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Eight teams who match up with the Blue Jays as possible trading partners

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Veronica Chung | Last updated Jul 21, 2024 12:35 PM ET

Summer is at its height and Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is under two weeks away. This time, it’s evident that the Toronto Blue Jays won’t be buyers at the deadline for once and will look to capitalize on the sellers’ market. Depending on how deep they are willing to go with their cuts, there are chances for the Blue Jays to strengthen and rebuild the farm system to prepare for the future.

If the Blue Jays choose to double down on their selling, many eager contenders hope to make a run at their chance in playoffs. The National League, in particular, has as many as six teams that are a stone’s throw away from securing the last Wild Card spot, and this provides the perfect opportunity for Toronto to fill in the gaps they currently have in their major league roster and in the minor leagues.

Below are some of the potential partners the Blue Jays can consider as they look ahead to 2025 and beyond:

Baltimore Orioles

Ever since the rise of switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman’s call-up to the majors in 2022, the Baltimore Orioles have enjoyed a boon and an upward curve. The Orioles have been jockeying the division lead with the New York Yankees throughout this season thus far. One thing the Orioles don’t lack is in their position player depth. From rising shortstop Gunnar Henderson to future star infielder Jackson Holliday, Baltimore has no shortage of offensive talents who can contribute to the team in the next few years. However, the Orioles still have a relatively weak starting pitching. This opens up a possible path between Baltimore and Toronto to test their compatibility as trade partners. The Orioles can definitely explore the Blue Jays’ starting pitchers while the Blue Jays can assess the Orioles’ position player depth. That said, rival-to-rival trades are rare and there is the potential for Baltimore to seek starting pitchers elsewhere.

Cleveland Guardians

Despite veteran manager Terry Francona’s departure at the end of the 2023 season, the Cleveland Guardians have performed to their potential with young talents at the centre. Oddly enough, the offence has been the least of the problems for surging Guardians. It’s been starting pitching that’s troubled the team at times and there’s no such thing as enough pitching, even in the starting pitching department for any team. To add further reinforcements to their pitching core, the Guardians can target one of the Blue Jays’ starting pitchers. For example, left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi could be a good addition to a somewhat ailing starting rotation. In turn, the Blue Jays could examine Cleveland’s farm system depth in both position players and pitchers to replenish the system.

Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers are limping into the second half with many injuries on the roster. Mookie Betts, Tyler Glasnow, Brusdar Graterol, Jason Heyward, Joe Kelly, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Max Muncy and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are all on the injured list, and younger pitching prospects are still struggling to make the adjustments in a tougher major league environment. There is no question that the Dodgers will need reinforcements throughout the roster even with their stronger farm system, especially in the pitching department. From the Dodgers’ perspective, it wouldn’t hurt for the team to make a trade for even a rental starting pitcher from the Blue Jays to ensure their division lead. Los Angeles could also opt to bring in better-performing relief pitchers in Toronto like Yimi García to fortify its bullpen for the rest of the 2024 season and the playoffs potentially.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers have been resilient despite the bigger changes the team witnessed this past offseason. Even if former manager Craig Counsell left for the rival Chicago Cubs and the team decided to trade better starting pitcher Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, the Brewers have dominated the National League Central division. The Brewers have reliable younger players throughout their roster and system, which could be appealing to the Blue Jays. In fact, the Brewers have the third-best farm system according to MLB and there are opportunities for the Blue Jays to pick prospects who have the potential to contribute to the majors sooner rather than later. Currently, Milwaukee lacks some versatility in its starting rotation and a starting pitcher like Yusei Kikuchi could bolster the team’s pitching depth. The Brewers could also consider trading for additional relief pitching depth by studying Toronto’s bullpen also. While the Brewers may have enough relief pitchers, a little reinforcement always doesn’t hurt in making a successful playoff run.

Jul 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) pitches in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins and the Blue Jays have matched up for a trade previously two years ago. Back then, Toronto was the buyer who acquired dependable starting pitcher José Berríos by trading away two prospects Simeon Woods-Richardson and Austin Martin. But this time, the Twins will look to be the buyer while the Blue Jays will most likely become a seller at the deadline. Funnily enough, the Twins could target the Blue Jays’ starting pitching to reinforce their rotation. The good news is that Toronto can offer starting pitchers such as Chris Bassitt or Yusei Kikuchi to help fortify Minnesota’s starting pitching. In return, the Blue Jays can easily demand prospects who are highly ranked within the Twins’ system at the very least. That being said, the Twins are also likely to examine other options such as Nathan Eovaldi with the Texas Rangers and Jack Flaherty with the Detroit Tigers.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are in a strong but interesting position at this point in the season. The Yankees are solidly in the lead for the first Wild Card spot and are still aiming to take the division lead back from the Orioles. New York has come down to earth a bit after a rather stronger start in spring so far and they will look to add throughout their roster to make a deeper playoff run this season. While the Blue Jays may not have the match for the Yankees in terms of position players (unless it’s Bo Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but Toronto’s office was clear on not trading either player), Toronto can offer some starting and relief pitching depth that New York needs. From the Yankees’ point of view, having someone like Yimi García could strengthen the bullpen. Starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi could be a good target, but the Yankees already have enough left-handed pitching with Nestor Cortes Jr. and Carlos Rodon on the roster. The Yankees have the eleventh-strongest farm system in MLB, which means that the Blue Jays can bring in more hopeful pitchers and position players who have higher floors. Once again, trades between rivals are rare, but if push comes to a shove, Toronto and New York will have to come together to make something work for one another.

San Diego Padres

After overcoming mediocrity and disappointment of the 2023 season, the San Diego Padres have made a relatively successful comeback this season with more offensive firepower. Unfortunately, the starting pitcher depth has been tested earlier on with starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove going on the injured list. San Diego still has strong pitchers like Dylan Cease and Michael King but additional reinforcements will help the team to threaten the National League West and other potential contenders in the National League. San Diego’s farm system ranks fourth in MLB even after all the trades general manager A.J. Preller made throughout the years. It’ll be difficult for the Blue Jays to get their hands on some of the coveted prospects from the Padres if the team is only trading rental players, but there is an opportunity to bring in talents with growth potential for Toronto. From San Diego’s side, Toronto can offer stronger starting pitchers to support the weaker rotation. There is certainly potential between these two teams but it’s all up to Preller’s method of madness and the Blue Jays’ decision in their selling position that will determine these two teams’ compatibility.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners’ president of baseball operation Jerry Dipoto can’t stop and won’t stop trading. There’s a reason why Dipoto garnered his nickname “Trader Jerry.” Given that Seattle is leading the division in the American League West, there is more reason for the Mariners to trade for more talents. The Mariners haven’t lacked much in the pitching department, thanks to their solid pitching depth and development. What the Mariners need the most is a spark in their offence as they struggle to score enough runs consistently. There is a potential for Seattle to look into Blue Jays’ designated hitter Justin Turner and catcher Danny Jansen to revitalize its lineup, much like Kaitlyn McGrath from The Athletic suggested. From Toronto’s perspective, the team can look to bring more pitching prospects from Seattle once again through this trade to fill in the lack of pitching help. However, the best fit for Seattle and Toronto would be the bullpen trade. A contender can never have enough relief pitching and a shutdown relief pitcher like Yimi García can help Seattle to create an even scarier bullpen that all opponents will fear during the playoffs.

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

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