Could Blue Jays Start Seeking Upgrades for Left Field at MLB Trade Deadline?
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As the Toronto Blue Jays continue to hang around the .500 mark, the franchise’s outlook for 2025 continues to remain uncertain.
It has been a mediocre start to the year for the Blue Jays, who that despite being in second place in the American League East, haven’t quite found their groove.
Fortunately, the AL appears to be rather weak so far, and making the playoffs as a Wild Card team is on the table.
However, if the team is hoping to make some noise, they will need to make some improvements.
So far, the lineup for Toronto has underachieved based on the talent that they have. Some key players like Anthony Santander and Andres Gimenez have yet to get going with their new team,
The potential is there for the Blue Jays to make some noise, but whether or not they will be a buyer or seller at the trade deadline remains the question.
What Is a Need for the Toronto Blue Jays?
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the biggest need for the Blue Jays if they decide to buy at the trade deadline being to upgrade the corner outfield.
“With Anthony Santander and George Springer splitting their time between right field and designated hitter, the Blue Jays have a major offensive void at the other outfield corner that they'll need to address if they decide to buy.”
Due to the lineup being somewhat lackluster so far, if Toronto is going to be buyers, it will likely be a corner outfielder that they look to acquire.
Currently, with the team using both George Springer and Santander in right field and using the other to be the designated hitter mostly, it has left a bit of a void in the other corner outfield spot.
Upgrading in left field certainly feels like the most logical position for the Blue Jays, with a lack of production offensively from Alan Roden. The rookie outfielder has played 19 games in left field, slashing .178/.262/.260.
These numbers have obviously contributed in a negative way to the overall production of the lineup for Toronto, making left field a clear position to seek upgrades.
However, even though there is a need, whether or not the Blue Jays will be buyers is the real question.
This is a team that has a lot of impending free agents at the end of the year, and if they chose to sell, could get a nice return for some of them.
As the summer approaches, figuring out whether they are a contender or not is going to be key for what the outlook of the team should be.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.