Blue Jays Could Address Need for Outfield Help in Trade With White Sox
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The Toronto Blue Jays have crashed the playoff picture in the American League.
They currently hold the top spot in the AL East ahead of the New York Yankees, whom they swept in a four-game series as part of their 10-game winning streak they went on earlier in the month.
One of the streakiest teams in baseball, the Blue Jays did lose three out of their last four games heading into the All-Star break, but they won their second-half opener against the San Francisco Giants.
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There are a few reasons for their sometimes inconsistent performance, including a starting rotation that has struggled to produce throughout the campaign.
Adding a starting pitcher ahead of the MLB trade deadline is imperative to Toronto carrying over the success they had and remaining atop the division.
Alas, starting pitching isn’t the only need which the team has.
The Blue Jays could also use some help in the outfield, where Daulton Varsho and their big free agent prize, Anthony Santander, are both on the sidelines.
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That has led to them relying on the combination of Nathan Lukes, Joey Loperfido, Myles Straw and Davis Schneider alongside George Springer.
There has been some solid production from Lukes and Addison Barger, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring in some reinforcements.
Who could Toronto’s front office target?
One player to keep an eye on is Andrew Benintendi of the Chicago White Sox.
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Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report named the Blue Jays as the best trade fit for him ahead of the deadline, and it is easy to see why.
Benintendi is having a productive year at the plate with a 101 OPS+, hitting 11 home runs, 10 doubles and two triples with 35 RBI in 270 plate appearances.
He isn’t quite living up to the five-year, $75 million contract he has two years remaining on, being owed $17.1 million in 2026 and $15.6 million in 2027, but the White Sox are reportedly willing to pay some of it down to move the veteran ahead of the deadline.
Depending on how much the team is willing to pay down, he would be an ideal fit for Toronto to bolster their outfielder depth for a second half run.
Benintendi would be much more affordable than someone such as Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians, who would require multiple high-end prospects to land.
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