Friday, August 01

DETROIT -- If not now, when? 

This Blue Jays front office has never been better positioned to make Trade Deadline headlines. With the best record in baseball, a farm system on the rise and money to spend in 2026 and beyond, everything is lining up for the Blue Jays to take a big, bold run at this. 

The past still matters, though. The Blue Jays have shopped at different levels of the market over the years, and at this time in 2024, they were gearing up for a firesale of their own. This front office has shown an ability to shape itself to the moment, and in the right spots, they’ve taken big swings that have worked out more often than not. 

Looking back, these moves made by Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays should help to frame what the next few days could look like leading up to the July 31 Trade Deadline:

RHP Jordan Hicks (2023)

Details: Acquired for pitching prospects Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein

You only need to reach back two years to find the Blue Jays swinging big on one of the top rental relievers available. Robberse was ranked as the club’s No. 7 prospect at the time and Kloffenstein was a young, controllable starter, so they paid a legitimate price for two months of Hicks, who gave them a 2.63 ERA over 24 innings. 

If the Blue Jays could get that production from a rental this season, it could help take this bullpen from good to great. Truly great bullpens have multiple options capable of closing games, and while Jeff Hoffman has proven to be a dominant MLB closer when he’s at his very best, you can never have enough. A high-end reliever is a must and the Blue Jays know it.

RHP José Berríos (2021)

Details: Acquired for top prospects Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson

While this market lacks the classic “rental ace," the Berríos deal remains an extremely useful reference point. If the Blue Jays can’t land a starter who can pitch in Games 1, 2 or 3 of a postseason series, there’s still value in doing some of their offseason business a few months early. Remember, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are free agents after this season and Kevin Gausman only has 2026 left on his contract. While someone like Mitch Keller of the Pirates may not change the ceiling of this rotation in ‘25, a move similar to the Berríos addition could help keep this window open.

3B Matt Chapman (2022)

Details: Acquired for Gunnar Hoglund, Zach Logue, Kevin Smith and Kirby Snead

Let’s include the Daulton Varsho deal in this, too, which cost the Blue Jays Gabriel Moreno, who was their No. 1 prospect and a top-10 prospect in the sport at the time. The same goes for the Chapman deal, when the Blue Jays dealt their first-rounder from the year prior in Hoglund -- along with Smith, who was still highly ranked at the time. 

The commonality? Big swings with big prospects for position players with team control. Remember, Bo Bichette is a free agent in a few months and the Blue Jays like to do their business early. This front office has continually shown not only a willingness to deal top prospects, but an eagerness to do so when they think the time is right, and an excellent year from the Blue Jays’ farm system and player development group has only given them more ammunition. 

Much of the attention in the coming days will be on rentals like Eugenio Suárez, but the Blue Jays have rarely gone for the expected, widely-aggregated names. There are plenty of dream scenarios out there, including Suárez’s teammate Ketel Marte, but the Blue Jays have the prospects and money to be involved in conversations for any player.

The Marlins Relievers (2021 & 2022)

Details: Acquired Adam Cimber, Zach Pop and Anthony Bass in two separate deals

These deals with the Marlins weren’t headliners like Hicks, Berríos, Chapman or Varsho, but the Blue Jays are expected to address their bullpen at multiple levels this Trade Deadline. 

While they’ve shown a willingness to take on a rental if that rental can truly raise their ceiling, the Blue Jays have tended to target controllable relievers when they’ve shopped in the mid-range under Atkins. Cimber, Pop and Bass all came with some level of team control beyond that year, so while the Blue Jays explore arms who can help in the sixth and seventh innings, they’ll be casting a wide net that goes well beyond the obvious rentals.

It’s all sunshine right now, but eventually, the Blue Jays will need to make a big decision on the future of their shortstop position. When I spoke with Bichette earlier this week, he again expressed how meaningful this run has been to him … and had this to say about his future:

“My priorities have always been to win, to be part of an organization that has that same goal in mind, and I want to play in an exciting environment. We’re checking all those boxes,” Bichette said. “It’s a special time right now and the fans are definitely making their case known.”

There’s no escaping the Trade Deadline talk. For fans, that’s a good thing. For players and coaches, it can really start to pile up.

“Let’s say I have 50 friends. I may have less than that, but if I do, I have 50 friends who are GMs or family members who are GMs,” said manager John Schneider. “That, I could do without, but yeah, you pay attention to it and see how each person fits into the team they’re going to. I’m lucky enough to know more than what the TV knows, so that makes it a little easier.”

You can read more here about how the Blue Jays are handling this inside their clubhouse, with comments from Bichette and Gausman.

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