As the Toronto Blue Jays continue to freefall in the American League Wild Card standings following a 12-2 blowout by the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, questions regarding their trade deadline strategy will only intensify.
The 46-55 Jays now find themselves six games behind the red-hot Boston Red Sox for the third and final wild-card spot with six teams to jump.
Manager John Schneider called the result another “frustrating” day and knows it’s going to take a lot of work to get back into the playoff race.
“It’s not going to be easy. This is going to be hard. You want to find some small wins, for one,” said Schneider. “And two, you want to make sure everyone understands this is going to be hard. You’ve got to dig your way out of this.”
If the defending American League champions don’t turn things around soon - they’ve lost four of five games since returning from the All-Star break, including being outscored 19-3 over two games against the AL-East-leading Rays - Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays’ front office may decide to be sellers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Veteran pitcher Kevin Gausman could be in line to be dealt at the deadline as the 35-year-old is playing in the final season of a five-year, $110 million contract.
Gausman started Tuesday’s loss, allowing nine hits and four earned runs alongside one strikeout and two walks over 3.1 innings of work.
Gausman wasn’t ready to think about the possibility of Tuesday’s start being his last with Toronto at Rogers Centre when speaking to reporters after the game.
“I’m not going to think about that too much. I’m a Blue Jay right now and the focus is this team, this room and those guys,” he said. “That’s where my mind is at right now. That is kind of crazy to think about.”
The right-handed starter is having his worst season as a member of the Blue Jays, posting a 4-9 record with a 4.51 ERA over 115.2 innings and 21 starts in 2026.
Gausman finished with ERAs lower than 3.85 in each of his previous four seasons with the Blue Jays.
Gausman was a key part of Toronto’s memorable 2025 campaign that saw them reach Game 7 of the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in heartbreaking fashion.
Over six playoff games last October, Gausman posted a sharp 2.93 ERA.
“I think we’re all frustrated. We know what this team can do and what it has done. It bleeds into that, for sure,” Gausman said Tuesday. “Nobody wants to be in this situation that we’re in right now. It sucks because this is the same group of guys. It’s hard.”
George Springer and Daulton Varsho are also in the final years of their contracts and could become trade candidates if the Blue Jays decide to go that route.
The Blue Jays have two games left against the Rays before beginning a road trip this week in Boston.
