TORONTO — Word of Jordan Hicks’ acquisition began filtering through the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse shortly after a 3-2, 10-inning loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Angels and the reaction was immediate.
“It’s awesome,” said third baseman Matt Chapman. “Anybody that wants to win a division and make a run in the playoffs, you’ve got to have a lock-down bullpen. Adding him and what Genesis (Cabrera) has been able to do for us just takes the pressure off some of the guys. Obviously we’re a little banged up in the bullpen, too, so being able to have guys that can come in and get big outs at the end of the game is huge. I think everybody here is excited and he’s going to be welcomed with open arms.”
“He’s nasty,” said infielder Whit Merrifield. “It’s good for us right now. Our bullpen, we’ve been using them a lot and it’s good to get another arm here to help out and give some of those guys a blow. It’s just the organization feeling like we’ve got a good chance to do something special this year and trying to find guys who can help us do that.”
“It shows that we’re serious,” added ace right-hander Kevin Gausman. “I’ve been on teams before where we didn’t do anything and it was kind of like, ‘Why didn’t we? We could have brought in this guy or that guy.’ So it’s always good when you get somebody and to get a guy of his calibre is huge. With what (injured closer Jordan Romano) has got going on right now, we need another back-end arm. He fits that bill perfectly. I’m excited to watch him pitch.”
The deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, sending double-A starters Sem Robberse, who just pitched in the Futures Game, and Adam Kloffenstein, the 2018 third-rounder finding his legs this season at New Hampshire, is among the boldest moves of Ross Atkins’ run as Blue Jays GM.
Hicks, who averages 101 m.p.h. on his four-seamer and 100.5 on his sinker and has topped out at 105, is the type of high-end rental player the club has typically stayed away from.
The 26-year-old is a pending free agent dealt by the Cardinals not long after extension talks between the sides didn’t produce a deal and the acquisition cost was two pitching prospects capable of providing the type of up-and-down starting depth, if not more, the Blue Jays have lacked in recent years.
Robberse impressed during spring training this season and would have been in the mix as the sixth starter next season, if not more, while Kloffenstein put himself back in the mix after years of wheel-spinning in the system.
But in a sellers’ market and after Romano hit the injured list Saturday with lower back inflammation, the Blue Jays opted to pay the steep price for Hicks, who at his best not only blows away opponents, but eviscerates them.
After a rough start that included a blown save against the Blue Jays on Opening Day, Hicks has allowed only six earned runs on 22 hits and 10 walks with 37 strikeouts in 28.2 innings over 26 games since May 8. Hicks can more than capably fill in as closer during Romano’s absence and then pair with the all-star right-hander to form the type of electric back-end duo the Baltimore Orioles feature with all-stars Yennier Cano and Felix Bautista.
Given the exceptionally heavy workload on Yimi Garcia — who with his 110th appearance Sunday between 2022 and ’23 triggered a $6 million vesting option for next year — Tim Mayza and Erik Swanson, it also helps better distribute the leverage while deepening the entire group.
Chapman is 1-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout in five career plate appearances versus Hicks and described facing him as a miserable experience.
“I’m glad he’s on our team,” he said with a grin. “To be able to have that kind of velocity and it moves, it’s a sinker that’s 102 miles an hour, maybe even harder sometimes, it’s going to be fun to watch. And I’m sure I’m going to get some groundballs.”
“Everybody that I’ve talked to is excited,” he added. “It’s nice when you know that your team’s willing to make acquisitions to make you better.”
The risk is that Hicks walks in the fall, although it’s reasonable to think that the Blue Jays have at least a notion of what he’s seeking in an extension given the unsuccessful talks with the Cardinals. Toronto has roughly $70 million coming off the books next season and with a two-month head start in recruiting, along with time for pitching coach Pete Walker to connect with the Houston native, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a short-term play.
Regardless, with Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Belt and Hyun Jin Ryu also pending free agents, and Merrifield likely to join them on the open market once his $18 million mutual option is declined, this is the time to leverage what’s in place.
“Everyone that’s part of this organization knows that we have a team that can win and win it all,” said Merrifield. “It’s kind of rare to have that much talent on the roster — teams don’t feel like the way this organization feels every year.”
Added Gausman: “The general sense is excitement, for sure, any time you bring in a guy with his calibre of stuff — over 104 miles an hour, sinking fastball, he can throw a four-seam, got a really good breaking ball. And look at what he’s been able to do. He’s closing games, he started a little bit, you feel comfortable he can throw more than one inning. I’m excited to see it in person on a more frequent basis.”
