Blue Jays Named Best Trade Destination for Diamondbacks Veteran Starting Pitcher

The Toronto Blue Jays are the perfect trade partner for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Jun 7, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat and Rawlings glove in the dugout during the fifth inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. | Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays were one of the more pleasant surprises of the first half in the 2025 MLB regular season.

There weren’t many people who were predicting they would be atop the American League East at the All-Star break, but heading into the restart on July 18, that is exactly where they are sitting.

The Blue Jays have a record of 55-41, two games clear of the New York Yankees in the standings.

If they want to remain in that spot, Toronto knows that there are some areas of weakness that have to be addressed ahead of the MLB trade deadline, which is less than two weeks away.

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Their biggest need is on the mound, where the starting rotation could use some reinforcements.

Injuries have been a major hurdle for the team, with 12 different players starting a game for the team thus far. Only four of them, Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis, have started double-digit games.

The team is happy to have Max Scherzer back in the mix, but Francis is currently on the sidelines, leaving a void at the back end of the rotation.

To maintain their position in the standings, they need to find another reliable starter behind Berrios, Gausman and Bassitt.

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Where could they look?

In the opinion of Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, the Blue Jays are the best landing spot for Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“The Blue Jays rank 25th in the majors with a 4.60 ERA from their starting rotation, and while Max Scherzer is back healthy, they continue to look for consistency behind the veteran trio of José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt,” he wrote.

Kelly has been flying under the radar as one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball over the last few years.

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He owns a 3.42 ERA since the start of the 2022 campaign across 567.2 innings pitched with 540 strikeouts. His 123 ERA+ is well above the league average and he has racked up 11.7 bWAR in the process.

Kelly made only 13 starts in 2024 with a 4.03 ERA, so when he is healthy, he has performed at an even higher level.

On pace to be a nearly 4.0 bWAR performer again in 2025, he would be a great addition to the Toronto starting rotation, providing some stability and consistent production.

An impending free agent who has made it clear he hopes to finish his career with the Diamondbacks, Kelly isn’t going to be given away for free but would come at a lower cost than some of the other pitchers on the market.

While he isn’t controllable beyond 2025, he would be a nice upgrade for the second half.

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