Could the Blue Jays' 2026 Deadline Be a Teoscar Redux?

Stop me if you’ve heard this one.

As the trade deadline approached, the Jays were struggling. They were multiple games under .500, largely due to multiple injuries to key players, and so far behind the AL East leaders that a serious run for the division title was beyond a long shot. But the Jays had a very good starting pitcher on an expiring contract, and the team favoured to win the World Series needed one. And that team had a strong young slugging outfielder in their minor league system, MLB-ready but blocked, not only by the three excellent outfielders already on their major league team, but also by an uber prospect ahead of him in the minors. The Jays needed more offence. So, they traded a half-year of their pitching stud for the young outfielder.

Am I talking about the Francisco Liriano trade for Teoscar Hernández in 2017? Or a Kevin Gausman trade to the Dodgers in 2026?

Hear me out.

It is entirely possible that the Jays find another gear in the remainder of July and play themselves into a Wild Card position. But if they don’t – if they are still 10+ games out of first place in the AL East and multiple games out of the last Wild Card with several teams to overcome – then selling becomes an option they would have to consider. And possibly their greatest trade chip would be Kevin Gausman, with his excellent career record and solid 3.83 ERA over 56 postseason innings pitched. There would be multiple teams interested, but one of the most intriguing would be the Dodgers.

The Dodger Outfielders

The Dodgers have three good outfielders in Teoscar Hernández, All-Star Andy Pages and sixty-million-dollar man Kyle Tucker, all of whom are performing well and signed through 2027. Their “fourth outfielder,” Tommy Edman, is hitting for a 165 wRC+ so far in 2026. So, the need for outfield help at the MLB level is minimal. That means that the many outfielders in their minor league system who rank among Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects are blocked… and potentially available.

The Pipe Dream

Josue De Paula (BA #4 Overall, Scouting Grades – Hit: 60, Power: 60, Run: 40, Field: 45, Arm: 50) is currently hitting .321/.419/552 in Double A and is widely considered to be MLB-ready. He might be available in a Skubal trade, but it is unlikely that the Dodgers would part with a player with a Baseball Trade Values value of $54 million for a half-year of Gausman. Still, his combination of power and upside would make him an ideal target if somehow the Jays could pry him free.

The Centre Fielder

Mike Sirota (BA #12 overall, Scouting: 55/50/60/55/55) not only has plus bat speed and the potential for 60-grade raw power, with a 90^th percentile exit velocity of 107 mph, but he is also a consistent centre fielder with plus speed and an above-average arm. Given that the Jays may lose Daulton Varsho to free agency and that Myles Straw still struggles with the bat, a hard-hitting centre fielder might be the best of all options. Sirota has a BTV trade value of $37 million – high, but with Pages under team control, he might be available for a package of Gausman + prospects.  Unfortunately for Toronto, Sirota has recently elevated his profile with a 68-game on-base streak, which could elevate Los Angeles’ asking price if he is even still available.

Hope That Swings Eternal

A more plausible target is Zyhir Hope (BA #55 Overall, Scouting Grades: 40/60/55/50/50). He has plenty of bat speed and raw power, but his inconsistency makes it unclear whether he is MLB-ready, and he has struggled against left-handed pitching (a concept with which Jays fans will be painfully familiar!). Still, so far in 2026 he is batting .289/.363/.505 in Double A for a 124 wRC+ and has been said to have 40-homer potential if his flaws could be fixed – a scouting report very similar to Teoscar’s in 2017.

The Dark Horse

James Tibbs III (BA Dodgers #12, Scouting: 50/45/40/45/50) was considered a 40-grade prospect going into 2026, ranking #26 on the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects list. He has been called a fringe-average corner outfielder and emergency first baseman, with a fair amount of skills, though he had yet to find a way to put them all together. Then came 2026. In 382 PA, Mister Tibbs (sorry!) is hitting .284/.406/.559 with a .385 xwOBA and a 143 wRC+. His ISO has gone from a cromulent .182 to a holy-cow-Batman .275.

Tibbs would be something of a gamble, as his MiLB career wRC+ is a meager 93. But the Jays have not been afraid of helium plays in the past, and Tibbs’ trade cost should be far less than the other candidates.

The Bottom Line

It has been said that the definition of a good trade is where each party receives something that is of greater value to them than to the trading party. Tibbs is far down the Dodgers’ outfield depth chart (as Teoscar was for the Astros in 2017), but LA could strongly use another proven playoff starter. If (big if) the Jays are out of contention at the deadline, their thoughts should shift from 2026 to 2027. A young, cheap, controllable, power-hitting outfielder would fill an important hole.