TORONTO – Two weeks removed from one of the more clever and unique trade deadlines the Toronto Blue Jays have pulled off, it’s a good time to revisit what they accomplished and the motivations behind their approach.
The short-term results certainly reflect well, as they’ve altered the course of their season in dramatic fashion, their odds of winning a wild-card spot surging from 4.4 per cent on Aug. 3 to 17.7 per cent Monday, second only to the Baltimore Orioles, at 23.2 per cent, among the seven clubs within 2.5 games of the American League’s final playoff spot.
Throughout the season, as the Blue Jays have worked to correct the big-league club, there’s been concurrent concern about gaps in the farm system that could make replacing coming roster needs more challenging.
The July 10 trade of reliever Tommy Nance to the Minnesota Twins for high-A catcher/third baseman Ryan Sprock – taking a replaceable asset and turning it into a future piece without hurting the present on-field product – was a reflection of both that worry and how the organization aimed to address the issue.
Still, knowing they had both immediate and next-season needs on the mound and at the plate, the Blue Jays understood that they weren’t going to be able to solve for all their needs in one trade deadline, or one off-season.
So, as they explored the buy and sell markets ahead of the Aug. 3 cutoff, they identified the opportunity to get José Soriano as a way to get the jump on their off-season work, while backfilling for Gausman’s departure in the present. Gausman returned a near-term piece in centre-fielder Brett Bateman, along with a future piece in infielder Ty Southisene, to help cover for the departure of Varsho, also on an expiring contract, and he returned another starter in Spencer Arrighetti, bolstering the rotation outside of free agency.
In turn, that should help the Blue Jays focus time and resources on the offence during the winter, a fix that was always going to be more complicated. Bateman has certainly helped since his arrival and looks like someone who’s going to factor for 2027 and beyond, but more external help will be needed for a group that’s 29th out of 30 in runs scored.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the most vital lever in changing that and no matter what else happens, he’s locked in at first base, so bolstering around him, Kazuma Okamoto and Alejandro Kirk is essential. Especially since Addison Barger and Anthony Santander, both coming off major surgeries, offer uncertainty as well as potential impact.
The outfield is their clearest area of opportunity while the end of George Springer’s contract opens up the DH spot, too, and free agency presents some interesting options in switch-hitter Ian Happ, Taylor Ward, Randy Arozarena and Luis Robert Jr., among others. Okamoto’s success may also open up more avenues into the Japanese market, with Cubs right-fielder Seiya Suzuki a pending free agent, while the Blue Jays are sure to have interest in Hanshin Tigers slugger Teruaki Sato, who is expected to be posted.
Flipping Jeff Hoffman for three prospects, headlined by A-ball right-hander Dasan Hill, also restored some system depth after the Soriano deal and the Blue Jays can use that in the trade market. But they’re also likely to be in the market for another reliever of Hoffman’s calibre, now, too.
However that all plays out, the Blue Jays will have more flexibility thanks to their hybrid deadline to get Soriano, Arrighetti and Bateman among others this month, using pending free agents and prospects to bolster their chances now and in 2027.
Bolstering the bullpen: While the Blue Jays backfilled for Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho, they did not for Jeff Hoffman, their final deal just before the deadline. That opened up a hole in the bullpen, one they believed they could either solve internally or from an external option that shakes loose.
Enter former closer Paul Sewald, claimed on waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, who has the potential to give the Blue Jays a middle-innings leverage boost.
The 36-year-old made his debut with 1.2 scoreless innings in Sunday’s 4-3, 10-inning loss to the New York Yankees and is focused on “getting back to being who I am,” on the mound.
Like Hoffman, he’s having a process-doesn’t-match-results season, with strong whiff, chase and strikeout numbers, but also high damage numbers, including a homer-per-nine rate of 2.8 that’s double his career average.
“It’s like I don’t know what’s happening when they hit it, but it’s really good when they don’t,” said Sewald. “We’re going to try and get a little bit less barrel percentage, a little less damage and try to make sure that some of those flyballs stay in the park. I’m a flyball pitcher. It’s part of the process. Sometimes they leave the yard. There’s no way they could leave the yard as often as they have so far this year. I’m hoping for some positive progression in that aspect and we’re just going to try to get some extra whiff and try to get away from hard contact.”
He and the Blue Jays have already had some discussions on that front and like Jameson Taillon, he feels new ideas from a new team can help him break old habits and make needed change.
“I would say that’s pretty accurate,” said Sewald. “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but sometimes you just need a different shade and to be in a different place to kind of figure out, like, hey, what do I do really well? Jay’s been in this league a long time. I’ve been in the league a long of time. We don’t need to rewrite history. We just need to get back to what we do. And I’m hoping that I can do that while I’m here.”
Taillon trending well: Speaking of Taillon, the right-hander who left a promising outing Monday against the Boston Red Sox after four innings with right forearm tendinitis is due to begin a throwing progression.
Having undergone a pair of elbow surgeries already, “I’m just pretty hyper aware of anything in there,” he said. “Started throwing my cutter a lot harder and I think that’s maybe what I was feeling. Just very mild tendinitis, nothing structural, which was great news, obviously. Just building back up … should be pretty quick.”
The Blue Jays are down to four starters in his absence, waiting for either him or Spencer Arrighetti, who threw 3.2 innings and 50 pitches in a rehab outing with triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, to return. Taillon joined the Blue Jays after being designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs and has leaned into the data presented to him had for him once he arrived.
“I thought both starts were like much closer to who I am, being able to drive fastballs to both sides of the plate, changeup’s been good, cutter’s been really good,” he said. “It’s like honestly kind of frustrating that I feel like I was just getting back to feeling like myself a little bit, but also it’s really encouraging. I came here and they had some really cool ideas for me, like I have to pitch in more to lefties and righties, use the whole mix. I feel like I’ve pigeon-holed myself a little bit over the years, like I only throw sweepers, cutters and four-seamers to righties, and I only throw curveballs, changeups to lefties, that sort of thing. So now I throw the cutter to lefties, maybe drop in some curveballs and throw sinkers into righties. Just being willing to be a little more creative and open up the playbook a little bit. So, I was pretty excited about some of the ideas they have.”
Trey aims for fast return: Trey Yesavage doesn’t believe his season is over after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee last week and plans to remain with the team while completing his rehab.
Already he’s able to move around while waiting for swelling in the joint to ebb and the range of motion to return, describing the surgery as “very non-invasive, like they were in and out, which is the reason I’m walking around and the reason I’m week-to-week.”
“I’m planning on pitching again, wherever the team needs me,” Yesavage added. “Hopefully we’re in a playoff push so I’m just here to help the team in any way possible.”
The Blue Jays’ recent surge in the wild-card standings “keeps me hungry, knowing that we have a very good opportunity of playing in October,” he continued, and to that end, he’s already busy readying for the possibility.
“The goal has been keeping the arm going without using the leg, so throwing from a knee, or throwing from the chair,” he said. “Staying active in the weight room and still doing arm care in the training room just to keep that ahead of the curve, don’t let that fall behind and have to get that back up along with the leg.”