The Toronto Blue Jays have traded for closer Jordan Hicks. The flame-thrower comes over from the St Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals will receive two prospects. The Blue Jays wasted no time making a deal after placing closer Jordan Romano on the IL.
Cardinals are Sellers
The Cardinals have had a slow start to the season that they never recovered from. With that said, they are expected to be sellers until the trade deadline. They will be looking to deal away expiring contracts while looking for prospects to retool their team. The Cardinals had been working on getting Hicks to sign an extension, but that never came to be and that made him available to be traded.
What Cardinals will Receive
The Cardinals receive right-handed pitcher Sem Robberse. Robberse is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Blue Jays’ system per MLB.com, He has 86 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings and is seen as a major league pitcher next year for the Cardinals.
They are also getting Adam Kloffenstein, who struggled in the minors, but the right-handed starter has compiled a 3.24 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 89 innings for 2023. He has the potential to be a long reliever at the big league level.
Hicks is a Hard Thrower
Jordan Hicks is a hard thrower. His fastball regularly hits over 100 mph, getting as high as 104 mph at times. He has struggled with his control, but his ERA has come down and he has cut down on his walks since transitioning to the closer role full-time.
Hicks worked with pitching coach Dusty Blake on shifting to the first base side of the rubber. That resulted in opposing hitters just .210 with no home runs allowed in 28 2/3 innings since May 1.
When Romano Returns
When Romano returns it will create a co-closer routine for them the Blue Jays. According to the latest Reliever Roundup and Bullpen Bonanza, the team has one of the best bullpens in baseball. With the AL East having all teams above .500, they will need every available arm to be healthy and ready.
More Trades for Blue Jays
After their trade for closer Jordan Hicks, the Blue Jays not finished yet. To keep their grip on a playoff spot in the competitive AL East, they will look to make more trades. They are looking to acquire both pitching and a power bat to add to a team in a playoff spot. They could consider a rental player(s) if he turns out to be the piece(s) that puts it all together and gets them to the World Series. While they do not have an especially strong farm system, they have shown that they are willing to trade some of their top prospects in order to get them where they want to be.
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