The Toronto Blue Jays have quietly built one of the most impressive rosters in baseball—and they owe a surprising amount of that success to the Oakland Athletics.
It might sound odd, but the Blue Jays have turned castoffs and trade pieces from the A's into four incredible players at almost no cost. Think about it: Oakland released Edwin Encarnación and Ernie Clement before Toronto scooped them up. They also traded Josh Donaldson and Matt Chapman to the Blue Jays for what essentially amounted to spare parts.
Since 2011, those four players have combined for 55 fWAR and counting. That's basically a Hall of Fame career's worth of production. And the best part? The Blue Jays didn't have to give up much to get them.
The timing of this reflection couldn't be better. Ernie Clement just crushed his first home run of the season on Wednesday, and he's currently leading the American League in doubles. Not bad for a player the A's let walk for free.
Sure, Edwin Encarnación, Josh Donaldson, and Matt Chapman are all long gone from Toronto now. But each made major contributions during their time in blue and white—and the Blue Jays got them at bargain-bin prices.
To be fair, the Donaldson trade wasn't meant to be a one-sided disaster for Oakland. The A's got back some promising young talent in Brett Lawrie, Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin, and Franklin Barreto. It just didn't pan out. None of those players reached their potential, while Donaldson went on to win an MVP in Toronto.
This pattern speaks to something bigger about the Blue Jays' organization. They have a knack for helping players maximize their abilities. You can see it in how Jose Bautista (never an A's player, but a perfect example) transformed his career in Toronto. It's a culture that turns overlooked talent into stars.
It also shows the difference between winning teams and struggling ones. If you can identify the right players at the right value, you can turn your franchise around in a hurry. If you keep letting those players go before they hit their stride, well, you end up where the A's have been.
For Blue Jays fans, this is a fun reminder of how smart roster building—and a little help from your rivals—can create something special.