How the Blue Jays Rotation Can Survive Post-Deadline if Gausman and Bieber Are Traded

The trade deadline is less than a week away. The Toronto Blue Jays sit 5.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot, held by the Cleveland Guardians, and have five teams ahead of them. The American League is weaker than usual this season, which will make some of the teams ahead of Toronto feel as if they're only a few pieces away from contending, making them buyers.

The Jays won't be aggressive buyers because they need too many pieces, especially on offense, where they rank 30th in runs, 25th in home runs, and 29th in OPS. However, they have good talent on their roster, so they don't need a full fire sale or to give up on the season completely. The Blue Jays could take a page out of the Guardians' 2025 playbook by trading expiring contracts and still compete the rest of the season. Cleveland won the AL Central with this approach, although that was a much weaker division than the AL East.

The players on expiring contracts are George Springer, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and Daulton Varsho. Scherzer and Springer have full no-trade rights, while Gausman has eight teams he can block a trade to. Looking at the starting rotation, Gausman and/or Bieber would be the best bets to get dealt, especially with starting pitching being a popular target for contending teams.

Although, Gausman has stated that he hopes that he doesn't get traded. He's spent the last five seasons with the Blue Jays, so it'll be an awkward conversation if the team decides to move him.

If Gausman and Bieber get dealt, how will the Blue Jays fill the holes in their rotation for the remainder of the season?

Spencer Miles

With the plethora of injuries the Blue Jays' rotation suffered in the first half of the season, Spencer Miles was needed to fill in after Eric Lauer was designated for assignment. However, he's been more successful as a reliever than a starter this season. 

He hasn't been as effective striking out batters as a starter, with only a 14.1 percent strikeout rate, compared to 26.6 percent when pitching out of the bullpen. The Rule 5 draft selection this offseason has been an asset all season long in the later innings, so he wouldn't be the ideal rotation fix, as that would weaken the pen.

Chad Dallas

Chad Dallas missed the entire 2025 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2024. He returned at the beginning of the 2026 season and has been solid in Triple-A, posting a 3.16 ERA and a 23.8 percent strikeout rate. 

Dallas was called up June 4, but he made only one appearance, though it was an impressive MLB debut. He faced 15 Atlanta Braves hitters over 3 2/3 innings in relief, allowing two hits and one earned run. Despite the solid appearance, the Blue Jays sent him back down and recalled Brendon Little. Dallas got another shot on July 10, pitching a scoreless inning against the San Diego Padres, but he was quickly demoted again a few days later. 

The righty returned to the starting rotation in Triple-A Buffalo, but he hasn't completed more than 4 1/3 innings in his two starts since his second demotion. It's not that he has pitched poorly, as he has allowed only one earned run over his last 7 1/3 innings. It could be more of a sign that the Blue Jays envision him as a reliever in the future, or that they are closely monitoring his workload. However, the Blue Jays are slim on MLB-ready arms, and if Gausman and Bieber are gone, then the team will need inning eaters. Dallas would be a top in-house choice, as he is already stretched out. 

Simeon Woods Richardson

The Blue Jays re-acquired Simeon Woods Richardson from the Minnesota Twins for cash earlier this season. They originally acquired him in the 2019 deal that sent Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets but then sent Woods Richardson to the Twins in 2021 to acquire José Berríos. 

The righty struggled this season with the Twins, posting a 7.74 ERA, a 26:25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and a 1.89 WHIP over 47 2/3 innings. However, he was solid in his brief stint as a Blue Jay. The righty threw 10 scoreless innings, though he still struggled with control, walking seven batters and striking out five. To make room for Adam Macko, Woods Richardson would get DFA'd again, but this time he cleared waivers and went to Triple-A Buffalo.

He hasn't looked pretty in Buffalo, posting a 6.60 ERA and 1.80 WHIP, while striking out 11 and walking eight over 15 innings. Even though the righty has struggled in the minors, the Blue Jays somehow figured out a way for him to be successful in his first stint with the club, so maybe he can find his groove again. Though, Woods Richardson needs to start showing signs of improvement if he wants a shot before some of Toronto's more qualified prospects.

Ricky Tiedemann

Ricky Tiedemann is a promising left-handed prospect who might have already made his MLB debut if not for injuries. He missed the entire 2025 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 30, 2014. He made his 2026 debut for Single-A Dunedin on June 16, but that was short-lived, with him only making one additional start before suffering discomfort in his neck and shoulder. The southpaw received injections, which forced him to sit out another month. 

Tiedemann returned to the mound for Dunedin on July 25, facing four batters and striking out two. He throws a mid-90s fastball, with his changeup being one of his better offspeed pitches, fooling batters. He also possesses a sweeping slider that has been getting batters to swing and miss. With Tiedemann's injury history, the Blue Jays will ease him back into playing shape, but he could be ready come September to make his debut. 

Jameson Taillon

As I stated above, the Blue Jays are short on MLB-ready arms if Gausman and Bieber are traded, so they'll likely need to acquire a player from outside of the organization. That makes bringing in Jameson Taillon a smart idea. The Chicago Cubs DFA'd him on July 27 due to his struggles this season. Over 76 innings, he has a 5.92 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and has allowed batters to hit .256 off of him. Taillon is owed $18 million in his last season of a four-year $68 million contract, but if the Cubs can't find a trade partner within the seven-day window, they'll possibly release him. 

In a trade, the Cubs would likely be willing to eat a big chunk of what remains of his $18 million salary, making acquiring Taillon a beneficial move for the Blue Jays, who don't have many in-house options. He represented Team Canada in the 2013 and 2026 World Baseball Classics because his parents are Canadian and he's a dual citizen. So, it would be a heartwarming full-circle moment to see Taillon pitching in Toronto.

View our top trade candidates list, up to nearly 70 names and updated regularly!