Blue Jays acquire Jesse Chavez from A’s to build rotation depth

(AP) The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed on a deal to acquire veteran Jesse Chavez from the Oakland A’s, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported on Friday afternoon. The Jays will send back 26-year-old reliever Liam Hendriks as part of the trade, though there’s no word if any other pieces will be included.

This marks the second straight winter in which the Jays and A’s have come together on a notable deal. Of course, last year’s was a game changer for the entire American League, as Toronto landed Josh Donaldson in an absolute stunner. That deal set the stage for an aggressive offseason and a successful season on the field. The Blue Jays went on to end a 22-year postseason drought, making it to the ALCS, while Donaldson posted an MVP season.

In Chavez, the Jays aren’t going to receive anything near the same level of production, but that’s not the point of the trade either. Donaldson was brought in to be the difference maker he was. Chavez comes in to provide depth in the event that David Price bolts in free agency. He doesn’t replace Price, of course, but he strengthens the bottom of the rotation in case other guys are needed to be bumped up a spot.

Some people in the know are already comparing his addition to that of Marco Estrada, who came in as a long reliever and spot starter before emerging as a huge part of the team’s rotation. Estrada, who’s 32 like Chavez, was rewarded with a two-year, $26 million contract after posting a stellar 3.13 ERA during the regular season. He added to his value by pitching the game of his life with Toronto’s season on the line in Game of the ALCS.

Estrada level production would probably be the highest of Toronto’s expectations, but they’d take anything close to Chavez’s numbers with Oakland in 2015. In 157 innings, Chavez posted a 4.16 ERA and a 136/48 K/BB ratio.

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Chavez was even better in 2014 when he split 146 innings more evenly between starter and bullpen work. That season, his ERA was 3.45. He’s capable of filling the role Toronto’s has open, making this a solid if not unspectaculer addition for Toronto.

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