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.

Noah Syndergaard

A name Blue Jays fans may remember fondly, right-hander Noah Syndergaard was a key player of interest this past offseason and even received a contract offer from the Jays but decided to take his talents to Los Angeles instead.

A solid pitcher with an injury history, Syndergaard has made 14 starts for the Angels this season while posting a 4.00 ERA through 74.1 innings. His 7.0 K/9 is trending to be on the lower side compared to his previous seasons but he can be a dominant force on the mound when everything is working.

He has 11 starts on the year where he has allowed three or fewer runs but is a bit of a wild card given his injury history and the fact that he started the season so well and could be a player who runs out of steam towards the end of the year (as he did miss a lot of time over the past couple of seasons due to injury).

If the price is right and the Angels are willing to sell, Syndergaard could be a risk the Jays’ front office would be willing to take to fill out the starting rotation. While the current group wasn’t around when Syndergaard was drafted by the Jays back in 2010, considering they were interested this past offseason for his services, it would make sense that the interest is still there come the trade deadline.

Michael Fulmer

A former starter turned reliever, the Detroit Tigers have a few arms in the bullpen that could be traded before the deadline and Michael Fulmer is an interesting candidate for the Toronto Blue Jays.

While his starting days are most likely behind him, Fulmer is having a great season in the bullpen, authoring a 3.00 ERA through 36.0 innings of work while striking out batters at an 8.8 K/9 clip. The walks are a bit concerning (4.8 BB/9 on the year) but Fulmer has evolved into a primary slider-type pitcher who is not only seeing results but can also utilize a solid mid-90s sinker or fastball if needed. He has been an effective arm against right-handed batters but has struggled against lefties to the tune of a .883 OPS in 50 at-bats, so that is one thing to keep an eye on if he joins the Blue Jays.

The pros and cons for Fulmer are valid but if the Jays are looking for a solid veteran who can keep righty hitters off balance, then the Detroit Tigers might have the answer. If not, there are other options available on the Tigers as well like Andrew Chafin (player option for 2023) or Joe Jimenez (free agent after 2023) but both pitchers are not rental players.

David Robertson

Similar to Jose Quintana, right-hander David Roberston is another veteran pitcher who has seen a resurgence in 2022 that is getting noticed around the league. The former Yankees relief pitcher has been the Chicago Cubs closer this year, notching 14 saves already while pitching to a 1.85 ERA through 35 appearances.

After a couple of rough seasons, Robertson is certainly establishing himself as one of the top bullpen trade candidates this year, especially with the Cubs playing sub .500 ball and far out from playoff contention. He should be available over the next week and any team looking to add bullpen depth would surely take the risk on Robertson to close out the year.

He doesn’t come without risk, however, as he does boast an elevated walk rate at 4.3 BB/9, but adding him to the Jays’ back end alongside Yimi Garcia and Adam Cimber seems like a no-brainer, especially since he also owns a 2.83 ERA through 41 appearances at the Rogers Centre.

Josh Bell

While pitching may be the focal point of the Blue Jays heading into the trade deadline, if the front office is looking for a lefty-bat to compliment the right-handed heavy lineup, Washington Nationals switch hitter Josh Bell seems like a prime candidate to consider.

With Andrew Benintendi (Royals) unvaccinated and Ian Happ (Cubs) having another year of contract control, Bell looks to be the prime rental trade candidate, especially since the Nationals should be selling at the deadline this year. Bell has been mashing this year, owning a .305/.388/.496 slash line through 351 at-bats with a .883 OPS. He isn’t hitting the home run as much, as evident by his 13 home runs on the year, but he is putting the ball in play and taking walks as needed with 45 free passes on the year compared to 55 strikeouts.

The biggest question mark when it comes to trading for Bell is playing time, as he would surely cut into the playing time of other DH candidates like Alejandro Kirk and George Springer (when he’s not in centre).

He could form a platoon with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base and switch with the DH position as needed but this again keeps Kirk on the bench when he is not catching, which might not be the better option at this point considering how well he is hitting.