Toronto Blue Jays will be aggressive making additions, specifically with bullpen help
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With the MLB trade deadline set for July 31st, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has just over two weeks to bolster the Jays' roster ahead of the playoffs.
Speaking with TSN Radio on Wednesday, ESPN's Buster Olney says the perception around the league is that Atkins and the Blue Jays will be aggressive in making additions, specifically, in seeking bullpen help.
«The Blue Jays are going to be aggressive. Now, the question is: How does that manifest because there's not going to be a huge volume of players available,» Olney said. «One executive believes the Blue Jays will lock in on bullpen help. Maybe that's with the Minnesota Twins. Maybe that's with the Cleveland Guardians who have told other teams that they're willing to talk about anyone other than Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith in their bullpen. That's the perception. Bullpen help is going to be a focus for them.»
Olney says that the biggest stars on the market could align perfectly with that the Blue Jays could be looking to add.
«The biggest star power on the market might actually be the relievers in Minnesota - Griffin Jax and Johoan Duran. Those might be the difference makers moved before the deadline,» said Olney.
Duran, 27, has been the Twins' full-time closer for the past three seasons, racking up 65 saves and a 2.64 ERA over 160 innings over that span. Jax, the Twins' setup man, has a 3.92 ERA in 41.1 innings this season.
«The Arizona Diamondbacks have told other teams they're probably going to sell. They're probably going to put Eugenio Suarez on the market, their All-Star third baseman. Josh Naylor, their first baseman and a proven run producer,» said Olney. «Their two starting pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly will be available. Can you get a guy that's going to be a starting pitcher for you in one of the first three games of the postseason? That can potentially be the front-line guy? At their best, either one of those guys will fit that category.»
While both starters fit what the Jays could be looking for, Olney says the club will need to pay up in order to add a premium starter at this year's deadline.
«The Blue Jays are definitely going to compete with other teams. The Mets and Yankees are looking for starting pitchers. The Dodgers might be in the marketplace for that depending on what they're saying internally about the recovery of some of their guys,» said Olney. «It would be interesting to see how the Blue Jays would fare in a head-to-head bidding war against some of those teams.»
With 66 games remaining on the schedule, the Blue Jays have the opportunity to head into the playoffs as the division winner for the first time since 2015.
Olney believes that the current landscape in the American League has created the perfect opportunity for the Jays to go all-in.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 16 | 152 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays will be aggressive making additions, specifically with bullpen help Do you think the Blue Jays need help in the bullpen or with starting pitching? | ||
| Bullpen | 37 | 24.3 % |
| Starting pitching | 38 | 25 % |
| Both | 77 | 50.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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