Blue Jays trade deadline target: Seranthony Dominguez

Working with a five-pitch mix, Dominguez leads with his four-seam fastball and mixes in a sweeper, split-finger, sinker, and curveball as well. His best pitch this season has been the split-finger, sitting at a +3 pitching run value, with his sweeper being the other pitch in positive territory (+2) while his fastball sits at -2, with opponents owning a .236 xBA and a .380 xwOBA on the offering. Even though his fastball can hit the high 90s, he has struggled to generate strong putaway numbers on the pitch, sitting at a 21.2% mark.

Contract Situation:

Before the 2023 season, Dominguez signed a two-year deal worth $7.25 million with the Phillies that included a club option for 2025, which the Orioles exercised at $8 million. Dominguez will be a free agent this winter, so any team that acquires the right-hander is looking at a rental situation.

How does Dominguez help the Blue Jays?

The Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen has struggled to stay healthy this season, and adding a pitcher like Dominguez raises the floor, even with the walking concerns mixed in. Ryan Burr, Yimi Garcia, Nick Sandlin, and Paxton Schultz are all on the IL.

Adding some depth with an arm like Dominguez, who has experience pitching late game or high-pressure situations, makes the Jays a better team and likely at a cheaper price point compared to some other names on the trade block this summer, given his expiring deal.

The hurdle will be whether the Blue Jays and Orioles can complete an intradivision deal. It’s not impossible, evidenced by the Jays moving Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox last summer, but helping a division rival for their postseason aspirations can rub a fan base the wrong way, especially since the two sides will square off later this month at the trade deadline. Having him hop from the home clubhouse to the visitors clubhouse may make for a fun narrative, though.

Dominguez makes sense for Toronto if the two sides can work out a deal, and if the Orioles’ expectations are around what they got for Soto in the Mets deal, the Jays have the prospect capital to complete a deal of this nature and save some players for other potential deals as well.