Six MLB trade deadline targets for Blue Jays

Scott Mitchell

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TORONTO —　It’s not even a debate at this point.

Based on their start and the way the teams behind them are floundering, the Toronto Blue Jays are the easy favourite for the eighth and final postseason spot in a top-heavy American League.

Opportunity is knocking and general manager Ross Atkins seems interested in answering the door and rolling the dice on a shortened-season playoff run over the next couple of months.

Even with key names like Bo Bichette, Ken Giles, Matt Shoemaker and Nate Pearson all on the injured list with murky return dates, Atkins’ young ballclub has done exactly what they needed to do through the first half of this 60-game season: Stay afloat and give themselves a chance.

Where things go from here will have a lot to do with health, a little bit of luck, and whether or not Atkins and the front office can find some reinforcements for a banged up rotation, an overworked bullpen, a lineup that could use some length and a bench in need of some depth and defensive upgrades.

As a team, the Jays are far from perfect.

There will be substantial conversations between now and Monday’s 4;00 p.m. ET Major League Baseball trade deadline, but that’s where the certainty stops.

"I would expect us to be extremely active, it’s just what the results end up being, we’ll see," Atkins said. "We would like to continue to add to our pitching and we would like to continue to complement our offence. We’ll be more focused on the run prevention side, which could be some sort of defensive complement that also provides offence, obviously. Pitching and run prevention will be our focus moving forward."

Atkins got out ahead of the pack by acquiring right-hander Taijuan Walker from the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, but the deadline chatter in this unique season seems to be in line with previous years, leaving some GMs expecting a busy Monday.

"I was actually talking to an executive who agreed we’ve all, I think, across the industry been pleasantly surprised with how active everyone is," Atkins said. "It feels very much like a typical deadline. The calls are non-stop, the offers are consistent, we’re making tremendous progress and understanding where the opportunities are and that bodes well for us being able to make the team better."

Here’s a look at six names that could help the Blue Jays down the stretch.

RHP Lance Lynn, Texas Rangers

Already connected to the Jays recently by Ken Rosenthal, Lynn represents one of the prizes of the pitching market.

With another year remaining on his three-year, $30 million deal the 33-year-old signed at the end of the 2018 season, Lynn is a top-of-the-rotation piece that would provide value for the Jays in 2021, as well.

He’s also going to cost a lot in terms of prospect capital, something Atkins may not be overly eager to commit to at this stage, but there’s no doubt a duo of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Lynn would give the Jays a chance in a short postseason series come October.

The Jays could also check in on Rangers lefty Mike Minor, who, despite a down season so far, provided 4.1 fWAR and a 3.59 ERA across 32 starts in 2019.

RHP Dylan Bundy, Los Angeles Angels

Another arm that’s controllable through the 2021 campaign, Bundy will also cost a lot.

Not only is he still just 27, Bundy has also refined his repertoire this season and the results have been fantastic, leading to a 2.58 ERA through six starts and career best strikeout (10.3) and walk rates (1.9).

The fourth overall pick from the 2011 draft my finally be living up to some of the hype, and any acquiring team might be getting one of Bundy’s prime years in 2021.

That alone is something the Jays should be interested in.

LHP Robbie Ray, Arizona Diamondbacks

A free agent at the end of the year, Ray would be a pure rental for the Jays, especially considering the lefty is carrying a 7.84 ERA and some just-as-ugly peripherals through seven starts.

A big-time strikeout arm with a 11.1 career K/9, it’s uncertain if the Jays would be interested in a bit of a project, but the price will never be lower for a pitcher once seen as one of the best set to become available this winter.

You can add San Francisco Giants right-hander Kevin Gausman to this pile, as well.

SS Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels

On Saturday, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Jays have "checked in" on Simmons, arguably the best defensive shortstop in the game.

At first glance, it may be curious with Bichette in the fold, but shifting the 22-year-old to second base and inserting Simmons at the six-spot would turn their middle infield defence into perhaps the best in baseball.

Simmons, a free agent this winter, hasn’t offered much with the bat since a breakout 2018 season — he’s a career .268/.316/.379 hitter — but his glove provides so much standalone value that it’s not surprising Atkins has at least called.

There’s also the health side to consider.

Bichette has re-started baseball activities in attempt to return from his knee sprain, but the Jays have not given out a concrete timeline.

RHP Chad Kuhl, Pittsburgh Pirates

Prior to the Walker trade going down, the Jays were loosely connected to a pair of Pittsburgh Pirates right-handers in Kuhl and Trevor Williams.

Both are relatively unproven, boring back-of-the-rotation options, but Kuhl has some intriguing bat-missing ability that Williams doesn’t, making him an interesting name to monitor as an under-the-radar arm that could be on the move.

Through 25 innings this year, Kuhl has pitched to a 2.54 ERA, while Williams is sitting on a 5.34 ERA through six starts.

Both are under team control through the 2023 season.

RHP Mike Clevinger, Cleveland

We’ll finish this off with a big splash scenario, one that would shake up American League projections in a big way and excite the heck out of Blue Jays fans.

Thanks to some questionable pandemic decision-making and a Cleveland organization that seems capable of developing pitchers in its sleep, a 29-year-old ace in Clevinger might be available.

The price, however, will be as steep as it gets.

The relationship between front offices could be a key here, as the Jays and Cleveland engaged on Corey Kluber this past winter, and that framework could at least be a start.

If the Jays are interested in this type of blockbuster, even if it’s not Clevinger in the end, the two names to keep an eye on in the system are young catchers Alejandro Kirk and Gabriel Moreno, both of whom have been asked about numerous times in trade talks over the past year.