Ranking the top 6 Blue Jays’ controllable starting pitcher targets

5. Nathan Eovaldi – Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi was among the early American League Cy Young contenders earlier this season, but he missed a month due to a triceps injury. The 35-year-old is back and anchoring a Rangers rotation that might be on the precipice of dismantling in the next few weeks.

He’s enjoying a career-high 27% strikeout rate in 2025 and a career-low 4% walk rate to go along with a stellar 1.58 ERA. It will be difficult for Eovaldi to continue that pace with a sub-2 ERA, but a lot of the underlying numbers are encouraging.

However, the Blue Jays have to ask themselves whether this is the same guy who was clutch for the Red Sox in the 2018 World Series (and less so in the 2023 World Series for the Rangers). Eovaldi has two-plus years and $53-plus million remaining on his original three-year $75 million contract he signed with the Rangers only seven months ago.

Further complicating the matter is that Eovaldi has a full no-trade clause, and because the Blue Jays seem to come up on every player’s no-trade list, selling the right-hander to Toronto would be the most difficult part of a potential deal. But Eovaldi has a reasonable contract, he looks like he has rediscovered his form, and has pitched in big spots in the playoffs.

4. Kris Bubic – Kansas City Royals

Seth Lugo fits the prototypical starting pitcher the Blue Jays would be interested in, but they should aim higher to get a better arm and an additional year of stability. Kris Bubic came out of nowhere and was named to the AL All-Star team for the first time in his career.

It’s been a long, winding road for the 27-year-old, but the Royals moved Bubic back into the starting rotation this year, and he’s looked better than ever. He avoided arbitration for a $3 million salary with KC this year and enters his final year of arbitration in 2026.

Despite a lack of velocity, Bubic brought down his arm slot a few degrees this year, and four of the five pitches in his arsenal are plus pitches, including a devastating sweeper and changeup. If the Blue Jays could somehow pull a Jose Berrios and trade for Bubic and then lock him up to a long-term contract, it would make the prospect capital cost more palatable.

3. Joe Ryan – Minnesota Twins

Joe Ryan might be the most in-demand starting pitcher at this year’s trade deadline, who has the lowest chances of changing teams by July 31. Think of that one person from high school everyone had a crush on, but they may or may not have had a boyfriend/girlfriend at another school. There were rumours, but nobody knew for sure.

Ryan had an injury-shortened 2024, but that didn’t stop him from posting a 3.60 ERA in 23 starts for the Twins. Now, Ryan’s sporting an even-better 2.72 ERA in 18 starts, and like Bubic, was also named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

Ryan and the Twins settled on a $3 million salary for 2025, and he still has two years of salary arbitration left. At this rate, he might earn $20+ million in his final year of arbitration in 2027. But a top-five payroll team like the Blue Jays can handle that salary, while a typically low-payroll squad like the Twins may not.

2. MacKenzie Gore – Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have been in a state of perpetual rebuild since their World Series win in 2019, but they have finally found their homegrown ace in MacKenzie Gore. The issue for rebuilding teams is that these stud starting pitchers suddenly become quite expensive once they hit arbitration.

As one of the key pieces coming back in the Juan Soto trade, Gore has established himself as one of the premier starting pitchers in the National League. Gore’s coming-out party was his 13-strikeout performance against the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Although he doesn’t have the playoff pedigree like others on this list, the Nationals would fetch a king’s ransom if they decide to deal Gore at the trade deadline. For a team like the Blue Jays, they’re parting with at least two of their best prospects, so say goodbye to Arjun Nimalla and Trey Yesavage.

At age 26, Gore turned the corner and is developing into a stud starting pitcher, so you can bet every contender in the league will check in with the Nationals on Gore’s availability.

1. Jacob deGrom – Texas Rangers

There is no better starting pitcher potentially on the market than Jacob deGrom. He is the David Price circa 2015; a true number one who would anchor a starting rotation. Despite a myriad of questions about deGrom’s health entering the 2025 campaign, he’s been back to form as a regular Cy Young contender.

Despite the strikeouts being down (26.2%, his lowest since 2014 with the New York Mets), deGrom has been effective for the Rangers and is averaging 5.9 innings per start and has a quality start rate of 58%. With a hard hit rate of 39.7%, deGrom does a fantastic job of limiting hard contact and keeping the ball in the yard.

The issue complicating the matter is his exorbitant contract. There are two-plus years left on the deal with more than $75 million owing, then a $20 million conditional option for 2028. Very few teams have the prospect capital to pull off this deal, let alone take on that salary for an aging player.

If there were a team that might take that gamble, it’s the Blue Jays. With a lot of rotation turnover coming in the next few years, they need some top-end talent to fill the void created by the departures of Bassitt, Gausman and Berrios. And if you wanted a number one to start a playoff game, who better than deGrom?

There are also varying reports about whether the Rangers will even entertain trading deGrom this year, so it may be a moot point. But if Texas suddenly drops further down in the Wild Card race, that could be the time for the Blue Jays to pounce with a monster offer for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.