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One more Blue Jays trade Ross Atkins needs to make to save his job

Ross Atkins needs to take full advantage of the seller's market.

By Zachary Rotman

Jun 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins talks with the media during batting practice against the San Francisco Giants at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 28, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins talks with the media during batting practice against the San Francisco Giants at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
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If you didn't believe that this was a seller's market, you should now after what the Toronto Blue Jays were able to do on Monday.

They traded Yusei Kikuchi, a pitcher with an ERA approaching 5.00 this season and with an ERA of 6.87 in his last 12 starts who also will hit free agency at the end of the year in exchange for an absurd haul.

They were able to get two of the best prospects in Houston's system while the third prospect involved has a .853 OPS this season in AAA. The Astros won't care about this trade if Kikuchi helps them win the World Series, but that's a big if.

From Toronto's perspective, this was such a huge win to the point where Ross Atkins can't stop there. There's another big trade he needs to make before Tuesday's deadline.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Ross Atkins needs to take advantage of absurd seller's market while he can

If Yusei Kikuchi, a pitcher with a somewhat decent track record in the midst of a down year who's hitting free agency at the end of the season can get this kind of return, what can a pitcher like Chris Bassitt bring back?

Bassitt has a very long track record of being a high-end No. 3 starter and in what has been a brutal year for Toronto, he has performed admirably. The 35-year-old has posted a 3.78 ERA in 21 starts and 119 innings of work this season. His walks have ticked up, but the rest of his numbers stack up nicely to his career norms.

The right-hander comes with an extra year of club control. Yes, the price is fairly high with Bassitt set to make $22 million next season, but in today's market, he's more than worth that amount.

Let's get all of the facts straight. Bassitt has pitched better than Kikuchi this season. Bassitt has a better track record than Kikuchi. To top it off, Bassitt comes with an extra year of club control. With all of this in mind, knowing what Kikuchi was able to bring back in a trade, why shouldn't the Jays trade Bassitt?

I know, they want to compete in 2025, but even if that's the case, why not just sell ridiculously high on Bassitt now and then spend the money you would've given Bassitt on another starting pitcher?

There's every reason to believe that if the Jays trade Bassitt, they'll get even more than they did for Kikuchi. They'd be taking full advantage of the market, and it's not as if Bassitt is irreplaceable in free agency.

Ross Atkins is very clearly on the hot seat with the Jays selling at this year's deadline, but if he brings back another ridiculous haul for a player like Bassitt, Toronto might consider keeping him around, which would be quite the turn of events.

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