The Blue Jays were 52-60 on Aug. 2, which put them ninth in the AL wild-card standings, but only 4.5 games out of a playoff spot due to the ugly nature of the No. 3 wild-card candidate pool.
Rather than fully waving the white flag, they did some short-term selling by moving impending free agents Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho while also landing controllable major league pieces José Soriano and Spencer Arrighetti to replenish the rotation.
After going 17-11 in August, the Blue Jays are still right in the thick of the playoff race at just 2.5 games behind the Guardians for the No. 3 wild-card spot.
Soriano (5 GS, 4.13 ERA, 28.1 IP) has slotted nicely into Gausman’s spot in the rotation, while Brett Bateman (92 PA, .317/.367/.390) has taken over as the everyday center fielder and leadoff hitter after he was acquired from the Cubs in the Gausman deal.
The decision to thread the needle between buying and selling might just end in an improved 2027 outlook and a trip to the 2026 postseason.