Coming off an improbable run that ended in a World Series loss, the Toronto Blue Jays are currently hovering around 2.5 games back in the competitive American League Wild Card race. The August 3rd trade deadline is quickly approaching. They need to decide whether they are all in on competing or taking a step back and improving their farm system and roster for the long haul. If they do decide to send it, here are three potential trade targets the team could pursue to improve the starting rotation and infield.
The highest yet least realistic acquisition target of the group, Skubal, would join an oft-depleted starting rotation and slot into a top-three spot in the group. The two-time Cy Young winner currently has a 3-4 record in 10 games started, with a 3.32 ERA in 59.2 innings. While he does have a losing record, Skubal boasts a 66 strikeout-to-8 walk ratio. Despite being injured in May with a two-to three-month recovery timeline, he returned in mid-June, showcasing his reliability and availability.
The injury-plagued Blue Jays have only just been able to say that they have their full starting rotation available. Adding a front-of-the-rotation starter like Skubal will allow the team additional flexibility when injuries inevitably occur. With Shane Bieber returning from injury, adding Skubal would likely push Patrick Corbin from the starting rotation. This would slot him in between Dylan Cease and Bieber in the rotation.
The cost of acquiring such an accomplished player will not be cheap for a team like the Blue Jays. Any team looking to trade for Skubal should expect to part ways with at least one or two top 100 prospects and a couple of MLB-ready players. This would mean building a package centered around SS JoJo Parker and LHP Johnny King. Skubal is facing free agency this offseason. The Blue Jays will need to decide if it is worth giving up multiple top prospects in a depleted farm system to trade for a player who could end up playing somewhere else next season.
The most realistic acquisition on this list the Blue Jays could look to trade for is Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan. Although he does not have the accolades or the dominant career of Skubal, Ryan has been a consistently good pitcher for the Twins. While he only has a 5-4 record this season, he boasts a 108 strikeout-to-19 walk ratio and a 3.18 earned run average in 17 starts. Looking at the Blue Jays starting rotation, acquiring a pitcher like Ryan would likely take the spot of Corbin.
Even though he is a tier below Skubal, Ryan will still take a significant offer to the Twins to acquire. Unlike Skubal, he will not be an unrestricted free agent after this season due to a mutual option that can be exercised and is eligible for arbitration to keep him under contract in 2027. This adds significant value to Ryan as he will not be a rental for a team that acquires him. Much like a deal being made for Skubal, a package centering around an MLB top 100 prospect and a couple MLB-ready players would likely be the cost for Ryan.
Shifting to the offensive side of the ball, a major contributor the Blue Jays could add is Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña. So far this season, he has hit six homers, driven in 19 runs, stolen eight bases, and is batting .289 in 173 at-bats. The 28-year-old Peña is a plus defender with a strong arm, which makes him an ideal shortstop.
After losing Bo Bichette to the New York Mets in free agency this past offseason, the Blue Jays are looking for a long-term answer at shortstop. While current shortstop Andrés Giménez is a Gold Glove defender and a reliable bat, shortstop is not his natural position. Acquiring Peña would allow Giménez to move to second base and current second baseman Ernie Clement to third base. This would allow Kazuma Okamoto to be the designated hitter and split time with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base.
Trading for Peña will be expensive for any team that looks to acquire his services. As he is not a rental and will be eligible for arbitration after this season, his value remains very high. The Astros have a depleted farm system and would likely want another team’s top pitching prospect, a high-upside infielder, and other minor league depth pieces. This would likely involve pitching prospects Johnny King, Ricky Tiedemann, or Silvano Hechavarria as a floor for a trade package.
The Blue Jays have been hovering the final Wild Card spot for most of the season and could be looking for reinforcements to make a push for the playoffs. While they gave up multiple top prospects last season, the Blue Jays still have enough ammunition to make a splash at the trade deadline with a trade for the best option, Skubal. With the number of injuries on the pitching staff, they could look to add a top available starting pitcher or shore up the gap left by the departed Bichette and trade for a shortstop of the future. No matter what they do, it will be exciting to watch the Blue Jays try to recapture the success of last season.
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