If there was anyone who needed a change of scenery, it was Drew Storen, and he will finally get it as the Toronto Blue Jays acquired him from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Ben Revere. The Nationals will also get a player to be named later, and the Blue Jays will receive cash. This is a fantastic deal for the Blue Jays, who now have an experienced closer who can team up with Roberto Osuna for a formidable duo at the end of games.
Storen, 28, was the Nationals’ closer, notching 29 saves and posting a 1.73 ERA up to the point the Nationals acquired Jonathan Papelbon. Things seemed to come unhinged for Storen after that as he struggled in the eighth inning, and he finished the season with a 3.44 ERA along with a broken thumb after he slammed his locker in frustration. He was clearly unhappy with being demoted, and the trade should do him good.
The Blue Jays lost Revere, who figured to be their left fielder and leadoff hitter this season. They could turn to Michael Saunders to fill that role, or sign a free agent like Gerardo Parra or Dexter Fowler if they aren’t comfortable with Saunders, who missed all of last season with injury.
Storen will probably be given the chance to close while Osuna moves to the eighth-inning role, but if Storen ends up as the setup man, he shouldn’t have issues like he did in Washington. He was clearly upset with the Papelbon acquisition and felt slighted by not getting the chance to keep his closer job despite fantastic numbers.
Storen can be a dominant late-inning reliever, but he has been prone to struggles from time to time. His performance in the playoffs led the Nationals to seek a playoff-proven closer. In six playoff games, Storen owns an 8.44 ERA and has only one save, which came in 2012. Six innings isn’t enough of a sample size to come to the definite conclusion that he can’t handle the playoffs.
The Blue Jays won’t be on the hook for long as Storen set to hit free agency in 2017. If he struggles, the Blue Jays can cut ties without worry.
This was a move that had to be made. The Blue Jays will still able to contend for a playoff spot despite losing David Price in free agency, and Storen shores up the back end of the bullpen, a theme that seems to be all the rage in the AL East these days.
