{"id":39559,"date":"2025-08-01T14:40:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T14:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/39559\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T14:40:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T14:40:08","slug":"how-blue-jays-american-league-rivals-fared-at-trade-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/39559\/","title":{"rendered":"How Blue Jays’ American League rivals fared at trade deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> made significant upgrades to their pitching staff with the additions of Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dom\u00ednguez, Louis Varland, and Ty France in recent days, but they weren\u2019t the only team making moves.<\/p>\n

While the Blue Jays undoubtedly improved, they remain in a tight race atop the American League and the AL East. Understanding how much better equipped they are for those battles requires knowledge of how the teams most competitively relevant to them fared at the deadline.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s take a look at how much better the teams around the Blue Jays got, to give Toronto\u2019s deadline a little more context.<\/p>\n

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Watch the Toronto Blue Jays, Blue Jays Central pre-game, marquee MLB matchups, Jays in 30, original documentaries, the wild card, divisional series, championship series and entire World Series on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.<\/p>\n

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Why are they relevant?: Despite Toronto\u2019s dominance over New York in head-to-head play recently, the Yankees remain the Blue Jays\u2019 top competition for the AL East title.<\/p>\n

Who did they add?:\u00a0RP David Bednar, RP Camillo Dorval, RP Jake Bird, 3B Ryan McMahon, INF Amed Rosario, OF Austin Slater, 2B\/SS Jos\u00e9 Caballero<\/p>\n

Who did they subtract?:\u00a0SP Griffing Herring (A+), SP Josh Grosz (AA), SP Gage Ziehl (AA), RP Clayton Beeter (AAA), OF Browm Martinez (DSL), C Rafael Flores (AAA), C Edgleen Perez (A), OF Brian Sanchez (A), 2B Roc Riggio (AA), SP Ben Shield (AA), OF Everson Pereira (AAA), SP Trystan Vrieling (AA), C\/3B Jesus Rodriguez (AAA), 1B\/3B Parks Harber (A+), SP Carlos De La Rosa (DSL), INF Oswald Peraza, PTBNL or cash<\/p>\n

Did they lose anyone who would\u2019ve helped this season?:\u00a0Beeter had pitched 3.2 innings for the Yankees this season and could\u2019ve conceivably been a late-season callup, but he wasn\u2019t a notable near-term subtraction as a reliever struggling with his control at Triple-A. Peraza spent plenty of time on the big-league roster in 2025, but didn\u2019t provide positive value.<\/p>\n

What was the impact?:\u00a0New York replaced three-quarters of its bench and 37.5 percent of its bullpen while adding a much-needed starting third baseman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The relief additions are the most dramatic as Bednar and Dorval are fireballers with extensive closing resumes. Bird is less well-known, but he\u2019s an ascending arm who combines bat-missing ability with a sinker that keeps the ball on the ground. That trio has combined to produce more fWAR this season (2.5) than 15 entire MLB bullpens this season \u2014 including New York\u2019s (1.4).<\/p>\n

With a trio of moves, the Yankees went from having an underwhelming group of relievers to providing opponents with a late-game gauntlet. The transformation will be even more impactful if Devin Williams can find his footing in pinstripes.<\/p>\n

Before McMahon\u2019s arrival, the Yankee third basemen hit .222\/.301\/.359 and produced just 0.8 fWAR. While it\u2019s unclear how the veteran will fare after escaping the Rockies and Coors Field\u2019s eccentricities, he\u2019s a credible glove-first option at the hot corner.<\/p>\n

None of the other position players projects to have a full-time role, but both Rosario and Slater have a wRC+ over 130 against southpaws this season. Caballero is a top-notch infield defender who provides some insurance in case Anthony Volpe\u2019s recent defensive wobbles become a persistent issue.<\/p>\n

The Yankees turned over a large portion of their roster, addressing some of their most notable holes in the process. They didn\u2019t become a juggernaut overnight, but the bullpen remake, in particular, has changed the shape of the team and made it significantly more formidable.<\/p>\n

Why are they relevant?: Boston may have traded Rafael Devers in a move that weakened them for 2025 back in June, but they sit just 1.5 games behind the Yankees in the standings.<\/p>\n

Who did they add?:\u00a0SP Dustin May, RP Steven Matz<\/p>\n

Who did they subtract?:\u00a01B\/3B Blaze Jordan (AAA), OF James Tibbs III (AA), OF Zach Ehrhard (AA)<\/p>\n

Did they lose anyone who would\u2019ve helped this season?:\u00a0Boston\u2019s difficulties at first base are well documented, and Jordan was one phone call away from the majors, but if the Red Sox perceived him as a near-term solution, it\u2019s unlikely they would\u2019ve moved him for a rental reliever like Matz.<\/p>\n

What was the impact?:\u00a0May will fortify the back of Boston\u2019s rotation, but he\u2019s carrying a 4.85 ERA backed by a 4.88 xERA, and his velocity has gone from elite to merely above-average.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible the Red Sox can rejuvenate him, but he\u2019s a floor raiser rather than an impact arm at this point.<\/p>\n

Matz is having a stellar season out of the bullpen, but he\u2019s a low-strikeout (7.69 K\/9) southpaw who\u2019s more suited to give the team length than help it navigate high-leverage situations.<\/p>\n

The Red Sox got better in a literal sense, but they improved less than the teams around them \u2014 including the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n

While this probably wasn\u2019t the right moment for the Red Sox to go all-in, they certainly disappointed some of their fanbase, which Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow acknowledged on Thursday evening.<\/p>\n

Why are they relevant?: The Rays could conceivably make a late push for an AL East title, but the wild card is a more realistic goal as they sit two games below .500.<\/p>\n

Who did they add?:\u00a0SP Adrian Houser, RP Griffin Jax, C Nick Fortes, C Hunter Feduccia (AAA), SP Brian Van Belle (AAA)<\/p>\n

Who did they subtract?:\u00a0SP Zach Littell, SP Taj Bradley, C, Danny Jansen, C Ben Rortvedt (AAA), RP Paul Gervase (AAA), OF Matthew Etzel (AA), 2B\/SS Jos\u00e9 Caballero, INF Curtis Mead (AAA), SP Duncan Davitt (AAA), RP Ben Peoples (AAA)<\/p>\n

Did they lose anyone who would\u2019ve helped this season?:\u00a0Littell was an impactful contributor to the rotation with 3.58 ERA over 133.1 innings \u2014 the seventh-highest total in the majors. Bradley had recently been sent to Triple-A, but not before pitching 111.1 innings for the Rays and producing 1.5 fWAR.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Jansen produced a respectable 97 wRC+ as a backstop with surprisingly suspect defensive metrics, bringing down his total value. Mead logged some time in the majors this season, but struggled offensively.<\/p>\n

What was the impact?:\u00a0Tampa had a characteristic deadline that saw the franchise mix buying and selling in its everlasting quest for surplus value.<\/p>\n

Littell was having a strong season, but so is Houser. Losing Bradley hurts the Rays\u2019 rotation depth, but adding Jax strengthens its bullpen. Tampa Bay\u2019s catching situation may have worsened in the short term, but Feduccia might just factor in and raise the team\u2019s ceiling at the position.<\/p>\n

If history is any indication, the Rays will come out on top somehow, but it probably won\u2019t be by a massive margin in 2025.<\/p>\n

Why are they relevant?: The Tigers are tied with the Blue Jays atop the American League.<\/p>\n

Who did they add?:\u00a0SP Chris Paddack, SP Charlie Morton, RP Kyle Finnegan, RP Paul Sewald, RP Rafeal Montero, RP Randy Dobnak (AAA), RP Codi Heuer (AAA)<\/p>\n

Who did they subtract?:\u00a0C Enrique Jimenez (A), SP Josh Randall (A+), SP R.J. Sales (A), INF Jim Jarvis (AA), PTBNL or cash, cash.<\/p>\n

Did they lose anyone who would\u2019ve helped this season?:\u00a0No\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Tigers added two pitchers to a rotation that was hurting after losing Reese Olson to a season-ending injury, but the duo of Paddack and Morton has combined for a 5.07 ERA in 2025, and it’s possible neither would crack a postseason rotation.<\/p>\n

Detroit also added three brand-name veteran relievers in Finnegan, Sewald, and Montero. If this were 2022, that would be a stellar haul as the trio had a collective 2.85 ERA, all working in high leverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the present, and Sewald\u2019s health is a question mark; Montero hasn\u2019t had an ERA under 4.70 in three seasons, and Finnegan lost a full 1 mph on his fastball this season while posting a scary-low strikeout rate (7.38 K\/9).<\/p>\n

Detroit bought in bulk, and while its slight upgrades to the bottom of the roster might help it in the race for playoff positions, the team didn\u2019t become a more formidable postseason foe despite the certainty that it\u2019ll be playing in October.<\/p>\n

Why are they relevant?: The Astros sit 1.5 games behind the Blue Jays in the battle for the top of the American League.<\/p>\n

Who did they add?:\u00a0SS Carlos Correa, OF Jes\u00fas S\u00e1nchez, 3B Ram\u00f3n Ur\u00edas,\u00a0<\/p>\n

Who did they subtract?:\u00a0SP\/RP Ryan Gusto,SP\/RP Twine Palmer (A), RP Matt Mikulski (A+)<\/p>\n

Did they lose anyone who would\u2019ve helped this season?:\u00a0Gusto had been giving the team some manageable innings as a swingman, but was a role player unlikely to move the needle.<\/p>\n

What was the impact?:\u00a0\u00a0In a trade market where far more pitchers than position players were changing addresses, Houston got some notable bats.<\/p>\n

Correa\u2019s homecoming and a move to third base might help his bat come alive, but he\u2019s no sure thing to provide middle-of-the-order impact in the midst of a 97 wRC+ season. His career .282\/.352\/.508 line in 358 postseason plate appearances may have Houston believing he\u2019ll deliver when it matters the most, though.<\/p>\n

S\u00e1nchez is an underrated asset as long as he\u2019s deployed carefully. He mashes right-handed pitching (125 wRC+) while displaying comical ineptitude against southpaws (7 wRC+). Ur\u00edas is more of a bench player, but he\u2019s an interesting buy-low hitter who has traditionally provided above league-average production.<\/p>\n

The Astros entered the deadline with the AL\u2019s most productive pitching staff by fWAR (15.4), and the jolt of offence could help them become the most dangerous team in the Junior Circuit.<\/p>\n

Why are they relevant?: They are unlikely to threaten the Blue Jays\u2019 playoff position directly, but they are a possible post-season under a few different scenarios \u2014 and just had an eye-opening deadline.<\/p>\n

Who did they add?:\u00a03B Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, 1B Josh Naylor, RP Caleb Ferguson<\/p>\n

Who did they subtract?:\u00a0RP Juan Burgos, RP Brandyn Garcia, 1B Tyler Locklear (AAA), RP Hunter Cranton (A+), SP Ashton Izzi (A+), SP Jeter Martinez (A)<\/p>\n

Did they lose anyone who would\u2019ve helped this season?:\u00a0No<\/p>\n

What was the impact?:\u00a0In a market low on above-average bats, the Mariners scooped up two of them in Su\u00e1rez and Naylor.<\/p>\n

Both slot into the middle of the lineup for a team that entered deadline day as MLB’s 12th-best run-scoring offence. Seattle finished July ranking fifth in home runs, and projects to become one of the majors\u2019 best quick-strike lineups with the addition of Su\u00e1rez, who has 36 homers already.<\/p>\n

Seattle probably should\u2019ve done more to help its bullpen, but the Mariners’ lineup looks potent, and its rotation is playoff-ready with four above-average options in Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Brian Woo, and George Kirby.<\/p>\n

The Mariners are five games back in the AL West, but they are positioned to make a run, and the combination of a powerful lineup and deep rotation is a good foundation to work from.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Blue Jays made significant upgrades to their pitching staff with the additions of Shane Bieber, Seranthony…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39560,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":["post-39559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}