The Toronto Blue Jays acquired two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield from the Kansas City Royals and right-hander Mitch White from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
To the Royals, the Blue Jays are sending prospect Samad Taylor and right-hander Max Castillo. The Royals assigned Taylor to Triple-A Omaha and added Castillo to their 40-man roster and optioned him to Omaha.
To the Dodgers, the Blue Jays are sending minor league pitching prospects Nick Frasso and Moises Brito. The Blue Jays also get minor league infielder Alex De Jesus in the deal.
Merrifield, 33, has spent all seven years of his major league career in Kansas City. He’s a career .286 hitter despite batting a career-low .240 in 95 games this season. Merrifield was an All-Star in 2019 and 2021.
Merrifield had been unvaccinated with the Royals, something that will need to change given Canada’s health requirements against COVID-19.
White, 27, had been something of a revelation for the pitching-rich Dodgers this season. He is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 15 appearances, including a career-high 10 starts. He’s 3-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 38 career games (14 starts) since being taken in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Taylor, 24, is an infielder/outfielder who’s batting .258 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs in Triple-A Buffalo this season.
Castillo, 23, made nine appearances (two starts) and had a 3.05 ERA for the Blue Jays this season.
Brito, 20, is 2-4 with a 1.86 ERA in 12 games (two starts) for the Blue Jays in the Dominican Summer League.
Frasso, 23, sports a 0.74 ERA without a decision in 10 total games (all starts) in Class-A and High-A. The Jays selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft.
–Field Level Media
