3 trade deadline targets the Blue Jays should have paid for

Since the trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays have managed to put together just a modest 6-5 record entering play Thursday. So far, the players that the Jays had acquired from the deadline have produced some mixed results. Both Ty France and Louis Varland have been solid since coming over from the Minnesota Twins, but Seranthony Domínguez has had a couple of disastrous outings since joining the club.

The Blue Jays will hope that these players will make significant contributions for the team down the stretch, especially with Shane Bieber yet to make his much anticipated debut. However, there were a few players that were moved at the trade deadline that could have been a huge difference maker for the Jays already.

3 trade deadline targets the Blue Jays should have paid for

Josh Naylor

With the search for a power bat to help bolster the offensive potential of the entire lineup, the Jays may have got a decent one in France. But the one they really should have reeled in was Canada’s very own Josh Naylor. Having put together a solid 2025 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Naylor has been doing it all for the Mariners since moving to Seattle at the trade deadline.

In 16 games of action, the 28-year-old Canadian has compiled a .286 average, .908 OPS, along with 10 runs scored, three doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs. More impressively, he has gone berserk on the basepaths, going a perfect 11-for-11 in the process to give him a career-high 22 already on the season.

As good as France has been so far for Toronto, the impact of Naylor both with his power and base running ability could have significantly lengthened the Jays lineup while providing some much-needed protection to any of their star players. To top it off, it would have been a feel-good story to bring home a legitimate Canadian star to play for the team down the stretch.

David Bednar

With the Jays desperately looking for bullpen help at the trade deadline, one of their rumored targets was elite closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, not only did Toronto lose out on his services, he would eventually land with their hated division rivals New York Yankees.

With the Yankees having trouble closing out games with Devin Williams struggling immensely for them throughout 2025, Bednar has suddenly become their savior since the deadline. 

Other than a blowup in his debut with New York on August 1st against the Miami Marlins, the 30-year-old two-time All-Star had been lights out ever since. In five total appearances, Bednar is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, along with a whopping 12 strikeouts in just seven innings of work.

More impressively was the fact that he was called upon to go beyond one inning twice already to help the Yankees successfully close out ballgames. In doing so, he has likely supplanted Williams already from the closers role and has helped stabilized the back end of the bullpen for New York.

With Jeff Hoffman and his on-and-off struggles with the Jays, Toronto sure missed out in adding a surefire flamethrower to solidify their back end of the bullpen for the stretch run.

Jhoan Duran

The Jays may have done very well in landing an effective Varland with term from the Twins. But without question the most prized asset out of Minnesota at the time was closer Jhoan Duran. Among one of the best in the business since making his MLB debut in 2022, Duran has amassed 78 saves along with a stellar 2.42 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, together with 295 strikeouts in just 237 2/3 career innings over his four seasons in the majors. 

With the elite closer ultimately landing with the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline, Duran has been practically flawless ever since. In four relief appearances, he has held the opposition scoreless on just one hit to go along with zero walks and three strikeouts in four innings pitched.

He is exactly the consistent shutdown closer that the Jays needed to carry them into the postseason and beyond, as it would allow Hoffman to move into his more comfortable setup role that he was used to during his dominant years with the Phillies. Nevertheless, instead of a sure thing in Duran, the Jays will now have to hope what they already have is enough to take them through a deep playoff run.