Blue Jays Should Make Aggressive Play To Acquire Ace Being Shopped by Rays

What will get the Toronto Blue Jays over the hump to secure their first AL East title since 2015?

That's what the front office has to determine ahead of the upcoming trade deadline, knowing they have a real chance to win this division and make a run in a weaker American League playoff bracket.

Players will return from injury in the second half of the season, so the Blue Jays don't have a ton of areas they need to address.

However, there is one unit that could use an upgrade: the starting rotation.

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Their staff ERA of 4.60 currently puts them 25th in the MLB, a major red flag when projecting how they might do in October when every game is the difference between advancing or going home.

The return of Max Scherzer was a boon, and the performances of Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt have all been elite at times, but there are still concerns when it comes to the overall outlook of this group going forward.

Because of that, Toronto should be thinking big. And there would be no bigger addition they could make than acquiring Taj Bradley from the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Once seen as an untouchable pitcher, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Rays "are open for business" and "are listening to offers" regarding the right-hander.

That should be enough to get the Blue Jays on the phone.

Bradley's numbers this season -- 4.60 ERA in 19 starts -- and for his career -- 4.70 ERA across 67 outings and 346 1/3 innings pitched -- don't necessarily scream difference maker, but he would be a sizable upgrade compared to who Toronto has thrown out there every fifth day.

But the most enticing part of this deal would be the fact that Bradley is under club control for the foreseeable future, with him not even in the arbitration stage of his career yet.

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With Bassitt set to hit free agency after the season and Gausman following behind him the year after, Toronto needs the next star arm in their rotation to pair with Berrios and some of the young pitchers coming up their pipeline.

Advanced statistics suggest Bradley has performed better than his numbers indicate, with his xERA being 3.60 this season and his FIP being lower than his ERA, too.

Additionally, his Stuff+ metric is above the league average, suggesting there is a lot more room for him to grow, especially at just 24 years old.

Landing someone with Bradley's upside and club control remaining won't come cheap, and it might be hard for the Blue Jays to swallow sending the type of package it would cost to land him to a division rival.

But adding him to this roster would not only help them win in 2025, it would also give them a potential ace for the long-term, something they desperately need.

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