Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays Discussed Jose Soriano Trade

[Matthew Lenz]

Before the trade deadline struck midnight, rumors were swirling that the Toronto Blue Jays were open to trading the newly acquired Jose Soriano. It was news that surprised many, considering they had acquired him on August 3rd for top prospect Arjun Nimmala.

Now, a week after the deadline passed, we're getting more details on what those talks entailed. Dan Hayes and Mitch Bannon of The Athletic are reporting that the Chicago Cubs "pursued" Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Soriano. It's not clear who the Cubs would have included in the swap, but it's fair to assume the headliner would have been a top organizational prospect.

Soriano, 27, was one of the top starting arms on the market over the trade deadline. This was despite a high walk rate and a FIP about half a run higher than his 3.24 ERA. He was particularly attractive as a starter who is controllable through 2028.

Do you think the Cubs should have met the asking price for Soriano? Join the conversation in the comments!

 

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[Jason Ross]

The Athletic doesn't really mention anything about who the Cubs discussed, but if I had a guess, the Cubs were hoping that the Blue Jays, fresh off dealing Nimaala to the Angels, preferred Rojas to Nimaala and could scoop up Soriano. Doesn't sound like it went too far, but based on how the day went, that feels like a reasonable guess.

[Bertz]

I expect this was just Jed being in on every SP with a pulse rather than anything that had legs, but FWIW this is more or less how the Kyle Tucker trade started.