We’re into the home stretch leading up to Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, which falls at 6:00 PM ET on Thursday July 31. The Toronto Blue Jays, astonishingly, have the best record in the league. That doesn’t mean they’re without the need for re-enforcements. Between potential decline and insurance for injuries, general manager Ross Atkins is sure to be busy trying to improve the club.
While many local analysts have speculated the team would look to add a starting pitcher, a relief pitcher, and one position player, I’m not totally sure that’s how the front office will approach this deadline.
Eric Lauer’s continued emergence and Max Scherzer’s return to health, even if tenuous, minimize the need for an impact starter. It’s unlikely the team would want to roll with a 6-man rotation for the final two months. How can you justify to the players on the roster bringing in a starter, even a big fish like Joe Ryan or Dylan Cease, and tell the rest of the team that Lauer is being bumped to the bullpen? If this were a video game, sure, you make those kinds of deals. But the Jays have talked a lot about the culture and communication with the players that has developed this year. It’s hard to see them making a move like that to disgruntle the members of the rotation. I don’t think someone like Mitch Keller or Merrill Kelly moves the needle enough, and the assets needed to acquire them would be better spent elsewhere.
My own speculation is they’ll target at least two relief pitchers (they already needed one before receiving bad news about Yimi Garcia last week). Perhaps a swing-starter who is comfortable pitching out of the bullpen–what they hoped they might get from Spencer Turnbull earlier this year.
While they do have to make room eventually for Dalton Varsho, Andreas Gimenez, and (hopefully) Anthony Santander, I do think adding another veteran hitter is necessary. However, they would be wise to target players who are already in a part-time role. There isn’t an everyday starting job to be had in this lineup (save for *maybe* left field), and making the switch from starter to role player can be difficult–as Whit Merrifield has outlined recently on his podcast.
For this exercise, we’ll use ESPN’s list of Top 50 potential trade targets to highlight best fits for the Jays.
Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians (#5 on ESPN list)
ESPN: “An All-Star the past two years and Gold Glove winner in all three of his previous big league seasons, Kwan is a do-everything left fielder with elite bat-to-ball skills and two years of club control after 2025. Cleveland doesn’t want to deal him, but with a dearth of available bats, the Guardians at the very least will listen to see if teams are willing to blow them away with offers.“
MD: This feels like a pie-in-the-sky option. Kwan would immediately be the everyday left fielder and leadoff man. But he would cost a fortune, if the Guardians even decide to make him available. Does Monday’s news about closer Emmanuel Clase impact their plans? Since we’ve been making comparisons to the early-90s teams all week, this move could parallel the 1993 acquisition of Rickey Henderson to sit atop a stacked lineup.
Ramon Laureano, RF, Baltimore Orioles (#23 on ESPN list)
ESPN: “Laureano has been a premium role player since his breakout in 2019 but is having a career year this season in Baltimore, so he’s now seen as a solid every-day right fielder.
He is average to above at everything in the batters box due to optimizing how he hits the ball more than having huge raw power or bat speed. He’s also solid on the basepaths and defensively, fitting best in the outfield corners with one of the better outfield arms in the league.
Laureano just turned 31 years old, is in a contract year, and is on a hot streak right now, with a 156 wRC+ and .924 OPS in his last 100 at-bats.”
MD: The types of characteristics listed above seem to fit the Jays perfectly. He’s accustomed to being a role player, does everything in the batter’s box well, and is above average in the field and on the bases. He would probably replace someone like Davis Schneider on the roster. Schneider is having a good bounce-back since being recalled from the minors, but someone like Laureano, who offers a longer track record of experience, would be a better fit on Toronto’s playoff roster.
David Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates (#17 on ESPN list)
ESPN: “In a market replete with relief options, the 30-year-old Bednar brings high-end performance without quite the price tag of his peers. His swing-and-miss stuff has been elite since his return from Triple-A, and he has more than salvaged his trade value: Over his past 23 outings, Bednar has struck out 29, walked five and posted a 0.00 ERA.“
MD: This would be similar to in 2023 when Toronto acquired Jordan Hicks to help Jordan Romano at the back of the bullpen. That deal required two starting pitching prospects–Sem Robberse, their #7 prospect at the time, and Adam Kloffenstein. Neither has had an impact for the Cardinals. Kloffenstein was released and is now back in the Blue Jays organization and Robberse is still at Triple-A.
Given that Bednar has one more year of club control left, either an increase in quality of quantity of the package would be required. The Pirates are reportedly in need of offense–could this be a match with the Jays’ glut of young outfielders? Perhaps someone like Jonatan Clase, Joey Loperfido, or Alan Roden could be the centrepiece of a package. This is definitely a player who would help the Blue Jays, and who they should be targeting.
Pete Fairbanks, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays (#19 on ESPN list)
ESPN: “Fairbanks raised his slot a bit this year, and now his 97.3 mph fastball has more cutting action while his slurvy slider has more depth with both pitches playing a notch better than they did last season. He has a club option for 2026 that, with escalators, should wind up around the $10 million range. Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes and bullpen injuries have cut into the likelihood Fairbanks moves.”
MD: Trades within the division are rare, though not unheard of. Fairbanks has pitched quite well against Toronto and keeping him away from other playoff contenders in the American League would be an added benefit. He’s got experience in both closer and set-up roles, so he would be comfortable with whatever is asked of him in Toronto. A club option giving the Jays additional control and not making him a pure rental is also attractive.
Michael Soroka, SP, Washington Nationals (#39 on ESPN list)
MD: Soroka, a native of Calgary, has worked as a starter for the Nationals this season, but split time between the rotation and bullpen with the Chicago White Sox. His numbers don’t jump off the page (3-8, 4.85 ERA), but he boasts an impressive 9.57 K/9 and 1.13 WHIP. He could begin his Blue Jays tenure in the bullpen, but be ready to slide into the rotation in the event of an injury.
Additional Fits
Willi Castro, UT, Minnesota Twins (#31 on ESPN list)
Robert Suarez, RHP, San Diego Padres (#17)
Ryan Helsley, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (#18)
Taylor Ward, OF, Los Angeles Angels (#21)
Reid Detmers, LHP, Los Angeles Angels (#27)
Would a trade deadline haul of Soroka, Bednar, and Laureano be satisfactory for Blue Jays fans? There is likely a large contingent who would be underwhelmed. I understand the calls to acquire a pitcher who would start a game in a Wildcard Playoff series. I believe given the current roster construction, state of the farm system, and clubhouse culture, that the front office is less inclined to do so than those of us online.
Jays Balk 