Article: What Needs Should The Blue Jays Prioritize From These American League Sellers?

[Matthew Lenz]

While we are still about a month and a half away from the trade deadline, it's starting to get late early for some teams across Major League Baseball. With the trade deadline set for July 31, we are roughly a month away from the hot stove reaching its inferno. However, there are a handful of teams that we can pretty confidently say are going to be sellers around the deadline. Who are they, what do they have to offer, and how could the Toronto Blue Jays benefit? Let's dive in.

Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are 12 games below .500 and 13 games out of the playoff spot. They acknowledged a multi-year rebuild over the off-season, so it shouldn't be surprising that they are sellers once again. Potential rentals include outfielders Michael A. Taylor and Austin Slater as well as recently acquired starter Aaron Civale. Otherwise, intriguing players who are controlled beyond 2025 include infielder Josh Rojas and outfielder Mike Tauchman. However, it’s more realistic that teams aggressively kick the tires on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who has been the subject of trade speculation for a while now. Robert Jr. signed a pre-arbitration extension that included $20 million in team options for 2026 and 2027, which can be bought out for $2 million. Once a top prospect in baseball, the 28-year-old has had a hard time staying healthy throughout his career and has struggled at the plate over the last two seasons.

Athletics
The Athletics are in a free fall ever since they started their season 22-20. In their last 28 games they have just four wins. While they are a young team with some exciting talent, they're obviously not ready yet and have a handful of rentals that teams could kick the tires on. Most notably are utility players Miguel Andujar and Luis Urias who have both produced above average at the plate this season. Third baseman Gio Urshela is more than two years removed from his last productive season and has a mediocre glove at the hot corner, but could be an intriguing option to handle the short side of a platoon. On the mound, Jose Leclerc and T.J. McFarland are two potential reliever rentals, though Leclerc has been sidelined with a lat strain since April and McFarland has been plain bad. It seems likely that at least one of Andujar, Urias, or Urshela are traded ahead of the deadline.

Baltimore Orioles
Injuries aside, it's still pretty shocking to see the Orioles struggling this much. After winning 91 games and earning a playoff berth in 2024, they are currently 13 games below .500 and 8.5 games out of a playoff spot. The difference here is that the Orioles are not in the midst of a rebuild, so it's likely they limit their moves to players on expiring deals. Those names include: pitchers Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Gregory Soto as well as outfielder Cedric Mullins. Of those players, Eflin, Sugano, and Soro are having successful seasons on the mound and will draw significant trade interest. However, two names that have been the subject of trade rumors but are controllable beyond 2025 are first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and outfielder Heston Kjerstad. Mountcastle, who will miss the next 8-12 weeks with a hamstring strain, is having a down year with a .628 OPS and two home runs. Kjerstad, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, has also struggled this season but has often found himself as the odd man out of a stacked group of young talent.

Blue Jays Needs
The Blue Jays are in the thick of it in both the AL East and Wild Card. While they have one of the best bullpens in the league, they need help in the rotation. After losing Max Scherzer a month into the season, the Blue Jays rotation ranks in the bottom third of the league in many categories. While Trey Yesavage may be ready for an opportunity late in 2025, the Blue Jays don't have much coming in reinforcements behind the return of Scherzer. Yes, they have needs on the offensive side of the ball but they need to prioritize bolstering their rotation. Speaking of the offensive side, they are solid overall ranking eighth in the big-leagues in OPS. They would benefit from upgrading their outfield and second base.

The Orioles could be a one stop shop for the Blue Jays, but it's hard to see them trade within the division. It seems they could be competing for some of the same arms their division foe, Boston Red Sox, will be pursuing.

What would you prioritize if you were in the Blue Jays front office? Join the conversation in the comments!

 

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[JaysAllMighty]

Pitching is a priority for the Jays right now.