Blue Jays Get: Yangervis Solarte: 18 HR, .255/.314/.416, 3 SB, 93 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR
Padres Get: Edward Olivares: 17 HR, .269/.327/.468, 20 SB, 122 wRC+ at Class A and High Class A,
Jared Carkuff: 3-4, 3.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 51/15 K/BB, 63 IP at Class A Short Season, Class A, High Class A, and AAA,
With middle infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis both missing most of last season, and Tulowitzki especially looking fairly unpredictable health-wise, the Blue Jays went ahead and picked up infielder Yangervis Solarte to fight with fellow newcomer Aledmys Diaz to fill whatever holes may arise. Playing in San Diego, Solarte doesn't get much press, but he has been quite the productive player over the past few seasons. In 2016, he cracked 15 home runs and slashed .286/.341/.467 for a 119 wRC+, racking up 2.8 fWAR in just 109 games. His slash line fell to .255/.314/.416 and his wRC+ to 93 in 2017, but he did set a career high with 18 home runs and picked up 1.1 fWAR in 128 games. Toronto is a more hitter-friendly environment than San Diego, and he hits his fair share of fly balls, so his numbers could see a small bump in 2018 just on park context alone. He's set to make $13.5 million over the next two seasons, which isn't too bad, and he has played at least 36 career games at each infield position. For his career, Solarte has 57 home runs, a .267/.327/.419 slash line, and 7.1 fWAR over 520 games.
Meanwhile, the Padres got a pair of prospects, including the well-regarded center fielder Edward Olivares. The 21 year old Venezuelan spent most of the season at Class A Lansing, where he showed off in all facets by slashing .277/.330/500 with 17 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 101 games. His 82/22 strikeout to walk ratio was a bit underwhelming given he wasn't exactly young for the league, but his overall production and skills led to a late-season promotion to High Class A Dunedin. He had some hiccups adjusting, slashing .221/.312/.265 with no home runs and two stolen bases in 19 games, but he did walk eight times (10.4% rate) and wasn't totally overmatched. He'll likely start back in High A in 2018, but there is reason to believe he could be on the verge of a breakout. He's extremely athletic, as seen in the power/speed combination he showcased in Class A, and he's still growing into his 6'2" frame, so the Padres are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and get a future starting center fielder. Of course, he doesn't have absolutely everything going for him, as he does turn 22 in March and is a bit older than the typical projection play. Given his age, that 82/22 strikeout to walk ratio at Class A was a bit disappointing, and he does have a long way to go with his offensive profile if he wants to be productive at the major league level. He's certainly one to watch. 24 year old Jared Carkuff is slightly less interesting, but that is okay. The Blue Jays drafted Carkuff in the 35th round of the 2016 draft out of Austin Peay State in Tennessee, converting him to relief and getting results immediately. After posting a 1.42 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 35/3 strikeout to walk ratio in the Gulf Coast League immediately after being drafted in 2016, the Jays pushed him all the way up to High Class A Dunedin to start 2017. He held his own but didn't dominate in ten appearances, putting up a 5.14 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP, and a 15/6 strikeout to walk ratio in 21 innings. He missed a couple weeks with a minor injury and was briefly sent to Class A Short Season Vancouver to ramp back up (and he threw three shutout innings), then spent much of the season a level below Dunedin at Class A Lansing. In 21 appearances, he looked very good, posting a 3.79 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 32/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 35.2 innings. At the end of the season, he got a brief, one game call up to AAA Buffalo, where he shut down the Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals AAA) over 3.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk. He's a middle relief prospect who could be in the majors in the near future.
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