Blue Jays Best Starting Pitcher Trade Target Fits Shared by Former MLB Exec
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The Toronto Blue Jays have cemented their status as playoff contenders in the American League with their recent surge.
They were riding a 10-game winning streak, which includes a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees, that has catapulted them into first place in the American League East. That streak ended on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays already looked like a team that would be aggressively buying ahead of the MLB trade deadline, given some of the moves made in the offseason that signaled they were serious about making a postseason push.
While most of those acquisitions haven’t panned out, the team is a clear-cut playoff contender.
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To hold onto their spot atop the AL East and be a more dangerous team in the second half, Toronto has one clear need to address: its starting pitching.
Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman have been the only consistent options manager John Schneider has had in his rotation thus far this season.
One of their free agent signings, Max Scherzer, has made only four starts. Francis Bowden was ineffective before landing on the injured list himself.
Nine players other than Berrios, Bassitt and Gausman have started for the Blue Jays this year and their rotation is something that needs to be shored up.
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Who could they target ahead of the MLB trade deadline to improve their outlook on the mound?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) has shared who would be the best targets for Toronto to bolster their rotation.
“The Blue Jays’ front office has made it clear to opposing GMs that starting pitching is their priority at the trade deadline and they are kicking the tires on all the starters that could get moved this July. I particularly like the fit of Merrill Kelly, Mitch Keller or Jeffrey Springs with Toronto,” the former MLB executive wrote.
That is an interesting mix of starting pitching options, ranging in how expensive they would cost and how long they’d be under team control for.
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Kelly would likely be the most affordable in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He has displayed incredible consistency with his production and is going to be a rental, set to hit free agency when the season is over. Not shy expressing his desire to return to the Diamondbacks to finish out his career, teams will factor that into the price they pay.
Keller could be the most expensive of the trio.
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him to an affordable five-year, $77 million extension that keeps him under team control through 2028. An All-Star in 2023, he has provided frontline production in the past.
Springs was acquired by the Athletics this offseason from the Tampa Bay Rays in an effort to spend more money and bolster their rotation.
Under team control through at least 2026, his contract also includes a team option for 2027. He would be an intriguing addition for the Blue Jays, given his experience pitching in the AL East and his versatility as both a starter and reliever.
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