Toronto Blue Jays Expected To Be ‘Ultra-Aggressive’ at MLB Trade Deadline
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The Toronto Blue Jays have taken control of the American League East Division after a hot June and a red-hot start to July.
The Blue Jays are looking like a very dangerous team, but they have some moves to make if they want to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2023.
In fact, the team has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season when they made the American League Championship Series.
Toronto is currently off to one of the hottest starts in their franchise history. With that in mind, the Blue Jays have some moves to make if they want to become true World Series contenders.
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Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Toronto's GM Ross Atkins has stated he expects to be 'Ultra-Agressive' at the trade deadline this season. In their aggressive approach to the deadline, the Blue Jays will be looking for starting pitching and a catcher.
Starting pitching is always available at the trade deadline
This year, it would not be surprising to see the Blue Jays go after one of the pitchers on the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are in the last year of their contracts, and both would be a great fit in Toronto.
Along with the Diamondbacks, the Miami Marlins have two pitchers that have been at the center of trade talks in Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. Now, these two have not been as good in 2025, but their value still holds true.
Another pitcher to keep an eye on is Luis Severino. Severino is not pitching well this year, but he seems to want out of the Athletics organization. He still has a few years left on his contract, but a change of scenery could be just what he needs to start performing better.
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Catching is a different story
There are not going to be many good catchers on the trade block this month. The Blue Jays are not alone in their pursuit for a solid backstop, either. With not many options being available, it is going to increase the price for whoever they decide to go after.
One catcher that comes to mind is Ryan Jeffers from the Minnesota Twins. Jeffers has one more year of arbitration left on his contract before becoming a free agent in 2027.
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The right-handed batter is slashing .237/.336/.377 with six home runs, 29 RBI, and 50 strikeouts to 31 walks in 71 games played this season. His numbers are not spectacular, but they are good enough to trade for, especially with the Twins struggling this year.
The Blue Jays are good enough to make some noise in the postseason. However a trade or two would put the team in position to contend for their first World Series title since 1993.
For more Blue Jays news, head over to Blue Jays On SI.
Cameron Zunkel is a sports writer from the western suburbs of Chicago. He played Division-II baseball at the University of Illinois at Springfield where he earned a masters degree in Communication. Cameron also played independent league baseball for the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. He has been in journalism since 2022 and has a passion for baseball specifically, but he enjoys all sports. His other work includes writing sports betting articles for ClutchPoints. In his free time, you can catch Cam at the gym, on the golf course, or coaching the youth in the beautiful sport of baseball.