Jul 28, 2015
Report: Samardzija, Kennedy still Jays' targets
The Toronto Blue Jays stunned the baseball world by acquiring Troy Tulowitzki early Tuesday morning, further bulking up the league's best offence. Could pitching help be next? According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, the Jays are now working to get a deal done for a starter, with White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija and San Diego righty Ian Kennedy still on the list.
TSN.ca Staff
The Toronto Blue Jays stunned the baseball world by acquiring Troy Tulowitzki early Tuesday morning, further bulking up the league's best offence.
Could pitching help be next?
According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, the Jays are now working to get a deal done for a starter, with a couple of options still on the table.
Samardzija, 30, is 7-5 with a 3.91 earned-run average and a 1.260 WHIP in 20 starts with the White Sox this season. He is scheduled to hit free agency this off-season after earning $9.8 million in 2015.
Kennedy, also 30, is 6-9 in 2015 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.318 WHIP over 18 starts with the Padres. He is earning $9.85 million this season and is scheduled to hit free agency this coming winter.
ESPN's Jim Bowden, meanwhile, dropped even more starters on the list of potential targets.
The Miami Marlins' Latos is a pending free agent who owns a 4-7 record with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.245 WHIP over 16 starts. Dan Haren - a Marlins teammate of Latos - is 7-6 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.098 WHIP over 20 starts. Haren, too, is a pending free agent, though the 34-year-old has two separate post-season trips on his resume, including 4.2 scoreless innings in the 2004 World Series while with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Miami enters Tuesday night 17 games under .500.
Morosi says the team's acquisition of the All-Star shortstop - which also netted the team reliever LaTroy Hawkins at the expense of shortstop Jose Reyes and pitching prospects Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco - is one that has been brewing since the winter.
Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos held media availability Tuesday afternoon to address the move and how it will change the club. He reiterated the above timeline, saying the pieces of the deal "really started to move at the beginning of July" after initial winter talks centred around the exchange of Tulowitzki for Reyes. Anthopoulos stressed that the inclusion of Jeff Hoffman in the deal "got things going".
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, did their part to welcome Tulowitzki to Toronto, taking to Twitter shortly after the deal was finalized on Tuesday.
Anthopoulos offered immediate praise for Tulowitzki on Tuesday, stressing that he solidified a crucial position on the diamond.
More details to follow as the day unfolds. The Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline is Friday at 4pm et.