The Toronto Blue Jays have helped their bullpen in a trade for flamethrower Jordan Hicks. How does this impact the American League playoffs?
The Blue Jays entered the season expecting to compete for the AL East division title, but have disappointed slightly, sitting at 59-47 and holding the third AL wild card spot by two games. Like most teams at this time of year, the Blue Jays were looking to add to their bullpen, and now acquire one of the best arms available. Toronto closer Jordan Romano’s injury this weekend made their need more pronounced. As a result, the Blue Jays quickly pivoted and found a back-end arm to enhance their chances in October. For the St. Louis Cardinals, they acquired two pitching prospects to address their deadline priority. Let’s take a look at what the Hicks trade means for both teams.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
Blue Jays receive: RHR Jordan Hicks
Cardinals receive: RHP Sem Robberse and RHP Adam Kloffenstein.
Deal is done.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2023
Blue Jays Acquire Relief Depth
As mentioned, Toronto’s closer was just added to the 15-day IL with a back injury. In response, the Blue Jays acquired Hicks, a pitcher with experience in high-leverage and save situations. This season, Hicks has bounced back from a rough April to post a 3.67 ERA in 40 appearances, recording 8 saves. Hicks throws a blazing fastball. The pitch averages 101 MPH this season. He began this season with a 5.23 ERA in April. However, he has only allowed 9 earned runs in 28 appearances since. Still, Hicks struggles with walks. He’s walked 5.2 batters per 9 innings this season, which is 271st in the league (min. 40 innings pitched). If he can command his excellent stuff, he strikes out 12.7 batters per nine, an elite mark.
For the Blue Jays, the Hicks trade strengthens an already high caliber bullpen. Toronto’s relievers rank 4th in the league in ERA at 3.67. However, with Romano out for the next week and a half, Hicks will ease the burden off of the team’s starters, who are also ranked 4th in the league in ERA. The Jays have a strong core of position players that will help them hit their way into the postseason, and now have the pitching to back it up. In order to make a push for the division title, Toronto will need to fire on all cylinders. They currently sit in third place, five games behind first place Baltimore.
Cardinals Acquire Pitching Prospects
St. Louis received two pitching prospects for their return in the Hicks trade, Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. Both are right handed, and Robberse joins the Cardinals’ Top 30 prospect list. This season, he’s 3-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 18 starts at Double-A New Hampshire. Originally from the Netherlands, Robberse was the Blue Jays’ 7th-ranked prospect. Kloffenstein, who is unranked, is 5-5 this season with a 3.24 ERA in 17 starts in AA ball. He’s bounced back from a rough season last year, when his ERA was over five. Both pitchers are under 23 years old.
For the Cardinals, the Hicks trade follows through on their intention to sell. As one of the more shocking teams this season, St. Louis has underperformed and sits in fourth place in the National League Central. With a glut of major-league ready postion player prospects, St. Louis had made it clear they were prioritizing young pitching prospects at the deadline. Hicks is an impending free agent. To nab two projectable arms for a reliever with no team control after this year is a strong return for St. Louis.
Impact on the American League Playoffs
The Hicks trade adds to an already deep AL playoff picture. All five AL East teams are over .500 this season, and both the Tampa Bay Rays and Blue Jays hold Wild Card positions. However, the field is crowded, and this deal helps to separate Toronto from the pack. The Blue Jays are still within striking distance of the division title, despite being in third place, and are gearing up for a run in August and September. Their lineup is formidable, and despite a few injuries, they have a mostly strong pitching staff and will be a threat in the postseason. This is a good move for both sides, though it doesn’t completely alter the postseason race.
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Photo Credit- Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned- Jordan Hicks, Jordan Romano, Sem Robberse, Adam Kloffenstein
