TORONTO — Adding players ahead of the MLB trade deadline is not as simple as just acquiring the best talent on the market. Oh no, there’s much more to it. Just ask Chris Bassitt.
The veteran Toronto Blue Jays right-hander has been on major-league teams that have bolstered their rosters but did so without considering how new players would fit into the clubhouse. The result, he says without naming a specific situation, was a disruption to the dynamic that players had carefully crafted.
“At the trade deadline it’s just very important to add high-character guys,” Bassitt said during batting practice on Monday before the Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees 4-1 at Rogers Centre in the first of a three-game set. “A lot of the time your character can basically supersede your talent, so to speak. Like if you’re not really bringing a positive mentality or a positive work ethic, or [you’re bringing] off-the-field issues, I don’t really want you. I don’t care how good you are.
“The reality is if you bring low-character guys in, all of a sudden one person can start dragging down three or four people and then you have issues.”
That’s all part of the calculus that Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins and the front office will need to examine ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. The club sits atop the American League East standings and owns the fourth-best record in baseball, factors that will lead the Blue Jays to be motivated buyers.
Pitching help is the clear priority with obvious needs existing in the bullpen, while starter depth and a right-handed hitting bench option could be targeted as well. Centrefielder Daulton Varsho and second baseman Andres Gimenez are expected to return from the injured list soon but even so, at some point in the next 10 days new players will enter a Blue Jays clubhouse that has spent months building chemistry.
“It’s kind of tricky,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “When you’re in this spot, you don’t want to do anything over the top to just say you did it. So, it’s a fine balance for sure.”
Schneider said that over the past few years the Blue Jays have accurately gauged the type of people they’ve brought into the fold and pointed to the additions of Gimenez, Myles Straw and Max Scherzer during the off-season as proof.
Bassitt had conversations with the Blue Jays’ front office about Scherzer, informing them of the intangibles that his close friend and teammate with the New York Mets brings behind the scenes. However, those types of discussions aren’t happening in the lead up to the trade deadline, according to Bassitt.
“No, I think the front office has more than earned all the players’ trust in that aspect,” he said. “They know what they’re doing. Right now, we’re just worried about what we need to control and letting Ross do his thing.”
There are many components to a 26-man roster that extend beyond how they play on the baseball diamond. Off-the-field activities such as travel and dinners on the road, for example, factor into how players build camaraderie. Bassitt, a vocal leader within the Blue Jays clubhouse, is proud of the environment that he and his teammates have fostered but it’s not like they plan to operate as a member’s only club.
“We’re not really trying to ask you for more than what you have,” said Bassitt. “Sure, we’re going to want to get to know you and have fun and all this stuff, but the environment is just strictly all about winning and playing the game the right way. If you’re on board with that, you’re going to be loved by us very, very quickly.”
Schneider, for his part, isn’t overly concerned about any potential disruption to the good vibes, citing trust in what Bassitt and others have built.
“When you’re playing well everyone gets excited about potential talent adds,” said the skipper. “And when you have a good group, they kind of set the tone when people come in. So, I don’t think that we’ll worry about it too much.”
