So, let's say the Toronto Blue Jays struck up a conversation with Jocketty this winter or next winter about taking Joey off our hands. That's a reasonable potential destination for our MVP, seeing as how it's his hometown and he could immediately energize not only the team but their fan base.
If I'm Jocketty, I would only entertain the trade discussions if the potential return clearly filled our most pressing needs. Here are three possible scenarios:
1. Straight-up deal -- our superstar for yours, Votto for OF-3B Bautista.
2. Two-fer deal -- We get two top-notch ML talents for Votto. Maybe neither equals him individually but together they bring us exceptional value in areas where we are clearly lacking. Players on the Blue Jays that might fit those descriptions: SS Escobar, SP Romero, SP Morrow, OF Lind.
3. Finally, I could see a potential for a hybrid, three-fer deal -- namely, one of the above players along with a couple of complementary Blue Jays prospects. Say Escobar was the linchpin, then the prospects might consist of an OF (Gose) and a SP. But if Romero was the linchpin, maybe he's flanked by an OF (Gose) and a SS (Hechavarria).
I figure the casual fans would only get jazzed about option no. 1, and would cry foul if we accepted any return less than Bautista. But I actually prefer the other two alternatives -- they give us more bang for the buck, a more balanced team, and in the case of option no. 3, a big helping of cake while letting us eat it, too.