TORONTO, CANADA - JULY 11: A general view of the Rogers Centre and the CN Tower before the Toronto Argonauts CFL game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on July 11, 2013 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) The Toronto Blue Jays received Santiago Espinal as part of the trade which saw Steve Pearce head to Boston, but what do we know about the shortstop? The Steve Pearce era is over in Southern Ontario. As reported by Chad Thornburg of MLB.com, the Toronto Blue Jays traded Pearce and cash considerations to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday evening. In return, the Blue Jays received minor league infielder, Santiago Espinal. Almost immediately, fans clamoured to find out more about the team’s newest acquisition. Espinal was selected in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB draft by the Red Sox. Since then, his progress with the organization has been steady. However, this season has seen the 23-year-old take his production to a new level, playing at the Class-A Advanced level for the Salem Red Sox. Through 65 games, he has a slash line of .313/.363/.477. Espinal has hit seven home runs and 32 RBIs, while walking 18 times. As per Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston, he was on a 15-game hitting streak which was only ended after he was pulled from Thuerday’s game, when the trade to Toronto was completed. Overall, Espinal has a .287/.342/.385 slash line during his minor league career, during the course of three seasons and 214 games. In total, he has hit 11 homers and 88 RBIs, while registering 67 walks. The Dominican-born player mostly lines up at shortshop. However, he does offer the option of some versatility, having also played at second and third base. Before being drafted, Espinal played at Miami Dade Community College. During his time in Florida he was named First Team All-State and All-Region for Miami Dade, as well as the 2016 Southern Conference Player of the Year. Espinal, who stands at 5 foot 10 and 175 pounds, throws and bats right-handed. He will now be placed with Toronto’s Class-A Advanced affiliate, the Dunedin Blue Jays What’s your take on the Toronto Blue Jays’ decision to trade Pearce? Do you agree with the move or not, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.<doc-sep>Share this Story: For Sale sign ready? 'Needle is pointed' to Blue Jays selloff For Sale sign ready? 'Needle is pointed' to Blue Jays selloff Article content There was no ‘For Sale” sign outside of the Blue Jays dugout on Friday night, it just felt like it. As player after player walked by on their way to the clubhouse, Jays general manager Ross Atkins confirmed what the American League standings and a late-night deal on Thursday had already hinted. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or For Sale sign ready? 'Needle is pointed' to Blue Jays selloff Back to video “What we’ve communicated to other teams is we recognize where we are in the standings,” Atkins told a large media throng prior to the Jays beginning a nine-game home stand with the first of four against the Detroit Tigers. “That process has started. “We’re in a situation where the needle is pointing more to the future for us given where we sit in the division and how far we are out in the wild card.” In other words, the late Thursday swap of utility fielder Steve Pearce to the Boston Red Sox for minor-league infield prospect Santiago Espinal was just the beginning. And if you are a Jays player on an expiring contract, it means don’t get too comfortable in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content That list is a long one — from potential big-ticket items such as third baseman Josh Donaldson and starting pitcher J.A. Happ to fellow starter Marco Estrada. The standings are the other obvious barometer as well. The Jays began play on Friday a whopping 17 games behind Pearce’s Red Sox for first in the AL East and 13 out of the second AL wild-card spot. The fact that the series opener against the Tigers was Game 81 and the official midpoint of the season signals that it’s an early white flag, but that as well is something the Jays hope will work to their advantage. From manager John Gibbons to catcher Russ Martin, who jokingly asked if he had been traded as he skipped down the dugout steps, none of this is a surprise. In the case of the Pearce deal, for example, Atkins feels he got a better-rated prospect than he would have closer to the deadline because the Red Sox get an extra month to weave him into their lineup. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Atkins acknowledged that evaluating the trade market intensified for his staff back in early June. Part of that is due diligence. Part of that is the reality slam of what happened to his team in a miserable May. “Since the draft ended, we have spend (time) understanding the opportunities that could be available to us and that starts with knowing every system as best we can,” Atkins said. “We’ll be agile. We’ll be prepared to move.” While it’s widely accepted that Happ is the most marketable asset at Atkins’ disposal, the GM suggested that there are many more in play. Now that what was becoming obvious and apparent is reality, it figures to be an edgy clubhouse until the date passes. “Our players are aware of the challenge ahead of us and how difficult it is and understand that trades like this occur,” Atkins said, referring to the Pearce swap. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content In essence, the Jays felt they were deep enough and outfield that Pearce and his expiring two-year deal was expendable. It was a quick turnaround for the Jays outfielder, who was at Donaldson’s charity event in Toronto in the late hours of Thursday and batting cleanup for the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium by Friday night. Espinal, meanwhile, was on his way to the Jays single-A affiliate in Dunedin where the team hopes he will continue to build on the promise he showed in the Boston organization. Atkins said his staff viewed the 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic as an above average runner with a strong arm and sound defensive skills. With Pearce gone, Randal Grichuk and Teoscar Hernandez will see more playing time with an eye to that pair being a significant piece to the team going forward. “Ultimately there’s always that balance of the future vs. now and the present day lineup,” Atkins said. “We feel good about how well Grichuk has played an how Teoscar has played and how Kendrys (Morales) is playing. In this case it was a bit of balance.” And it’s only a matter of time until the next piece falls. Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Toronto SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of The Toronto Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>TORONTO, ON - APRIL 25: Steve Pearce #28 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits an RBI single in the fifth inning during MLB game action against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on April 25, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) The Blue Jays traded Steve Pearce to the Red Sox on Tuesday night, starting a potential sell off. If that’s how things play out, who will be the next veteran to go? The trade market has started a little earlier than it usually does, and the Blue Jays are now among the teams that have sold off a veteran before the calendar has even flipped to July. On Thursday evening the Blue Jays and Red Sox agreed to a trade that sent Steve Pearce to Boston, a somewhat rare occurrence with the two teams dealing within their own division. Pearce could be just the start for the Blue Jays when it comes to selling off veterans, especially those on expiring contracts. The utility man had signed a two year deal in Toronto before the 2017 campaign, which was set to expire at the end of the season. Add in the fact that the Blue Jays have several MLB ready outfielders in Triple-A Buffalo, and Pearce is certainly expendable, especially in a lost year. The 35 year old may be the first to be traded, but fans can expect Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro to be among the busiest front office’s before this year’s non-waiver trade deadline on July 31st. The list of potentially available players is fairly long, and could be even longer than expected depending on deep the front office decides to go with their rebuild. It also makes me wonder who might be the next Blue Jay with a new mailing address this summer. There is expected to be big interest around J.A. Happ, who could end up being the top starting pitcher on the trade market, depending on what the Mets do with Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom. The 35 year old lefty has been by far the best pitcher in Toronto this season, and would provide an upgrade to nearly any contender looking to improve their rotation. When it comes to Happ’s market, my guess is it will develop a little closer to the deadline, and the Blue Jays may be forced to wait on the Mets to see how much they can milk out of the opposition in the trade market. There are a few bullpen arms the Blue Jays could make available, depending on how they want to proceed with the 2018 season. They can’t completely dismantle things, and they have a few arms under control beyond this year, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have a few trade pieces to look at as well. Guys like John Axford (4.62 ERA), and Tyler Clippard (3.29 ERA) both came to the time on minor league deals, and Clippard in particular may garner some interest. Seunghwan Oh has been solid with a 3.22 ERA in 37 appearances, and has an option for 2019. I could also see the Blue Jays checking if there’s interest in Aaron Loup, and if they get an offer they should definitely move on it too. We have acquired SS Santiago Espinal from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for OF Steve Pearce and cash considerations. — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 29, 2018 On the offensive side, Josh Donaldson was supposed to be the prized bait for the Blue Jays to dangle, but now that his latest setback has him on the sidelines for likely another month or more, that situation got very complicated. I would expect the Blue Jays to be actively shopping Curtis Granderson, who signed a one year deal this past winter, and is a solid veteran who can provide value as a platoon outfielder. Atkins and Shapiro could also explore shopping guys like Justin Smoak or even Russell Martin, who each have one year remaining on their deals (Smoak has a team-option that will surely get exercised). Those situations are a lot more complicated than others, but I wouldn’t rule them out. However, if I was going to guess who the next Blue Jay to be traded would be, I’d go with Marco Estrada. Like Happ, Estrada could offer a contending team a rotation upgrade, depending on who they’re rolling with now of course. He’s not offering any improvement to a team like the Houston Astros, but there are others that could make sense. For instance, the Washington Nationals have a very talented rotation, but they’re hurting right now. Stephen Strasburg is on the DL, as are Jeremy Hellickson and Joe Ross. The first two will return and join Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, and likely Tanner Roark at some point sooner than later, but a hiccup during rehab could have them picking up the phone for another starter. They could be the type of team that could take a chance on Estrada to help their weather the injuries, while not paying a huge price for the help. It’s also possible the Mariners or even the Angels could have some interest. https://twitter.com/mikeal_thomas/status/1012541249763663874 Estrada also pitched in the National League earlier in his career, and that’s where I would expect the most interest to come from. The playoff race is much tighter in the senior circuit, which means there are more potential buyers. And with Estrada representing a cheaper option than someone like Happ, that could bring wider interest as well. It also doesn’t hurt that the change-up artist has a 2.35 ERA in last last five starts, posting a 0.978 WHIP, and throwing 30.2 innings during that run. Of course, I’m merely speculating at this stage, and things move quickly and sometimes unpredictably on the trade market in late June and July. Even as I write this, Jon Morosi is tweeting about a potential deal taking shape between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers for Cole Hamels, which would hurt my theory that the top-tier pitchers will be moved later.<doc-sep>The Toronto Blue Jays have traded Steve Pearce and cash considerations to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league infielder Santiago Espinal, the teams announced Thursday night. Toronto is reportedly sending Boston $1.5 million in the deal. Pearce has gone 23-for-79, including four home runs and 16 RBIs, in 26 appearances with the Blue Jays this season. Pearce has been primarily an outfielder on the defensive side of the ball but has also made several appearances at first base this season. The 35-year-old has been with the Blue Jays since signing a two-year, $12.5-million contract in December 2016. The Red Sox will be the seventh team Pearce has suited up for in his 12-year MLB career. Pearce was among the handful of pending free agents on the Blue Jays that many expected to be dealt before the end of the season. Meanwhile, Espinal has spent the 2018 campaign playing high-A ball with the Salem Red Sox where he has hit .314 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs in 64 games. In fact, he was pulled early from Salem’s Thursday game against the Carolina Mudcats as the trade was being completed, which snapped the 15-game hitting streak he was riding. The 23-year-old Dominican was selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.<doc-sep>
ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 23: Steve Pearce #28 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a three-run homerun during the ninth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on June 23, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Late Thursday night, the Blue Jays made a trade with a division rival to send Steve Pearce to Boston in exchange for a young infield prospect. According to a club announcement, the Boston Red Sox have acquired infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce from the Blue Jays along with cash considerations in exchange for infield prospect Santiago Espinal. The trade was first announced via a club announcement and was later confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Pearce, who signed with the Jays last winter, has been effective when healthy, slashing a solid .260/.325/.454 in a Blue Jays uniform despite only appearing in 118 games over the past two seasons. Primarily manning left field, Pearce hit 17 home runs and 23 doubles in 434 plate appearances. A native of Lakeland, Florida, he is perhaps best known for launching two walk-off grand slams within the span of a week last season, helping the Jays earn victories in an exciting fashion. Recently, he smashed a game-winning home run against the Angels in Anaheim. In Pearce, the Red Sox are getting a capable utilityman with major league experience – Pearce has played for all five AL East teams in his 11-year career. If he can stay healthy, he can be an excellent bench bat as the Red Sox try and make a deep postseason run this year. Espinal, 23, is a shortstop prospect who hails from the Dominican Republic. In 280 plate appearances this season at High-A Salem, he’s slashed an outstanding .314/.364/.478 with seven home runs, 15 doubles, and nine stolen bases. He did not appear on Boston’s top 30 prospect list on MLB Pipeline. According to his scouting report, Espinal makes quality contact, is a plus defender and works deep counts. While this acquisition is somewhat puzzling giving Toronto’s wealth of infield prospects, it still makes sense that they would seek to obtain the best available young player. Additionally, Espinal’s speed could be an asset to the Jays, seeing as they are severely lacking in that department. He was a 10th round draft pick of the Red Sox in the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft, the same draft round that saw the picks of Blue Jays prospects Samad Taylor and Kirby Snead. The Jays are also sending some cash in the deal, presumably to offset the remaining $3-4 million remaining on Pearce’s deal. Pearce’s contract, which he signed on December 5, 2016, was a two-year deal worth $12.5 million. Since coming to the Jays, he’s been worth an estimated 0.5 WAR, according to BaseballReference. While this deal is relatively minor in magnitude, it can surely be viewed as a signal that things will start to pick up in terms of trades. Several other players on expiring contracts could be heading to contenders as the front office tries to stockpile young talent in preparation of the next few seasons. Santiago Espinal, who the #BlueJays acquired from Boston, is a 23y.o. shortstop who's hitting .314 (.848 OPS) in high-A. A 2016 10th-rounder. He likely starts with Dunedin, but could see New Hampshire soon depending on depth charts. — Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 29, 2018 At this point, it is difficult to truly assess this deal. With Espinal still incredibly young, it could be years before we can truly consider this a win or a loss for the Toronto Blue Jays. Regardless, this trade should signal things to come.