3 prospects the Blue Jays shouldn’t trade at the deadline

Nimmala could be a long-term solution for position player depth, and at least for this year, he shouldn’t be traded until tested further in the farm system.

1. Ricky Tiedemann, LHP

Tiedemann was one of the unfortunate pitchers who underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2024. Even if he last pitched more than a year ago, he remains one of the best pitching prospects in Toronto’s farm system. FanGraphs projected the left-hander as a mid-rotation starter before his surgery, and he possesses a 3.02 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 140 innings pitched at all levels of the Blue Jays’ minor league system.

The only concern with the 22-year-old pitcher was his ups and downs with injuries. His debut might have blown everyone’s minds with a 2.17 ERA in 78 1/3 innings, but his 2023 season was full of inconsistencies while also battling some other injuries. According to our own Ryley Delaney, Tiedemann is easing back into pitching again, with his first bullpen session taking place in late June. The biggest task for him is to restore his impressive records and find ways to stay healthy. Despite some risks with the lefty’s profile, the Blue Jays don’t have a ton of value with Tiedemann at the current rate, and it’s likely easier to hang onto him and see what develops in the foreseeable future.

Whether that bet will pay off or not is to be seen, but finding a powerful left-handed starting pitcher isn’t an easy task for any team – this is also one of the reasons why Toronto has to protect Tiedemann while waiting for him to develop further.

1. Trey Yesavage, RHP

Yesavage has been lights out for the Blue Jays pretty much ever since he joined the Blue Jays’ system. The expectations around his abilities were high, and so far, the right-hander has easily exceeded them.

This year, Yesavage pitched 67 2/3 innings in the minor leagues and has recorded a 3.19 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. In his debut with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the righty allowed only one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings while striking out eight batters. While he only faced one batter at the All-Star Futures game, he also struck out the only batter he faced, which was St. Louis Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt.

Sport Grid also reported on Yesavage’s spectacular record of striking out every batter in the lower minors and possessing an elite 14.8 K/9 rate, comparing him to Milwaukee Brewers’ rising star Jacob Misirowski, highlighting that the 21-year-old could become a competent starting pitcher in the majors.

The Blue Jays haven’t had much success in developing homegrown pitchers in the past few years. But with all the developmental changes they’ve made, this is the time to prove that they have turned the corner. Yesavage would be one of the first waves of strong pitching prospects if he makes it to the major leagues either next season or in 2027. This isn’t the time to trade away that potential, even if trade deadlines are costly this season; rather, this is the time to work on developing and believing in Yesavage while helping him improve his game.