The Toronto Blue Jays just added a big piece to their team in time for the 2022 regular season.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Blue Jays acquired third baseman Matt Chapman from the Oakland A’s.
In exchange, the A’s acquired pitching prospects Gunnar Hoglund, Zach Logue, and Kirby Snead, and shortstop Kevin Smith, with the latter three being major league ready according to Passan.
The hot stove is officially heating up with just a couple days to spare, and the Blue Jays continue to add talent to their roster and make a push for an American League East title.
The Blue Jays appear to be serious about winning.
After all, they went 91-71 last year and still finished in fourth in the East, missing out on the postseason by just one game.
They’re definitely motivated to prove that their postseason appearance in 2020 was no fluke.
Matt Chapman has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, sources confirm to ESPN. Deal is done. A's with another big group of prospects. RHP Gunnar Hoglund best of the bunch. SS Kevin Smith, left-handed starter Zach Logue and left-handed reliever Kirby Snead all major league-ready.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 16, 2022
Dress Rehearsal
The AL East should be a fun division to watch.
The Blue Jays and the New York Yankees are making moves and seemingly providing a dress rehearsal for what is to come in the AL East this year.
Also, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays are both in on the Freddie Freeman sweepstakes, so these next few days should be interesting as the other AL East teams look to land some big stars.
But for now, Toronto appears to be the favorite in the East.
Adding Chapman to a lineup that already features Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer, and Cavan Biggio makes them look scary.
Not to mention, they have a starting staff that consists of Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Hyun-Jin Ryu, all of whom are Cy Young candidates.
NEXT: Blue Jays Have An Edge In Targeting Freddie Freeman
