MLB Trade Scenarios: Should Zack Greinke Be a Target for the Toronto Blue Jays?

With just about every Major League Baseball team having reached the 60 game mark of the 2012 season, we're starting to get a better idea of which teams will be buyers and which will be sellers over the course of the next month or two.

As it stands, it appears as though the Toronto Blue Jays, who find themselves just four games behind the division-leading New York Yankees, will be looking to add pitching depth at, or before, this season's trade deadline.

While Alex Anthopoulos may also be looking for another bat to spark the offense, if the Blue Jays want to make a serious push for the postseason, they will also need to add an experienced starting pitcher.

Right now the Milwaukee Brewers are a team struggling to reach the .500 mark that could definitely use some help when it comes to their prospect pool (which they all but depleted when they traded for both Zack Greinke and C.C. Sabathia).

When you consider the fact that Zack Greinke's contract will expire after the 2012 season (a season that does not look promising for this Brewers club), and it's not likely that the Brewers will be able to re-sign him, it should make the Jays and Brewers seem like perfect trade partners.

Not only do the Blue Jays desperately need another top-of-the-rotation arm like Zack Greinke, but the Brewers desperately need to improve their 29th ranked farm system (see the previously posted link), and Toronto may be a team willing to slightly overpay to acquire the rental pitcher's services, seeing as they have an extremely deep prospect pool.

So what would Milwaukee be looking for in return?

According to both the fangraphs.com farm system analysis, and the minorleagueball.com farm system rankings, the Brewers have decent pitching depth, but are sorely lacking of some promising, high-ceiling bats.

Keeping that in mind, it stands to reason that the price tag for Greinke would center around either Anthony Gose, or fellow outfield prospect Jake Marisnick, and then include one or two mid-level prospects. (Keep in mind, he is only a rental player.)

Because of the depth and sheer talent that the Blue Jays possess in terms of pitching in their system, it wouldn't surprise me if Milwaukee still looked to acquire a young arm in the package for Greinke, despite the fact that they have a few good arms of their own.

If the Toronto Blue Jays are serious about making the playoffs this season, and potentially being a competitive team in the American League East for years to come, acquiring Zack Greinke for a package consisting of Jake Marisnick, Deck McGuire and one other mid-level prospect would not be too detrimental of a move for the organization.

With Deck McGuire being surpassed by many other high-ceiling arms on the minor league depth chart, and the Blue Jays already having Anthony Gose set to make the jump to the big leagues in the outfield, as well as the recent news that the Jays signed their first-round pick D.J. Davis (also an outfielder), moving Marisnick wouldn't be too costly either.

Though Greinke is just one of many pitchers that may be on the market this season (pitchers like Cole Hamels and Matt Garza are also expected to be available), he may be the best option for Toronto moving forward.

Bringing him in this year, and showing they are willing to do what it takes to win in what is probably the most competitive division in sports, may also convince Greinke to sign a new contract and make Toronto his home for a few more years.

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