Blue Jays: Top five trade targets that should be in the sights

#2- Looking for another top-tier starter

The closer we get to the top, arguably the less likely a trade will be. That said, when it comes to Lance Lynn and the Texas Rangers, it’s a phone call that’s definitely worth making.

The veteran has been sensational in his second year with the Rangers, and it’s unfortunate that the rest of the roster has fallen apart around him lately. The right-hander is now boasting a 4-0 record with a 1.59 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP across seven starts and covering 45.1 innings. He’s already struck out 50 batters against just 14 walks, and would be a no-doubt All-Star in a normal year.

Lynn’s base salary for this season was just 10 million, and he’s obviously far outperforming that rate. It gets even better next season though, as he’ll make just eight million in the final year of his deal, giving an acquiring team one more season of contract control after this one. That’s important and it will certainly drive up the asking price.

It’s possible that the Rangers won’t trade Lynn at all though, as they could prefer to keep him for next season and take a real run at the post-season under normal circumstances. So far they’ve underperformed based on expectations, and there’s enough talent on the roster to see positive things for 2021 and beyond, and perhaps they want Lynn to be a part of that. To that end, it may also empower them to ask for the moon for Lynn, and there would be a limit to what I’d like to see the Jays pay to get him.

All that being said, the burly righty would look awfully good as the 2nd arm in the rotation behind Ryu, and could even make them a scary team to play in a short playoff series.