Time is ticking for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fresh off losing three of four to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Jays begin play Friday six games back of the final American League wild-card seed with six teams between them and the final playoff spot. According to FanGraphs, the Jays’ odds of playing into October currently sit at 9.1 per cent.
They’re an organization in a unique position. Not often does a team go from a season like last year to one like 2026. Most of what could go wrong has, and a mix of injuries, underperformance and bad luck have the Jays performing so far below expectations that it wouldn’t have even seemed possible last fall.
As TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips noted in his column posted Thursday, there are plenty of variables at play between now and the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Exactly how many games back and how many teams stand between them and a playoff spot? Will the Blue Jays only look to trade expiring contracts, or will players under contract going forward be on the table for a higher price? And if they do get hot out of nowhere in the next week and change, could they decide to keep the group together, or even become buyers?
These are questions general mlb promanager Ross Atkins will need to answer. Until we have those answers for sure, here are some names in a variety of tiers that may be available leading up to Aug. 3.
Prime trade candidates
Kevin Gausman
2026 Stats: 21 appearances, 4.51 ERA, 115.2 IP, 117 SO, 1.28 WHIP
It’s rare when players are so candid about the possibility of being traded.
Gausman confronted the subject head on this week in Toronto, telling The Athletic that while he’d cherish another run at a World Series, he’d also love to finish out his time with the Jays, saying he and his family have been “lucky” to call Toronto home for the past five seasons. But Gausman is also scheduled to be a free agent this coming off-season and while his 4.51 ERA leaves a bit to be desired, his strikeout rate and performance in last year’s postseason will no doubt be attractive to buyers.
According to multiple reports, Gausman can reject a trade to eight locations, including the Reds, Brewers, White Sox, Tigers, Mets, Pirates, Mariners and Athletics.
George Springer
2026 Stats: 72 GP, .229/.312/.391, 10 HR, 27 RBI
Like Gausman, it feels like Springer was supposed to finish out his time with the Jays – and maybe even his career – with a proper sendoff. To think of him hitting one of the biggest home runs in franchise history in Game 7 against the Mariners in the ALCS to traded less than 10 months later feels abrupt. And yet, very possible.
Springer’s six-year, $150 million deal signed ahead of the 2021 season – the largest in team history at the time – is up this winter. And at 36, it’s clear he’s deep into the back-nine of his career.
He’s played a grand total of seven innings in the field this year, so it’s hard to present Springer as more than a designated hitter to interested teams – especially considering he hasn’t swung it near as well this season as he did last year. On the flip side, Springer is a World Series MVP and hit .381 in the Fall Classic last year, so it wouldn’t be shocking if a contender thinks he still has some October magic in that bat.
Daulton Varsho
2026 Stats: 89 GP, .237/.301/.377, 7 HR, 25 RBI
Another player set to hit free agency this winter, Varsho is one of many Jays in the midst of one of his worst years. Last year’s .833 OPS in 71 games seems like an outlier considering his mark from this season (.678) is more in line with his combined total from his first two seasons as a Jay (.686).
The difference for Varsho this year has been in the field. An elite defensive player in his first few seasons with the Jays, Varsho’s advanced defensive metrics profile significantly lower this year and have him looking more like a slightly above average centre fielder rather than one of the game’s best. A contender plugging the 30-year-old into a platoon role doesn’t make a ton of sense either since he’s actually hit lefties better than righties this season.
Varsho’s power and range in centre field will undoubtedly catch the eye of a few teams. It’s just a question of how much he’ll bring back if the Jays do make him available.
Shane Bieber
2026 Stats: Six appearances, 4.70 ERA, 30.2 IP, 22 SO, 1.43 WHIP
Bieber required more time to build back up this season coming off Tommy John surgery than the Jays were anticipating. And after a slow start ramping back up, he’s been lights out in his last two outings.
The 2020 Cy Young winner had a 7.64 ERA in his first four starts. The last two have seen him go a combined 13 innings with just one run allowed, lowering his season ERA to 4.70.
He’s set to be a free agent this winter after picking up his $16 million player option last off-season. Still only 31, Bieber was once an elite arm and could be a weapon in any team’s starting-five headed into October. The Jays thought so last year and took the risk he’d gain steam as the season went on. Other teams may think the same.
It could happen…
Ernie Clement
2026 Stats: 100 GP, .296/.320/.423, 8 HR, 32 RBI
If the thought of potentially losing Gausman or Springer would be difficult to take for the Blue Jays’ fanbase, a trade involving Clement may be too much to handle.
Clement is fan favourite who led the American League in All-Star voting, tallying nearly as many votes as superstar Shohei Ohtani. And for all the underperformance on the 2026 Jays, Clement’s bat has been one of the few bright spots. He leads the team in batting average (.296), hits (114) and doubles (23). The concerning part is the defensive end, as Clement has gone from 15 outs above average last season to -5 this year.
Clement is under contract for two more seasons after this year and given his popularity, it seems hard to see the Jays moving him. But as someone who has more hits in a single postseason than anyone in history and rarely strikes out, Clement’s bat-to-ball skills and defensive versatility may have teams at least inquiring about his availability.
Max Scherzer
2026 Stats: Six appearances, 10.23 ERA, 22.0 IP, 14 SO, 1.72 WHIP
If the Jays do indeed sell, Scherzer figures to be as available as anyone on the roster. But would anyone call?
The future Hall of Famer turns 42 on Monday and hasn’t been able to get on top of a variety of injuries stemming from the thumb of his throwing hand. His numbers in six starts are dismal and he’s made just one at the big-league level in three months.
And yet, if there was anybody to overlook blinking red lights with regards to age, injuries and performance, it’s Scherzer. Everyone remembers the fiery plea to John Schneider in the ALCS and the gutsy outing in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers. And if it helps, Scherzer did throw five shutout innings at Triple-A Buffalo this week as he ramps up for yet another return.
Jeff Hoffman
2026 Stats: 46 appearances, 4.40 ERA, 43.0 IP, 67 SO, 1.41 WHIP
Now that he’s out of the closer’s role and signed through next season, Hoffman’s $12.6 million annual price tag won’t be attractive to buyers. But the strikeouts and predictive numbers will be.
Hoffman has a 1.56 ERA since the end of May and was notably better as a setup man with the Philadelphia Phillies before joining the Jays. His 2.66 FIP – a stat that measures a pitcher’s performance without batted-ball variables – is well below his 4.40 ERA, indicating Hoffman has been the victim of some bad luck in 2026.
Fairly or unfairly, the way Game 7 ended will mark Hoffman’s tenure in Toronto. If the Jays are willing to eat some of the money remaining on his deal, it’s possible teams could be interested in some back end help thinking Hoffman would benefit from a clean slate.
Myles Straw
2026 Stats: 90 GP, .219/.277/.313, three HR, 16 RBI
Straw is a useful fourth outfielder who could be attractive to contenders. He doesn’t strike out much, has plenty of speed and is in the 86th percentile in defensive range, according to MLB Statcast.
Straw is due $7.4 million this season, a hefty price tag for an extra outfielder. His slash line doesn’t suggest much value as an everyday option or even a platoon option, either. And players with skills like Straw’s are usually available for cheaper.
Straw has two years left on his deal but 2027 and 2028 are each club options for $8 million and $8.5 million, respectively, so any potential acquiring team wouldn’t have to be committed to Straw past this season.
Jesus Sanchez
2026 Stats: 73 GP, .274/.316/.437, 7 HR, 29 RBI
Sanchez is currently on the injured list with an ankle sprain but should be back before long.
He profiles nicely as a platoon bat with power as he has seven home runs and an .808 OPS against righties in 2026. However, Sanchez has been borderline unplayable in the outfield this year as he profiles in the fourth percentile in range according to MLB Statcast and is -6 Outs Above Average in just 61 games in the field.
Sanchez has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining and the Blue Jays have questions about their 2027 outfield, so it’s no foregone conclusion he’ll be dealt.
It’s a longshot, but…
Louis Varland
2026 Stats: 47 appearances, 1.04 ERA, 52.0 IP, 70 SO, 0.94 WHIP, 21 SV
Varland has become one of baseball’s best relivers and is one of the few Jays players to exceed expectations in 2026.
It would likely take an astronomical offer for the Jays to even consider moving Varland. At 28, Varland hasn’t yet reached arbitration and is under team control through 2030. Varland is second to only to San Diego’s Mason Miller (2.6) in reliever fWAR (2.4) and it seems like the Jays have unlocked all that Varland’s arsenal has to offer.
So why would they trade him? For one, teams will be sure to call, and general managers aren’t in the business of hanging up the phone despite the expression. The other is that it’s hard to imagine his value ever being higher. Jumpstarting a reset with a top-line haul for a relief pitcher could prove to be good asset management – but so is having one of the best closers in baseball signed for four more seasons. In the outside chance Varland does move, it would have to be for the moon and the stars.
Tyler Rogers
2026 Stats: 48 appearances, 1.54 ERA, 46.2 IP, 26 SO, 1.09 WHIP
Rogers presents a somewhat similar scenario to Varland. Teams are sure to be interested, but will the Blue Jays even entertain the idea of a trade?
Rogers is the king of soft contact and his career track record of success predicated on deception as opposed to velocity suggests sustainability even at the age of 35. Rogers’ salary jumps from $8.6 million in 2026 to $13.6 million a year in 2027 and 2028 with an option for 2029. It’s a bit steep for a setup man, but the results are undeniable.
A Rogers trade wouldn’t necessarily mean the Jays aren’t planning to compete in 2027. But it would certainly create a hole at the back end.
