Five prospects who could help Jays in the second half

TORONTO — With the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaching, the Toronto Blue Jays are shopping for veteran help in essentially all areas of the roster.

That’s what legitimate contenders do this time of year, as no stone should be left unturned when it comes to improving, whether that’s incrementally or otherwise.

There's really no secret what executive vice-president of baseball operations/GM Ross Atkins is shopping for, as outlined here.

But regardless of what the Jays do between now and next Tuesday when they arrive in Tampa for a key divisional series with the Rays, they’re also positioning the farm system to provide some help.

The real fixes for this roster — bullpen help, a rotation piece and some left-handed lineup balance — will come via trade, but there are some names bubbling up in the system who could provide some all-important layers of depth over the final two months.

Here are five players to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

YOSVER ZULUETA

Always seen as a potential fast-mover given his age (24) and his experience in Cuba, Zulueta’s season has been exactly what many were hoping for when he was buzzing back in 2021 spring training with a high-90s heater.

A torn ACL quickly ended that last year for the electric right-hander, but it hasn’t set him back much in 2022.

Across three levels in his stateside debut this year, Zulueta has pitched well out of the rotation, posting a 3.70 ERA across 41.1 frames.

More importantly, he’s shown scintillating stuff at times, allowing just 31 hits and striking out 63 batters with a fastball that’s been scraping triple digits, a pair of breaking balls and a useable changeup at times.

On Sunday, Zulueta made his first relief appearance of the season for Double-A New Hampshire, a sign that the Jays are viewing him as potential bullpen help down the stretch.

He’s the type of high-octane arm the Jays currently lack in the big-league bullpen, and he’d arguably have better pure stuff than anyone not named Jordan Romano.

He could arrive at Triple-A Buffalo in the next couple of weeks.

HAYDEN JUENGER

Speaking of Triple-A, that’s exactly where Juenger is headed after throwing 56 innings at Double-A New Hampshire, mostly as a short-stint starter.

The Jays wanted to see how Juenger’s stuff would hold up over multiple innings before pushing him into a relief role, and the results were often mixed.

Across those 56 frames, Juenger struck out 67 batters, but the 6-foot, 180-pound right-hander allowed 12 home runs.

In shorter stints, the fastball touches 98 mph with a biting slider.

Drafted a little more than a year ago in the sixth round, Juenger is clearly going to be the first player from the Jays’ 2021 draft class to reach the majors and it could be soon if he performs in Buffalo.

ADRIAN HERNANDEZ

If it weren’t for a shoulder issue that’s sidelined the 22-year-old Mexican since the middle of June, he might already be in the big leagues.

Hernandez saw a bunch of time against big leaguers in the spring, striking out four batters across 3.2 scoreless innings.

That success carried into the season, earning him a quick promotion from Double-A to Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a 1.80 ERA with seven saves before landing on the IL.

As outlined in my annual top 50 Blue Jays prospects where he landed at No. 21 coming into the season, the money pitch is a devastating changeup, while the concern is a heater that, at 91-92 mph, could be exposed in the majors.

Currently working his way back, Hernandez is a unique arm to monitor if he looks fully healthy once he gets back into game action.

NATE PEARSON

Shut down for three-to-four weeks with a lat strain at the end of June, Pearson has made progress and is inching towards throwing bullpens down in Dunedin at the club’s player development complex.

If you’ve followed Pearson’s career arc and injury history over the past two years, nothing is ever certain with the soon-to-be 26-year-old righty, but progress is progress, and the Jays are keeping their fingers crossed.

The one-time top prospect has made just five minor league appearances this season, which comes on the heels of just 45.2 innings in 2021.

Since the end of the 2019 season, Pearson has made it through just 71.1 healthy frames, leaving him in rehab mode more often than not.

Despite all that, the big 6-foot-6, 250-pounder is too talented to write off and his progress over the past couple of weeks provides hope he could impact the Jays bullpen in September.

SPENCER HORWITZ

The lone bat on this list — top prospect Gabriel Moreno could obviously play a role, but we’ve talked about him enough — Horwitz has enjoyed the upper-minors breakout some were predicting after a solid Arizona Fall League showing last year.

Horwitz’s calling card is his approach at the plate, one that led to a 15.3 per cent walk rate and an impressive .297/.413/.517 slash line across 70 Double-A games to begin the season.

That performance earned the unheralded 2019 24th-round pick a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo earlier this month, and the left-handed hitter hasn’t skipped a beat.

But the biggest development has been some added pop, which has been the organization’s goal.

With 12 homers in 82 total games, he’s never going to be confused with a power hitter, but that's the same number of dingers he bopped in 109 games last season, so there’s been a ton of progress.

As a natural first baseman, the bat will have to carry him, but the Jays have worked left field and second base into his profile this season.

The key here is the left-handed bat and if he continues to rake maybe there’s a bench spot for him in September.