Blue Jays: Having Your Cake And …

Would trading players like Estrada, Bautista and Liriano necessarily preclude the Blue Jays from re-signing them this offseason?

Many writers speak of two options with regards to upcoming free agents such as Marco Estrada, Jose Bautista and Francisco Liriano. The Jays could either extend them now, making them part of the Jays’ future, or trade them for pieces who could be.

But is the question that binary?

Would it be possible for the Jays to trade one or more of these players and then re-sign them as free agents in the upcoming offseason?

Consider Marco, as an example. He has said that he and his family fell in love with Toronto, and described returning to the Jays as “a priority”. Suppose the…