3 win-now trades the Blue Jays can make to reshape their roster this offseason

The Toronto Blue Jays know what they need to do better in 2027. As their General Manager said they need to hit the ball over the wall more, take more walks, and get on base. Those words from Ross Atkins during his year-end availability last week and in a perfect world, the guys already on the roster would do just that.

But after missing the playoffs in 2026, this current iteration of the Blue Jays can't be trusted to do those things without some additions. While those additions can come via free agency, Atkins has never been shy about pursuing the trade route.

These three proposals would carry different levels of risk, prospect cost and long-term value, but each would qualify as a genuine win-now move.

Jeremy Peña, CJ Abrams or a blockbuster package from the Mariners would revamp the Blue Jays

Trade No. 1: Blue Jays acquire Jeremy Peña from Astros

Houston could become one of the off season's most interesting trade partners. The Astros are looking to shed salary, will eventually install a new general manager and could once again face an infield logjam when Carlos Correa returns from his ankle injury. With Correa, Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, Christian Walker and Peña all in the picture, Houston may have to move someone.

Peña would give Toronto the flexibility they lacked this year. He could play shortstop and allow Andrés Giménez to return to second base, or shift to the keystone himself and provide a more complete everyday option than Ernie Clement. That would move Clement back into the utility role in which he is best suited.

Peña is projected to earn roughly $13 million in his final arbitration year, so the Blue Jays could evaluate him for one season, pursue an extension if he thrives or let JoJo Parker continue developing in the minors and see if he's ready for 2028. Peña’s 22 home runs would have ranked second on the team and his .802 OPS would've led all qualified hitters.

Peña’s age and expiring deal should keep the price relatively low and a package built around infielder Josh Kasevich, right-hander Gage Stanifer and outfielder Yohendrick Piñango could appeal to a Houston club seeking inexpensive, controllable talent.

Trade No. 2: Blue Jays make a blockbuster offer for CJ Abrams

If Toronto wants a younger, longer-term solution, CJ Abrams would be a more ambitious target. The two-time All-Star does not reach free agency until after the 2029 season and is projected to earn approximately $10.2 million through arbitration this year. Washington listened to offers at the deadline, and Abrams has since been identified as one of the offseason’s leading trade candidates.

Abrams would immediately add two elements the Blue Jays lacked in 2026: power and speed. He has hit 92 home runs since 2022, posted an .834 OPS and 3.7 fWAR in 2026, and ranked in the 92nd percentile in batting value. His speed ranked in the 79th percentile. Toronto as a team ranked 25th in sprint speed. He struck out 158 times though, and chases too many pitches. But he was basically a faster version of Kazuma Okamoto.

Washington has high-end infield prospects coming which would allow them the flexibility to make this move, but the acquisition cost would still be pretty high. A proposal featuring one of their young pitchers in Nolan Perry and Daniel Guerra, plus outfielder RJ Schreck and utility prospect Jay Harry would send Washington at least three of Toronto’s top 30 prospects, and that still might not get it done.

Remember what it took for the Padres to pry away Juan Soto? Abrams is not Soto and he's three years older than Soto was, but the Nationals would be looking for a haul.

Even with that deal, the Blue Jays would still retain a group of promising young pitchers that includes Johnny King, Cole Carlon, Dasan Hill, Ricky Tiedemann, Danny Thompson Jr. and Javen Coleman. For three years of a 26-year-old impact bat, that is the type of aggressive offer Toronto would have to consider.

Trade No. 3: Blue Jays land Logan Gilbert and Brendan Donovan from Mariners

Toronto and Seattle were the last American League teams standing in 2025. Neither returned to the postseason in 2026. Both clubs should be looking to retool rather than rebuild.

Logan Gilbert is one year from free agency and does not appear close to an extension with Seattle. His 3.71 ERA was his highest since 2023, but he still made 28 starts and ranked seventh in the American League with 165 innings. Adding him behind Dylan Cease and José Soriano, alongside Trey Yesavage, would give the Blue Jays a much higher rotation floor to start with.

Throwing in Brendan Donovan would address second base at the same time. His 2026 season was derailed by sports hernia surgery, recurring groin trouble and a concussion and there's probably no player who needs a change of scenery more than him.

His track record, when he's healthy, remains very appealing: a .282/.362/.411 career slash line, 120 wRC+, 13.6 per cent strikeout rate and 11.0 fWAR. The left-handed hitter owns a .295/.377/.443 career line against right-handed pitching, making him a natural complement to the right-handed Clement.

Seattle would need young, affordable upside in return and Sean Keys could offer the right amount of intrigue. After hitting 28 home runs with a 1.019 OPS in the minors that might be enough to entice Seattle to take a chance on him. His defensive fit may be the issue. They've got an every day first-base option (Josh Naylor) and designated-hitters / outfielders (Dominic Canzone, Luke Raly, Lazaro Montes, Michael Arroyo) already. They could also offer Keys in a combination with any of the previously mentioned players such as Piñango, Kasevich and Stanifer.

None of these trades would be easy to pull off, but if Toronto is serious about returning to October in 2027, some of its prospect depth will need to be used to get those upgrades.

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