"Since Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro took over the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the 2016 season, they haven't lost very many trades. Sure, there were some trades in there that weren't great, such as the Brad Hand trade in 2021 or the Mitch White move in 2022. But it's hard to point to trade where you're like "darn, I wish they didn't make that move". Well, that is except for one trade before the 2023 trade deadline."
"Drafted in the 13th round of the 2021 draft by the Jays, Svanson never ranked as a top prospect. In the Jays' organization, he put up solid, but not spectacular stats in his first full-season. He was pitching well before the trade, but this seemed like a nothing burger trade when it happened. Obviously, it wasn't as I'm writing about it. Svanson pitched the entirety of the 2024 season with the Cardinals Triple-A team, where he had a 20.8 K% and an 8.8 BB%."
"By the end of the season, the 26-year-old became an important reliever for the Cardinals. He finished with a 1.94 ERA and 2.72 FIP in 60.1 innings pitched over 39 games. More importantly, his strikeout rate jumped to 29.1%, while he finished the year with an 8.5 BB%. The right-handed pitcher sits a tick under 97 mph with the fastball, with a sweeper that is also deemed about average."
Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro rarely misfire on trades since taking control of the Blue Jays before 2016, but one mid‑2023 deal stands out. The Blue Jays made three trades with St. Louis near the 2023 deadline, one sending Matt Svanson to the Cardinals for Paul DeJong. Svanson was a 13th‑round 2021 draftee who had produced solid but unspectacular results in Toronto. After the trade Svanson dominated in Triple‑A, then converted to a high‑impact major‑league reliever, posting a 1.94 ERA, 2.72 FIP, a 29.1% K rate, near‑97 mph heater, and remained cost‑controlled for upcoming seasons.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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