MLB Insider Shares Major Update on Louis Varland's Trade Deadline Outlook
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The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season has not gone well. As the reigning American League champions, they are in danger of losing their title if they fail to make the playoffs. With a record of 50-59, they currently sit in last place in the AL East. As the trade deadline approaches, the outlook for Toronto becomes clearer.
While they did just take two of three against the Washington Nationals on the road, it's going to be much more difficult for the Blue Jays to make the playoffs with small series victories like that. Going into Thursday's game, Toronto sits 5.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card, trailing five other teams.
That being said, the biggest question is how much selling will the front office do? Veterans on expiring contracts, such as Kevin Gausman, Dalton Varsho, and George Springer, stand out as players who could get moved at the deadline. But what about a player with some team control still to his name?
Louis Varland's Trade Status
One of Toronto's biggest standouts in 2026 has been relief pitcher Louis Varland. Beginning the season as a backend bullpen arm, Varland turned into the Blue Jays' closer once Jeff Hoffman started to show cracks in his armor.
Getting his first real crack at being a closing pitcher, Varland took the opportunity and has run with it. Collecting 23 saves in 23 opportunities, if the Blue Jays had performed better earlier in the season, Varland would be a shutdown monster for a playoff run.
With an impressive 0.98 ERA in 55 innings and five holds to his name, Varland is a player that any contender would want on their roster. However, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the franchise has chosen not to make Varland available for trade ahead of the deadline.
"Varland would bring a monster haul, but with its core returning, Toronto sees this more as a dreadful season than a sign of things to come and plans to redouble its efforts going into next year," Passan wrote.
Other Blue Jay relievers are available, but the front office seems to know what they have with Varland, enough to hopefully build a bullpen around him for more success in the following seasons.
Keep in mind that all the stats that Varland has posted this season come with fewer than 50 outings, as he enters Thursday with 49 games under his belt. Toronto can retool with a closer like Varland under contract.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.