The Toronto Blue Jays placed catcher Josh Thole on irrevocable waivers on Sunday, which for now ends the 29-year-old four-season run with the club. On the surface, the move seems largely insignificant as Thole, a backup catcher who’s lone skill was to catch knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, struggled badly in Toronto, constantly fought to stay above the Mendoza Line while yielding little return defensively. Thole’s designation does hold significance, as it leaves Dickey as the last remaining piece from the ill-fated 2012 deal with the New York Mets.
Former general manager Alex Anthopoulos aggressively tried to build Toronto into contenders in 2012, acquiring a bevy of veterans including Jose Reyes, Mark Buerhle, Josh Johnson, and Dickey. The strategy didn’t pan out, but no trade cost the Blue Jays more than Dickey. The price of the knuckleballer was steep, as Anthopoulos gave up prospects Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard in a package for Dickey and his personal catcher Thole. In theory, the deal made sense. Dickey was a valuable inning eater, who miraculously rose through the minors late in his career to win the Cy Young trophy. You can’t get value without giving it up, so two of Toronto’s best prospects seemed like a fair cost. It wasn’t.
Dickey hasn’t been bad in Toronto, but he’s expectedly regressed from stellar play in New York. In his first three seasons, the 41-year-old has been consistent, logging over 200 innings with an ERA hovering around four. In 2016, Dickey’s been inconsistent with a 4.43 ERA and a 9-13 record in 27 starts. He’s been a reliable veteran for the Blue Jays, but nowhere near the Cy Young candidate he was in 2012.
Rumors around Toronto have suggested Dickey might be left off the team’s playoff roster unless he performs – which is partly why Thole was released following the acquisition of Dioner Navarro. Thole is no longer post-season eligible if re-signed, so who will catch Dickey?
Dickey’s performance would be much easier to stomach for Blue Jays fans if Syndergaard didn’t develop into an ace in New York.
The Mets didn’t get immediate returns with Thor, as the 24-year-old made his MLB debut in 2015. Once he entered the show, Syndergaard displayed an impressive pitching repertoire. The 6’6″ right-hander was armed with a triple-digit fastball and a nasty slider. How are you supposed to hit this?
Syndergaard throws a 90 mph slider and you can't see spin.. Good luck hitting this #HittingIsHard https://t.co/7CMc5jQZMg
— Chase Denton (@chasedenton_) June 17, 2016
In his first season, Syndergaard went 9-7 in 24 starts with a 3.24 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings. In the playoffs, he helped New York reach their first World Series since 2000, getting a win in the Mets Game 3 victory. Syndergaard’s achievements in his first big league season were the stuff of dreams. In 2016, he’s only gotten better with a 12-7 record, a 2.55 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings. Syndergaard was named an All-Star, in the first of many future selections. What’s scary, is Syndergaard hasn’t even scratched the surface of how good he might be.
The cost of competing in the American League East is understandably huge. Toronto couldn’t have predicted such a down season (74-88, last in the AL East) following the major moves in 2012. Dickey was acquired with the pennant in mind. Four seasons later, imagining what Syndergaard would look like alongside Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman is a huge ‘what-if’ for the Blue Jays. Would Syndergaard’s development gone the same in Toronto? It’s impossible to ever know. But, the current rotation with him would have been incredible. Instead, Toronto is left driving a Corolla when they could have had Ferrari.
