Jeff Kent voted to Hall of Fame as Blue Jays head into Winter Meetings

ORLANDO, Fla. – Jeff Kent debuted with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and made a strong first impression, batting .240/.324/.443 with eight homers and 13 doubles in 65 games. But his most important contribution to the team that won the World Series came when a surprise opportunity arose during the old August revocable-waivers period and he became one of two players sent to the New York Mets for ace right-hander David Cone.

“Once in a blue moon, a guy will slip through waivers and (Cone) slipped through,” Pat Gillick, the Hall of Fame former Blue Jays GM, said back in 2011. “We made a call and (the Mets) came back to us and said, ‘Well, we would be prepared to move Cone, but this is what the deal has to be. You know, we’re not going to negotiate if you aren’t prepared to do this deal.’

“We thought about it and we said, you know, David Cone is a guy that we think can put us over the hump. And at the same time, it kind of deflates your competition if you can do something like that. Psychologically, I think it has that effect on the people that are pursuing you.”

The stunning-at-the-time trade, outfield prospect Ryan Thompson went to the Mets with Kent, went down Aug. 27, 1992, and Cone helped the Blue Jays secure their first ever championship.

Sunday, as the industry began gathering at the Signia by Hilton Orlando for the annual Winter Meetings, a final accounting of that deal arrived when Kent was voted to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.

Kent received 14 of a possible 16 votes, surpassing the threshold of 12 needed for election. Carlos Delgado – another former Blue Jays candidate, albeit one who left a much more significant mark on the franchise – received nine votes, bolstering his case for when the contemporary committee next considers player candidates in 2028.

Don Mattingly, the former Yankees star first baseman who coached with the Blue Jays the past three seasons, and former Atlanta outfielder Dale Murphy each received six votes and will also remain on the ballot. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each received fewer than five votes and aren’t eligible for consideration in the next cycle.

Kent, a 20th-round pick in the 1989 draft, played in 2,298 big-league games and hit 377 homers – 351 of them while playing second base, the most by any player at the position – with 1,518 RBIs.

His best seasons came with the San Francisco Giants – he was the National League MVP in 2000 – and Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting 250 of his homers with those clubs.

Few players project as future Hall of Famers during their rookie seasons, of course, although Kent certainly showed promise.

But at the time of the trade, Gillick told reporters that “there is some responsibility management owes to the players to do everything possible to win and that’s what we’re trying to do. I think you don’t worry about the long-range right now, you focus on the short-term.”

He and the Blue Jays did precisely that and were rewarded for it that October.

Seen and heard in the Winter Meetings hallways:

• Having already signed Dylan Cease and reached agreement with Cody Ponce, the Blue Jays arrived in Orlando as one of the off-season’s most active teams and there was intrigue around them after Saturday’s decision to outright Yariel Rodriguez. On the one hand, the move could be viewed as little more than organizational housekeeping, creating additional flexibility on the 40-man roster at a time that’s of tremendous value.

But the Blue Jays would still have been at 39 with Ponce, making some wonder if they needed the extra spot more urgently. They were involved, to some degree, with Emilio Pagan before the veteran closer returned to the Cincinnati Reds, as the back-end relief market appears to be moving. One agent said his sense is that the Blue Jays are currently shopping at the higher-end of the relief market and they’ve been linked to Edwin Diaz, although the three-time all-star would require the type of spend this front office hasn’t made in relievers. One name to consider is Robert Suarez, whom they pursued when he was a free agent three years ago. 

• Kyle Tucker’s visit to the Blue Jays’ Player Development Complex last week underlined the club’s approach on the position-player front, as they also remain engaged with incumbent Bo Bichette. Bolstering the pitching staff has been their top priority this winter since they feel they don’t have gaping holes to fill in their lineup, leaving them to seek only clear upgrades. Both, quite obviously, qualify, but worth noting is that if they don’t land either, they can’t simply reallocate the money they would have spent elsewhere, as they’re being viewed as special opportunities. 

• Free-agent reliever Nick Sandlin, whom the Blue Jays outrighted last month, has resumed throwing after having bone spurs removed from his right elbow. They were a factor in an injury-marred season during which he appeared in only 19 games, but posted a 2.20 ERA and 1.163 WHIP while earning one save.

• A player-development executive from a rival club raved about the quality of baseball the Blue Jays and Dodgers played in the World Series, saying he and his staff pulled multiple clips to use as examples of how to play the game for their prospects.

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