Spencer Steer is the kind of bat John Schneider's Blue Jays should be looking at if they decide this season still deserves a push.
That is the main takeaway from the latest trade push around Toronto's offense. Heavy highlighted Jim Bowden's view that Steer is the best fit for a Blue Jays club still searching for more slug.
The fit is easy to see. Toronto has been one of the weaker teams in baseball in runs scored and home runs, and Schneider recently said the lineup needs “some more slug” and more conviction on the fastball.
Steer answers that problem more directly than most names tied to the Jays. Heavy notes he is hitting .238 with 14 home runs and 36 RBI, and he has already posted 20-plus home runs in 3 straight years.
That matters because Toronto does not need another soft contact bat or another depth piece pretending to be a fix. It needs someone who can actually change the shape of the lineup.
Steer also gives the Blue Jays flexibility. He can handle corner outfield work and infield spots, which is useful for a club that has been moving pieces around all season.
And the contract side makes this more than a rental idea. Heavy says Steer is under team control through 2028, which means Toronto would be buying more than 2 months if it made the move.
Why Steer makes more sense than a quick fix
The right-handed bat is a real part of the appeal. Heavy pointed out that Toronto has a surplus of left-handed hitting corner outfielders, so Steer would balance the offense in a more useful way.
There is also a reason Cincinnati could at least listen. Bowden's argument, as cited by Heavy, is that Steer is arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season, and that could make him a sell-high candidate for the Reds.
That does not mean he would come cheap. A controllable hitter with power, defensive flexibility, and 3 playoff runs of team control is exactly the kind of player who costs real prospect value. That is an inference from the profile Heavy describes.
Still, this is the kind of target worth paying attention to. Toronto is 42-48 and 3 games out of a Wild Card spot, which leaves the front office stuck between standing down and trying to fix a flat offense.
If the Blue Jays buy, the move has to be more than cosmetic. Spencer Steer would give them right-handed power, lineup flexibility, and a bat that could matter beyond this summer.
That is why this trade idea lands. The Blue Jays do not just need help. They need the right kind of offensive help, and Steer looks a lot closer to that than a deadline patch.
Should the Blue Jays go after Spencer Steer at the trade deadline?
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