Top 5 options to fill out the Blue Jays starting Rotation

Sean Manaea: Oakland A’s

A’s starter, Sean Manaea, is entering the final year of his contract and is coming off the best season of his career, making it very unlikely that the A’s retain him. In 2021, Manaea had a 3.91 ERA over 179.1 innings and pitched two complete game shutouts, which led MLB. While he seems like a safer option than Kikuchi or Davies, the Jays would have to give something up for him in a trade, but given that it would likely just be a one-year rental, he shouldn’t cost too much.

Some people may be concerned about Manaea moving from Oakland, a notoriously pitcher-friendly park, but his home and away splits were almost identical last season. This should leave little room for concern in regards to him coming to a more hitter-friendly park in the Rogers Centre, but it should still be noted.

It’s possible that the Jays could try to package him into a trade for A’s third baseman Matt Chapman, but to get Manaea alone, I imagine they would have to send over a top 10 prospect, a mid-range prospect, and some international signing pool money. Adam Kloffenstein and Kevin Smith come to mind as some players that could be sent over, and they’d be well worth giving up for a year of a solid arm like Manaea. He’s also someone who the Jays could go after at the deadline should they still have a need for him, so make sure to keep an eye on him as the season progresses.