Over at Fanhouse, former MLB scout and friend of Pinstripe Alley Frankie Piliere assesses a potential trade from the Jays' perspective.
1) He thinks there's no way that the Jays should expect two of Hughes, Joba, Montero and Austin Jackson.
2) He thinks getting one of those star potential players is the only way to avoid a Twins-Santana situation. Quantity won't make up for quality.
3) Because the Jays have done well developing hitters in the last few seasons, the 2 pitchers are more valuable to the Jays than the 2 position players.
4) He thinks Joba has just about reached his potential- a 2 pitch thrower who will perform as well as the stuff he brings to the mound that day allows him to (not far off from my own assessment).
5) He thinks that Hughes is the centerpiece, but another pitcher or two will be involved.
Some of the combos he floats (not suggesting he was in on the negotiation, but in his assessment) Hughes plus a MLB ready player like IPK or Aceves plus a top flight prospect like Manny Banuelos, Hector Noesi, DJ Mitchell or Jeremy Bleich.
A deal for Hughes, IPK and Banuelos makes me flinch so much that I don't think I'd do it once I start paying attention to the dollar signs. That's probably a sign that it's a strong proposal.