It's time for the Blue Jays to trade Donaldson

The Toronto Blue Jays' patience has paid off, and now that the club has built up some additional leverage, it should look to deal Josh Donaldson.

With the Tampa Bay Rays having traded Evan Longoria to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday and the Baltimore Orioles now unlikely to deal Manny Machado, the Blue Jays possess the premier third baseman on the market.

It's no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals have routinely checked in with the Blue Jays this winter to try and land Donaldson. He's the star bat that the club desires, one they could insert into the middle of the order alongside Marcell Ozuna. With Donaldson, the Cardinals would be a real threat to dethrone the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

St. Louis has the pieces - both at the major- and minor-league levels - that could facilitate a trade for Donaldson. It's now whether or not the Blue Jays front office is willing to pull the trigger. Donaldson is an elite talent, and as president Mark Shapiro said, it's hard to imagine the club better next year without him. But if they don't intend on signing Donaldson to a long-term extension, then the Blue Jays would be wise to take advantage of the current landscape and maximize the return.

It was reported earlier this week that Toronto would probably want two major leaguers and a prospect in return for Donaldson, but without any real impact third-base options now available via trade or free agency - with apologies to Todd Frazier and Mike Moustakas - the Blue Jays might be able to ask for a little more. Would they be willing to take Jedd Gyorko, top pitching prospect Jack Flaherty, and another major piece in a deal? It's believed the Cubs discussed a potential package of Addison Russell, Albert Almora Jr., and Mike Montgomery for Machado, and Donaldson fits a similar profile - though he doesn't have the ability to play shortstop like his Orioles counterpart. Still, the Cardinals have nice pieces that Toronto could potentially build around.

The Blue Jays could use the return from the Cardinals to stock the farm, or they could take some of what they receive and flip it to the Miami Marlins for Christian Yelich. Miami is plenty familiar with the Cardinals' system, and the Blue Jays could use Donaldson to get a player that the Marlins have interest in, but were unable to land for Ozuna. Yelich is unhappy in Miami after watching Ozuna, Dee Gordon, and Giancarlo Stanton leave town. The Marlins certainly don't have to trade him, but if the Blue Jays come knocking, it's likely they'll listen.

A Silver Slugger in 2016, Yelich would fit nicely into the Blue Jays' plans. The 26-year-old would give them some much-needed help in the corner outfield and a bat near the top of the order. He's under one of the most team-friendly contracts in the majors, owed $44.5 million over the next four seasons with a $15-million team option for 2022. Not only would Yelich help now, but he would also be around when Toronto's premier prospects - Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - reach the majors.

Even if the Blue Jays were unable to acquire a player like Yelich, the team would shed some salary by dealing Donaldson - he's projected to earn $20.7 million in arbitration this winter - and that money could be used in free agency to fill additional needs.

There is understandable hesitancy from the front office in trading Donaldson. It would be a major blow for the fan base - one that has filled the seats in recent years and has given the club an influx of revenue. But Toronto is facing a transitional period in a top-heavy AL East with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox set to duke it out for divisional supremacy.

The Blue Jays want to get younger. They want to build a sustainable winner. Dealing one year of Donaldson now looks like the best way to ensure the long-term success of the franchise.