As May speeds by, the Toronto Blue Jays have a lot of questions to answer in the next two months to come.
Though they're two games under .500, the Blue Jays have the foundations of a playoff contender. Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and George Springer are all hitting, and the starting pitching should come around even if several hurlers are off to slow starts.
Where the Blue Jays have some uncertainty is the outfield. Daulton Varsho is a Gold Glover in either left or center, and Springer is holding down right, but the third spot has become a rotating mix of disappointing young players who can't win the job outright.
And although the trade market doesn't look great for outfield talent, one baseball writer is singling out a former All-Star as the Blue Jays' best bet to solve that problem.
In a recent article, FanSided's Matthew Sookram named Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White as a trade candidate for the Blue Jays if they wind up becoming buyers before the Jul. 31 deadline.
"Myles Straw and Jonatan Clase both have better sprint speed (93rd percentile) than Robert (85th percentile), but they're both better suited for a platoon role at this point. Robert is a few years removed from hitting 38 home runs posted an OPS+ of 138," Sookram wrote.
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"Robert would likely cost a lot in terms of a return(he's technically under contract until 2028), and the Blue Jays would paying a premium for a player who is in the midst of a pretty serious slump. Still, he's a five-tool player when he's on, so it could be a risk worth taking."
With a .184/.282/.309 slash line, Robert is beginning to play himself out of trade consideration, especially because he'll be owed the remainder of his $15 million salary if he's dealt. But a good month could help him escape the last-place White Sox.
Though it would certainly be risky for the Blue Jays to pick up Robert, there's still a Silver Slugger in there somewhere, and if he comes at a discount, Toronto could catapult themselves to a playoff berth.
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