Leo Morgenstern

I'm still not ready to entertain the possibility that the Blue Jays will be sellers at the trade deadline. As I write this, the Jays are six games below .500 with a -38 run differential. They're only three games back of a Wild Card spot, but they would have to surpass three teams (and stave off several more) to put themselves in the playoff picture. If Toronto can't stop losing over the next couple of weeks, eventually Ross Atkins will have to face reality. But we're not there yet. For now, this is still the team that made it to Game 7 of the World Series last year. This is still the team with a top-five payroll in the sport. This is still a team that should absolutely have eyes on the playoffs. Of course, if they're going to get there – and give themselves the best chance to advance when they do – they'll have to bring in some reinforcements. The Blue Jays need another starting pitcher. Dylan Cease is a stud and Kevin Gausman is a horse, but I'm worried about Trey Yesavage and Spencer Miles running out of steam down the stretch. I'm also concerned by what we've seen from Shane Bieber so far, and I'm not counting on anything from Max Scherzer at this point. Patrick Corbin can rejoin the rotation as needed, but the Blue Jays can and should aim higher. I know I just named seven guys there, but if the 2026 Blue Jays have taught us anything, it's that we shouldn't ever worry about having too much starting pitching. If the Jays ever end up in a situation where they do have too many guys, they can figure it out then, but that possibility shouldn't affect their deadline strategy. So, Toronto needs to shop for a starter. There are plenty of options to consider, but thankfully, DiamondCentric has a list of the top 40 trade candidates I can use to narrow my search. Let's take a look at some of the top-ranked names. Tarik Skubal (No. 1) Not happening. I'd love to see the back-to-back Cy Young winner in Toronto, but the Blue Jays aren't in a position to make this kind of blockbuster. We can reconsider Tarik Skubal if they go on a 15-game winning streak. Joe Ryan (No. 2) DiamondCentric's second-highest-ranked trade candidate is a much more realistic target for the Blue Jays. The Twins ace might cost nearly as much as Skubal in terms of prospects; he's making a lot less money, and he's still under team control through arbitration in 2027. However, that's exactly why he makes sense for Toronto. If the Jays were to trade for Skubal and still miss the playoffs, it would be a disaster. If they trade for Joe Ryan and miss the playoffs this year, it would be disappointing, but they would go into 2027 with Cease, Ryan, and Yesavage atop their rotation. That's a great top three to build around, and even in his final year of arbitration, Ryan will come significantly cheaper than re-signing Gausman (or an equivalent free agent replacement). Here's what DiamondCentric's Matthew Trueblood has to say about Ryan: Reid Detmers (No. 4) Reid Detmers is under team control for two more seasons after this one. The left-hander would bring some much-needed variation to Toronto's rotation; the only lefty on their depth chart right now is Corbin. The downside with Detmers is that he's never pitched a full, qualified season. He threw a career-high 148.2 innings back in 2023. The next year, he technically threw 165.1 frames, but almost half of those were at the Triple-A level. In 2025, he threw 63.2 innings, all of them out of the bullpen. Detmers has looked great this year, but ultimately, the Blue Jays need a high-floor guy more than they need a high-ceiling guy right now. Kevin Gausman (No. 6) The next-highest starting pitcher on our rankings is a very familiar face, given that he already pitches for the Blue Jays. Jim Scott wrote an interesting piece about the possibility of Toronto flipping Gausman at the deadline, but I still think DiamondCentric's No. 6 trade candidate is staying put. Freddy Peralta (No. 7) My gut reaction here was no. The Blue Jays should stay away from Freddy Peralta. He's a rental, and he's pitching uncharacteristically poorly. Then I reconsidered. For one thing, Peralta won't cost anything close to the kind of prospect return the Tigers will demand for Skubal. And even in a down year, he has already reached 100 innings with a mid-4.00s ERA. His upside is similar to Ryan's, and his floor would still improve Toronto's staff. Here's what Matthew Trueblood wrote about Peralta: Sonny Gray (No. 8) I'm a big fan of Sonny Gray, who has been one of the more underrated frontline starters in the game for years. Since 2019, he has made 200 starts with a 3.44 ERA. In that span, he ranks fourth in FanGraphs pitching WAR behind Zack Wheeler, Gausman, and Logan Webb. His ERA right now is a career low, and his underlying numbers are as strong as ever. His strikeout rate is down, but he hasn't had any trouble compensating in other ways. Here's the problem: Gray is a very expensive rental. He'll have about $10 million in 2026 salary remaining at the deadline, plus a $10 million buyout on his mutual option at the end of the year. The Blue Jays could probably get the Red Sox to eat some of that money, but the way to do that would be to offer some enticing prospects to a division rival. I don't see that happening. José Soriano (No. 10) There's a lot to like about José Soriano, who owns a career 3.77 ERA and 4.13 xERA in 430 innings. The 27-year-old has come back to earth since his phenomenal March/April, but he's a reliable pitcher with plenty of skills the Jays would love to build on. Like his teammate Detmers, Soriano is under contract through the 2028 season, and I'm more convinced of his high floor. However, I'm less convinced the Angels will be shopping him. I think they'd only give him up for a price higher than the Jays might be willing to pay. Here are Trueblood's thoughts: Casey Mize (No. 12) This is another one where I'll say, "Let's reconsider if the Jays go on a winning streak." Casey Mize is a free agent after the year, and the Blue Jays cannot give up too much for a rental unless their playoff odds are significantly higher three weeks from now. What's more, the other rentals I've discussed so far (Skubal, Peralta, and Gray) all have longer track records of success. When it comes to Mize, the Tigers will be hoping his old prospect pedigree and excellent first-half results convince a team to pay a frontline-starter price for a pitcher who had never warranted that label before. Some teams might be willing to do that, but Toronto shouldn't be one of them. View full article

Well, that certainly was a week of Blue Jays baseball. The Jays snapped a six-game losing streak last week, taking two of three from the Mets. Unfortunately, they followed that up by dropping a series against the Mariners. The most painful part of it all was an 11-0 drubbing in Seattle, which was followed by another shutout loss. It's now been 24 innings since Toronto scored a run. Indeed, while the Jays went 3-3 on the week, all three losses were shutouts, leading to a -9 run differential. An even week means the Blue Jays are still six games below the .500 mark, but now they only have four weeks left before the trade deadline. Despite a 42-48 record and -42 run differential, Toronto is only three games back of a Wild Card berth. Considering that, and all the talent on this roster, I'm still inclined to view the Blue Jays as buyers this month. However, they need to string together some more wins if they're going to convince Ross Atkins to make some needle-moving additions. Toronto Blue Jays Week in Review (June 29-July 5) Monday, June 29: TOR 2, NYM 1 Bo Bichette gets a standing ovation in his return to the Rogers Centre. Trey Yesavage notches another quality start. George Springer hits a little league home run. Tuesday, June 30: NYM 3, TOR 0 Kevin Gausman rights the ship after a pair of rough outings. Blue Jays shut out for third time in 2026 (first time since May 6). Loonie Dog night record falls to 4-4. Wednesday, July 1: TOR 9, NYM 3 Blue Jays improve to 5-1 when Braydon Fisher "starts." Spencer Miles touches 99 on the radar gun for the first time (and tops out at 99.4). Sean Keys hits his first MLB home run. Patrick Corbin earns a five-inning save. Friday, July 3: TOR 2, SEA 0 Dylan Cease dominates on the seven-year anniversary of his big league debut. (He'll be named to his first career All-Star team the next day.) Louis Varland (soon to be named an All-Star himself) earns another save. He's 18-for-18 on the year. Saturday, July 4: SEA 11, TOR 0 Shane Bieber gives up seven runs. His first three starts haven't been very promising. Adam Macko falters. The Canadian rookie has been great this year, but he couldn't stop the bleeding on Saturday. Myles Straw takes the hill. The outfielder made his second scoreless pitching appearance of the season. Logan Gilbert and Cole Wilcox of the Mariners held the Blue Jays to one baserunner; Yohendrick Piñango singled in the fifth. Jonatan Clase makes his 2026 debut. Sunday July 5: SEA 4, TOR 0 The offense lets down Yesavage, who makes another quality start. The Jays managed a whopping three hits in this shutout, including a double from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Toronto Blue Jays Transactions of the Week Simeon Woods Richardson outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo. Jonatan Clase recalled for first time in 2026. Max Scherzer sent to High-A Vancouver for rehab start. (3.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K) Matt Bowman, Josh Fleming, and Justin Topa released from minor league contracts. Toronto Blue Jays Injury Updates of the Week Addison Barger diagnosed with stress fracture in his back. He will be shut down for at least another week. Scherzer expected to need two more rehab starts before returning. Could be back shortly after the All-Star break. Lenyn Sosa started a rehab assignment on June 22, but the infielder hasn't played since June 26. View full article

Nolan Perry earned our Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors for both April and May. The right-hander remains the story of the season in the Blue Jays' system, as he recently made his Double-A debut, striking out seven in three scoreless innings. However, he only made three starts in June, including a couple of less-than-stellar outings in his final two starts with Vancouver. So, for the first time this season, a new pitching prospect tops this list. Honourable Mentions Brendon Little, Buffalo Bisons Brendon Little also earned an honourable mention in April. His excellent work in the minors only makes his major league struggles more frustrating. The southpaw threw 7.2 scoreless innings for Buffalo in June, striking out 12. He gave up four hits and four walks, never allowing more than two baserunners in an outing. Unfortunately, in his one appearance for the big league team, Little gave up four runs in a lone inning of work. He was demoted the next day. Johnny King, Vancouver Canadians Johnny King is the top-ranked pitching prospect in the organization, and he enjoyed another solid month in June. The left-hander pitched to a 3.75 ERA in five starts, working into at least the fifth inning in all five games. Walks were a problem in a couple of his outings, but he struck out more than a quarter of his opponents in the month. The highlight of his June was an eight-strikeout gem against the Tri-City Dust Devils. No. 3: Gage Stanifer (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) 5 starts, 3.28 ERA, 33 K, 9 BB, 4 HR Gage Stanifer was the runner-up to Perry on last month's list, and he had himself another great month in June. The 22-year-old struck out 32% of the batters he faced, and his 8.7% walk rate represented a big step in the right direction. Stanifer finished the month by going six innings in a start for the first time since last summer. He struck out nine in what was easily his best game since his promotion to Double-A New Hampshire. No. 2: Troy Guthrie (Dunedin Blue Jays) 5 starts, 3.04 ERA, 24 K, 6 BB, 0 HR Troy Guthrie had a rough go of it in his final start of June, but he also made three quality starts in the month. All told, he struck out 24 batters and walked just six, finishing June with a 3.04 ERA and a 2.70 FIP. The 11th-round draft pick isn't a particularly well-known name, but his great control is helping him pitch deep into games. He's an arm to keep an eye on. No. 1: Danny Thompson Jr. (Vancouver Canadians/New Hampshire Fisher Cats) 5 starts, 1.52 ERA, 27 K, 10 BB, 1 HR Danny Thompson Jr. earned a mid-month promotion to Double-A New Hampshire, and he didn't miss a beat. In three starts post-promotion, he threw 14.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits. The 23-year-old right-hander isn't on our organizational top prospect list yet, but his strong work so far surely merits more consideration the next time we rank our top 20. View full article

Rosters for the 2026 All-Star Futures Game were announced this morning. Two Blue Jays will represent the American League in the exhibition matchup: shortstop JoJo Parker and right-handed pitcher Nolan Perry. Parker was Toronto's first-round pick last summer. He is Jays Centre's No. 1 prospect and is widely considered a top-100 prospect in the sport. In his first professional season, he has an .853 OPS and a 129 wRC+ in 64 games with Single-A Dunedin. Perry, a 12th-round pick in 2022, is enjoying a breakout campaign. The righty has already been promoted twice this season, and he recently shot up to No. 8 on our latest prospect ranking update. In 54.2 innings with Dunedin, Vancouver, and New Hampshire, he has 85 strikeouts and a 2.47 ERA. This year's Futures Game will take place on Sunday, July 12 in Philadelphia. View full rumor

Last week, the Blue Jays designated Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment. Often, that means goodbye. However, the right-hander cleared waivers, which means none of the league's other 29 teams were willing to take on his salary and add him to their active roster. So, the Blue Jays were able to send him outright to Triple-A Buffalo. While some players can reject an outright assignment, electing free agency instead, Woods Richardson does not have that option; that's because he has less than three years of MLB service time and has never previously been outrighted in his career. All of this is good news for Toronto. Thirty different players have thrown a pitch for the Blue Jays in 2026. (Only the Cubs, with 31, have used more pitchers this year.) Even if you don't count position players pitching, the Jays have used more pitchers than there are spots on the active roster, and the season is barely past its halfway point. Pitching depth is critical, and the Blue Jays know that well. So do all of us watching. Now, the next time the team needs a multi-inning arm – and there will be a next time – they'll have one at the ready. Woods Richardson is no longer taking up a spot on the 40-man roster, but the Jays can add him back to the 40-man whenever they please. That's a luxury. Of course, there's a reason Woods Richardson cleared waivers in the first place. He owns a 6.40 ERA this season, with equally distressing ERA estimators (FIP, xERA, SIERA, etc.). While he didn't allow a run in the 10 innings he threw for Toronto, the righty looked just as ineffectual as he had earlier this year in Minnesota, struggling to throw strikes or generate weak contact. In 57.2 innings between the Blue Jays and the Twins, Woods Richardson has 31 strikeouts to 32 walks. His 11.7% strikeout rate is the lowest among the 153 MLB pitchers with at least 50 IP, and he's the only arm in that group with more walks than strikeouts. That would be a huge problem even if he wasn't giving up so much hard contact in the air. Yet, a much more effective pitcher might still be hiding underneath it all. From 2024-25, Woods Richardson was a solid, back-of-the-rotation starter, pitching to a 4.11 ERA and 3.93 xERA in 245 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was a perfectly respectable 2.38 (224 K, 94 BB). Opponents still hit him hard, but fewer walks and more strikeouts allowed him to hold things together. Woods Richardson won't turn 26 until September. His days as a top-100 prospect might be long behind him, but his days as a capable major league starter are not. It's hardly far-fetched to wonder if he's a few small adjustments away from looking like his 2024-25 self again. That's another reason the Blue Jays are lucky that Woods Richardson passed through waivers. They can use him as depth if they want to. He can be the next man up in case of injury. But they can also keep him in Buffalo as a longer-term project. In the minors, he can try to throw more strikes without worrying about the negative consequences of lobbing one down the middle. He can refine his new splitter without counting how many times it ends up in the seats. The Blue Jays can wait to select his contract until, hopefully, something clicks. As I said before, there's a reason Woods Richardson is still a Blue Jay. Every other team had a chance to claim him, and every other team said "no thanks." He's not Dylan Cease. He's not Trey Yesavage. With the right adjustments, however, perhaps he's better than Patrick Corbin. And if not, at least he's nice to have as extra depth. View full article

Last week, the Blue Jays designated Tyler Heineman for assignment when they activated Alejandro Kirk from the injured list. Today, they traded him to the Angels for cash considerations. Heineman, 34, spent parts of the past five seasons with Toronto. In that time, he played 126 games over numerous stints with the Jays, hitting .242 with a .663 OPS, while consistently playing superb defense. He was a surprisingly important contributor to the 2025 AL pennant-winning team, enjoying an unusually productive season for a backup catcher. While his defense in 2026 has been as excellent as ever, his offense has been poor. Considering Brandon Valenzuela's success on both sides of the ball, it wasn't surprising when the Blue Jays decided to DFA Heineman last Friday. However, considering how many times they have re-acquired Heineman in the past, it also wouldn't be surprising to see the journeyman backstop back in a Blue Jays uniform someday. View full rumor

In two starts since he came off the injured list, Dylan Cease has given up seven hits and one run in 11 innings, striking out 18. He's doing everything he can to finally earn his first All-Star selection and get back in the AL Cy Young race. The Blue Jays couldn't be more grateful. Alejandro Kirk was behind the plate for Cease's most recent gem, marking the first time the two have worked together since April 3. In three games since his own return from the IL, Kirk is hitting .364 (4-for-11) with a .916 OPS. Slowly but surely, the Blue Jays are getting healthier, and the team's outlook is growing brighter. Just don't ask me about Max Scherzer's first start back from the IL. Instead, we can talk about some of the other reinforcements on the way. Shane Bieber (Elbow) Shane Bieber is making another rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo today. According to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling, the goal is about 75 pitches. The team has not confirmed that this will be the last rehab appearance for Bieber, but John Schneider suggested as much last week, telling Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith that Bieber needed one more rehab outing before the righty could make his way back to Toronto. Bieber's return can't come soon enough for a Blue Jays team fighting to get back above .500. In fact, I recently named him one of the three biggest X-factors for the Jays as they try to get back in the playoff picture. However, his return could also force a difficult decision: Who will lose their spot in the rotation to make room for the 2020 AL Cy Young winner? Yimi García (Elbow) Yimi García hasn't pitched in the majors since last July, but he has now made six appearances during his latest rehab stint. In his most recent outing, he struck out all three Triple-A batters he faced. While his stuff has been looking better, The Athletic's Mitch Bannon suggested recovery time might still be a concern. As Bannon pointed out, García has had at least three days of rest between all his rehab outings. If he's going to be of help to the Jays' bullpen, he needs to be able to pitch more frequently. Whichever of Bieber or García comes back second is going to force the harder roster decision. Presumably, Simeon Woods Richardson is the first to go when Toronto needs an active roster spot. It's a lot harder to figure out how the team will find a second opening on the 26-man. Ricky Tiedemann (Elbow) We were supposed to see Ricky Tiedemann pitch in spring training this year, but a bout of elbow soreness dashed those hopes. Last night, Jays Centre's No. 5 prospect finally made his 2026 debut, tossing an inning for the Florida Complex League team. Although he gave up two hits and a run, the outing was a huge step in the right direction for the promising young lefty. Tiedemann's long-term future is still as a starting pitcher, but he'll probably be limited to shorter outings this year. The silver lining to that is it could accelerate his MLB debut. As long as he keeps making progress, it's a very real possibility that Tiedemann joins the Blue Jays' bullpen down the stretch this season. More Blue Jays Injury Updates Addison Barger (elbow) could begin a rehab assignment later this week (per Sportsnet). There is no timeline yet for Daulton Varsho (wrist), but the center fielder has resumed hitting drills. According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, Varsho's wrist is feeling "much better" than it did last week. Lazaro Estrada is technically still on a rehab assignment, even though he's pitching for Triple-A Buffalo, which is likely where he'll stay when he's reinstated. He made his fifth rehab appearance yesterday, giving up two runs in 2.2 innings. Arjun Nimmala remains on the minor league injured list with a hamstring strain. Jays Centre's No. 3 prospect hasn't played since May 27, and unfortunately, there's no word yet on when he'll return. View full article

The Blue Jays are 34-38. That's one game worse than they were through 72 games in 2024. In case anyone needs reminding, they went on to sell at the deadline that year and finish with the worst record in the AL East. Thankfully, this year's team doesn't need to start thinking about throwing in the towel. Despite their losing record and -22 run differential, the 2026 Blue Jays are only 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. They haven't felt like a real contender all season. They've never been more than three games above .500, and they've yet to win more than four in a row. The thing is, that's true of lots of their American League opponents too. Only five teams in the AL have a record above .500. Before the season started, FanGraphs gave the Blue Jays 52.8% odds to make the playoffs. Seventy-two games later, those odds have fallen, but not by nearly as much as they could have. As of June 15, their odds sit at 39.6%: Courtesy of FanGraphs PECOTA, the projection system from Baseball Prospectus, is even higher on Toronto's postseason chances. PECOTA still thinks the Jays have a near 50% shot to reach October. This is good news. Despite all the injuries and slumps, the Blue Jays are still in this thing. Eventually, however, something is going to have to change. The reason their odds are still so high isn't that the projection systems think a 77-win team is going to make the playoffs. It's because the projection systems think they have the talent to turn things around. But it's the players who have to make that turnaround happen. That means certain guys will have to play significantly better baseball than they have to this point. Who could that be? Blue Jays X-Factors: Honourable Mentions Alejandro Kirk is back, and he's quickly reminding us why he's one of the best catchers in baseball. Yet, Brandon Valenzuela did such a terrific job in Kirk's absence that Kirk's return isn't what's going to turn this ship around. Similarly, Addison Barger could be a spark for the lineup when he comes back from his second IL stint, but Toronto's other three lefty-batting corner outfielders have combined for a .776 OPS and 116 wRC+. Any playing time for Barger would just be taken away from one of Jesús Sánchez, Nathan Lukes, and Yohendrick Piñango. Finally, I need to acknowledge the bullpen. It's hard to fathom where the Jays would be without the innings they've gotten from their four best relievers: Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher. I considered making this one of the official X-factors: "Varland, Rogers, Fluharty, and Fisher Keep Their Arms Attached to Their Bodies." However, I decided against it because this isn't something that needs to change in order for the Blue Jays to improve; it's a strength that needs to stay a strength to prevent a collapse. Don't get me wrong, it's every bit as important as the X-factors I'm about to discuss, it just belongs in a different category. Blue Jays X-Factor: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Turns It On This one has to happen eventually, right? Presuming the back issues that bothered Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over the weekend aren't serious, I refuse to worry about the Blue Jays' franchise player. Yes, his prolonged slumps can be frustrating. And yes, he's currently in one of his longest slumps since his breakout in 2021. But I'm not going to ignore the fact that from 2024-25, including the playoffs, Guerrero's .390 wOBA was the fourth-highest among qualified hitters, trailing only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto. If you're reading this, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what Guerrero can do for this team when he's hot. This Blue Jays lineup desperately needs a superstar, and Vladdy is the one who needs to fill that role. Blue Jays X-Factor: A Healthy Shane Bieber Returns At his very best, Shane Bieber is a top-of-the-rotation arm. Even if you write off his Cy Young-winning 2020 season as a COVID-year fluke, he pitched to a 3.22 ERA and 9.4 fWAR over the next three seasons. Last year, he gave the Blue Jays 59 innings with a 3.66 ERA between the regular season and the playoffs. The difference between a healthy Bieber and the alternative could be massive, whether that alternative is Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, or a bullpen game. There's no guarantee Bieber pitches well upon his return. I'm still bracing myself to hear he's suffered a setback, or for him to come back, make one start, and wind up on the injured list again. However, there's also the very real possibility that Bieber is a multi-win upgrade for the rotation. A postseason starting four of Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Bieber could take the Jays far. Blue Jays X-Factor: George Springer Bounces Back This is the one I'm the least confident in, but it might be the most transformative. As I've written about before, George Springer was the single most important player on the 2025 Blue Jays. Not only did he lead the team in fWAR and bWAR, but his performance relative to expectations was what took the Jays from Wild Card contenders to World Series contenders. Right now, he's playing like 2025 never happened. His numbers to this point are exactly what I would have guessed Springer to look like in 2026... if I was guessing in 2024. I can't expect Springer to flip a switch and start hitting as well as he did last year. But I know it's possible, because I saw that version of him just last fall. And if he can flip that switch, a mediocre Blue Jays lineup could suddenly become much more dangerous. Which of these X-factors is the most important? Are there any you think I missed? Please share your thoughts in the comments underneath! 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Major League Baseball released the first All-Star voting update this afternoon, and one thing is clear: Blue Jays fans have been voting. They've been voting a lot. A Blue Jays player ranks either first or second at every position except for outfield. Considering the team's sub-.500 record, it's safe to say this has more to do with who's been voting than the deserving-ness of the players they're voting for. (Whether or not that's a bad thing is a debate for a different day.) Obviously, this is a World Series-related bump. The Jays and their players are more popular, particularly outside of Toronto and across the country. It's not so often an entire country is voting for all the same candidates in an election. That said, it's also important to acknowledge the impact of a good bribe. I got a really nice sticker at the Rogers Centre last week after I showed the staff that I voted; it was Philadelphia's famous LOVE statue with a Blue Jays logo instead of the "O." I'm not sure what I'm actually going to do with the sticker, but I liked getting it, and I certainly wasn't the only person who cast my ballot for the free souvenir! Anyway, here's where the Jays representatives stand after 12 days of voting. The Leaders Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s star power has him in first place at first base. He's angling for his sixth consecutive All-Star appearance and his fifth start. With all due respect to Guerrero, the reason he's in the lead surely has something to do with the more deserving candidates splitting the vote (among voters who actually try to pick for the best players, instead of the biggest stars or everyone on their favourite team). First base is absolutely stacked in the AL this year, with Ben Rice, Nick Kurtz, Munetaka Murakami, and Willson Contreras all enjoying tremendous seasons at the plate. I love Vladdy, but one of those guys deserves this opportunity. The other Blue Jay in the lead really has earned it. I wrote an article encouraging Blue Jays fans to vote for Ernie Clement last week. Apparently, y'all didn't need any encouragement. Clement leads at second base by 616,706 votes. That's more votes than Guerrero has even received. Clement's 904,702 votes are only 111,066 back of the AL's leading vote-getter, Yordan Alvarez. The first phase of voting is still open until June 25, but Ernie is all but guaranteed to advance to phase two. The Runners-Up Kazuma Okamoto, Andrés Giménez, George Springer, and Alejandro Kirk are all in second place at their respective positions. I've listed them in order of how ridiculous that is. Okamoto is enjoying a solid season, even if it isn't All-Star calibre. Giménez has at least been excellent on defense. Springer's votes are only justifiable as restitution for his snub last season. Kirk, who has played all of seven games in 2026, should probably do the right thing and sign over his votes to Brandon Valenzuela. None of these guys should be an All-Star, and I doubt any of them will be. Still, it's nice to see how passionate Blue Jays fans are right now, despite the team's slow start. Hopefully, all the support inspires guys like Giménez and Springer to play more like All-Stars going forward. The Outfielders Evidently, the fans aren't as excited about Toronto's outfielders, but Daulton Varsho and Jesús Sánchez still rank eighth and ninth, respectively, at a position with three times the competition. Unfortunately for Myles Straw, he was the only Blue Jay on the ballot not to be named at all in the first voting update. For all you Straw-heads out there, you still have 10 days to change that! If you'd like to learn more about the All-Star selection process and how to vote, you can read all about it on MLB.com. View full article

The Blue Jays designated Connor Seabold for assignment last week when Max Scherzer returned from the injured list. Today, the right-hander's time in DFA limbo came to an end. The Jays have shipped Seabold off to the Royals in exchange for minor league right-hander Denis Samudio. Toronto also gets cash considerations in the deal. Seabold appeared in five games for the Blue Jays this season. He gave up three runs in 3.1 innings, striking out one and walking two. Presuming he gets in a game for the Royals, they will be his seventh MLB team. Samudio signed with Kansas City as an international free agent in January 2025. He pitched well in the Dominican Summer League last season (1.72 ERA, 30.6% strikeout rate), earning an honourable mention on FanGraphs' list of the Royals' top prospects. According to Brendan Gawlowski's write-up, the righty was touching 95 with "some of the best vertical break" in Kansas City's system. After starting the 2026 season in the Arizona Complex League, Samudio earned a promotion to the Single-A Columbia Fireflies in May. In four outings for the Fireflies, he struck out 17 and walked eight in 14 innings of work, pitching to a 4.50 ERA. His latest outing was his best. The 21-year-old earned his first professional win with four innings of scoreless relief work. Samudio will remain at the Single-A level for now and report to the Dunedin Blue Jays. View full rumor

Before the season, my Jays Centre colleague Jesse Burrill asked all the writers here to make a bold prediction for 2026. At the time, I was very pleased with what I came up with: Two Blue Jays will make their first All-Star Game this summer. I knew it was statistically improbable, but I genuinely thought it was going to come true. That's the perfect bold prediction. Well, in theory. In practice, it's starting to look like my "perfect bold prediction" may not have been bold enough. Dylan Cease was my ace in the hole, and I acknowledged as much. Other names that made me confident in my prediction were Daulton Varsho, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce, and Louis Varland. With just over a month to go until the All-Star Game, Cease and Varland are strong contenders to earn a spot on the AL squad. But there's a third Blue Jay with a serious All-Star case, and it's one I didn't even consider before the season. Heck, it's one I didn't even consider when voting opened last week. It's Ernie Clement. (Pictured below: Me showing my emphatic support for Ern Dog.) Image courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr. – Imagn Images via Reuters Connect Thanks to a red-hot stretch over the last three weeks, Clement ranks fifth in the AL with a .304 batting average. His 79 hits lead the American League (Jesse will have more to say on that topic tomorrow). The rest of his numbers don't jump off the page, but the competition at his position is so nonexistent that Toronto's second baseman really might be the strongest choice. Clement has 1.4 fWAR and bWAR through 67 games. That's well above average, although it isn't a number that screams 'All-Star' – and certainly not 'All-Star Starter.' Before injury replacements get the call, 20 position players will be named to the AL All-Star team. Clement doesn't even rank among the top 30 by either version of WAR. The thing is, there has to be a starting second baseman. There has to be a reserve second baseman, too, and they both actually have to play second base. Shortstops Kevin McGonigle and Colson Montgomery are more deserving All-Stars than Clement, and I'm sure either one of them could handle the keystone just fine, but that isn't how it works. One of the 15 second basemen on the ballot will get the starting nod, and another will be the backup. Of those 15, I don't see a better choice than Ernie. As you could have guessed, Clement leads AL second basemen in hits and batting average. He doesn't lead in any other major categories, but his .789 OPS and 119 wRC+ both rank second, behind Ezequiel Duran's .802 and 124 marks. Clement also has a 62 PA lead over Duran, which means he has provided more overall value at the plate. His 37 weighted runs created (the counting stat version of wRC+) lead the field. Strangely poor defensive numbers (-1 DRS, -1 FRV) are dragging down Clement's WAR totals, but I don't care about defensive metrics as much at this point in the season, especially when we all know how valuable Ernie can be in the field. I refuse to accept that Duran is a better fielder, even if the metrics give him the edge. [Related: Toronto Blue Jays Defensive Plays of the Month - May 2026] Let me be clear: I'm not saying Clement is far and away the best choice. What I'm saying is that no one else is obviously more deserving, at least right now. A vote for Ernie Clement wouldn't just be Blue Jays homerism; it would be a perfectly justifiable choice. Some fans will argue that star power should matter when it comes to All-Star voting. They might use that argument to justify a vote for star rookie Travis Bazzana or a multi-time All-Star like Gleyber Torres or Jazz Chisholm Jr. These fans would tell you the All-Star Game is about having a good time, and it's more fun when the biggest names are on the field. Personally, I'd respond that baseball is always more fun when Ernie Clement is on the field. Yes, I'm aware that I'm sliding into homerism territory now, but if fans outside of Toronto don't know the joy of watching Clement, it's only because they haven't watched him enough. Electing him to the All-Star Game could help change that. At the risk of sounding like a sponsored post for Major League Baseball, here is the link to the 2026 MLB All-Star ballot. Here it is again. (Remember, you can vote five times a day!) I don't believe in just voting for all the players on my favourite team, but I do believe in doing everything I can to support the ones who deserve it. So, here's that link one more time. If you're so inclined, please join me in voting, and let's get Ernie Clement to the All-Star Game. I couldn't be more excited for my bold prediction to be proven wrong. View full article

According to The Athletic's Mitch Bannon, Sean Keys has earned a promotion. Thanks to his hot start for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Jays Centre's No. 10 prospect will soon join the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Keys, 23, leads all Blue Jays minor leaguers with 14 home runs and 43 runs scored in 2026. He's hitting .285 with 23 extra-base hits, a 13.4% walk rate, a .993 OPS, and a 158 wRC+. No Double-A batter (min. 200 PA) has a higher OPS or wRC+. The corner infielder has also stolen six bases through 49 games; he only stole eight in 119 contests last season. Jays Centre chose Keys as our Minor League Hitter of the Month in April. He slowed down a bit in mid-May, but over the past two weeks, he's hit .317 with a 1.111 OPS and 185 wRC+. While he's only been with New Hampshire for two months, it already looks like he's ready to face the next level of competition. The Blue Jays selected Keys in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. You can read more about him on Jays Centre's top prospects page. View full article

Even without Alejandro Kirk, the Blue Jays have the best defensive catchers in baseball, at least according to Statcast's metrics. For the second month in a row, Blue Jays catchers led the majors with a +7 fielding run value (FRV) in May, thanks to stellar performances from Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heinman. The rest of their fielders, however, were surprisingly poor, finishing the month with -8 Outs Above Average (OAA). We can all think of some moments in the field that should have gone differently. Be that as it may, the Jays still made their fair share of highlight-reel plays in May, and I'm here to celebrate the best (or at least the most enjoyable) of them. You can find my picks for March/April's defensive plays of the month here. That's the Varsho We Know and Love Last month, I wrote about this Addison Barger grab, noting it was Toronto's first five-star catch of the season. Apparently, it has since been downgraded to four stars, but the Blue Jays still have one five-star catch in 2026 thanks to Daulton Varsho. The center fielder hasn't always been the elite defender we're used to seeing this year, but he covered a ton of ground in a couple of seconds to make this diving grab. Two for the Price of One... But Was It Worth It? Addison Barger is so cool. In his first game back from the injured list, he made a run-saving double play, and he made it look as easy as throwing to first on a routine groundball. I don't even think Jorge Soler considered the fact that he could be doubled up as he tried to tag and score on this play. Unfortunately, Barger landed back on the injured list the next day with elbow inflammation in his powerful right arm. Andrés Giménez Is So Damn Smooth As accomplished a defender as he is, it's important not to forget that Andrés Giménez is still settling in at shortstop. By the test eye, he looked more comfortable at his new position in May, and the numbers back that up: He led the Blue Jays with 4 OAA in the month. I could have picked several of his highlights to feature here, but this bang-bang play against the Orioles was my favourite. Varsho Holds On What's impressive here isn't so much the catch itself, but the fact that Varsho holds on after smacking into the wall at full speed, falling over, and doing a backward somersault. They say if you look closely, you can still see the imprint of his face on the center field wall. What, Like It's Hard? I'm so impressed by the nonchalance with which Patrick Corbin made this behind-the-back grab. It almost looks like he just happened to put his glove in the perfect spot, and the ball bounced in. Either that or there was some magnet trickery going on here. Don't Run on Heiny Heineman caught nine runners stealing in May, including four in one game against the Marlins. He's now tied for third in MLB on the season with 11 caught stealing. I chose the clip above from that game against Miami (a) because Heineman caught the blistering-fast Esteury Ruiz, and (b) because of how cool Giménez looks laying down the tag. Have I mentioned I love watching Andrés Giménez? They Call Him a Catcher for a Reason Brandon Valenzuela provides most of his defensive value with excellent pitch-framing, which rarely makes the highlight reels. However, there was no way I wasn't going to include Toronto's most important defensive player in a piece about the team's defense. Valenzuela made a pair of excellent catches on tough pop-ups in May. I already wrote about one of them, so I included the other one here. At first, it looked like he lost this one in the sun, and he easily could have just given up. Instead, he located the ball and made a mad dash for the backstop and pulled off the sliding catch. Kudos to the camera crew for capturing this so well. Ladies and Gentlemen, Trey Yesavage You knew this was coming. How else could I end this piece but with one of the greatest examples of pitcher defense I've ever seen? Let's break it down. Act I: Trey Yesavage leaps for a high bouncer, but the ball clips off the top of his glove. Act II: He can't locate the ball until it hits the brim of his cap on the way down. Act III: He goes to snap it up, and once again, it pops out of his glove. Act IV: In a last-ditch effort to make the play, he uses his glove like something in between a shovel and a tennis racket to half-scoop, half-slap the ball to first base. Act V: Somehow, it works. Any Blue Jays defensive moments from May that you think I missed? Please share them in the comments below! View full article