Blue Jays Aquire Chase Anderson To Fortify Rotation

Image credit: Chase Anderson (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Blue Jays starters had a 5.25 ERA last year, ninth worst in MLB.

They made their first offseason move to address that earlier this week, acquiring veteran righthander Chase Anderson from the Brewers in exchange for minor league first baseman/outfielder Chad Spanberger.

Anderson, 31, has an $8.5 million team option for 2020 the Blue Jays will need to exercise.

 

BLUE JAYS ACQUIRE

Chase Anderson, RHP
Age: 31

Anderson has quietly been one of the majors’ most steady righthanded starters in recent years. He logged a 3.63 ERA from 2017-19 with the Brewers while making at least 25 starts every season. Anderson is a fly ball pitcher who found a way to succeed in the cozy confines of Miller Park, which portends well for his move to the AL East. Even as his performance has declined as he’s aged, Anderson’s 4.21 ERA and 139 innings pitched both would have ranked second among Blue Jays starters last season.

BREWERS ACQUIRE

Chad Spanberger, 1B/OF
Age: 24

A sixth-round pick of the Rockies in 2017, Spanberger was one of three prospects Colorado traded to the Blue Jays for righthander Seung-Hwan Oh at the 2018 trade deadline. He ranked as the Blue Jays’ No. 30 prospect entering the season. Spanberger is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound lefthanded masher who pulverizes balls with his plus-plus raw power. He struggles to get to it, however, because he needs to develop a better plan at the plate and has big holes in his swing. He hit just .237 with 13 home runs and a .399 slugging percentage at Double-A New Hampshire this year as more advanced pitchers exploited his weaknesses. Spanberger is a first baseman by trade who primarily played right field last year in an effort to enhance his versatility. Regardless of his position, he will need to get to his power more in games to become a major league option.