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

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 15: David Bednar #51 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 15, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 15: David Bednar #51 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 15, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Blue Jays
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 05: Ian Happ #8 of the Chicago Cubs slides safely into home plate in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 05, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

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.

dark. Next. Blue Jays might need another left-handed hitter after all

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.