guthrie, Colon, who will just keep the offense in the game

Overpaying for Matt Garza might not be a bad move right now . . if he can be signed to a new contract.

Getting Garza in a Jays uniform would send a strong signal to the other players, to the rest of the AL East, and to the fans that the Jays are ready to compete. That would be huge in terms of teh implications for the rest of the 2012 season. (It would also make good business sense for Rogers.)

"Overpaying for Matt Garza might not be a bad move right now . . if he can be signed to a new contract."

If we are going to trade guys Like Gose, i am sorry but Garza is just not enough. I rather just resign Shaun Marcum in the offseason and get the same out put.

So many teams are looking for starters now that the sellers will be asking for the moon.

Yankees, Orioles, and Rays all looking for starters, Rangers, Angels, Whitesox, Practically everyone is looking for a starter.

I wonder if there is a baseball trade to be made with another contender that needs a big bat like Pittsburgh for one of their starters

Give AA 72 hours to negotiate a contract extension for Garza or Marcum & a trade could be finalized.

Marcum returning to lead the Jays would be great & take pressure off Romero.

"Marcum returning to lead the Jays would be great & take pressure off Romero."

I would take Marcum back, but again with so many teams looking for pitching i am not trading a Gose for him. Someone is going to give up a top prospect for Marcum for the stretch run. If they dont, and he is around July 31st, i would glad to welcome him back.

I am sure Zaun will be very glad to have Marcum back

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YSj9VerPFmY/SCJrXr8lwpI/AAAAAAAAAsk/MMPYdX6OpJY/s400/marcumbumtouch.jpg