Olney: Jays should focus on adding left-handed bat ahead of deadline

Throughout the 2022 Major League Baseball season, the chatter surrounding the Blue Jays has been the need to upgrade their pitching staff ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline. 

ESPN Baseball Insider Buster Olney, however, has different ideas for the Blue Jays, who currently sit third place in the American League East division and hold the second wild card spot for the playoffs.

"Their absolute focus needs to be on trying to balance the lineup, trying to get more impact ... the priority for me if I’m [Blue Jays General Manager] Ross [Atkins] is I’m getting a left-handed hitter," said Olney.

"Just watching the broadcast last night, they were talking about those rare instances in which an opposing team starts a left hander – they see so few of them that they kind of struggle, like a left hander is an outlier for this group," he said.

Olney pointed to the Jays 5-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Monday as a example of the team's weakness against left-handed pitchers.

"They [play against] someone like a Cole Irvin last night who – let’s face it – you look at the lineup and you look at his stuff and you say 'they’re going to kill him, they’re going to destroy him' but they’re off balance because they don’t see that kind of guy; they don’t see soft-tossing lefties," Olney said.

"Typically a left-handed bat against a right-handed pitcher is a favourable matchup," he added. "The Blue Jays have, by far, the lowest percentage (of favourable matchups) since they started tracking it."

The problem currently facing the Blue Jays, according to Olney, is opposing teams are countering their potent lineup with right-handed pitchers, a formula that has proved successful at times.

Toronto currently sits 14.5 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees, which has caused Olney to doubt whether going all-in at the deadline is the best plan for the Blue Jays. 

"I don’t think you necessarily go the conservative route, but I think your focus is on guys who are going to help in 2023 as well as 2022," said Olney. "A rental at this point if you’re the Blue Jays probably isn’t going to make a difference because they’re [far] behind the Yankees.

"I don’t think the Jays are going to catch the Yankees, I think it’s more about jockeying for position in the wild card race."

Olney believes that while the Jays should boost their chances this season, adding to their future outlook should also be a priority at the trade deadline.

"If you’re the Blue Jays maybe you’re thinking about - with a left-handed hitter or a starting pitcher - somebody who can augment your chances of winning this year but you’re also thinking about ‘how are we going to make up the ground on the Yankees in 2023’," Olney said.