The Toronto Blue Jays have waited as long as they can in hopes of making a playoff push, but it ultimately doesn’t appear as if it’s going to happen.
Entering Monday 5.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot with five teams ahead of them, the Blue Jays are poised to be sellers ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.
That being said, the goal remains to be competitive again in 2027, and because of that, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic predicts that Toronto will also do some buying, which could include trading for a top-tier starter. Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers, and Nick Lodolo were some of the targets floated.
“The Jays will sell, moving significant pieces off the MLB roster, but still bring in a big-fish starting pitcher with multiple years of control. They need an addition like José Soriano, Reid Detmers or Nick Lodolo to compete in 2027, and can get some of that work done early,”
Soriano, 27, Detmers, 27, and Lodolo, 28, all have years of club control beyond this 2026 season.
Of the three mentioned, Soriano is having the best campaign, currently sporting a 3.29 ERA to go with a 9-6 record after a red-hot start to the year. He would appear to be the most compelling option right now, though adding a lefty like Detmers or Lodolo to a rotation that is right-hand heavy is also intriguing.
Pending free agents like Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, and perhaps even George Springer could be dealt in the coming week. On the flip side, however, it’s also quite likely we see the Blue Jays bring in some talent along the way, as Bannon predicts, because, as bad as this season has gone so far, they remain in win-now mode with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in his prime.
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