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

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 23: Jose Quintana #62 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on July 23, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 23: Jose Quintana #62 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on July 23, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
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Blue Jays
DETROIT, MI – JULY 3: Michael Fulmer #32 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park on July 3, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

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.

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