Five rental players the Blue Jays should consider trading for at the deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays currently occupy the first spot in the AL Wild Card in what looks to be a hotly contested race to the finish line. While the New York Yankees are running away with the division, the Jays could find themselves in the playoffs via the Wild Card as long as they can fend off other teams like the Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox (amongst a handful of others).

With the trade deadline roughly a week away, the Blue Jays should be looking to get some deals done over the next week to try and take this squad to the next level for the remainder of the season. They do have to contend with additional hurdles like player vaccination status, which has already eliminated some potential trade options, but the club should still have a multitude of options available for them, depending on whether they choose to go for rental-type contracts or deal away some prospect capital for a player with additional contract control.

Pitching is most likely going to be the biggest need for the Jays this week and I wouldn’t be surprised if the front office makes some deals for some arms to help bolster both the rotation and the bullpen. Having a veteran arm in the rotation could help if Yusei Kikuchi and/or Jose Berrios continue to struggle while the bullpen needs another arm or two to help stabilize the remainder of the group that falls outside the circle of trust.

That being said, if the Jays truly want to go after a rental player who is just on the books for the remainder of the season, there are some solid options available if the club can trade for the right deal while dipping into the prospect pool.