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Blue Jays should go big or go home before the trade deadline

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After their ninth straight victory and taking a 3.5 game lead in the AL East over the weekend, the 2025 season looks a lot different for the Blue Jays.

In truth, the goal was always to compete this season. After all, ownership approved the biggest budget in franchise history for 2025, and they wouldn’t have done that if there wasn’t a legitimate belief that they could be a World Series contender. That said, I’ll readily admit that even as recently as a month or a couple of weeks ago, I wasn’t feeling very confident in their chances and believed that the front office hadn’t done enough over the winter to turn this roster into one that could make a deep playoff run.

Now that they’re in their newfound position atop the division standings here on July 6th, I think it’s time for even the most pessimistic of Jays fans to admit that this team has a real shot to not only make the playoffs, but maybe even to make some noise once they get there. However, even with my renewed optimism about this roster I still think the front office needs to do more to help them get over the hump.

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And I also think this is a year that they should go big or go home if they’re going to make moves ahead of the trade deadline.

What do I mean by that? Mostly that I believe there is little sense in half measures when it comes to the trade market, and I think Ross Atkins and the front office team need to be aggressive. Depth is always a good thing, especially when it comes to pitching, but to enter into the truly elite group of teams in baseball I think they need to do more than just depth reinforcements. There’s an argument that they could use another starting pitcher, at least one reliever, and probably another bat, preferably from the right side, so there is plenty of work to be done. However, I would argue that if they can’t find impact players at some of those positions then it may not be worth making a move at all.

Starting Rotation

I’ll begin by immediately contradicting myself and admitting that the rotation could use reinforcements of virtually any kind that’s capable at the big league level. The Blue Jays currently have a starting staff that includes Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, and Eric Lauer. The first three are all solid veterans that John Schneider and the coaching staff have been able to count on for a few years now, but the last two spots in the group have bigger question marks.

It was always a risk to sign Max Scherzer to a one-year, $16 million pact, not because of his ability on the mound at age 40 (41 later this month), but because of questions about whether he could be healthy enough to stay on the mound. So far 2025 has mostly brought frustration for the three-time Cy Young award winner, as he’s made just four starts and thrown a total of 17.0 innings. He looked pretty solid on Saturday, but unfortunately had to leave the game after 4.0 innings and just 72 pitches. The veteran continues to battle with thumb issues that have severely limited him in the twilight of his career, and this is something he’ll likely continue to deal with for the remainder of the year. As a result, I think the Blue Jays are more than aware that, and with all due respect to the future Hall of Famer, counting on Scherzer to stay healthy would be foolish at this point.

As for Lauer, he’s more than earned a continued opportunity in the rotation, and for now, there’s no reason he won’t get it. The 30-year-old has been an unexpected gift for the Blue Jays at a time when they were desperate for rotation depth. Not only has the southpaw been able to fill in admirably, but he’s thrived over his 13 games which include seven starts. He currently holds a 2.65 ERA and a 1.020 WHIP over 51.0 innings, and it’s not a stretch at all to say that the Blue Jays wouldn’t have the division lead without his surprise contributions in the rotation. Can he maintain that level of productivity? I don’t want to say no, but I also think it would be unrealistic to expect him to maintain a sub-3.00 ERA through the remainder of the year.

Getting back to the whole “go big or go home” thing, I think the concept applies to the rotation. Admittedly another depth arm wouldn’t hurt, but they could have some in-house reinforcements coming later this season as well. Alek Manoah continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery and could be an option as early as August. Bowden Francis has disappointed thus far, but it’s not impossible to think he could get back on track and potentially fill a back-end rotation role again in 2025. There’s also an outside chance that Trey Yesavage could find his way to the big leagues before season’s end, although I think it’s far more likely he debuts in 2026. The point is, they could have some depth available in-house for later in the year.

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I would argue that if Atkins and company are going to pursue a starter, they should focus on acquiring an ace, or something close to that level. I realize that’s much easier said and done, but I honestly think that’s the greater need, especially when looking at a potential playoff series. Right now the Jays are in a “good” spot with Gausman/Berrios/Bassitt, but there would be question marks about a Game 4 starter, and wouldn’t it be “great” if some/all of those three were pushed down a spot in favour of another higher-end option? Think of David Price when he arrived in Toronto in 2015 and suddenly the Blue Jays’ rotation went from good to great with a new ace to lead a group of solid veterans. The former division rival brought a near-guaranteed win for the Blue Jays when he took the mound, and that energy and confidence spilled across the rest of the roster.

Maybe that kind of ace won’t be available at this year’s deadline, but I do believe the Jays should be pursuing whatever is at or near the top of the market. I think the Jays would prefer to keep Yesavage and Arjun Nimmala in their pipeline, but their system is a lot stronger than it’s been in a few years now, and there are plenty of other potential trade chips available. A lot can change over the next three weeks or so, and as more teams decide whether they are contenders or rebuilders then more options could become available. As that happens, the Blue Jays need to be ready to act aggressively, and at the very least, acquire a starter that they would confidently start in a playoff game.

Bullpen

All things considered, I think the Blue Jays are in a pretty strong position with their bullpen, especially once everyone is healthy. With a group that includes Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia, Brendon Little, Chad Green, Yariel Rodriguez, Nick Sandlin, and the emergence of Braydon Fisher, they’re in a pretty solid spot overall. However, the playoffs and even a playoff race can be a different animal, and the importance of late-inning relief options becomes even more significant.

In a perfect world, they’d be able to find another quality left-handed reliever, but if they’re not picky about that there are plenty of intriguing potential options. Maybe the Guardians end up moving Emmanuel Clase this year, or the Pirates cash in on David Bednar now that he’s back to pitching like a closer again. Maybe the Nationals add to their pipeline by moving on from Kyle Finnegan, or perhaps the Twins decide to throw in the towel and move a handful of their useful arms. The relief market in particular may take some time to take shape, and once again the Blue Jays need to be ready to pounce.

Another Bat

While I’ll admit that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by several Blue Jays hitters this season, and that the depth is much stronger than I could have ever predicted, I still think they could use another boost to the lineup in advance of a potential playoff run. That said, they’ll be getting an internal boost at some point later this year when Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander can return to the active roster. This recent 8-game winning streak has been impressive, but it’s especially so when you consider that they’re not even running at full strength thanks to several players on the sidelines dealing with injuries.

The plus side of the injuries is that it has created more opportunity for players like Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider and more, and the young guys have responded with some scrappy baseball that has fair-weather fans tuning in again lately.

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As far as the “go big or go home” sentiment, I think it most applies to the lineup at the moment. When they’re fully healthy there won’t be enough at-bats to go around for all of the deserving players as it is, so in order to bump those guys out then it only makes sense to pursue a true impact player. As an example, and a name that’s already come up in a handful of rumours, what if the Jays acquired third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks? As an expiring contract, it shouldn’t require the very best of the Blue Jays’ farm, and Suarez’s powerful right-handed bat would fill a need, and fit on the lineup card as well.

A hypothetical lineup could look something like this:

1- Bo Bichette (SS)

2- George Springer (DH)

3- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)

4- Anthony Santander (LF)

5- Eugenio Suarez (3B)

6- Addison Barger (RF)

7- Alejandro Kirk (C)

8- Daulton Varsho (CF)

9- Andres Gimenez/Ernie Clement (2B)

The Blue Jays could also look at the potential trade market for outfielders as well, especially thanks to Barger’s versatility, but this is an example of the kind of move that makes sense to me for this team. Over the last year or so Suarez has found a form that has made him one of the best power hitters in the game. I realize he’s on an expiring contract, but in this case that might be a good thing only in that it will keep the cost of acquiring him down.

Whether it’s Suarez or other potential trade targets, I feel like it’s only really worth doing if they’re bringing in a pretty substantial upgrade. Otherwise, there are in-house players that are largely responsible for getting them where they are today, and a lot of them have earned continued opportunities. This Blue Jays roster has carved out a bit of an identity as a scrappy, blue-collar group of great stories in 2025, and there are plenty of games left on the schedule for that narrative to continue.

On the other hand, the current roster has already earned the right to be taken seriously as contenders for not just a Wild Card spot, but also in the AL East. For a team with several expiring contracts like Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, and more, it’s now or never for this core group, and they’re doing their part to show that they’re worth investing in. If there is an impact player or two (or three) out there that can give them the right kind of boost, now is the time for Atkins and the front office to push their chips to the middle of the table.