Insider Says Blue Jays Will Focus on Pitching Upgrades at Trade Deadline
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As the Toronto Blue Jays get set to start the second half of season, they will have their eyes on the trade deadline to make some improvements.
Over the last few weeks, the Blue Jays have proven they are a contender in the American League.
Toronto leading the AL East at the All-Star break is a great accomplishment, but the franchise will be looking to hold off some talented teams in the second half.
It wasn’t too long ago that the Blue Jays were potentially going to sell at the deadline, with the team hovering around the .500 mark and the New York Yankees seemingly running away with the division.
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However, that mindset has changed because of the success the team has had to begin the summer. With making a run in mind, there are a couple of areas they might look to address.
Mitch Bannon of The Athletic (subscription required) recently predicted Toronto would not be acquiring a right-handed bat at the trade deadline, despite it being a need at one point.
“At the start of July, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins identified a right-handed bat as one of Toronto’s deadline priorities. Since then, Davis Schneider has a .954 OPS with four homers in July.”
Adding an outfielder has felt like a need for the Blue Jays for much of the year, but the emergence of Davis Schneider might have cooled that. After a slow start to the campaign, the left fielder has picked it up in both June and July.
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In June, Schneider slashed .257/.395/.400 with one home run and four RBI in 35 at-bats. So far in July, the power numbers have taken off, with him slashing .250/.276/.679 with four home runs.
With the possibility that Anthony Santander returns to the lineup at some point in the second half as well, the outfield doesn’t seem to be a pressing need for Toronto.
Where the Blue Jays will likely seek upgrades at the trade deadline is in their bullpen and starting rotation, with Bannon prediting an agressive approach from Atkins.
"... three Blue Jays relievers have gone on the injured list this month, exacerbating a clear need to add pitching. Atkins will go all in on pitching at the deadline, trusting Schneider to fill the righty role," the insider wrote.
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The rotation ranks in the bottom half of the league in ERA, which is a cause for concern. Adding a front-end caliber starter would be ideal, but that can be expensive and hard to find.
While the bullpen has been strong, some injuries are starting to mount for the unit. With success in October being the goal, another high-leverage arm wouldn’t go to waste.
Fortunately, it seems like the need for a bat in the lineup is no more and the team can focus on adding some pitching help.
For more Blue Jays news, head over to Blue Jays On SI.
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.