Getty
Blue Jays add two more pitchers.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been at the top of the MLB rumor mill for weeks now.
First, it was clear that the Blue Jays badly wanted to win the Kyle Tucker free agency sweepstakes. They were very aggressive in their pursuit of Tucker, but ended up seeing him choose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead.
Lately, they have been talked about a lot as a potential Cody Bellinger suitor.
While Bellinger would be a solid consolation prize to Tucker, he isn’t nearly the same caliber of player. Toronto has not been rumored to be close to as aggressive in its pursuit of Bellinger as it was with Tucker. More than likely, the Blue Jays aren’t going to land him unless they change their plan of attack.
Keeping that in mind, Toronto would still like to make an upgrade in its outfield. With that being said, the Blue Jays have been urged to consider an aggressive strategy.
Keegan Matheson of MLB.com has suggested that Toronto should look to explore the trade market to improve the outfield.
“Daulton Varsho is a free agent after the upcoming season and so is George Springer, who will spend most of his time at DH,” Matheson wrote. “Sure, Anthony Santander is under club control for four more years, but he likely eases into many of the DH reps vacated by Springer if all goes well.
“The Blue Jays will have Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes and Joey Loperfido under control and Myles Straw has a team option, but there’s still so much room to add a long-term starter here. …This likely needs to come externally. The outfield trade market makes a lot of sense for this organization.”
Who Could the Toronto Blue Jays Pursue on the Trade Market?
There are a couple of names who could make sense for the Blue Jays as trade targets.
First up, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan could be a potential fit. He was rumored as a trade candidate before the MLB deadline last season. After hitting 11 home runs to go along with 56 RBI and a slash line of .272/.330/.374 last season in 156 games, Kwan could be a name to watch.
Another potential option would be Nicholas Castellanos from the Philadelphia Phillies, although that option doesn’t sound great.
Castellanos is coming off of a 2025 season with the Phillies that saw him play in 147 games, hit 17 home runs, drive in 72 RBI, and slash .250/.294/.400. Those numbers aren’t nearly what Tucker or Bellinger could bring to the table, but he could help some.
Toronto has some tough decisions to make, but it’s clear that improvement is needed.
Blue Jays Have to Improve to Have a Shot at the World Series
Once again, the rest of Major League Baseball had to sit back and watch the Dodgers get even better.
Tucker is one of the best hitters in baseball. After agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract with Los Angeles, the Dodgers are going to be even more difficult to beat come playoff time.
After pushing Los Angeles to a Game 7 last season, the Blue Jays are not terribly far behind the Dodgers. If they can make a high-impact move for a quality bat, they’ll be in a position to make another push for a championship.
It will be interesting to see what Toronto is able to do. Do the Blue Jays get more aggressive to sign Bellinger? Or, could they pull off a trade for another bat?
Expect to hear more in the near future, but the pressure is on for Toronto to make an upgrade.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
More Heavy on Blue Jays
Loading more stories