TORONTO – The Blue Jays doubled down on Pulp additions, agreeing a deal to acquire right-handers Zack Pope and Anthony Bass as well as a player to be named later from the Marlins in exchange No. 4 Possible Jordan GrouchansThe club announced on Tuesday.
The deal begins to cater to Toronto’s most pressing needs, but the club is expected to continue exploring promotional upgrades ahead of the 6:00pm ET trade deadline.
At Pop, of Brampton, Ontario, the Blue Jays have added another Canadian alongside the closest Jordan Romano, and the 25-year-old right-hand man comes with the team in control until the end of the 2026 season. This reflects the Blue Jays’ acquisition of Adam Semper last summer from the same Marlins club. , when they targeted a long-range gaming piece.
Trade details
Blue Jays gets: RHB Anthony Bass and Zack Pope
Marlins gets: SS/3B Jordan Grouchs (Possibility No. 4 for Blue Jays/number. 82 overall)
The bob is an interesting fit in this bull as well, not necessarily the home of the swing and failure many have come to expect of Blue Jays. Pop has a 7.8k/9 strike rate on the 74 2/3 MLB Tour, including a 3.60 ERA this season, but he’s producing the globe at an incredible rate (63.8% in 2022), leaning heavily on a weightlifter averaging 96.5 mph.
“It’s so special to be able to come home, see my family and play for the Blue Jays,” Bob said. “I have a lot of friends and a lot of people who support them now. Being a part of what they’re doing there now is amazing. They have a great team out there, and I’m lucky to be a part of it. They do some special things.”
Bass, of course, will be a household name for Blue Jays fans. The right-hander spent 2020 with Toronto, stepped in to close matches at one point when Ken Giles fell, and is currently enjoying a career year with the Marlins, scoring 1.41 ERAs over 44 2/3 innings with 45 strikes.
The 34-year-old comes with a $3 million club option for 2023 which includes a $1 million buyout deal. Bass and Pop will add to Blue Jays’ crowded set of setup arms used in front of Romano, a group that includes Cimber, Yimi Garcia, David Phelps and Tim Mayza. This allows Toronto to extend part of that depth to previous innings, bridging the gap from the start.
Bass said he and Bob had already received a text message from Cimber, and he also knows Garcia well since their time together in 2021. The Toronto Bullpen has switched to Miami North.
“I’m going to go to a team that has a chance to make the post-season, which, as players, is what we’ve always wanted to do,” said Bass. “Our ultimate goal is to win the world championship, so this part is exciting, and going to Toronto for that opportunity. It’s obviously a familiar place. I was with them in 2020, so it will be a good transition for me.”
But the talented loyalists who control the team don’t come cheap, which is why the Blue Jays had to deal with Groshans, the fourth-probability and 82nd place winner in MLB, according to MLB Pipeline.
Groshans was the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in the ’18 Draft, #12 overall, and made a solid start at the lower level of the Minors. After a season 21 cut short to injury with Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .291 with a .817 OPS, Groshans has been looking for strength this season in Triple-A.
There, the 22-year-old hit 0.250, and while his 0.348 base percentage shows improved affinity for the board, Groshans has run one home run over 67 games. Sure, the power is there for the talented young player who has been turning heads in spring training with his exit speeds, but it’s clear that Orlves Martinez has surpassed Groschens as the best player in the organization. He will now have a greater opportunity in the Marlins organization.
Including right-hander Gunnar Hoglund (’21) and player Austin Martin (’20), the Blue Jays have now traded three of their four picks in the first round of the ’18-21 Drafts.
