MLB Trade Deadline: Ten days remaining, Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins is motivated.
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With the Toronto Blue Jays on top of the AL East by only three games and the New York Yankees breathing down their necks, Jays fans can expect Ross Atkins to make some moves to improve this club in the upcoming days.
The month of July has been relatively quiet in terms of the trade market so far, but that figures to change in the coming days with just ten days left until the trade deadline.
While plenty of teams are still weighing whether to buy or sell, signals about the impending decisions are becoming more clear.
In the past, trades and acquisitions for the best players available on the market go down to the wire as teams listen to multiple offers from different clubs for their best assets.
This is no different for the Blue Jays when they're looking to improve their club in the dog days of August through October. You can expect trades to be announced on the very last day when it comes to the best players available.
Since Blue Jays shop at the top of most markets, they're often described as 'on tilt' or 'desperate' or 'all-in' pretty much a 2x/yr occurrence & expect it again this month they do like the best players so maybe it's semantics, but alternate description would be 'motivated'
Teams are just now starting to list players that they are willing to listen to, or take offers on. Ross Atkins has made it clear that he is looking for a starting pitcher and bullpen help, possibly a right-handed bat.
Ross Atkins says the #BlueJays have been looking to add a right-handed bat. Pitching depth sounds like another priority ahead of the deadline. He adds that the Jays have had ownership support financially all along and that they should be able to «continue to flex that muscle.»
In the pitching department the Blue Jays have been linked to names like Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and even Freddy Peralta, while there's also an abundance of bullpen arms that are getting more and more attention.
The Athletics are listening to offers on RHP Luis Severino and LHP's Jeffery Springs an JP Sears.
The Orioles have said that they're only willing to trade pitching on the end of their contracts.
Starters Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano are all free agents at season's end, as are relievers Gregory Soto and Anthony Dominguez. Right-hander Andrew Kittredge.
The Guardians have been listening to offers on relievers Emmanuel Clase and Abbottsford B.C. native Cade Smith.
Clase is playing on a $4.5MM salary and will make $6MM next year. Cleveland has a pair of club options covering the 2027-28 seasons.
Those respectively came with $10MM base salaries, though Clase has since escalated their value to $11.5MM annually by twice winning the American League Reliever of the Year award and by surpassing 200 appearances over the past three-plus seasons. He'd also receive a $1MM assignment bonus if he's traded.
Smith, 26, had a breakout rookie season to emerge as Cleveland's top setup man. He turned in a 1.91 ERA with a near-36% strikeout rate through 75 1/3 innings a year ago.
Smith's ERA has backed up to a less impressive (though still strong) 3.07 mark across 41 frames this season. He's striking out 35% of opponents behind a gaudy 15.1% swinging strike rate.
The 6'5″ righty has a 96 MPH heater and a plus splitter. Smith is still a season and a half from reaching arbitration and is under club control for four and a half seasons.
There's virtually no chance the Guardians would trade both relievers. If they were to move Clase, it'd be largely driven by the belief that Smith would be an elite closer in his own right.
It's even tougher to see them pulling the trigger on a Smith deal when he'll play for barely above the league minimum for the next year and a half.
On the hitting side, the Blue Jays could be targeting Ryan O'Hearn, Josh Naylor, and Eugenio Suárez.
According to Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays are suitors for the following players:
OF Steven Kwan
SP Sandy Alcantara
SP Edward Cabrera
SP Seth Lugo
SP Kris Bubic
SP Mitch Keller
SP Zac Gallen
SP Merrill Kelly
SP Taj Bradley
SP Luis Severino
Who do you want to see Toronto make a move for the most?
OF Steven Kwan
SP Sandy Alcantara
SP Edward Cabrera
SP Seth Lugo
SP Kris Bubic
SP Mitch Keller
SP Zac Gallen
SP Merrill Kelly
SP Taj Bradley
SP Luis Severino
Who do you want to see Toronto make a move for the most?
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 21 | 163 ANSWERS MLB Trade Deadline: Ten days remaining, Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins is motivated. What do the Toronto Blue Jays need most at this years trade deadline? | ||
| Starting Pitching | 46 | 28.2 % |
| Bullpen Help | 56 | 34.4 % |
| Right-handed bat | 3 | 1.8 % |
| All of the above | 58 | 35.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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