Blue Jays: Six teams that could be trade partners at the deadline

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals currently sit in the basement in the AL Central and are reportedly looking to deal some assets at the deadline as they look to restock the farm system with young talent.

Looking at the Royals’ depth charts, their biggest trade chips will be in the bullpen, as they have a few different trade candidates that could be available before the deadline. Some names include:

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Right-hander Scott Barlow is the main pitcher to be on the lookout for, as he is having an incredible season in Kansas City. He leads the club in saves and boasts a 2.33 ERA through 35 games. He also has an elite chase rate sitting in the 97th percentile and is keeping the walks in check with his 2.8 BB/9. He is under team control until at least 2024 so if the Royals are wanting to deal the right-hander, they can request quite a haul in return for his services.

Other relievers potentially on the market from the Royals are Josh Staumont and Amir Garrett. Staumont is a hard-throwing right-hander that sits in the 96-98 MPH range and would be a welcome addition to the Jays’ bullpen. While he’s missed some time due to a neck strain, he is currently rehabbing and should be going to go later this week. He is under team control until 2026.

While Garrett’s numbers are not jumping off the charts, his split stats against lefty-batters is outstanding, keeping opponents to a .094 batting average with 11 strikeouts. While he may not be the first choice given his stat line, he is not free-agent eligible until the next offseason and potential change of scenery candidate with a fiery personality that could help ignite the Jays roster.

If the Jays are looking for a lefty-bat, the Royals have a strong candidate in Andrew Benintendi that would fill in that need. The former Red Sox outfielder is having a fantastic campaign, owning a .317/.389/.401 slash line on the season with 35 RBI on the season to along with his .790 OPS. He will be free-agent eligible this offseason so it makes sense that he will be available by the Royals, evidenced by the interest from the New York Yankees. While the fit may not make sense for the Jays considering they have a stacked outfield, replace Bradley Zimmer’s spot on the roster with Benintendi and manager Charlie Montoyo will have tons of options in the lineup and an impactful rental lefty-bat to help try and secure a postseason spot.

Second baseman Whit Merrifield is another trade candidate on the Royals but given the emergence of Santiago Espinal and that he left today’s game with an injury, it makes more sense to focus on a lefty bat.

Washington Nationals

Another team sitting at the bottom of their respective division, the 2022 campaign has not been kind to the Washington Nationals. Amidst the Juan Soto trade rumours and potential rebuild in the works, the club should be dealing some trade pieces over the next month to help move things forward.

The player to go for on the Nationals is 1B Josh Bell, a switch-hitting Texas product that is having a great campaign in Washington. He currently owns a .304/.386./491 slash line on the year with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, and 40 walks compared to 50 strikeouts. He does have some outfield experience but has spent all season at first base. He could form a very nice platoon with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base/DH and his .877 OPS would be a huge benefit to the club to finish out the season. He is a pending free agent this offseason.

The Nationals have some arms in the bullpen that could do well with the Jays but it will be tough to pry them from the opposing club because most have several years of contract control.

Tanner Rainey and Kyle Finnegan stick out amongst the group but I would imagine neither would be available due to the contract control (unless an overwhelming offer comes through). Carl Edwards Jr. is having a great season in Washington but fans may be hesitant after he posted a 6.75 ERA with the Blue Jays last season through six outings. Steve Cishek is another name to keep an eye on but he would not be that great of an upgrade over the current options, especially since the club already boasts a sidearmer in Adam Cimber amongst the relief ranks.

A deal for Bell and Edwards Jr. might make the most sense when dealing with the Nationals but there could be better deals out there for a more impactful relief pitcher.

Cincinnati Reds

If the Blue Jays are looking for a starter, the Cincinnati Reds have one of the best options available. With a club looking to shed payroll and sitting fifth in the NL Central, the Reds appear to be willing to trade right-hander, Luis Castillo.

The Dominican-born Castillo is having a great campaign, owning a 2.92 ERA on the season with a 9.4 K/9 and 1.099 WHIP through 71.0 innings. He started the year on the IL but has been terrific when healthy, limiting the damage to four earned runs or less in each of his starts. The Reds ace has one more year of team control after this season and will command a significant trade return, most likely similar if not more than what the Blue Jays offered last season to the Twins for Jose Berrios. Are they willing to go back to the prospect well again?

The Blue Jays have a few areas on the roster that need some additional reinforcements and there is no better time with the trade deadline just weeks away.

The Reds could include Jeff Hoffman in the deal, a former Blue Jays prospect who is having a great season out of the bullpen. While he has struggled to find a place on an MLB roster for most of his career, the right-hander is boasting a 3.07 ERA through 41.0 innings this season with a 9.4 K/9. While the WHIP is a bit high at 1.317, he would be an upgrade over Trevor Richards or some of the other optioned relievers the Jays have been using this season. He is a free agent this upcoming offseason.

What makes the Reds an interesting trade partner is that they may be willing to trade Castillo for a smaller trade package if the other team is willing to take on a bad contract like Mike Moustakas or Joey Votto (who would have to waive his no-trade clause). Many would probably prefer Votto over Moustakas because of the Canadian connection but both are left-handed batters, the only problem is that both players are owed a significant amount of money over the next few years:

Moustakas: $18mm in ’23, $20mm club option in ’24 ($4mm buyout)

Votto: $25mm in ’23, $20mm club option in ’24 ($7mm buyout)

There are a few different ways these deals could work out but if the Jays are willing to take on some bad contracts over the next two seasons (unless they buy out in 2024), a deal with Cincinnati for a bonafide starter could be a big difference-maker.

Detroit Tigers

If the Blue Jays are looking to get bullpen help from one team, the Detroit Tigers may be their best trade partner to make the most impact on the relief corps.

The Tigers relievers own a 3.05 ERA on the season and rank third in all of the Major Leagues, with multiple pitchers boasting ERAs under the 3.00 mark. I believe there are two relievers that the team would not be willing to deal in closer Gregory Soto or former first-round pick Alex Lange, who still has five years of team control left. There are quite a few options still available should the Tigers be looking to trade relievers at the deadline.

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Former starter Michael Fulmer is having a great campaign, sporting a 1.97 ERA on the year with just seven earned runs allowed through 32.0 innings. Another right-hander to keep an eye on is Joe Jiménez, as the hard-throwing reliever is just on point with his command (1.9 BB/9) as well as striking out opposing batters at an 11.7 K/9. His baseball savant page is in all the right areas when looking at an impact arm.

The only left-hander in the group is Andrew Chafin, who might be one of the most sought-after southpaws at the deadline this season. Through 30 outings, Chafin limits the damage to hitters on both sides of the plate and is following up an impressive 2021 campaign with similar numbers this year in Detroit. Through 25.2 innings, Chafin owns a 10.5 K/9 and has allowed only seven earned runs and one home run on the season but did miss some time earlier this season with a groin strain.

Fulmer and Chafin are more likely to be dealt as both are eligible for free agency this offseason (Chafin has a $6.5 million player option) while Jiménez has one more year of team control. It wouldn’t be surprising if all three are available but if the Blue Jays can acquire Chafin and one of the right-handers, their bullpen would get a substantial boost to push for the playoffs this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The most impact relief arm at the trade deadline this season belongs to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Right-hander David Bednar is the diamond of the group this year, as the Pirates closer has been outstanding since being acquired prior to the 2021 campaign from the San Diego Padres. This season, the right-hander owns a 2.25 ERA through 40.0 innings of work with 15 saves and a 0.975 WHIP on the year. The reliever isn’t free agent eligible until 2027 and will command a substantial trade package if the Pirates are willing to trade Pennsylvania product sometime this month.

If the Blue Jays are looking for a rental starter, the Pirates also have veteran Jose Quintana on the roster who could be an interesting piece to the Jays’ rotation puzzle. The 33-year-old is having a bounce-back campaign on the east coast, authoring a 3.33 ERA through 16 starts and 81.0 innings of work. While the strikeout totals are a lot lower than in previous seasons (8.4 K/9 compared to 12.1 last season), Quintana has been an effective starter for the Pirates this year and should be available as he is free agent eligible this offseason.

The price will be high for David Bednar but the Jays could effectively fill in a rotation spot and add a high-leverage reliever in the same deal if they are willing to part with the necessary prospects.

Chicago Cubs

If it wasn’t for the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs would be last in the NL Central right now, as the club is currently in a rebuild after trading away most of their veteran players last season. The biggest trade asset on the Cubs is catcher Willson Contreras but I would imagine the Blue Jays are not interested in adding another catcher to their current depth of Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk, and Gabriel Moreno.

The Jays’ needs lie in the bullpen and the Cubs have a few relievers who could be interesting additions to the bullpen.

The crop is led by veteran David Roberston, who is having a fantastic campaign in Chicago to the tune of a 2.10 ERA with 12 saves on the year. He also boasts an 11.8 K/9 while keeping runners in check with his 1.019 WHIP on the season. Roberston has struggled with the free passes (4.5 BB/9) which is a bit concerning but the runs continue to stay off the board as he keeps being used in high-pressure situations. Two other relievers to watch out for on the Cubs are Mychal Givens and Chris Martin, as both right-handers are also having strong campaigns and both are free-agent eligible in 2023 (Givens has a mutual option in 2023 for $3.5 million).

If the Jays are still in search of a left-handed bat, switch-hitting outfielder Ian Happ is one name to keep an eye on that could be bundled with one or two of the relievers mentioned above. While his stats slot behind both Benintendi and Bell, Happ is still boasting solid numbers at a .277/.372/.449 slash line with a .821 OPS through 292 at-bats.

The Pennsylvania product still has another year of team control so the Cubs may not be willing to trade him just yet but if available, he could be the speed/power lefty-bat the Jays are looking for.