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Blue Jays trade deadline target: Merrill Kelly

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Veronica Chung | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Merrill Kelly has been a much-discussed name ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, with his stellar and consistent pitching performance for the underwhelming Arizona Diamondbacks this season. The Diamondbacks have already signalled their intentions this season, sending Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners, and more deals are likely on the horizon.

While Kelly may not have always been a desirable pitcher, here are some reasons why contenders are keeping an eye out for him as a potential veteran starter to boost their rotation.

Scouting Report:

Kelly is a 36-year-old starter and a former eighth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010. He struggled to find a groove in the Rays system and decided to take his talents to SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization, spending three years overseas. During the 2018/2019 season, Kelly returned stateside, signing a two-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks and has remained in the desert ever since. In a Dbacks uniform, he owns a career 3.74 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 22.1 K% and 16.1 bWAR across 953 innings and 162 starts.

The veteran right-hander incorporates multiple pitches into his arsenal; he uses a changeup, four-seam fastball, cutter, sinker, curve and slider. The diversity of Kelly’s pitches is almost reminiscent of Chris Bassitt’s pitching strategy and can work as an effective weapon against any lineup. The changeup, fastball, and cutter sit between the 20-25% usage rate, with his offspeed pitch and the cutter holding a +8 run value apiece.

Merrill Kelly took a few minutes to soak it all in after the game.

If this was his last start with the #Dbacks, it was another vintage performance.

6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER.

He'll be a big add for any team that wants to trade for him.@12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/ezHdnkNxwZ

— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) July 27, 2025

So far this season, Kelly has recorded a 3.22 ERA, 3.53 FIP and 1.057 WHIP in 128 2/3 innings pitched. His K% for the season is also at 23.5% and groundball percentage is at 44.4%, indicating that he can prevent balls from flying in the outfield (he is under the MLB average).

Contract Situation:

Kelly signed a two-year contract extension with the Diamondbacks in 2022. This deal took effect in 2023 and included a club option for 2025, which was worth $7 million. Kelly will become a free agent after the end of the 2025 season, effectively making him a rental pitcher for contenders at the trade deadline.

How does Merrill Kelly help the Blue Jays?

The Blue Jays need another starter to add to the depth charts, especially with Max Scherzer’s past injury history and Alek Manoah’s late return to the season. While Toronto relied heavily on Eric Lauer taking on the fifth starter role, having a solid starting pitcher will help boost the team’s rotation and take it to another level. Currently, the Blue Jays’ rotation ranks 24th among all 30 teams with an ERA of 4.40. This is rather a pedestrian ERA for a contender, and improving in this department will help the Blue Jays make a case for a much deeper playoff run.

Kelly would be a massive gamble for the Blue Jays since he would be yet another veteran starter coming into the rotation with a time limit, given his contract details with Arizona. But what the 36-year-old righty is doing for the Diamondbacks is something for the Blue Jays to consider, if they are serious about going all in on this trade deadline and playoffs. A season like the one the 2025 Blue Jays are enjoying is rare; a pitcher like Kelly might be worth it, even if it’s an overpay.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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