The Toronto Blue Jays have a deal in principle with the Miami Marlins that has the potential to shift both the AL and NL East for the 2013 MLB campaign.
If the league approves the financials of the trade, the Jays will end up taking on a massive amount of existing contracts for major league talent in Miami’s attempt to slash their payroll. In return Miami will receive a few of the Jays most highly touted prospects in addition to monetary relief.
Jose Reyes (SS), 29, (six years, $106-million) will give the Jays one of the major’s top shortstops and most dynamic players when he is healthy. Josh Johnson (LHP), 28, (one year, $13.75-million) and Mark Buerhle (LHP), 33, (four years, $58-million) will infuse a veteran lefty presence at the top of their young rotation.
John Buck (C), who played 118-games for the Jays in 2010 and Emilio Bonifacio (IF/OF) will battle for starting spots and most likely be used in utility roles off the bench.
The new look Buffalo Bisons, who recently signed a 2-year deal to be the Blue Jays minor league club will take a direct hit from the move that is more typical of the talent mongering New York Yankees.
The Jays will send prospects; Jake Marisnick (OF), Adeiny Hechavarria (SS), Justin Nicolino (LHP) and Anthony DeSclafani (RHP) to the Marlins along with starting shortstop Yunel Escobar, Jeff Mathis (C) and Henderson Alvarez (RHP).
Marisnick is Toronto’s second ranked prospect, Nicolino is fifth and Hechavarria is eighth in Baseball America’s most recent prospect evaluations.
Marisnick, 21, batted .320 with 14 homers and 77 RBIs for Class-A Lansing in 2011, but struggled to match those numbers in 2012 after moving up to Class-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, with combined batting totals of .249 with 8 homeruns and 50 RBIs.
Hechavarria, 23, batted .312 with six homers and 63 RBIs in Las Vegas last season and participated in the Triple-A All-Star game hosted in Buffalo.
Nicolino, 20, started 22-games and went 10-4 with a 2.46 ERA while striking out 119 batters for Class-A Lansing.
While the Blue Jays help their major league roster compete with the Yankees
and Red Sox in the powerhouse AL East, the Miami Marlins will need to make more
moves if they plan on contending in the ultra-competitive NL East.
It seems as though both sides are winners in this blockbuster deal, but if
anyone at all is considered a loser, it’s the Buffalo Bisons. Who are now
without three of the top-prospects who had the potential to make the Herd one
of the most talent rich organizations in the MiLB.