Toronto Blue Jays seen as landing spots for these three players at MLB Trade Deadline
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The Toronto Blue Jays badly need impact pitching to improve their rotation and bullpen, and a big bat to enhance their starting lineup.
The Blue Jays are in prime position to return to the MLB postseason.
Thanks to a recent run of phenomenal play, the Jays are the owners of a 40-33 record and the second wild card spot in the American League playoff pictures, sitting 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians, the first team out as of June 18.
Toronto is 15-5 in its last 20 games, and the team has found an impressive level of success despite a glaring weakness, its starting rotation.
The Blue Jays own the 26th best starting rotation ERA in MLB with a mark of 4.64.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand sees these three players as landing spots in Toronto.
Right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta
The 29-year old Peralta has already been an All-Star in his MLB career, and he might be in the midst of his best season.
So far for the Brewers in 15 starts, Peralta is 6-4 with a 2.60 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched.
He has had an ERA under four in each of the last six seasons, and his strikeout rate has been over a batter an inning for every season of his MLB career, all eight years of which have been spent in Milwaukee.
"Like the Rays, the Brewers have a history of dealing players as they get closer to free agency (see Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams), though trading Peralta would be a bold move given that Milwaukee sits only 1 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot," Feinsand writes. "Still, with an $8 million salary in 2025 and an $8 million club option for 2026, Peralta would surely draw interest from teams looking for controllable pitching, which is always a popular target around the Trade Deadline."
The Blue Jays could soon be getting Max Scherzer back from injury, but things would look even better in their pitching rotation if they added a guy like Peralta to the mix.
Right-handed relief pitcher Jake Bird
Colorado is off to a brutal start this season as they currently have the worst record in modern MLB history through 75 games with a 17-57 record, which is why they will definitely be sellers at the trade deadline.
The Rockies should try to sell any player who draws interest, but the club doesn't have many attractive pieces to shop.
Bird is one of the exceptions; the 29-year-old has a 2.23 ERA in 40 1/3 innings and comes with three additional years of club control.
The only problem is that Bird is not on an expiring deal which means the Blue Jays will likely have to give up some solid pieces for him and since they mostly need a starting pitcher.
If the Blue Jays can figure out a way to get Bird for some prospects then it would definitely be worth it.
First baseman / Outfielder Josh Naylor
Arizona has climbed back into the playoff race with a good start to June, leaving the Diamondbacks in striking distance of a Wild Card spot and still in the conversation in the NL West.
But Naylor is one of more than a half-dozen impending free agents on the roster, and given that a number of teams could use a big corner-infield bat, it's possible that Arizona could move Naylor (or Eugenio Suárez) and his expiring contract to address other needs.
The Canadian first baseman grew up in Mississauga, located less than 30 miles from Toronto, he has deep ties to the city and a large contingent of family and friends who come to see him play at rogers centre.
Naylor also has ties to Blue Jays players Myles Straw, Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin as they were former teammates for 3 years in Cleveland.
When the Blue Jays acquired Andres Gimenez this winter apparently their first target was Naylor who came of his first All-Star Game nomination in 2024 that saw him post a .776 OPS while smashing 31 home runs and driving in 108 runs.
Although Naylor appears to be thriving out west, posting a 124 OPS+ and a .346 on-base percentage, the 2024 All-Star could be a serious trade deadline target for Toronto this year.
Which of these players would you like to see the Blue Jays pick up before the MLB Trade deadline?
Tell us what you think in the poll below
| POLL | ||
JUIN 19 | 188 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays seen as landing spots for these three players at MLB Trade Deadline Which of these players would you like to see the Blue Jays pick up before the MLB Trade deadline? | ||
| Freddy Peralta | 53 | 28.2 % |
| Jake Bird | 19 | 10.1 % |
| Josh Naylor | 116 | 61.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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